Genealogy Chat

I have a little conundrum for you! My great great grandfather was Vincent Holland (those of you regulars out there will be used to me wittering on about him by now!) His son was William Holland b 21/12/1861, March Street, Shelton,Stoke. The certificate lists Vincent as an Iron Puddler, and the mother as Emma Holland, formerly Holland. There is absolutely no sign of them anywhere! I know William was dead circa 1900, and I have a possible entry on 1881 for him as a lodger - but I have no idea where the family went. I have spent serveral quid tonight on 1837, and there is no Vincent Holland born between 1837 and 1844!I know this as I have checked every quarter for every year. there is a possible death record on Free BMD for a Vincent Holland 1877 age 35(which could also fit), but that would make his birth 1842- so why no birth registration? Alison checked out the 1861 census for me and couldn't find him! I supose he could have been registered as "male" and named later, but that was usually stillborns I believe. I am going to investigate the 1871 census(at the records office) to see if i can find them. Any one got any ideas? Thanks Maxine

I know this is of no help to you but I have been through 1837 twice between 1906 and 1937 looking for the death of my gt grandmother. I can only assume that she is still alive! Likewise, one of my grandmother's sisters must have been brought onto this earth by a stork. She certainly wasn't baptised nor was her birth registered.

I know it probably doesnt hlp you but tonight I found a record on familysearch purely by accident where the husband and wife were listed as being born in Skeffling and Skidby Lancashire. I know for a fact that these 2 villages are in east Yorkshire where incidentally the husband is buried. So what am I trying to say? Ah yes! Not all census records are transcribed correctly

the boundaries changed many many times so it is possible the town were in a different county then

Maxine when I was at the records office I also tried on the fiche for your Vincent the ones fron 1837 to about 1846 are handwritten and very difficult to read your Vincent maybe on there but a lot of the names just look like a series of lines. I have nearly a whole family who seem to be missing in the birth records with just the 2 youngest showing up(on the typed records!).They were christened though so I have been able to find some record of them. Have you been able to find Vincents and Emmas marriage? A lot of the time people marry in the same Church they were christened in.Another avenue could be that death cert it may have an address to chase up and it will have the name of the person who notified the death.

Hi Maxine Is it possible that he was registered in a different name. Maybe he was illegitimate and his mother later married either his father or someone else. My gt grandfather was registered as a Williams born illegitimately to a Isabella Macpherson and a Edwin Williams but in all other records both before and after, census, marriage, siblings birth etc the family name is Murray. It took me over a year to find his birth but as it was in Scotland the site has a name search which makes it easier than 1837. This probably appears to be waffle(!) but he was an invisible man for a number of months so keep persevering!

Thank you all for your suggestions, I think Max is right, I need to bite the bullet and look through the parish records. I am not 100% certain where Vincent was born (as I can't find his birth record or any census entries!!!), but suspect that he too was from Stoke. Fortunately I know the area very well, so I think The parish records may be the way forward. I know that the area we are talking about (Stoke-on-trent) has never been affected by county boundaries- but that too is a very valid suggestion for others in the same boat. I will stop my moaning and get on with it! Once again many thanks for all your responses and suggestions. Maxine

Hi Maxine. The only one I could find was a VINZENZ PETER HOLLAND born 10 dec 1832 Civil Ratingen Rheinland Preussian. How's that for a long shot. I went through all the countries on the IGI and this is all I came up with. I would have loved to have found something for you but that's all sorry May

Ooooh May - wouldn't that be fantastic! It may be a long shot- but I'm still writing it down in my little note book! lol You never know it could be my big chance to get someone exotic in my tree(I think I'm due one at least!) Thanks for looking Maxine

Hi Jill, My dad says his mother must of hatched from an egg!! as I cannot find her birth anywhere. I have her marraige and death but not birth. Laurie

Parish records seem most likely but did you know that some locally registered birth/marriages/deaths never made it to the national register.