Find Ancestors

Iain, I'd contact the Bolton Register Office:

Superintendent Registrar, Register Office, Mere Hall, Mere Hall Street, BOLTON, BL1 2QT

and tell them you have two children Jack 1901, and Herbert 1904 born to John Smith and wife Mary J. Tell them you can't find a birth of a third child William in 1907, and it is him who is most important to you. Tell them you can only find a John William birth. Ask them if they can find such a birth and whether he has the same surname as the other two children. They won't tell you what the surname is without you paying, but most of these local registrars do their best, without breaking their rules. So they might say "John William has the same mother's maiden name", or "We have found a William with the same mother's maiden name".

I will send you a pm on this.

The 1901 Census is right as I did have a look at it when getting info on the family. What really makes tracking them down is lack of documents and dates.

The birth, marriage & death for John Smith & his sons were either lost or destroyed.

I don't think that the JOHN WILLIAM SMITH(1907) is the same person. Williams son Graham L marriage cert states that his fathers name was simply William Smith.

I have used Lancashire BMD to see if I could find a Marriage between John Simth & Mary J ****** but it comes up with 4 matches, and think they charge £7 for copy.

Only reason I know Johns wife was called Mary J was in the 1901 Census.

Yes I know that the only way to be sure is either get Willams Death Cert or his Birth Cert which will name his parents.

Mary J was alive in 1901 but by 1911 she had died. Again using the Census. Think I have found a year for her death around 1909 aged 35. However due to finances ordering any certs will have to wait, so looking for anyone who can give info would be welcomed.

Can anyone show/tell me how to use FREEBMD as all links seem to point to paid services.

Deaths Dec 1909 (>99%)
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Smith Mary Jane 35 Bolton 8c 284

Again - a doddle from Freebmd - do you know how to use it Iain? Just ask if not.

Marriages Sep 1932 (>99%)
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Gregory Elizabeth Stanley Bolton 8c 930
Long Doris Smith Bolton 8c 930 ****
Smith William Long Bolton 8c 930 ****
Stanley Thomas H Gregory Bolton 8c 930

Is this them in 1911?

SMITH, John Head Widower M 36 1875 Coal Miner Dataller Bolton Lancs VIEW
SMITH, Jack Son M 10 1901 School Bolton Lancs VIEW
SMITH, Herbert Son M 7 1904 School Bolton Lancs VIEW
SMITH, William Son M 4 1907 School Bolton Lancs VIEW

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RG number:
RG14 Piece:
23408 Reference:
RG14PN23408 RG78PN1365 RD461 SD7 ED24 SN176

Registration District:
Bolton Sub District:
Little Bolton EnumerationDistrict:
24 Parish:
Bolton

Address:
10 Mill Hill Terrace Bolton Lancashire County:
Lancashire

Unusually, it seemed quite easy to find a marriage of a John Smith to a Mary J:

Marriages Mar 1896 (>99%)
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Brown Mary Jane Bolton 8c 374
ISHERWOOD Alice Walker Bolton 8c 374
Smith John Bolton 8c 374
Woods Samuel Bolton 8c 374

But how do you know she was called Mary J? And why couldn't you find this marriage yourself?

The birth certificate of one of the children will confirm her maiden name, it might not have been Brown. It's the only safe way to be sure.

The births of the boys are not on Lancashirebmd.

EDIT - I agree what others have found, they just beat me to it!

Possible marriage?

Marriages Mar 1896
Brown Mary Jane Bolton 8c 374
Smith John Bolton 8c 374

but you would need to get a birth cert to confirm this

possible birth for Jack

Births Mar 1901
Smith Jack Bolton 8c 474

1901 census?

Name: Jack Smith
Age: 2 months
Estimated birth year: abt 1901
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John
Mother's Name: Mary J
Gender: Male
Where born: Bolton, Lancashire, England

Civil parish: Bolton
Ecclesiastical parish: St John
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image

Registration district: Bolton
Sub-registration district: Little Bolton
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 217
Household Members:
Name Age
John Smith 26 occ Coalminer
Mary J Smith 26
Jack Smith 2 months

All born Bolton

If you say his father was a John Smith I wonder if this could be his birth and they just called him William??

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
about John William Smith
Name: John William Smith
Year of Registration: 1907
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: Bolton
County: Greater Manchester, Lancashire
Volume: 8c
Page: 362

1901 England Census
about Jack Smith
Name: Jack Smith
Age: 2 months
Estimated birth year: abt 1901
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John
Mother's Name: Mary J
Gender: Male
Where born: Bolton, Lancashire, England

Civil parish: Bolton
Ecclesiastical parish: St John
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Bolton
Sub-registration district: Little Bolton
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 217
Household Members: Name Age
John Smith 26
Mary J Smith 26
Jack Smith 2 months

Looking for info on the following family.

William Smith born 1907 in Bolton, Lancashire. married a Woman by the name of Doris Long in 1935 or thereabouts.

His father was John Smith who married a Mary J *****, her surname is not known and their marriage cert may of been handed to one of the 2 older children or destroyed/lost.

Their Children were Jack(1901), Herbert(1904) & William(1907), all born in Bolton, Lancashire.

Can anyone help fill in some gaps?
Have trouble using the English BMD to narrow down who the parents were.