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Ok thanks for that Sue

Sue, I'm afraid I don't work for GR so can't help you with technical problems! I don't use Genes for my trees, I use another site (as well as tree software on my computer.

If you go to "Help" on the dark green menu above, and then "Contact Us" you could send a message to the support team asking them for assistance.

Hi Marie, Have you had any problems adding/editing any relatives on your tree? I have input the same details several times today and told it to save, but when I go back in to them the details are not there. Also I can't get the clipboard to work properly. Has anyone mentioned problems to you? Have found new relatives on my husbands side of the family and want to add them to my tree but getting quite frustrated with it now!!!!! Sue :-(

in 1881:

BELL, Ralph Head Married M 29 1852 Shoemaker 1st Class Army Reserve Middlebie Dumfriesshire
BELL, Elizabeth Wife Married F 22 1859 Annan Dumfriesshire
BELL, David J Son M 2 1879 Annan Dumfriesshire
BELL, Louisa Daughter F 0 1881 Annan Dumfriesshire

Registration District: Annan
Civil Parish: Annan

Address: Conchies Court Downies Wynd, High Street, Annan County: Dumfriesshire

The Bell family in 1891:


BELL, Ralph Head Married M 39 1852 Shoemaker Middlebie Dumfriesshire
BELL, Elizabeth Wife Married F 33 1858 Middlebie Dumfriesshire
BELL, David John Son M 13 1878 Iron Monger (Apprentice) Middlebie Dumfriesshire
BELL, Louisa Daughter F 11 1880 Scholar Middlebie Dumfriesshire
BELL, Robert Son M 6 1885 Scholar Middlebie Dumfriesshire
BELL, Jane J Daughter F 5 1886 Middlebie Dumfriesshire
BELL, Elizabeth Daughter F 3 1888 Middlebie Dumfriesshire
BELL, Janet Daughter F 2 1889 Middlebie Dumfriesshire
BURNETT, Eliza Mother-In-Law Widow F 73 1818 Middlebie Dumfriesshire

Registration District: Annan
Civil Parish: Annan

Address: New Brewery Cottage, Port Street, Annan County: Dumfriesshire

Thomas Higgins married Elizabeth Rae 3rd July 1917 Belfast Registry office

Thomas father Henry

Evelyn Higgins born 1919 father Thomas Wilkinson Higgins, mother elizabeth Rae

Elizabeth Higgins born 1920 to the same parents

Occupants of grave I 90, City Cemetery - Glenalina Extension
Forename(s) Surname Age Date of death Date of burial
Ellen Jane Higgins 78 Years 12 December 1931 14 December 1931
Evelyn Higgins 5 Weeks 23 March 1919 25 March 1919
Henry Higgins 84 Years 27 September 1938 30 September 1938

http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialrecords/search.asp

Henry Higgins married Ellen Jane Fry 11th May 1879 St. Anne's C.O.I. Belfast

Both their father's 1st names are Henry

Name: John Fry Higgins
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 17 Mar 1880
Birth Place: Belfast, Antrim, Ireland
Father's Name: Henry Higgins
Mother's Name: Ellen Higgins Fry

Sue, here are some useful sites for you:

FreeBMD for searching records http://www.freebmd.org.uk

GRO for ordering certificates http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

Scotland's People for Scottish records http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk (is pay per view but credits are quite reasonable)

FamilySearch (the Mormon site) https://www.familysearch.org

Mundia http://www.mundia.com
Mundia is a spin-off from Ancestry where you can search and view people's trees. Unlike Ancestry, it's free to register.
If you go on the site and use the "Find People" on the menu, you could then put Henrietta Higgins Bell , birth year 1908, and it will take you to the tree I mentioned.

I'm not finding a military record for Robert Bell born 1885 in Annan, but that doesn't necessarily mean that there wasn't one as loads were destroyed.

Not seeing anything on the Commonwealth War Graves site, either.

There are numerous deaths registered in BMDs for Robert Bell so it would be well nigh impossible to pinpoint which would be his.

