Genealogy Chat

You wonderful experienced genealogists out there have helped me out a couple of times when I've been really stuck and i've watched you at work helping others - what intrigues me is how you all do it so quickly and you always seem to be right. Finding the info is sometimes hard enough what with misspellings etc let alone getting it onto GR. Is there a trick that I don't know about, is it a trade secret or can any of us do it ? If so how, 'cos as great as you are it's so much more rewarding when I find the answers myself! thanks from a rather envious Sue...

Hi Sue, it is just practice and understanding of the possible mistranscriptions, knowng what to look, for ie same names of children and ages. I dont claim to be as quick as some though! Keith

Hi Keith I do look for all those things - honest! I think I must be at a bit of a disadvantage looking for relativley (no pun intended) common names ie Butcher, Moore, Webster in East London. Sue

Hi Susan, I think it's really great that you find finding the information for yourself so rewarding. It makes all the differerence when you can say ' I did that '..OR ..I found that. Sometimes I think some people just want the work done for them..but then they miss out on the fun ( If you ask me ). As .Keith says it really is just practice. When it comes to census searches one little tip is not to search using the full name ( obviously trying first to make sure it's not there )...If things are mis-transcribed it's usually in the name. Although I find the more common names are less likly to be mis-transcribed you then have the problem of too many to choose from ( which is why certs. are very important ) I would use that date and place of birth and the first name and go from there. It's also very helpfull now that you can use the parents names in the search. It does become easier...unfortunatley it also gets more adictive (lol) Good Luck in you searches.. Esta x

Esta, thanks for that - I've just tried again with one I'm struggling with at the moment but with not much success! I'll keep looking though - I think he might be in the workhouse! Sue

Susan.. If want to add some details I can try and help ( but I understand if you want to keep looking yourself ) Esta x

OK Esta - lets see you do your stuff! William Webster born 1862 Bethnal Green Father - Joshua abt1825 Mother - Ann abt 1829 Siblings -Joshua abt 1846 Ann abt 1848 John abt 1860- all born Bethnal Green that info from 1861 census (I have William's marriage cert which gave me his fathers name) In 1871 Joshua and Ann are not to be found (by me any way) Ann jnr has married Richard Hadkiss, Joshua, John and William not found. Although there is a Joshua Webster of the right age lodging on his own in the right area. By 1881 William is living with his sister Ann and her husband (mistranscribed as Hodgkiss) So I would like to know where William was in 1871 (he was my great grandfather) If he did end up in the workhouse I would be really interesterd to find out more Thanks, Sue

just try filling four boxes on the 1871 census search thinggy and see what happens first name=william B/place MIDDLESEX father JOSHUA mother ANN see how many of that combination pop up and see what the surnames look like (dont worry about birth years unless there are 100's) See? there are not a lot - although nothing to me that looks right.

Sue.. Well they've got me beat !...I've tried every combination I can think of and can't see them. I will keep trying and check back tomorrow incase anyone has better luck. They must be somewhere !! Esta x

Thanks again Esta and to you too, Jess, I had tried your suggestion Jess after Esta's original answer - as you say nothing looks right! I really appreciate your efforts and it's actually strangely reassuring that you can't find him either! I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later - if I ever find him I'll let you know! Sue

Hi Ozibird - I visited the London Metropolitan Archives yesterday and attended a really interesting talk on the archive and how to research and they mentioned in passing that after a father died the family quite often went into the workhouse/infirmary whatever for a while till they found their feet, children were sometimes sent out of the area too ie Essex, Surrey etc. As William is not with big sis at that time and I can find no trace of parents I 'm kind of putting two and two together and jumping to conclusions! As John is not living with older sister Ann and husband Richard Hadkiss in 1891 I'm wondering if he died too (I've a great imagination). But I'm still looking..... Sue

I don't .... :-) Nine times out of ten, by the time I have attempted to do it, and have returned to the thread, someone else has achieved what I have attempted to do ... or what I have failed to do !