Genealogy Chat

Hi Heather, That's only possible on freebmd and if the marriages are transcribed you're stuck. Gwynne

Im tired, but I thought if you had one GRO ref there must be a way of sticking that in and seeing who else came up. Too simple, eh?

Yeh, three enormous cheers for my mates at Blackburn RO and Salford RO - there, I've said it now, hope I don't get them into trouble! Pity yours is in London, I've heard they arent very helpful. Funny isnt it, some people are SOOO helpful, and some, well, aren't! Perhaps they need reminding of who pays their wages - no, perhaps better not on second thoughts. Marjorie.

You crafty devil! Yes it would be worth a try but its St Saviours, Southwark and I am pretty sure that when I applied to them once before they just passed me on to the GRO. Wish it was Tower Hamlets they are just so brilliant there, looked up the 1851 census for me when I first started out. Sent me a roll for the school where one rellie was working in 1890 - brilliant guys.

Hi Heather If you ring the local Registry Office and give them both refs (the local refs, not the GRO refs) and tell them you only want Ellen as the spouse, you may be lucky (as I OFTEN am) and not get charged for a search if they are both wrong. I have pulled this trick many times and have never had to pay more than £7. for a cert, no matter how much running around they do on my behalf! Good luck Marjorie

Thanks Christine - I suppose I can get her maiden name from one of the kids certs, its just it would have been nice to have found her father and her name in one fell swoop.

Normally you could give the GRO ref and state that you only want the one with Ellen as the bride. You might end up having to pay a £3 search fee for a wrong first guess, but at least you don't pay the lot for a false start. Christine

Are you guys talking about me? Thanks everso much Valerie, I think its a lost cause. He was still shown as single in Wellington Barracks, Westminster in 1891 though he had a kiddie in 1890. 1901 he is out of army and has three further kids all born Westminster - the first was in Clerkenwell. I have a feeling he waited til after 30 to marry - they had to ask for permission and someone said it was 30 if you enlisted at 18 or 26 if you enlisted at 14. So I reckon Lou to ensure she got a pension if he got killed he married late 1891 before he went on a tour of duty - no more kids born for 3 years! Thanks Lou, youre a good mum to me. I will have to wait a while cos I dont want to waste any more money at the moment! Ill look up one of the kids births and send for that a bit later on when hubbys got over all the recent certs and books and stuff! By the way I just got a mail from that familyrelations site saying they had made a mistake and that they gave me 120 units when it should have been 60! They have given me a full 60 again though.

Hi Valerie Sorry, I didn't realise she hadn't said! Sometime between the 1891 and 1901 census if I remember rightly! This has been her nightmare for some weeks now! Lou x

hi I dont know how far back she is looking thanks

Heather I assume you found them/him married in London? What about asking Ann Frowd or Shelley who go to the FRC regularly to check the parish registers for the entries for the dates you have? If they're both called Ellen, then you're in trouble! Valerie You wont get the brides name that far back unless Heather knows her maiden name Lou

hi I have loads of credits on 1837 if you give me a few more details will have a look

Afraid not. The IGI covers mostly pre 1837 events.

I have Dawn but Ancestry uses Freebmd's data.

Unfortunately this pair dont appear on the bmd, thats why I resorted to paying hard cash to find them!

I have spent ages trawling the new Family Relatives site - somehow I ended up with 120 units for £6. But when it is not throwing me off, I have managed to find two possible refs for the dreaded Thomas Jenkins marriage. My question is, without sending for both certs (hubby still thinks all the ones that arrive are free - oh dear) is there any way I could find which one shows the bride's first name as Ellen?