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Family ephemera: Many resources can be used to trace the family. The starting point should be with living relatives and existing family records. These can vary from the conversation with an auntie, grandparent, to the family friend or neighbour of many decades. Family records includes the ephemera collected over many years - birth announcements, wedding invitations, family photographs. Here is an example of the page from an old family bible - the Groom family of Staffordshire. |
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Civil Registration: The more usual documentation that we have to hand is the official items - the civil registration certificates for birth, marriage and death. These were issued from 1837, although not all our ancestors registered their family events due to the cost until it became law in the 1870s. To the right there is an example of a marriage certificate. This particular certificate gives us many clues to use in the next stage of research - the census. The certificate dates from 1897 and has both parties ages on giving an approximate year of birth. As Emily was a widow, her father’s name gives her maiden name - very useful information to search for her first marriage and this husband’s death. |
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Census Records: The most usual census that we use in family history are the 1841 to 1911. Census have been taken throughout time [remember that in the nativity Mary and Joseph were heading to Bethlehem for a census]. In 1841 there was the start of information gathering that is now so useful in our research. Over subsequent years more data and more accuracy has been required to enable the planners to provide the services in education, housing etc that was needed. It should be remembered that the census enumerators records were not intended to be kept, and they certainly were not created for the use of family historians! All the census from 1841-1911 are available from Find my Past. Do bear in mind that the 1841 is not particularly accurate -ages were rounded up to the nearest 5 years for adults, the only clue given to area of birth is with a ‘y’ for born in the county currently residing - so if not living in the county of residence there are quite a number which the person could have been born!. For samples of the same family over the years 1841-1901 follow the links below. 1911 is the nephew of the main character in each of the preceding years. 1841 - Matthew Cleaver, probable son of Charles & Hannah [remember there are no family relationships in this earliest census, so until proven otherwise it is not know if Matthew is the son, or another family dependant.] 1851 - Matthew Cleaver, son of Charles & Hannah 1861 - Matthew Cleaver, now married with children, the eldest listed is seven so the marriage was probably between 1851 and 1854. Note that one child was born in Horsley. 1871 - Matthew Cleaver, some of the children on the previous census are no longer listed - did they die or have they been placed with grandparents or put into service? 1881 - Matthew Cleaver, some of the children and also his widowed mother in law. Are the two listed visitors connected to the family? 1891 - Matthew Cleaver, just one child, one mother in law [who has now changed name! which was probably a transcription error by the enumerator]. The two Beard children are grandchildren so perhaps here is the beginning of the link to the visitor named Beard in the 1881 census. 1901 - Matthew Cleaver and wife. All the children have flown the nest. 1911 - Ralph Cleaver, son of Richard and Julia. Richard was the nephew of Matthew. His wife, Hilda Philpot, was the granddaughter of Matthew.
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So, once you have gone through the civil registration indexes, ordered your certificates and linked up the census information with all your certificated ancestors - WHAT NEXT? |
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ALL CONTENT ON THESE WEB PAGES ARE COPYRIGHT Lynne Cleaver 2004-2011 AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM ON ANY OTHER WEBSITE. PERSONAL USE WITHIN OWN FAMILY RESEARCH IS PERMISSIBLE BUT SHOULD I FIND ANY USED ONLINE I WILL NOT HESITATE TO TAKE ACTION. |
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