Genealogy Chat

Just had another look online and I have found the Birmingham Register Office and they do a free search 5 years either side of the year and issue a certificate so I have printed off the form and they refund your money if they don't find anything. Can't think why I haven't done this before, probably because I thought they needed to know the district. Wish me luck, I will keep you informed.

Thanks again.

Christine

On the 1911 census it says she was born in Nechells, Birmingham and I think the records are at the Birmingham Library but they don't do searches and they sent me a list of researchers which are very expensive. I live in Cornwall so it is difficult to go in person. I have put in a request for someone on this site who is going to the library to do a search for me but no luck.

Christine

Have you tried getting in touch with the local register office in Birmingham where you think she was born, just in case her birth was missed of the copy of the list sent to the GRO ?

Kath. x

No I am going by the 1891 census when she was 2 months old, the 1901 she was 10 and 1911 she was 20. When she married Walter Hobday on 26th December 1912 she was 22 and when she died on 28th February 1952 she was 63. I have looked at the years before 1891 but still can't find her.

Christine

I think you have pinned her birth down to Spring 1891?

Is her birth/age consistent on all the documents you have?

I have Grace Winifreds marriage and death certificates and also all the childrens birth certificates. Walter and Grace had 5 children one of which was my mother and Grace Winifred Footitt is on all the certificates.
I have found all her siblings births and deaths in the BMD indexes and have some of the childrens birth certificates so it seems strange I can't find Grace's. The only thing I can think of is that she was illigitemate, either Walter Slights child and if he didn't marry Annie, Eveline would be as well or Annie had Grace before she met Walter and registered her in another name.

Christine

I think it would useful to get the marriage certificate just in case it reveals any other clues.

I can see births for four children to her and Mr Hobday on FreeBMD. Would it be an idea to get one of the children's birth certificates to see if she has given herself any other middle name?

Can we try to get to this from another angle. Who did your grandmother (Grace Winifred) marry because I can't see a marriage for her? Do you have her marriage certificate?

EDIT - sorry - I guess this must be her marriage:-

Name: Grace W Footill
Year of Registration: 1912
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Spouse's Surname: Hobday
District: Aston (1837-1924)
County: Warwickshire
Volume: 6d
Page: 589

Sorry, I just thought that the marriage may show another name because I can't seem to find a Grace Winifred birth anywhere.

Kath. x

Hi Carol

Thanks for looking but it isn't my Grandmother as I sent for the cetificate and it was the wrong one.

Christine

I can only find this one
Name: Grace Emily Footitt
Year of Registration: 1890
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Caistor
County: Lincolnshire
Volume: 7a
Page: 605

She died in 1888 at 27 Florence Road, Smethwick, Birmingham reg.district Kings Norton aged 26 and her name on the certificate is Lizzie Footitt.

Christine

When did Elizabeth (1st wife) die? I can't see it on FreeBMD

My Grandmother was Grace Winifred Footitt and she is on the 1891 census aged 2 months living at 34 Cook Street, Aston, Birmingham on the 1901 census aged 10 living at 44 Yew Tree Road, Aston Manor and on the 1911 census aged 20 living at 22 Clifford Street, Aston Manor. 1891 and 1901 says she was born in Birmingham and 1911 says Nechells, Birmingham.
Her father on the 1891 census is Walter Slight Footitt (wrongly spelt as Footill) and her mother is Annie Elizabeth Hunt I think. Walter is a widower in 1901 and deceased in 1911, he died in 1908. I have found 3 marriages but none of them are to Annie. Walter, Beatrice and Lilla are from his marriage to Elizabeth Lampard, he then married Emma Jones no children (both wives died) and Evelyn's mother on her birth certificate is Annie Elizabeth Footitt!!. I have a death certificate for an Annie Elizabeth Hunt who died at 26 Cromwell Street, Aston aged 28 in 1897 and it states she was the daughter of William Harvey Hunt (deceased) and her brother Alfred H.A.C. Hunt registered the death and he was from Leamington Spa which is where Annie's place of birth is on the 1891 census. I can't find a death for an Annie Elizabeth Footitt. His 3rd wife was Edith Reason with whom he had 3 more children one of which died and Edith survived him.
I have tried all different spellings for Footitt and looked under Hunt with no luck.
Any help would be appreciated.

Christine

Joan,

It was probably because you didn't have up to date details of your father - combined with the fact that you weren't 21. I'm sure that if you could have given details of your father he wouldn't have been so bothered.

I was married 8 days after my 21st birthday but when we went to see the vicar the year before he didn't ask about a birth certificate at all.

Kath. x

Have you looked for her birth under her mother's maiden name - just in case she was born before her parents married?

If you give her name and a rough area of where you think she was born we can try to look for her.

Kath. x

If you post the details i will have a look for you

Roy

I have been looking for my Grandmothers birth certificate for 5 years and can't find it. I wondered if she would have had to show it when she got married in 1912 which would prove she had one.

Regards Christine

Are you asking because the age on the marriage certificate is wrong?

I have lots of marriage certificates where the age is out by anything up to five years - people lied for all sorts of reasons. My grandparents both lied on their marriage certificate because there was a 19 year age gap between them - but she added 5 years to her age and he took 3 years off his so it looked as if there were only 11 years between them!!

Some people also said they were 21 when they weren't if they didn't have parental consent (which they would have needed if they said they were under 21)
.
Kath. x

Yes I had to produce my divorce documents

People did not have ID in those days

I married in 2003 for the third time and i have never had to produce ID, just my divorce papers to show i was divorced and free to get married again,

I just like cake :-))

Roy