Genealogy Chat

Can anyone please tell me how to get a correct birth certificate for my grandmother. Born 1892-1896 (from census, death and marriage certificates/records) Her parents were travelling showmen and she died in 1933 when my mother was a child. I've already ordered 8 and I live in the US so I cann't check parents before I order.

Helen, not sure you can do much more. However, one suggestion - does she have a sibling with a distinctive name? Might be a reasonable compromise to get a birth cert for them instead.

Maybe if you post details onto here we might be able to make some suggestions you haven't thought of.

jan

Have you looked on here?
http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/

Or you could put the info on here and someone will try and help you find the right birth.

Have you found her in 1911? ages tend to be more accurate when recorded by the individuals rather then enumerator

1892-1896 depending on how common the name could have lots of possibles,

Have you checked the correct registration district for where the child was born?

have you looked for a baptism record?

Order online from the GRO with the parents names if you no them, as a checking reference, then i believe you would not have the full cost to pay as i think they refund some of the money if the parents names are not on the cert that you order, however this is trickey as if you give the fathers names as eg william henry and the name should be henry william then they will reject the order as not the correct cert

Roy

Thanks to all of you, but the surname is Stewart and she was known as Mary Ellen, her siblings all have very common names, and her fathers name was John (Jack) and her mother was Charlotte (nee Gess, Guess, Guest). I've been trying for six years to find her but no luck so far.

Which census have you got her on? Maybe you could post details onto here.
jan

Is this the marriage ?

Marriages Mar 1883

GESS Charlotte ..Frome 5c 768 <<<<<<<<<
HANCOCK Walter .. Frome 5c 768
LAVENDER Susan Amelia ..Frome 5c 768
STEWART John .. Frome 5c 768 <<<<<<<<

1901 Scotland Census

Name: John Stewart
Age: 43
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1858
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name : Charlotte Stewart
Gender: Male
Where born: England
Registration Number: 479
Registration district: Falkirk
Civil parish: Falkirk
Town: Falkirk
County: Stirlingshire
Address: Callendar Riggs Caravan
Occupation: Master Showman

John Stewart 43
Charlotte Stewart 40
Alfred Stewart 16
William Stewart 14
John Stewart 17
Charlotte Stewart 4
Mary Helen Stewart 5 Where born: England

Have you looked for them in 1911? Birthplaces are generally given more precisely when filled in by the householder.
Jan

PM (not sure why!)

'I've found her on 1901 in Scotland in 1911 living with her brother in Scotland and marrying my grandfather in England in 1912, and dying in 1933 in England. All her brothers were also travelling showmen.'

So - does 1911 show birthplace other than just England?

Marriage confirmed by pm.

Are there any other showmen around them in census?
I'm thinking that maybe if they were part of a well-known group, then a 'tour' could perhaps be mapped ( by old adverts? / accounts ) and a likely location for Mary Ellen's birth might be found.

Gwyn

1891 England Census

Name: John Stuart travelling showman
Age: 29
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1862
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Charlotte Stuart
Gender: Male
Where born: South Wales, Swarssa

Civil parish: St Nicholas
Ecclesiastical parish: St Nicholas
County/Island: Durham

Registration district: Durham
Sub-registration district: St Nicholas

John Stuart 29
Charlotte Stuart 30
John Stuart 6
Phoebe Stuart 5
Alfred Stuart 5
William Stuart 3

Their is a tree on ancestry

Mary Helen Stewart
Dorothy 1 Tree owner
Birth: Abt 1896 - England
Parents: John Stewart, Charlotte Gess

Roy

I checked this one but most of it was from my ancestors, and this was how it was listed on the 1901 census. She's got thousands of names.

I guess you are ignoring this question as the answer is no?

So - does 1911 show birthplace other than just England?

????????
Have you considered any of these?

Births Mar 1895
Stuart Mary Ellen ..Auckland 10a 233

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Jun 1895
Stuart Mary Ellen ..Gateshead 10a 922
Stuart Mary Ellen ..W. Ham 4a 50

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Mar 1898
Stuart Mary Ellen .. Liverpool 8b 16


Gwyn

I've looked at them and am considering whether to order them or just get a quote for someone to look them up for me.

Helen, nobody will be able to access any information without buying the certs. The only other option is to eliminate the above by looking for them in 1901.
jan

PP (Roy) is almost correct but there is no longer any facility for reference checking, nor partial refunds. This was abolished a year or so ago as it was technically in breach of the law as it stands.

However, what you can do is to order withoput a GRO reference and quote the year of birth as 01/01/yyyy. This is very specifically the 1st of January for the year that you believe the birth took place.

Put in as much additional information that you are ABSOLUTELY certain about, i.e. parents names. If you are not sure of the mothers maiden name then leave it out, just put her first name. You can put alternatives such as Betty or Elizabeth.

The GRO will then search for the entire year that you have quoted and for the year before and the one after.

If they find a cert that matches exactly with the info you have provided they will issue it and stop searching. If nothing is found that matches you get a full refund.

You will have to wait one month before they get back.

Thank you. The 8 I've ordered I gave all the info. from my searches, so now I'll just have to pay for the correct one, If they can find it.