General Chat

Is there someone on your family tree that seems to baffle you or elude you? What is the reason why you can't get any further finding information? Too far back, missing census records, common name, records destroyed etc?

Yep. I have a chap who changed his surname, was born illegitimate so we think he was born with his mother's name, then changed to father's to get his land etc. However we cannot find his mother's baptism anywhere. So no idea if she was a merry widow or what when she gave birth to him ! :0( Joan

Hi Lesley, After spending nearly a day at the records office, I am realising that my 'being stuck' needed a bit of hard work, and it is going to be a long haul - I have resigned my searching to be a lifetimes work. Good luck with your searching, who are you stuck on? Tina x

Hi Lesley, Good question, I am stuck on my family that came from Ireland to Liverpool. As it states no County in Ireland, I have no idea where to go next. But I am thinking about this one. Trish xx

Hiya Lesley Mine is trying to verify who the father of my 4x great Grandfather was. I have a prime suspect but can't find the documentation to prove it. I've been through all possible surving records at the archives that might give me a clue, but nowt can be found! I'm now researching all of his possible siblings to see if I can get a clue that way, but we're talking late 1700's and they were just Ag Labs so there's not alot to be found :-((((((

I am well and truly stuck on my Gt gt grandmother (maternal). Hannah Jennings was born c 1788 in the North Petherton area, I have her marriage in 1809 to John Warner (and that was complicated because there were two John warners - cousins- married two hannahs) and have her in all censuses. I have been to taunton record office and searched parish records and have had other people search for me but I just can't find her birth anywhere. have not, as yet searched non con. church records so that will be my last hope. Ann Glos

Lesley.....Naughty Sarah is my sticking point. Five children and no husband.... I am not knowledgeable enough in researching to know if there may be any records on her children. Poor Sarah she is listed on two of the census as living in the workhouse. Her mother and father brought up two of the children. Beryl x

Hi Beryl Have you tried the poor law records, or Bastardy bonds ? These sometimes named & shamed the errant fathers! :0) Joan

Thank you for that Joan. No I haven't tried either, can you tell me where I can access them please. Beryl x

I get stuck with mine as soon as the word Ireland appears anywhere! Jacky :-) PS although I redently had a BIG breakthrough via a contact :-)))

Hi Beryl The County Records office for the area where she lived should have them, or least advise you where they are held, if they exist. I can't say if they will help, or if you will find anything, but it is worth a try. If you are fairly new to this I read a really good book, 'How to trace your family tree' In England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales. It is by Kathy Chater, ISBN 1-84309-974-8 Apologies to you if you are an old hand at this, I don't come on here that often now, so I am not sure how experienced peeps are. I am a a little bit more advanced than novice now, but not by much, lol ! Regards :0)) Joan

Oh there's quite a few reasons why I cannot find people, however, some are more frustrating than others. Some people I just cannot seem to kill off (ie find their death certificate) as their names are very common and they live in a big city. Some I can take a step further with all the reasons I've mentioned above but also went away to sea so don't know where they died. Also don't know which decade they died in as they survived 1901 census and my nan cannot remember them. Trish - snap! Some people I cannot find before 1841 as they were born in Ireland (no area listed) and then moved to Glasgow, then Liverpool, then?. The surname is quite common and changes its spelling. Cannot find them after 1851 on the census or any of the relatives (apart from the daughter who is my ancestor). Don't know where to go from there. Some people just disappear off the 1901 census although you know they died in a workhouse in 1902. I've been lucky with some people (or at least know why I cannot find them) I have one family who seemed to disappear one census year. I found half of the family at the beginning of a page and a big tear on the corner of the page to suggest it was a loose page. I think the first page has got lost. However, there are people you just cannot find no matter how many variations you've tried. (mind you with some ancestry interpretations I've found on the 3 free day trial - I'm surprised I've found them at all) There's also one ancestor who I think was widowed (cannot find husband's death yet but it was a common name) 3 of the children seem to tie in on the 1861 census as living with her (same names & ages). However, she seems to have changed her place of birth from Liverpool to Wales. Previous census records say Liverpool. So cannot be sure if it is her or not. Some people you think you will NEVER find and give up and something unexpectedly pops up out the blue that solves the mystery.

