General Chat

Oh Yes.. very frustrating isn'y it. My maternal Grandmother was born out of wedlock. I have her birth certificate which does not name the father. My great grandmother married the year after my Grandmother was born. I have her marrirage certifiacte. (But there is no proof that this man was the father of my grandmother. The other problem is that I cannot trace either my great grandmother or her husband following the marriage. I cannot find them on any census or any subsequnt deaths. The only clue I have is a person appearing on the 1901 Census who might fit the bill but the place of enumeration is a county prison. He was a private in the Army at the time of the marriage and it could well be that he ended up in prison for desertion or some other mesdemeanour. I have visited the national archives to try and get his military records but could not find him. It's a mystery I think I will never solve. It's shame because I have managed to get back quite a long way on other sections of my family tree but this branch (or root) has come to a dead end.

Never got any further than my Granny. I found her marriage cert very quickly and on it she named her father and the village where he lived. Found him, but no trace anywhere of her in his rather large families ( married twice ). did find her on 1881 census in a catholic convent as a penitent but thats it until her marriage in 1885. Her background will be forever a mystery... damn

I have spent 10 years trying to find out where my gt Grandfather was in 1871, that's bad enough, but his parents another story, apparently they never existed, where never born, married or died!! Aliens! Kim

Melvyn... Have you considered that they might have emigrated? Jean x.

My grandmother Constance Ruby Douglas 1889 Stanhope. I have her birth cert. Father Charles Douglas occ photographer. Mother Maria Smedley. Maria registered the birth I have her marriage cert father Charles Douglas occ photographer. HOWEVER on the 1891 census she is a nursechild. On the 1901 census a lodger as Douglass with the same family as in 1891. Cant find a marriage for her parents. Cant find them on the census. Possible Scotland link from what I remember my father saying about Scottish grandfather. All his other grandparents are accounted for. Difficult without ages or places of birth. Margaret

I have a few stucky branches. 1) 2Ggrandfather - Charles Wyatt went missing on the censuses so I decided on a long shot and look for his son who we thought was born after 1901 - turned out the boy was born in 1898 and Charles was really Absolam, so why did he change his name I ask my self ~ I guess he wanted to confuse me!!! 2) Ggrandfather John Graham married and registered his 1st son's birth in the name Jack William Graham, on both younger children's birth certs and his death cert he is John Graham - and guess what, no birth cert for him as he was Irish and we have no idea what his mother was called so he could be called Billy-Joe for all I know!! 3) Ggrandmother's birth (c.1900)was never registered or so she said. Well truth is it wasn't (but all siblings were registered) or at least she's not registered as Hilda Kathleen King (the name by which she grew up with) and she's missing from the 1901 census. so I have the following options: a) her father was the idiot she said he was, b) she's alot younger than she thought or c) she was adopted! oh well just 5 more years to be patient and I guess I might find out!! Best of luck with the sticky branches in 2007, and happy hunting!!

My father inlaw and his family not that far back 1908-1911 but a solid brick wall, may be this year .happy new year and happy hunting all. cheers Annabel

What a good post. Yes, my Welsh line has come to a standstill, after never really getting started in the first place lol. Percy Price is such a common name in the valleys that I can only trace him thru marriage, as I don't know his parents names. Yet he married a Gentina Roberts and the marriage is not to be found! Have even written to the Bridgend paper, and Percy & Gentila's last known address. Doesnt help that Gentila's birth and death dont seem to be anywhere lol. Am starting to think 1) she was adopted, so had a different surname at birth 2)poss married under that surname 3) she was born in another country 4) Gentila was only her middle name 5) she was a gypsy! God alone knows.

la la la la la conga.....

And on behalf of GR members Derek, Andy, Colin, Gary, Sheila, and myself; we're all looking for Jeremiah Markham's parents! Im sure an ag lab pauper who died in the workhouse would be flattered to know he's now so sought after and featured on many genealogy boards,lol.

la..la conga....dont let me be on the end ...pleasssse