Genealogy Chat

Hi there I am trying to find the parents (in particular the mothers maiden name) of James Gilbert c1868. I have got census data that confirms James' dad as William Gilbert c1826 (from Mullion)and his mother is Mary (from St Erth). I have not got the exact birth date for James but I do know he was baptised on 6/11/1868 in the parish of Porthleven and has siblings (william, thomas,john, elijah and mary). Any help or tips on how 1) I can confirm James's birthdate 2) how best to track James' mother maiden name. Any help/ tips appriciated - i am finding this a little hard to trace! Em

Emma If you buy his birth certificate, that will have his birth date on it, and also his mother's maiden name. OC

Thank you for the response - the problem is I can't work out which certificate to buy - as there are about 6 or 7 James' born in the same area within a few years apart. So I wanted to try and get a bit more accurate feel for which one to purchase!

Hi Emma, Here are trhe births of James Gilbert for the 1868/early 1870 period .... seing as you said he was baptized November 1868. Do any of the register places look close enough for one of hese to be him?? If so ..... go to either freebmd of ancestry, click on births, get the GRO number and apply for the birth certificate. View Record James Gilbert 1868 Apr-May-Jun Penzance Cornwall View Record James Gilbert 1868 Apr-May-Jun St Austell Cornwall View Record James Gilbert 1868 Oct-Nov-Dec Helston Cornwall View Record James Gilbert 1870 Jan-Feb-Mar St Columb Cornwall Sylvia

Emma go for the ones registered at Helston first as that is near Porthleven, followed by Penzance. the others are too far away to be him. TIP: Email the Penzance Register Office, saying you want the cert with father's name James mother's name Mary, and can they tell you which it is? (Don't quote the GRO numbers, they are utterly meaningless to the local RO). They usually fall over backwards to help, in my experience. OC

from IGI on the Mormon site ...... but also to be found on freebmd I wonder if this is William's marriage, in view of something else I will post in a moment IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0 British Isles Search Results | Download | Pedigree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WILLIAM GILBERT Male Family -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event(s): Birth: Christening: Death: Burial: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marriages: Spouse: MARY ANN JONES Family Marriage: 30 OCT 1856 Whitstone, Cornwall, England -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Messages: Extracted marriage record for locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the marriage date.

Bear with me, I'll get there in aminute. First 1881 Census for birth places/dates about Thomas Gilbert Name: Thomas Gilbert Age: 23 Estimated birth year: abt 1858 Relation: Son Father's name: William Mother's name: Mary Gender: Male Where born: Phillack, Cornwall, England Civil parish: Breage County/Island: Cornwall Country: England Street address: Porthleven Education: Employment status: View image Occupation: Carpenter Registration district: Helston Sub-registration district: Breage ED, institution, or vessel: 8 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Elijah Gilbert 20 b. ca 1861, Sithney James Gilbert 12 John Gilbert 22 b. ca 1859, Sithney Mary Gilbert 55 Mary Gilbert 18 Thomas Gilbert 23 b. ca 1858, Phillack William Gilbert 55 William Gilbert 25 b. ca 1856, Phillack

1. IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0 British Isles Search Results | Download | Pedigree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WILLIAM GILBERT Male -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event(s): Birth: Christening: 09 AUG 1857 Phillack, Cornwall, England Death: Burial: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parents: Father: WILLIAM GILBERT Family Mother: ANN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Messages: Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date. 2. IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0 British Isles Search Results | Download | Pedigree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THOMAS GILBERT Male -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event(s): Birth: Christening: 13 JUN 1858 Stithians, Cornwall, England Death: Burial: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parents: Father: WILLIAM GILBERT Family Mother: MARY ANN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Messages: Extracted birth or christening record for locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source Information: Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type: P016841 1753 - 1861 0226185, 0246780 Film 6902924 Film P016841 1753 - 1861 0226185, 0246780 Film NONE Sheet: 00 ??? Is Stithians in correct area??? 3. ??? date IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0 British Isles Search Results | Download | Pedigree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JOHN GILBERT Male -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event(s): Birth: 29 JAN 1864 Christening: 27 JAN 1865 Phillack, Cornwall, England Death: Burial: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parents: Father: WILLIAM GILBERT Family Mother: ANN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Messages: Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date. No source document or additional information exists

1871 census about William Gilbert Name: William Gilbert Age: 46 Estimated birth year: abt 1825 Relation: Head Spouse's name: Mary Gender: Male Where born: Mullion, Cornwall, England Civil parish: Breage Town: Porthleven County/Island: Cornwall Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Disability: View image Registration district: Helston Sub-registration district: Breage ED, institution, or vessel: 8 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 47 Household Members: Name Age Elizah Gilbert 10 Jane Gilbert 2 John Gilbert 12 Mary Gilbert 46 Mary Gilbert 8 Thomas Gilbert 14 William Gilbert 46 William Gilbert 15

Stithians is a bit out of area, but not much. As mum was from St Erth, the Phillack births look very good - it is only a hop skip and a jump away. Whitecross is midway between Helston and Mullion. UPDATE- sorry, just seen the marriage was at Whitstone - where's that, lol! It's looking good! OC

I have to go out now ....it's mid afternoon here in canada!! Ema .... I suggest you apply for one the birth certificates ..... even with GRO you can specify that the father's name MUST be William. If it is not William, GRO will not send you the certificate, they will charge you £3 and refund £4. I'll see if I can do anyhting else when I retunr home in a couple of hours! Sylvia

Hi Emma, Having had another look at the 1871 census, and tried to find Jane Gilbert, as shown below 1871 census Household Members: Name Age Elizah Gilbert 10 Jane Gilbert 2 John Gilbert 12 Mary Gilbert 46 Mary Gilbert 8 Thomas Gilbert 14 William Gilbert 46 William Gilbert 15 I THINK that Jane is a mis-hearing for James! It does look like Jane on the image ....... but Jane does not appear on any other censuses, and I cannot find a birth for a Jane. On the other hand ....... James does not occur on the 1871 when he should! And this is James family Sylvia

As Elijah is an unusual name, perhaps you could identify his birth and get his certificate? Then with the mother's maiden name from this you could be sure to get the right certificate for James. Just a thought.

Emma, Here is the citation for Thomas' birth. Apply to GRO, asking that the father MUST be William. about Thomas Gilbert Name: Thomas Gilbert Year of Registration: 1858 Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun District: Helston County: Cornwall Volume: 5c Page: 255 (click to see others on page) - - - - a second option, John's birth about John Gilbert Name: John Gilbert Year of Registration: 1858 Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec District: Helston County: Cornwall Volume: 5c Page: 223 (click to see Sylvia

Wendy, That was my inital thought ..... except Elijah's birth doesn't come up!! I have tried and tried to find it. He does appear on later censuses living with his parents and then with his mother, and a young boy William Gilbert. This young William is described on one census as Grandson of William and Mary, but on the later one age 18, he is described as Son with Elijah as Head ..... and Single! On a couple of censuses he is transcribed as Elizah ...... how on earth you make z out of j I do not know! Sylvia

Emma I repeat - get in touch with Penzance Register Office. They will help you at no charge, in a way that the GRO will not! OC

I just want to say a big thank you to you Sylvia and OC - you both have been a great help in pointing me in the right direction! Em x