Genealogy Chat

Thanks Jim - Yes, that is indeed her sister as she was one of the witnesses at Ethel Rolfe's wedding. The only problem with the marriage, and the sister's birth certificate, is that they both appear after Ethel's birth year of c1884. I'm not sure that Florence's mother was Ethel's mother, especially as Ethel was (apparently) born in 1884 and the next child didn't appear until c1890! I think I'll have to order Florence's certificate and see what it says. Without Ethel's certificate though, I can't see a way of proving who her mother was. Thanks for the help! Rich

Well, I know her DOB and maiden name. A cousin has his mother's birth cert so could give me my grandmother's maiden name to find her marriage and somebody on this site sent me a copy of my great grandmother's marriage cert

this should be the sister. You can buy this to get parents Name: Florence Esther Rolfe Year of Registration: 1891 Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar District: Camberwell (1837-1919) County: London Volume: 1d Page: 1004 This could be marriage Emma Jones 1886 Apr-May-Jun Hackney United Kingdom Henry James Rolfe 1886 Apr-May-Jun Hackney United Kingdom which leads to Name: Ethel Jones Year of Registration: 1884 Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar District: Camberwell (1837-1919) County: London Volume: 1d Page: 988

Don't forget to try all name variations you can think of, even if theres only a remote chance. ie: rolf/e could also be rolph/rolphe/ralph/ralphe/rollfe etc. good luck Carol

So how do you find out the required information about them?

Although registration was compulsory after 1875, some births were still not registered. My mother's (born 1906) wasn't and the church where she was baptised was bombed during WW11 so there is no record that either.

Did some parents just not register a birth? NOT COMPULSARY UNTIL 1875 And did you have to have a birth certificate in order to get married< NO Are you looking for Ethel Letitia or Ethel Rolf/e is it possible that Ethel was born before they married and have her mothers maiden name in the registers? ( what was Emma's maiden name? Holland/Jones by any chance?)

Does anyone have any tips for finding people who just don't seem to appear on the Birth index? I have at least three people in my direct tree whom I just cannot find birth certificates/entires for. For example, my great-grandmother was called Ethel Letitia Rolfe. According to the 1891and 1901 census records she was born c.1884 in Camberwell, London. The same name age/date of birth appears on her marriage certificate in December 1908 - but I cannot find a possible candidate in the birth index, even when changing the name to 'Rolf' and searching for five years either side of 1884. Same goes for my gt-gt-grandmother, Eliza Mary Heaven who was apparently born in Chatham, Kent c1857. She had a brother called Robert (c1859) and a sister Harriet (c1866) but there's no trace of her either. Two questions: Did some parents just not register a birth? And did you have to have a birth certificate in order to get married? Appreciate any help Rich