Looks like Robert and Margaret had moved to Tyneside by 1911:

BELL, Robert Head Married M 25 1886 Hairdresser Dumfriesshire Annan Resident
BELL, Margaret Wife Married 4 years F 23 1888 Co Armagh Sandsagee Resident
BELL, Henrietta H Daughter F 2 1909 Dumfriesshire Annan Resident
BELL, Ellen Jane W Daughter F 0 (6 MONTHS) 1911 Dumfriesshire Annan Resident

Registration District: Newcastle upon Tyne
Sub District: All Saints
Enumeration District: 11
Parish: All Saints

Address: 55 Breamish Street Newcastle on Tyne County: Northumberland

There had been no other children born at that time.

Haven't a clue how he came to be here, but this is apparently Margaret's father in 1911:


1911 census transcription details for:

Cumberland Infirmary, CUMBERLAND INFIRMARY, PORT ROAD

Reg. District: Carlisle
Sub District: St Mary
Parish: Carlisle
Enum. District: 16

Address: Port Road Carlisle County: Cumberland

HIGGINS, Henry Patient Married M 56 1855 Miller Oatmeal Kilkeel Ireland

This appears to be the marriage of Margaret's parents:

Ireland, Civil Registration Marriages Index, 1845-1958
Name: Ellen Jane Fry
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1879
Registration district: Belfast
Volume: 1
Page: 284 (click to see others on page)
FHL Film Number: 101253

Name: Henry Higgins
Registration district: Belfast
Volume: 1
Page: 284 (click to see others on page)
FHL Film Number: 101253

Sue - I doubt it's your internet, Genes site often runs very slowly and if you hit the submit button more than once it adds several posts!

Have sent the marriage record again, but here's what it says, just in case:

Married, after banns in the Established Church of Scotland, on 17th September 1907.

Robert Bell, age 22, a hairdresser, bachelor. Lived 9 Downies?? Wynd, Annan.
Parents: Ralph Bell (Shoemaker) and Elizabeth Anderson?? Bell nee Burnett.

Margaret Higgins, spinster, age 19. Lived 4 Alexandra?? Place, Annan.
Parents: Henry Higgins, a Sales?? and Helen Jane Higgins nee Fry

The witnesses were Henry Higgins and Elizabeth Bell.

(Where I've put ?? after a word it's because it wasn't clear on the document).

MC, have deleted two entries put on by mistake as have probs with my internet Sue :-D

Hi MC, Yes WW1. Very interesting about the member of Ancestry.co.uk as when Rita got married for the first time she did marry a Patterson and had one child Harry who was born 1929 in Northern England. Did not receive a copy of marriage certificate Sue

When you say Robert Bell was maybe lost in the war, do you mean WW1 ?

Robert and his family in 1901 (verified by marriage certificate)

1901 Scotland Census about Robert Bell
Name: Robert Bell
Age: 16
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1885
Relationship: Son
Father's Name: Ralph Bell
Mother's Name: Elizabth Bell
Gender: Male
Where born: Annan, dumfriesshire
Registration number: 812
Registration district: Annan
Civil parish: Annan
County: Dumfriesshire
Address: Downies Wynd 9
Occupation: Hairdresser - Apprentice

ED: 1
Household schedule number: 70
Line: 18
Roll: CSSCT1901_427

Household Members:
Name Age
Ralph Bell 49 << Shoemaker
Elizabth Bell 42
Robert Bell 16
Jane Bell 14
Lizzie Bell 12
Janet Bell 11
Mary E Bell 8
Ralph Bell 5
Kate Bell 2

Sue - somebody who is a member of Ancestry.co.uk is also researching the same family as you. I've just been having a look at their family tree (which they have made public). The only child they have listed for Margaret is Henrietta Higgins Bell who married Henry Patterson in 1929, registered Tynemouth (which covers Whitley Bay).

Check your inbox on here - I'm sending you a copy of Margaret & Robert's marriage certificate.

(PS - do you want to delete two of your triplicate entries above?)

Thanks so much for that. I am getting quite excited, I have not done that much with my tree of late and am a bit rusty with it. Please can you explain what you mean when you say the tree on Ancestry is the same family as mine. Sue