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Hi, I have been set a challenge by a probate company to find family of Edith Shaw born 1st Sept, 1921. She died Dec, 2011.

*Edit - should have said, she was born in the Stockport area.*

How do progress from here?

Thanks, Marcus

Well they should be able to find her birth at least on FreeBMD .

They should also be in receipt of her death certificate

Why can't they do the searching ???


If you don't know where to start how do you expect to research her ?

Really not happy to help for them to take a cut of her money :-(

Edith Shaw
England and Wales Birth Registration Index
Name: Edith Shaw
Event Type: Birth Registration
Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration Year: 1921
Registration District: Stockport
County: Cheshire
Event Place: Stockport, Cheshire, England
Mother's Maiden Name (not available before 1911 Q3): Brooks
Volume: 8A
Page: 141
Line Number: 66

hi
5 births to shaw and brooks 1914-1924 in stockport

Why have they set you the challenge Marcus?

Hi Marcus

Find her birth on site given below.......will give mothers maiden name, page and volume number

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/

Then to be sure buy birth cert, fathers ( if there is one named) name will be on there, address where they were living also......once you have the info you can trace family back/forward through buying parents marriage cert and the details given on there....

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

Mistyx

this could be parents marriage thats if they married in stockport

Marriages Mar 1909 (>99%)
BROOKS Sarah Ann Stockport 8a 55
SHAW John William Stockport 8a 55

This sounds distinctly 'fishy'

With your experience of posting on the boards, you should know exactly what to do

If the 'probate company' is one of the heir hunter setups, they'll be looking for living relatives, and why should we use our resources to further their cause...........they'll get the 'cut'.............not us.

My thoughts exactly.

Maybe we've got the wrong end of the stick Marcus, but researcher's on these boards are quite dubious about helping with research if in some way it is for financial gain.

Apart from any other consideration, the various sites have very strict limits on the uses to which their info can be put.

One wonders how much this probate company have offered to pay you for the info, Marcus?

Yvonne, many thanks for the information you found and supplied.
Misty Cat, thanks for the websites given.
Above all, thank you ALL for your replies and comments.

Let me explain. I have applied to a Probate Research firm (Call them 'Heir Hunters if you want to.....) as a researcher. I won't mention the company name here.

I have been set a challenge by them to test my research skills. The task in hand is to find 'Living Relatives' of the lady mentioned above (Mrs. Edith Shaw), who passed away in Dec, 2011, leaving no will.

This case (including any monies) has already been researched, claimed and closed by the Probate Co in collaboration with the family. I am NOT and WILL NOT be paid for this current research into her family.

If, however, I am taken on by the same firm as a researcher, then I will receive a wage from them.

There is absolutely nothing 'fishy' about this. I have always wanted to have a paid job which includes genealogy & family history etc... This, I hope is my chance.

If I am successful, great!, If not, then so be it....... Something else will come along.

I know that not everyone agrees with the principle of taking a fee out of someone's estate, I understand where you come from and why. I really do.

On the other hand, there are lots of people who do NOT make a will, or have close family to whom the estate can pass onto. Ultimately, any the estate will eventually go to the Treasury / Government. The current Government (Whoever it is at the time), rakes in £1,000's, if not £Millions from unclaimed estates!!

Surely it would be great to know, if not to ensure, that families got this money instead of the Government??

Thank you for letting me say my piece.

Marcus

Marcus, if the only information that the company has given you is her date of death and date and place of birth, then the only way for you to progress is surely by spending some of your own money on the purchase of certificates to be sure that you are tracing the correct Edith?


If she was Mrs. Edith Shaw, the your first step would surely be to find her maiden surname. If her married name was Shaw, then unless she also married a Shaw, the birth already posted is unlikely to be your lady.

Thanks, Rootgatherer. I agree with you in what you say.

The research co have told me - 'Required NOT to buy certificates', so will try and follow that. But if I choose to because it is easier to gain the information required, then I might just do that. It 's my choice!! (I haven't yet).

Yes, you are correct in saying, if she was a 'Mrs.Shaw'...... But have found out just recently that she wasn't married.

Marcus

Maybe if people on here solve your case for you then it is THEY who should be granted a job !

If you plan to earn money from this, you must not ask for, or expect, any help from GR members

At present, they are testing YOUR research skills..........not OURS, and it would be dishonest of you to pass off as your own research that which you have asked others to provide for you

If you need to ask for help on here for something so basic.............perhaps you should re-think your career choice

If you don't know how to progress...................!!!!!!!

I have no problem with the way heir hunters operate.............but they must bear their own costs

Then maybe they all should apply to become probate researchers themselves.
Who's to stop them?

And as for "If you don't know how to progress....!".

Well, surely that is the whole point of asking for help on sites such as this....!!

Best of luck with the reserch position Marcus, how interesting, I would have loved the opportunity do something along those lines........hope you are successful.

Mistyx

If this is the marriage of Edith's parents- then there was also at least one child (Harriet) born before 1911 (which won't show mother's maiden name on birth reference).

name(s) John William Shaw
Age 22y
Marriage year 1909
Marriage date 27 Mar 1909
Marriage place Portwood
Spouse Sarah Ann Brooks
Spouse's age 23y
Bride's father's name James Brooks
City or town Portwood
County Cheshire
Country England
Reference item 5 p 27
Record set Cheshire Diocese of Chester parish marriages 1538-1910
------------------------------------------------------------------

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription

James Brookes Head Married Male 59 1852 Chesh Stockport Fireman
Harriet Brookes - Married Female 58 1853 Chesh Stockport -
Sarah Ann Shaw Daughter Married Female 27 1884 Chesh Stockport -
Ms William Brooks - Single Male 20 1891 Chesh Stockport -
Harriet Shaw Daughter - Female 2 1909 Chesh Stockport -
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Birth
First name(s) HARRIET
Last name SHAW
Birth year 1909
Birth quarter 3
District STOCKPORT
County Cheshire
Country England
Volume 8A
Page 59
---------------------------------------------

Oh- possible death for that child:
First name(s) HARRIET
Last name SHAW
Birth year 1910
Death year 1912
Age 2
Burial year 1912
Burial day 7
Burial month 2
Place STOCKPORT
Church description REDDISH WILLOW GROVE CEMETERY
Church denomination CEMETERY
County Cheshire
----------------------------------------------------------

Good luck with the challenge :-)