General Chat

Mine is my grt grandfather Joseph Henry Smyth/e he was born 1873 Seacombe Cheshire he married Mary Jane Millward 1892 she was 16, next found him named on my grandmothers birth cert. 1895 he is not with them on 1901 census he is named 1910 on another daughters bc. My grandmother married 1915 showing her father deceased but cannot find him on index. My brother said that he thought my Dad told him he had gone to join the IRA or the Orangemen but cannot find anything what so ever about him. His wife went living with another man about 1912 and on her death cert. she is shown as widow of JHS. Cant wait to see if he is on 1911 census, such a mystery. Frances

I see what you mean! I thought I had some mysteries in my family but nothing compared to this! Carole

i'm so glad you did! Now that is a cool story. I would be obsessed with that as well! Carole

Hiya, Yes my 4 x G grandad, why did he come over to Cumbria from the IOMin 1854, and why did his Grandaughter, my G Grandma, leave her kids in 1908 and dissapear? Caz xxx

Thomas Horwell my hubbys grt grt grandad, Found his marriage, got on 1841,51,61, census, even got his death and grave plot BUT I cannot find his birth, know his age roughly on death cert he was 67 in 1867, on 1841 census his place of birth is St Thomas, but cannot find his birth anywhere AHHHHHHHHHH, 2 YEARS I HAVE BEEN ON THIS Jan

Beatrice Carey , born illegitimate in 1913, taken into a home in 1916 . Never adopted , but sent to a convent in Wales in 1926 as a magdalene girl in the laundry at the age of 16. Never met her mother again and died of TB in 1932. My G. Aunts daughter that everyone thought had died at the age of 3 ,until 6 months ago. XXX Kim xx

Come on Lesley, there has to be a couple you can share with us? :-) Carole x

This might sound strange but im obssessed with someone i know nothing about!!!! Its my g.grandfathers sister,i know her names,the fact that she married & she has died ( apparetnly my grandad tryed looking her up once & sound out she was died- dont know how or when no nothing). I would realy love to know about her & her life.I dont know why her couse i've got loads i could be looking up about but im always drawn to her. peggy

Susan your 5x grandmother sounded similar to mine although she was my ggreataunt. she was widowed at a young age and had 3 children and she was also a landlady of a public house in burnley, lancs right in the heart of the weavers triangle for many years. but im not obsessed with her, i admire her though, im obsessed with my gggreatgrandma she had a child out of wedlock, fetched him up alone till she remarried and never had any more children i often woner why, as most had loads of kids nothing odd i suppose but she is the one i think about most.

omg Claire! So far you win!!! That will take some beating - can anyone top that?!? Carole

My grandads aunt who no one even him has ever heard of! Born illegitmately as Nellie Wood in June 1891. Mother marries my great x 2 grandad in November 1891 and she becomes Nellie Chryst. Nellie marries William in 1911 and they have one child Marjorie in 1913 then nothing! Found Nellie's death record and burial record in 1916, sent for certificate and cause of death........head and body found in lock of canal in Sheffield. Jury assembled next day and decided she drowned! Newspaper cutting of the event only quotes 'father' (that being my great x 2 grandad who i will never know if he was the real father or not) as saying she went out 10 days earlier to post a letter and neve came back. Husband not heard of ever again and daughter brough up by her sister (or half-sister) Katie. I would like to speak to Nellie and find out what really happend at the canal, did she jump in, fall in or pushed in! My gut is telling me it was more than just 'drowned'. Claire x

Shirley thats awful. Knowing in detail what happened doesn't necessarily makes it easier does it? I agree, just hope that end wasn't drawn out. Carole x

My paternal grandad. found out he was German. don't know where he was born in Germany Got his marine death cert of 1911,he was in the Merchant Navy and got washed overboard from the vessel on route from Melbourne back to Bremen. Got a copy of the ships log describing him being washed overboard in bad weather and they throwing a life belt to him but didn't know if he got it. they sailed on as too dangerous to come about and attempt any rescue. I often think of him seeing the vessel just sailing off and knowing his end was near. Only hope he drowned very quickly.,must have been horrendous for him. He was 31 and my dad just 3½, he left a wife and 4 children the youngest just 10 months. Shirley

Yes Romany Star, I was surprised to see illegitimate on the death certificate.....it must have gone with them through life, and still be with them in death..... She is down on the census as a 16 y.o. living with her Mum, but her Mum has her listed as her 'niece'......so did she have to live out a lie as a child......what a shame....

Rose This is just too weird! My great great grandad was a Peacock but apparantly he was born in Denmark. Carole x

My grannies sister. I knew her when I was small. I knew her sons when I grew up. Her son was my dad's best man at my parents wedding. I know she was married to a young man who died in WW1. I even sent for his death certificate. BUT..... I cannot find her marriage to her second husband anywhere. What am I talking about, I can't even find her second husband!! These are people I knew! Brick wall months thick! Deanna X

Andrea, Just thought, my uncle has Ernest as a middle name and my mum always wondered where that came from. (the Bunns are on my mams side) Who knows? Carole

Andrea, Unfortunately I can't say if your Ernest was connected to my Bunns. The Bunn connection is through my gt gt grandmother who married a peacock.(obv not a bird!) I have found that a great majority of Bunns originated from Norfolk. She did have a brother called James (family name) but I don't know that much about him. Carole

There are so many! Firstly my dad's sister who died as a baby. Only know her name and she was first born as it wasn't talked about. No birth or death records, not on still birth register, hit brick walls everywhere but I'm determined to find out something to prove that she existed! My g grandfather who had no fathers name on bc, had changed name by time married and told everyone he was from Wales when in fact he was from Rotherham!! Have tried talking to his grave asking for help with tree, but not had any signs or dreams yet! LOL Dawn

Carole My great aunt was married to a Bunn (Ernest) and they lived in Sunderland. Don't know anything much about them though as I think he died years ago. Don't know if it's a common name here in the North East. Andrea