Genealogy Chat

thanks for all your help...... it does get more interesting when you include history in the search. Also gets more confusing ! But I'm loving it. Karen

Hi Karen, Gravesend is on the mouth of the River Thames (and is the burial place of Princess Pocahontas). Not far away, on the River Medway, is Chatham, where the Royal Docks were, so the area would have been very busy with shipping. Carole

I liken this to a mixture of whodunnit (with a hook/loose end to make you look for the next in the series), a good quiz, an intriguing jigsaw (just one more piece...), and a good cryptic crossword. And yes it is seriously addictive. If you're not sure where a placename is then this is a good starting point It's not quite 100% - even for names it shows, and certainly not for out-of-date names - but it's an excellent starting point. http://www.*multimap.*com/ The zoom function makes it easier to work out what else is nearby, once you've found your target. You also have an option to go for smaller or larger maps for the specified zoom-level. Other ones we also keep on the toolbar (not just in the general bookmark folder): http://www.*streetmap.*co.*uk/ http://www.*ordnancesurvey.*co.*uk/oswebsite/getamap/ (This site also has really attractive desktop "wallpaper", changed monthly, with a calendar.) This site has an automatic link to historical maps; i.e., if you find a modern place and then follow the link it gets to the historical map of teh same area automatically, instead of searching the historical map site. Both ancient & modern maps will zoom. Christine (my husband is a mapaholic)

I didn't even know that Gravesend was near the water. All I know is that it is in Kent. I guess I need to be educated in more than how to research names! This just keeps getting harder! But it is VERY addictive.

Sorry - forgot that not everyone reads Sharpe/Hornblower (etc) historical fiction! - Or watches the TV series (Sean Bean and Ioan Gruffud)! But I know what you mean about forgetting the political/economic context of the dates - it's easily done - that's why it was an afterthought for me. It was seeing "Gravesend", and realising that it was a likely place for someone coming into the country from the continent, that triggered the thought. Christine

OMG the war was about Napolean ! I can't believe my ancestors were around in Napolean's time! I haven't been thinking about the history involved with the dates...just as numbers ! WOW!

The Peninsular War was to do with Spain and Portugal I seem to remember!! (History O Level is a LONG time ago!) Have a google, but put " round the two words to make it a phrase. Maz. XX

I've never heard of a peninsula war. I found the marriage dtails on "Family Search". Is that fairly accurate? Was the peninsular was in England?

Hi Karen There was in all probability a large immigrant population in Gravesend at this time. It would have been a busy port on the Thames at this time.

Just had another thought. Looking at that date - was your ancestor a soldier (or possibly a sailor)? serving in the Peninsular war? Because that would suggest (ally) Portugal - or, just possibly, (enemy) Spain. Christine

Hi I tried my first instinct which is to copy & paste the (whole) name into Google. No joy. "Marcarla" just comes up as an italian (or occasionally Spanish) word mid-sentence... I didn't find any evidence of it as a surname on the first page of results, anyway. "Marcela" comes up as a surname - mainly Latin countries: Italy, Spain, Portugal (or Latin America). Any chance that there's a mis-reading between the original document and your info? I have BARTILLA in my family and thought it must be Latin-type too, but it turns out to be a Bartholomew-based name from Central/Eastern Europe. I found that out from googling. Good luck Christine

hi, This probably seems a silly question...but.... Christiana Marcarla married one of my ancesters in 1810 in Gravesend Kent, but it doesn't sound a British name. I haven't found any other Marcarla's & I was wondering if anyone knows what nationality she might have been? Was there a group of immigrants around Gravesend??? Thanks Karen