Genealogy Chat

I am very new to genealogy and think I have done pretty well so far (with the help of family I didn't even know I had). I now seem to be facing a few problems and I'm not sure how to resolve them. Firstly, my family history is pretty much a blank to all the remaining family - my father didn't know the name of his grandparents and can't remember the names of his parents siblings, which is causing a few difficulties. Through Ancestry.co.uk and ordering certificates I have now discovered his grandparents were Ambrose Erving (possibly Ervin - it looks like our name was changed on the records and we are listed as 'Ervin' and 'Erving') and Hannah Jane Haywood (Heywood). Ambrose Ervin(g) was 22 when he married Hannah Jane Haywood on 19th November 1898. Hannah's father was William Haywood. Now, the mystery comes when I trace Hannah. I have found her and her family on the 1901 census (3 years after her marriage to Ambrose). Hannah is living with her parents - William and Jane Heywood (notice it is listed with an 'e' instead of 'a' after the H). By this point Hannah was married and listed as Hannah Ervin - daughter, her siblings are listed (Elizabeth, Alice, Beatrice, Litty, Joseph and Willie) and so is her husband and son. But the husband is ALFRED ERVIN and not Ambrose. I thought that maybe Ambrose didn't like his name and changed it but the age doesn't match either. Alfred seems to be just 19, where Ambrose should have been 24 or 25. This is where the plot thickens. If Ambrose had died and Hannah had married his brother (possible), then how was Ambrose able to father my grandfather in 1911? This is a bit of a mystery. Who is Alfred? I don't think I have the wrong family as it is unlikely that there is another family Haywood, with father William and daughter Hannah Jane, who happens to marry an Ervin in Durham! I wish that were my only dilemma. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be able to track many records for the family I do know of - my grandmother (mother's side) was married twice. The second marriage record I can find, but not the first. I cannot find any record of her first or second husbands (birth, death or marriage in the case of husband no 1). I cannot find her own birth record - although I have an official birth certificate. I cannot find Ambrose (see above) or his father. This problem of lack of record information seem to follow the same patterns throughout the rest of my family. Without the more recent records I can't find the family further down the track. Can anyone offer any advice please? I just don't know where to go from here. Thank you! Trace

Thank you Christine!! Very much appreciated. Tracey

Hi Gillian, thank you for that and sorry for any confusion. I know better next time.

Hi Yvonne! Wow, you're good. I've been searching for weeks and didn't find out that much! Yes, Ambrose's Dad was Matthew - where did you find that, I only had that information from Ambrose's marriage certificate. I know my grandmother and grandfather (Ambrose's son) were married in Lanchester and my grandmother was born there. Ambrose was married there too. Thank you so much for helping me. Trace x

is from the 1891, hope i got it right Yvonne!! Name: Matthew Irwin Age: 18 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1873 Relation: Son Father's name: Matthew Mother's name: Isabella Gender: Male Where Born: Oxhill, Durham, England Civil parish: Tanfield Ecclesiastical parish: Tanfield Town: Tanfield County/Island: Durham Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Education: Employment status: View image Registration district: Lanchester Sub registration district: Tanfield ED, institution, or vessel: 4 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Andrew Hall 21 Ambrose Irwin 14 Annie Irwin 16 Besy Irwin 11 Isabella Irwin 38 Jonathan Irwin 8 Matthew Irwin 44 Matthew Irwin 18 Milles Irwin 4 Fuzzy x

Yvonne, Would definately not rule out the name variations, have had them enough in my tree not to take too much notice if all the other info such as occupation fits. I have an Albert who I know for sure was actually Alfred! am heading out to dinner this evening with friends, but will look in tommorow to see what the score is. fuzzy x

How about this one for the marriage of Matthew irwin and Isabella?? Should be getting ready to go out!!! View Record Charles Dockety 1870 Jan-Feb-Mar South Shields Durham, Tyne And Wear *****View Record Isabella Edgar 1870 Jan-Feb-Mar South Shields Durham, Tyne And Wear View Record Ann Elizabeth Sproat 1870 Jan-Feb-Mar South Shields Durham, Tyne And Wear *****View Record Matthew Urwin 1870 Jan-Feb-Mar South Shields Durham, Tyne And Wear Fuzzy x

Tracey, I have just looked at 1901 image and the age of Alfred is badly scored through, very hard to decipher, so perhaps age Ancestry have given him is incorrect. I have known them to be ten years out before now!! Could also be that Ambrose was using a middle name, this has also happened to me, perhaps his middle name was Alfred. Lastly does the occupation of william heywood fit? If so Think you def have right family. Really must get ready now, hair is frizzy mess and no make up has been applied....Now where did i put that polyfilla again??!! Fuzzy

Yvonne and Fuzzy, you guys have been really helpful - thank you. I've pm'd a more detailed thank you. x x Trace x

Tracey, this is the same family in 1881 I am sure that this is the correct family, ambrose is such a unusual name, and I cant find any other Ambroses at present with a father called Matthew who is a coal miner. will keep looking at other census' to see if i can find an ambrose in 1901, if not then we may have to assume that alfred is indeed ambrose. Name: Ambrose Irwin Age: 4 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1877 Relation: Son Father's name: Matthew Mother's name: Isabela Gender: Male Where Born: Lanchester, Durham, England Civil parish: Tanfield County/Island: Durham Country: England Street address: Tanfield Village Education: Employment status: View image Occupation: Scholar Registration district: Lanchester Sub registration district: Tanfield ED, institution, or vessel: 3 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Ambrose Irwin 4 Ann Irwin 5 Betsy Irwin Isabela Irwin 28 Matthew Irwin 38 Matthew Irwin 7 Fuzzy