Genealogy Chat

I found my gggrandfather William Elliott C1821, on the 1871 census living in Uley, Glous. with his wife Eliza. Occupation; Hairdresser, ( his sons marriage record confirms he was a barber). Place of birth; Long Acre, Middlesex. The problem seems to be finding exactly which Parish in Westminster Long Acre was in. I have searched the 1841 census and come up with so many William Elliotts, Middlesex, b1821, but none actually say Long Acre. How do I determine which William I'm searching? I need this to go back further. To search Parish records of that time I guess I need to know exactly which Parish LongAcre was in, not too difficult you would think............yes it is! I look on websites for City of Westminster parishes, and wow inundated with so much info my brain implodes. It's almost as if you need to know the parish your searching beforehand, which is not helpful, if that is what I need to know. Also a slightly different question, I have found a William Elliott in the 1861 census who was born in Middlesex, and at time of the 1861 census was living in Uley. It would appear this has to be him, but job = shoemaker and age is 10 yrs out. Did they make huge mistakes like that on the census? Any help is appreciated.

Long Acre is now Covent Garden by the looks of it www(.)coventgarden(.)uk(.)com/longacre(.)html 'Long Acre belongs to the parish of St Martin in the Fields, which is indexed into the IGI, as is the nearby church of St Paul's, Covent Garden' Have you looked on the IGI? Have you got William & Eliza's marriage certificate?

What is the IGI? This is what is happening a lot on searches, I need an idiots guide to geneology, as jargon means nothing to me. Ah good thinking, I can send off for it as I have date of marriage etc :)

International Genealogical Index you can search it at www.familysearch.org Heres a bit about it from bedfordshire library The 'International genealogical index', commonly known as the IGI, is a vast collection of transcribed birth/christening, marriage and death/burial records from many countries, compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although vast, it is not comprehensive. It includes only entries supplied by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their religious purposes. The section of the IGI that covers the British Isles includes mainly birth/baptism and marriage records, with just a few death/burial records, from parish and non-conformist registers from c.1500 to c.1880

Thank you, yes I have searched the mormon site I just didn't realise that was what is was. He was born approx 1821, married 1871, died 1874. So perhaps there was a previous marriage, he just seems to have slipped off the register before Eliza. Although I have found the record of their marriage, and am kicking myself as to why I didn't just send off for the cert. A lot easier then I have his father.....phew. Thanks a lot for the help.

If he was a hairdresser you may well find him listed in a Victorian street directory covering Uley. One other thing. Just because his place of birth is declared on a census, don't assume it to be accurate. It may be the place he grew up in, not the place where his birth was registered.

Yes I think this must be so, I have found quite a few Elliotts for the surrounding Parishes in the census's; from cooks to shoemakers to gardeners to solicitors, just no hairdressers. Leading me to think that; 1) Although LongAcre is a road, as it was a main area of that time he used it to describe that area, which perhaps encompassed smaller roads etc. 2) He changed career. I have looked at victorian directories for the Berkeley/Uley, no luck, but he have been an employee. Hopefully the marriage cert will give me the fathers name :) Thanks for help, I will check directories again though :) Initially I felt like a 'Oh dear lord no, a London search!'