Find Ancestors

If I go to
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/
I get the option to switch to old search, and then select BMDs from the "Search" item in the main menu bar
I can then select "England & Wales BMD Index"
For me, it's a "Featured Title in this Category", but it's also in the full list of titles.
Then pick Deaths 1916-2005 and search (check exact box) for:
ann* b 4/10/1894 +/-5 y.d 1985 +/-20 pod=London

There's 42 hits, including:

Name Birth Year Death Registration Month/Year District Inferred County Order Record View Image
Annie Louisa Power 1889 1971 Brent Greater London

Now it doesn't matter if she's nowt to do with your mob - she's just the example here

You won't see all these details - I don't remember what details you can see - the detail we want is the yod=1971
So search again - try 1985+/-10, 1995+/-10, 1975+/-10, 1975+/-5, etc till you pin it down.

I'm pretty sure you won't see the rego district - you could try the 30+ Greater London RDs one by one, but that's a pain even if you know them all.
Anyway, to get that it's quickest to look up the image on FreeBMD.
It's a bit of a pain, so for this example, go straight to 1971q3 when you look up the image at:
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/

One thing I didn't mention is that Ancestry might ask you to do a free rego.
If you do this, check the box to get their newsletter. Occassionally, they offer free access.
I think last November, they offered access to their UK military records for a weekend - they did this last ANZAC day, too.


Anyways, try it out - you could probably figure it out yourself if you tried it, now you've some idea of what you're after.

hi mgnv

i have got a bit lost with what you have said

Even if you don't subscribe, you can do a free search on Ancestry.
(I would recommend the old-style search - the old/new switch is just below Ancestry's main menu bar - at top right.
The switch doesn't appear on all screens - you might have to do a rubbish search to get it to appear.)
Without a sub, they won't tell you full detais, but you can keep on specifying things and pin down the event year.
So although the yob's wrong, there is this:

Exact Search Results - England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
Name: Annie Louisa Power
Birth Date: 4 Oct 1889
Death Registration Month/Year: 1971
Registration district: Brent
Inferred County: Greater London
Volume: 5a
Page: 494
[quarter 3]

NB Willesden RD became Brent RD in 1965q2.


Try a search on FreeBMD first, but they've very little from 1950 on.

For events thru 1983, go to FreeBMD's home page
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
and use the "View Images" link to access the image of the GRO index page - it's a klunky interface, though.
This image will fill in missing details, at least thru 1983

My apologies Veronica, I had typed in Francis with an "i" rather than an "e".

i cant seem to find the mariages on freebmd that you have found for annie smith yo francis

hi, i dont know when they was last alive, dont really know alot about them.

No deaths matching those exact details

When were they last KNOWN to be alive?

freebmd only covers up to about 1940..........so exact birth dates will not show

The later deaths are on Ancestry.......subscription site.

Look on Freebmd for marriages. There was an Annie Smith married a Wragg in Sheffield in 1941 and 2 marriages in the London area for an Annie Smith to a Francis but I would take that as enough evidence to order the certificates!

ok thanks,

so many blank walls, :-(

Sorry , nothing obvious coming up for those but if they died before 1970 Ancestry doesn't give exact date of birth and of course, it would depend on the informant knowing the exact date of birth.

ok thanks for them two so now do i search to see if that married name married annie smith??

could you please have a look for the deaths of these aswell if you get a minute,

charles ernest smith 16.05.1901 born in willesden
john edward smith 14.03.1904 born in willesden

These are the ones after 1970, just searching using her birthdate (that died in the south of England)

Name: Annie Frances
Birth Date: 4 Oct 1894
Death Registration Month/Year: Dec 1989
Age at death (estimated): 95
Registration district: St Albans
Inferred County: Hertfordshire
Volume: 10
Page: 849


Name: Annie Wragg
Birth Date: 4 Oct 1894
Death Registration Month/Year: 1972
Registration district: Ipswich
Inferred County: Suffolk
Volume: 4b
Page: 2576

ok thanks, ill try having a look, only have limited areas to look tho, does any one use freebmd, im unsure how you put the date of birth on there

No not that old . my gran was born in 1881 and died in 1969 .

Wiliam must have died before 1970 as thers no death coming up for his birth date

yea thats difficult to find her marriage thats why thought ill try deaths,

so if william lived till 1970 he will be at least 74 by then quite old in them times isnt it?

Deaths from 1970 show the date of birth as given by the informant.
You may need to know who Annie married though for her surname.

ok thanks, details i have given are from there birth certificates

Some deaths on Ancestry give the date of birth but it would still be difficult without a surname and area. I think it is deaths after 1970ish for dates of birth.
A middle name would probably make it easier!