Genealogy Chat

Help needed again please.I have been looking up my fathers family.I have got to his fathers fathers father and mother.Martin William James and elizabeth (surname Welsh I think ). I looked up birth for martin comes in at 1825 Shebear Devon.I looked up the marriage 1842 Torrington Devon. I looked up Elizabeth birth which acording to the census 1841 age 5.1851 age 30.1871 age 51.1881 age 63 or 68.She was born in Little Torrington.So from this I find that her birth could have been,1818,1813,1836,or 1821.Please someone tell me how I sort all this out and find which one is mine.Thankyou.

You need to establish some hard facts........ Buy the 1842 marriage cert.........it will tell you the ages of each of the couple, plus the names and occuaptions of their fathers. One thing is absolutely certain........if the marriage was 1842, the woman wasn't 5 years old in 1841. And until you are sure of her maiden name, how can you hope to find her? Reg

Name: Martin William James Year of Registration: 1842 Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun District: Torrington County: Devon Volume: 10 Page: 475 Elizabeth Welsh Reg

Thanks Reg,I was hoping you would be up this morning.You have answered yourself really. I did the same as you, looked up the marriage. Thats what made me think her surname was Welsh.

Is this your chap's death? Name: Martin William James Estimated Birth Year: abt 1816 Year of Registration: 1882 Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec Age at Death: 66 District: Bideford County: Devon Volume: 5b Page: 348 Reg

Yes I think so.Of course you can't be 100% sure but it fits.

This is presumably the family in 1881.......so the 1825 birth for Martin seems to be wrong. Have you obtained certs for each generation as you've worked backwards? Name: Martin W. James Age: 65 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1816 Relation: Head Spouse's Name: Elizabeth Gender: Male Where born: Shebbear, Devon, England Civil Parish: Abbotsham County/Island: Devon Country: England Street address: Village Condition as to marriage: Married Education: Occupation: Blacksmith Registration district: Bideford Sub-registration district: Northam ED, institution, or vessel: 1 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Edwin James 25 Elizabeth James 68 b. Little Torrington Joseph W. James 27 Martin W. James 65 Elizabeth Littlejohns 30 Reg

Well when I say fits.It actually make his birth diferent.No I havent got the certif as I only started looking at this lot this morning.

Lesley 'Looking up' the marriage isn't conclusive......you have to have documentary proof. The best thing to do is to try to find a birth for one of their offspring, and get the cert.........you would then know MMN. Reg

Could this perhaps be their son? Name: Edwin James Year of Registration: 1855 Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec District: Torrington County: Devon Volume: 5b Page: 435 Reg

If , when I'm on ancestry I click on buy certif .Is this more expensive or the same as if I apply myself from the office.The chidren I have got so far are william, george, mary.On the 1851.Or william,25,john 19,joseph 17,richard 13.mary 11.on 1871 census.

One of their daughters - I usually buy direct from the GRO for £7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Births Sep 1859 (>99%) ----------------------------------------------- James Mary Susanna Torrington 5b 454 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This would be more likely MARTYN WILLIAM JAMES Male Christening: About 10 MAR 1816 Buckland Filleigh, Devon, England Parents: Father: THOMAS JAMES Mother: SUSANNA And a couple of siblings GEORGE DODDS JAMES - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 24 JUL 1814 Buckland Filleigh, Devon, England 3. JOHN JAMES - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 26 SEP 1819 Buckland Filleigh, Devon, England The marriage cert will confirm.............. Reg

Thanks for your help Reg. I'll send off straight away.