Genealogy Chat

Everyone probably hears this all of the time but i really am stuck! I've only just come back to using genes reunited after about a year as i felt like i wasn't gettin anywhere, but now I've started again it feels even more difficult! Everything I seem to try contradicts each other and nothing appears concrete! I don't feel I've got anough info to order certificates, so I'm truly stuck!! Can anyone offer advice??
Jenny x

Start by thinking about what is known fact, then build backwards from there.
Don't try to make shortcuts, slow plodding is the way to go.

Try listing here what you know, where you found people in census for example, then state where you're having problems.
Many on here love a challenge.

Gwyn

lets start on one person, I have found from the tips I have been given that once you can work out one person you can do more!

So give as much info about one person that you are struggling with,

Read the Tips for Newbies. What resources have you got to do this research?

Thanx so much, u have all made me feel better already. I don't know about all of you, but its all well and good finding out DoBs and siblings etc, but I would just love to know more about my relatives lives!!but that part is a bit tough. Right, for all of you out there who are more patient than me and love a challenge, i'm stuck with my great grandfather.

His name was Malcolm James Jack Scott b1883 in i think, South Shields. He was in the Steward Merchant Service, which is why i think i cant find him on any of the census'. He died in 1950 in South Shields. He married Elizabeth Smith b1884, unsure of where she was born. They had 5 children; Malcolm, Frederick, James, Elizabeth and Margarite (who was my grandmother). It seems i know quite a bit, but this is as far as this line goes. I think Malcolm may have been from Scotland and I have struggled gettin any records on him. Ive also struggled with Elizabeth's parents, nothing seems to match up!!
Any help from all of you pros out there wud be much appreciated!
Jen
xx

Is this the marriage ?

Marriages Dec 1906 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PICKERING John Dennis S. Shields 10a 1322
POTTS Ethel Maud S. Shields 10a 1322
SCOTT Malcolm James S. Shields 10a 1322
Smith Elizabeth S. Shields 10a 1322



Do you have the cert?

1891 just in case this comes in handy later on

Name: Malcolm J Scott
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1883
Relationship: Grandson
Gender: Male
Where born: Campbeltown, Arghyllshire
Registration Number: 507
Registration district: Campbeltown
Civil Parish: Campbeltown
Town: Cambeltown
County: Argyll
Address: Low Askomel
Occupation: Scholar
ED: 11
Household schedule number: 172
Line: 23
Roll: CSSCT1891_165
Household Members: Name Age
Alexr Johnstone 48
Peler Marr 24
Barbara Martin 23
Margaret Martin 60
Neil Martin 2
Barbara McCachran 48
Malcolm J Scott 8

I hvaent got the cert, but my great aunt has a few marriage dates written down and it sdown as Dec 1906 so that looks right. Who are the Pickering & Potts? are they the witnesses?
AS for the census result....where did u find that?or is that a trade secret?!!haha! The surnames on there are all a bit of a muddle, not sure who he was living with there then! any ideas? thank u for this.
Jen
x

The marriage ref was on freebmd.org - you can use it yourself. It brings up everyone on that particular page and the people are not in couples, but in alphabetical order. The other couple have nothing to do with your people (although there is always the possibilty of people marrying at the same time who are related )

You need to buy the certificate to read all the details including the couples fathers names and occupations.

Using the reference given above buy the cert for £7 from GRO online.

You need to get an ancestry.co.uk sub for all the census info 1901-1841, births, marriages and deaths, military records and MUCH more. Take a 14 day trial.

The 1906 marriage details shows two men and two women

So they are not witnesses but two couples that married. If you know for example that Malcom married Elizabeth then it means that John married Ethel.

BUT the marriage cert is the best way forward

Now as for that census entry. The transcription above is on Ancestry. I've taken a look and the head of the household is Margaret Martin.Malcolm is her grandson.As you can see Malcolm was born in Campbelltown, Argyll. You are going to have the pleasure of using www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for both the census image and his birth.

Forgot to say, Scottish records are great because quite often a married woman retains her maiden name after marriage. Especially helpful when you have a common name to search. My Margaret Brown married a James Campbell and after he died I could find her on the census as Margaret Brown with her Campbell children and living with her father. She'd also helpfully given her daughter her fathers name as middle names. Janet Alexander Brown Campbell. She must've known I'd go looking for her!

I'm Stuck!have paid for credits on Scotlands People, done the searches and found nothing!cant find a birth or a further census report on him!!!

Hi Jennifer, ask on Scotlands People for help they are wonderful, and like the people here on Genes, some like a challenge
Moira

I'm afraid my credits on SP have expired. I found 6 Malcolm Scott's born between 1881 and 1883 perhaps he was registered without the James Jack in the middle. You really need his fathers name from the marriage certificate before going any further. Your remaining credits will be valid for 90 days.
I wonder if his parents were already in South Shields by 1891 and he stayed in Scotland with his Gran until later.

Thanks Janet, think i will order the marriage cert and save all the hunting! He's a bit of a puzzle this one! he was in the merchant navy so think he may have ended up there after one of his boats stopped there, met Elizabeth then married?who knows. would love to get my hands on merchant navy records but from what i've heard, that can be a bit difficult!
Thanks for all you're help. I will keep looking and keep you posted!

Right, I have been doing a bit of digging and think I have found Elizabeths parents. From Census records and an old list of names in the family I found, I think her father was Jacob Smith b1857 in North Shields and her mother was Mary Ann b1864 (not sure of her maiden name.) I'm stuck with Jacob as he is in some census records and not in others. I think Elizabeth's siblings were Margarite Ann, James Frederick, Miriam and Jacob. I know they were from the South Shields are but from this point I'm stuck. I would love to know a marriage date for Jacob and Elizabeth as then I could order the cert but it will surely be guess work and how can you rely on that? Any help or ideas anyone? I get so frustrated!haha! x