im stuck on my grandmother she has uncommon name but not sure if its her right name as shes nowere to be found such apain but you never no i might get lucky one day all the very best to you all for 2007 joyce from hollandxx

Ladies - don't give up. I spent nearly 20 yrears looking for 'Aunt Martha'. She was the sister of my gt.grandmother so I didn't really need to find her for my tree but more for her reputation. Apparently her sister and husband parted and for whatever reason the two younger boys went to live with her. She had children of her own whom I presume she treated ok, BUT she treated the two boys belonging to her sister rather badly (one of whom was my grandfather). The profound effect her awful treatment had on him lasted all his life and even in adulthood he used to say 'I hope she rots in Hell !!' Because of this I was determined to find her and only succeeded in doing so 12 months ago. The good side of this was that I 'met/contacted' a genes member who is a descendent of her first husband and I learned from him that her husbands family didn't want her to marry him. He died after 1 yr of marriage. She then went on to husband No. 2 who also only lasted 1 year !!!! When I eventually traced her in 1901 census she was with husband No. 3 in an entirely different county.. By this time my grandfather and his brother had managed to break away from her and both were working. They were lodging with another family member more their own age. So you see....... frustrating though it may be, there is hope of unravelling your own particular mysteries.

MINE IS ME G GRANDFATHER , HE APPEARS TO HAVE GONE AWOL, AT THE BIRTH OF MY GRANDAD, THINK I HAVE A NAME SO JUST A PROCESS OF ILLIMANATION OF THE OTHER 40 ODD THOUSAND WITH THE SAME NAME LOL. BUT I WONT GIVE UP

Don't give up. After searching and searching for the death of OH's great grandmother I was ready to accept defeat. Received one of her daughter's second marriage certificate and found she was still alive in 1923 so that narrowed it down. Searched up to 1945 and still no luck. A cousin suggested she may have remarried after great grandfather's death. Sure enough, the old dear remarried at the ripe old age of 75 and died three years later. Bless her!! Susan

One of mine is my paternal grandmother, known as Hannah Jane Harris born c1871 but no record of her birth is to found. There was a Harris family (Charles & Jane) at 4 Middle Street, Shoreditch for about 40 years (1851-1891 censuses). Handed down is a birth certificate for a Jane Macey born in November 1871 at that address. Her mother was Elizabeth Macey formerly Crawley. Jane Harris's maiden name was Crawley. The certificate was obtained in 1936, when Jane Macey would have been 65. So maybe for a pension or insurance? Charles and Elizabeth Macey seem to have come out of thin air and gone the same way. I surmise that Jane Macey was brought up by the Harrises as their child, taking the name Hannah Jane Harris, but how to prove it ?

Yes Lesley.....blinkin Joshua John Butt......born 1821 died 1880 or thereabouts......cannot find him from 1821 to 1871........reputed to have a son John, who left his nieces and nephews a nice legacy......but can only find his other two children...... Never mind.......something will turn up sometimes.....meanwhile he bugs me.....

Stuck on my great, great, great grandfather. I have the baptism of my great, great grandfather Daniel Durant in 1824 in Bromley by Bow. Parents are shown as Charles Durant and Maria. Can't find a marriage anywhere for them. The 1841 census for Bromley by Bow is missing. My ggg grandfather died in 1843. Another of his sons, Thomas Durant, was in Mile End Workhouse before he died in 1890 and his entry form states settlement order in 1821 and you've guessed it they no longer exist. This whole line has been a struggle and every little find has been like pulling teeth but I really have no idea where to look now. Jean x.

We have a copper bedpan that belonged to Mary Fisher.....but who she is I have no idea. I see several Mary's that married into the family, get the certs, and they turn out not to be Fishers! There is also an Elizabeth Tyler, I have a photo of her I think, but have yet to find out who she is too. The family Bible has them both mentioned, but does not say who they are, not a date or anything to help me, yet my GGGrandfather was meticulous in his record keeping, except for those two.