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I am trying to find my grandfather William Holmes.
all i no is he married Elizabeth Lydia Ealand in 1913 Southbank Middlesbrough.
and died in 1960 Middlesbrough .how can i find his birth when i do not no where he was born. can any body help. PLEASE

You have their marriage certificate?

Name: Elizabeth L Ealand
Year of Registration: 1913
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Spouse's Surname: Holmes
District: Middlesbrough (1875-1968)
County: Yorkshire - North Riding
Volume: 9d
Page: 1127

If so, it should state his father's name, and possibly William's and his father's occupation and William's age at marriage.

Do you happen to know how old he was when he died, or what his occupation was?

If do you have any of that info, provide it here -- there's no point in anyone making any attempt to find him, or tell you how to look for him, if we don't know what you know! And if you don't have the marriage certificate, you'd better get it if you hope to have a hope of finding him before that date.

With it, it might be possible to find William in the 1901 census.

Elizabeth Lydia Ealand's birth:

Name: Elizabeth Lydia Ealand
Year of Registration: 1885
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Middlesbrough (1875-1968)
County: Yorkshire - North Riding
Volume: 9d
Page: 608

But William Holmes, ah, good luck, eh?!

But that does give you an idea of age -- he wasn't likely to be much younger than her in any event.

Cagsie -- Great minds, some of which are more verbose than others. ;)

If I had to pick one William Holmes to take to a desert island, it might be this one in Middlesborough in 1901 -- edit, oops, that's 1891:


Name: William Holmes
Age: 6
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1885
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Robert
Mother's Name: Jessie
Gender: Male
Where born: Middlesborough, Yorkshire, England
Civil Parish: Linthorpe
Ecclesiastical parish: St Pauls
Town: Middlesborough
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England
Registration district: Middlesbrough
Sub-registration district: Middlesbrough
ED, institution, or vessel: 55

Joseph Charlton 52
Alexander Holmes 3
Edith Holmes 12
Jessie Holmes 39 - born Scotland
John Holmes 14
Robert Holmes 44 - born Durham (as were older kids) - iron worker
Robert Holmes 16
Samuel Holmes 10
William Holmes 6
George Levy 5
John Levy 6
Matthew Levy 36

Right age, right place 13 years later; any names look familiar?

The marriage certificate should also give you witness names, and if you're lucky one or two might be siblings of William, and you can then also use those names for checking in censuses.

Thankyou for posting a replay.
I do have a marriage certificate it says William Holmes was 27 furnaceman living at 71 bessimer street grangetown middlesbrough.is father was William Holmes (Deceased ) Engine Driver . married 28 August 1913 St Johns Church Southbank Middlesbrough. Death cetificate say William Holmes was 74 died 25 september 1960 in Middlesbrough Genarel Hospital .I found him on the 1901 census living at 71 bessimer street Grangetown Middlesbrough with Burton Laverick age 14 . says he and burton were born Cottingworth Yorkshire (east cottingwith ) i found burton laverick (Laverack ) living in East Cottingwith Yorkshire 1881 but not my William .All i want is to find William but i keep hitting a wall can you help me thank you .

Well, you may have just had a stroke of luck.

In 1891:

Name: William Hawe
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1883
Relation: Son
Father's Name: William <<< Traction Engine Driver
Mother's Name: Jane
Gender: Male
Where born: East Cottingwith, Yorkshire, England
Civil Parish: East Cottingwith
Ecclesiastical parish: Aughton
Town: East Cottingwith
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England
Registration district: Pocklington
Sub-registration district: Pocklington
ED, institution, or vessel: 1

Household Members: Name Age
Florrance A Hawe 10
Jane Hawe 37
Thomas Hawe 12
William Hawe 40
William Hawe 8

Now it does indeed seem to say Hawe, and the age is a little off. But it's about the closest thing I can find!!


Aha. Look who Burton Laverack is living with in 1881:

Name: Burton Laverack
Age: 12
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1869
Gender: Male
Where born: E.Cottingwith, Yorkshire, England
Civil Parish: East Cottingwith
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England
Street address: Cottage
Registration district: Pocklington
Sub-registration district: Pocklington
ED, institution, or vessel: 1

Household Members: Name Age
Florence Annie Haw
Jane Haw 23
Tom Haw 2
William Haw 30
Burton Laverack 12


I think that has to be your people. Something's gone screwy with your William's surname.

Are you absolutely sure it was Holmes and not Hawe, and that it was him who married Elizabeth Lydia Ealand??

Hmm. I think you must be sure of the surname. ;)

But I wonder whether your William wasn't!


Name: William Hawe + Jane Room?
Year of Registration: 1878
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Howden (1837-1937)
County: Yorkshire - East Riding
Volume: 9d
Page: 121

Name: William Hawe
Year of Registration: 1882
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Pocklington (1837-1937)
County: Yorkshire - East Riding
Volume: 9d
Page: 75


Looks to be brother Thomas's marriage:

Name: Thomas Hawe
Year of Registration: 1907
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Pocklington (1837-1937)
County: Yorkshire - East Riding
Volume: 9d
Page: 169


That's the best I can come up with at the moment!

The only other thing I can think of is that he was born to an unmarried mother and registered in her name, but used his father's surname. Pretty common occurrence.

So have a think on't!

We have another possibility.

Name: William Laverick
Year of Registration: 1889
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Middlesbrough (1875-1968)
County: Yorkshire - North Riding
Volume: 9d
Page: 613


In 1891:

Name: William L Laverick
Age: 1
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1890
Relation: Grandson
Gender: Male
Where born: Middlesborough, Yorkshire, England
Civil Parish: Middlesborough
Ecclesiastical parish: St Pauls
Town: Middlesborough
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England
Registration district: Middlesbrough
Sub-registration district: Middlesbrough
ED, institution, or vessel: 38

Household Members: Name Age
Edith J Harrison 23
John G Harrison 27
Margaret Harrison 58
Robert T Harrison 55
Robert T Harrison 30
Edna M Laverick 3
Mary A Laverick 33 - not married
William L Laverick 1

Was your William born to Mary Laverick, and was he the son of a William Holmes?

And if so, might this be him in 1891?

Name: William Holmes
Age: 23
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1868
Relation: Brother
Gender: Male
Where born: Dalton, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Middlesborough
Ecclesiastical parish: St John
Town: Middlesborough
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England
Occupation: Engine Fitter and Turner <<<<<<
Condition as to marriage: - single
Registration district: Middlesbrough
Sub-registration district: Middlesbrough
ED, institution, or vessel: 44

Household Members: Name Age
Agnes Holmes 21
Robert Holmes 25
William Holmes 23


So ignore the Hawes.

I think we have found the answer.

... I'm just a bit confused.

Mary Laverick mother of William, in 1891, is daughter of the Harrisons but shown as unmarried.

Is she Burton Laverick's wife?

Hard to say; there's a bride missing from this page:

Name: Burton Laverack
Year of Registration: 1891
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Middlesbrough (1875-1968)
County: Yorkshire - North Riding
Volume: 9d
Page: 1031

Was she just calling herself Laverick because of a common-law relationship? Was she a daughter of Mrs Harrison by a previous marriage?

If Burton Laverick was William's father, why would William call himself (or Burton call him, per 1901 census) Holmes?

I have to get some work done ...

Ellen -- you should start your own thread with your info. It's likely that nobody will see it here.

Nothing further seems to have been heard from Ronald ...

To make sure that your post appears in the "trying to find Holmes" sub-board, go to your own surnames list and click on Holmes - trying to find, and then write your post.