Genealogy Chat

Hi I have found the marriage of one of my ancestors:- George Donaldson and Sarah Vallance (but spelt inccorrectly as Heallance) on the IGI. They got married in 1789 Shoreditch London. Does anyone know how I can find who their parents were and where they were born? Thanks for all your help. Kind regards Angela

It looks like you may have some hard work ahead, Angela. You can search the IGI for other Donaldson or Vallance marriages in Shoreditch, but the odds are that you won't find any. Donaldson is not a southern name and Vallances appear to be scattered about the country. You need to have sight of the actual marriage entry for any additional clues it can offer: names of witnesses and the parishes the parties come from (though the chances are that it will just say "of this parish", even if they were born elsewhere). Is Vallance a Hugenot name? If so, the Hugenot Society have published all sorts of material. Large genealogical libraries are likely to hold copies. If your ancestors weren't baptised in Shoreditch, they might be mentioned in Poor Law material. I think that this should be held in London Metropolitan Archives, though I have no idea of survival rates. A settlement examination could mention where born, where worked, name of wife, names of children with ages. Alternatively, there might be a will to show relationships. Unfortunately, it all gets harder and harder pre 1837 and London sucks people in from all over the place. Happy hunting and good luck! Brenda

Thanks for your replies. I have already checked the IGI to see if George was baptised in London and checked many years. He wasn't there. At some stage this family must've moved from Scotland and I haven't researched the Vallance name yet, but could be Hugeonot. I will check the Archives when I am there this wekend to see what I can find. Thanks for your input it has helped me greatly. Regards Angela