Genealogy Chat

Thanks Maz! Now why didn't I think of that?! Does anyone know if the 1861 anf 1971 censuses are searchable by surname?

The only other thing I can suggest is tracking the family back thru the 1871 and 1861 census. Hopefully you can then see him living with his parents. Maz. XX

Hi Linda Have you tried looking for his birth under his mother's maiden name?? This happend with my ggrandmother I had her marriage cert giving one surname but couldn't find her birth anywhere until I sent for her parents marriage cert and found that her mother was a widow and my ggrandmother was using her step fathers name not her own, Thats when I looked for her and low and behold she was there.Good luck. Jill

There is one George Frederick Berrett listed - but it isn't him! Despite the fact that he was Policeman, and therefore should have been an honest citizen, he obviously wasn't... On the 1881 census he gave his age as 21 - which means he would have been born in 1860. On his marriage certificate he gave his age as 21 - which means he would have been born in 1863. On the 1901 census he gave his age as 35 - which means he would have been born in 1866. On his death certificate his age is given as 42 - which again means he was born in 1863. I am assuming that his marriage and death certificates are probably more accurate than the censuses...

Linda, I had the same problem with my great grandad. I was looking for him for ages, as I thought he was born in Croydon. Then I found his census entry in 1891, stating he was born in Redhill, hence the reason I couldn't find him... I was looking in the wrong place (and actually the wrong year!). Another thing you could try is that he may not have been born 'Frederick George', but 'George Frederick' - that's happened a few times in my tree too. Good luck! Karen

No, I can't find anything relating to Frederick George's birth or christening... he, like his wife Ethelinda, appear to have arrived on earth as adults!!!

Hi Linda, Have you been able to find baptismal records for everyone. That will tell you the parents' names and adresses which will either confirm your suspicions (or add to the confusion)!! Such is this game :-) Good luck! Janice in SE London

Please can someone help? I think I’m beginning to go mad… having just had the most awful thought! This is a long story – so please bear with me! I’ve been searching for ages for the birth of my great grandfather Frederick George BERRETT. Family knowledge has it that he was born on the 4/6/1863 in Deptford, Kent – but I can’t find him on 1837 Online or freeBMD. (I’ve searched several years either side of 1863…) I have his marriage certificate (so I know he really existed!): he married Ethelinda Humphreys nee Freeman on 31/3/1884, which gave his age as 21. I also have his death certificate: he died on the 29/5/1905. On his marriage certificate his father is listed as James BERRETT, and one of the witnesses at his wedding was Charles William Berrett. I’ve tracked the BERRETT family all the way back to 1775 using various censuses, the VRI, freeBMD etc. All the pieces have fallen into place and Frederick appears to have come from a large family (one sibling being Charles William Berrett)… however, I have a few niggling doubts which suddenly make me wonder if perhaps I’m tracking the wrong family… I’ve found Frederick on the 1881 census. He is living away from home – but there’s nothing odd about that as he was aged 18 at the time (although the census gives his age as 21). His occupation is given as Pawnbroker’s Assistant – which matches his marriage certificate. I’ve been able to find the registered births of 7 people I think are Frederick’s siblings. Why was Frederick the only sibling not to have his birth registered? Frederick’s father James Berrett was married to Ann Davis. Before moving to Deptford, the family lived in Wootton Rivers, Wiltshire. Someone kindly looked up the 1851 census and some parish records for me and told me that James Berrett was born on Stoke Charity, Hampshire in 1803. His father was John BERRETT and he married Lucy RYLIN on 30/1/1823 in Wootton Rivers. On the birth certificate of John and Lucy’s daughter Emma, Lucy’s name is given as RYLAND. Several of the boys in the family have the name RYLING as a second name. Without the birth certificate for Frederick George, all of my assumptions have been that Frederick was the son of James BERRETT and Ann DAVIS, the son of John BERRETT and Lucy RYLIN(G)… HOWEVER, I’ve now just come across a marriage of a John BERRETT to a Lucy BEAUMONT which took place in Stockbridge, Hampshire in 1804, a year after James’ christening at Stoke Charity. Stockbridge is only a short distance from Stoke Charity… I’ve long wondered why Frederick’s birth doesn’t appear to have been registered… why I can’t find him on a census along with the rest of his family… why John was born in Stoke Charity, Hampshire when the rest of his family all come from Wootton Rivers, Wiltshire… Maybe all those siblings are really cousins… I still think my research findings are correct… but what about this Lucy BEAUMONT… and can I ever be 100% sure without locating Frederick’s birth certificate?????????!

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