Genealogy Chat

Can anyone give me some advice please.When you look up peeps in census or bdm how do you know which one is yours ?.I have been staring at peeps for ages and going round in circles till I'm dizzy.I'll give you an example to show what I mean ; One of the people I am looking for is Amelia Babb. She is my g-grandmother on my paternal fathers side (my grandads mum).I was told by living relies that she was born in Appledore devon and reg in Bideford.She died in wimbledon in august 1944.She married John James poss from south Wales.So I look, I found a wedding in Merthyr Tidfil 1875 but I dont know for sure if it's the right one.I found births but I dont know which one is mine as there are a few.This happens to me all the time.Which ever person I lokk up there are always lots in the right area at the right time and I havent a clue how to find my one among them all.advice please as if I choose the wrong one I could be going along the wrong path for ages.signed Knackered beginner.: )

Well!!! you have to work backwards from birth cert back to marriage of parents ,which will give ages of bride & groom and dads names on cert , when you get back to the 1901 census then you can check family according to the names you have already verified. When theres some doubt of which birth cert it is . you can ask for a checking point ie the dads name was Joe bloggs , and if the names match then the cert willl be sent. Its inevitable you willl buy the wrong cert from time to time if you have no check point but that happens to us all. Hope that helps. Shirley

had a quick look for a death in sept qtr 1944 and thers no Amelia reg in Wimbledon. theres one reg St Helens age 67 but thats Lancashire . and if she married in 1875 then thats too young.what year was she born

There is a death registered in Surrey NE Sept Qtr 1944 age 83, meaning she was born c1861 but the birth reg in Bideford is 1856. Looks as if the marriage you found in Merthyr Tydvill couldbe the right one. Christine

Lesley, You have to use the censuses too. You also know your grandad's name so look for him with parents Amelia and John. Look for an Amelia James born 1856 in Devon in 1881. Births Mar 1856 BABB Amelia Bideford 5b 497 1881 Household: Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability John JAMES Head M Male 27 Buckland, Devon, England Farrier Amelia JAMES Wife M Female 25 Bideford, Devon, England Eleanor JAMES Daur Female 5 Aberdare, Wales Scholar Florence JAMES Daur Female 3 Aberdare, Wales Lillian JAMES Daur Female 7 m Wimbledon, Surrey, England Source Information: Dwelling High Street 33 Spencer Buildings Census Place Wimbledon, Surrey, England Now you know John was also born in Devon. Rose

1891 England Census about Amelia James Name: Amelia James Age: 35 Estimated birth year: abt 1856 Relation: Wife Spouse's name: John Gender: Female Where born: Lancison Bisdeford, Devon, England Civil parish: Wimbledon Ecclesiastical parish: Wimbledon Town: Wimbledon County/Island: Surrey Country: England Registration district: Kingston Sub-registration district: Wimbledon ED, institution, or vessel: 1 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Amelia James 35 Florence James 13 Helena James 15 John James 40 Lilian James 10 Rose

Well,Thank you all . Just as I felt like giving up you all came to the rescue again.Rose, I did say I could be barking up the wrong tree.Ha Ha .So he didnt come from wales at all.But why were 2 of the kids born in wales then ?????? All the family tie up exept my grandad hadnt been born.He came along in 1898.thankyou. Shirley,I wish I was getting the hang of it too, :) I have tried to look up grandad but I cant find Philip john leslie james.Or it could be another way round.Gran called him phil but my father was also a philip leslie john and was called les to avoid confusion.I know grandads birth was 24-11-1998.I have Amelia d 1944 age 89 which would make her birth as 1855. Christine,I wonder why they got married in wales ,strange.I will have to try and find the tie to wales as it seems there was one.thankyou. John being a farrier would explain our family love of horses.thank you all for your help, you really have saved the day.

Hi Lesley, Don't know if you've given up on replies to your thread but...... I always try the local register office first, they're much more helpful than the GRO and for less money! What you can do is: Find an event on BMD which you think is most likely then find the local reg office for that area (GenUK gives you a list of these). Email them with all the details you know of your rellie, including parents names, father's occupation etc. They will then find the certificate which matches all that information and they won't send you the cert until you've verified that it's the correct one....and they won't charge you any extra for checking all the other info whereas GRO do make extra charge and then STILL may send you the wrong one. GRO are good but the local reg office is always better and more helpful in my opinion. Good luck!

Thankyou Carle.I will remember that.I will have to start getting certif now as I can't get much further without them.I didnt really understand where the list of local reg offices is though as I'm a learner.

Hi Lesley, If your grandfather was born 1898 then he should be with the family on 1901 census (can't check for you as don't have ancestry at the moment). They must have been living in Wales or certainly Amelia to marry there, and the first children were born there. If you could find Amelia in 1871 she may have even been in Wales then. Hope this helps, do you have a subscription to ancestry? Christine

Christine, Yes I do but I've only just got it and I'm not sure what I'm doing yet.I will look again and see if I can find her in Wales.The Family said that John poss came from south Wales but that was wrong.A lot of people I look up I cant find at all.I try ancestry and freebmd ,Also how do you look up people born after 1901Cos I cant seem to find them either. Also I tried to google LANCISON bideford and it dos'nt exist any ideas.

lesley, If you look at the actual image it says Lancross. I assume this is Landcross which is just outside Bideford. I've been unable to find your family in 1901 so far. Where was your grandfather born? Have you been able to find a birth for him? Rose

I have just tried looking for amelia babb /james in wales and england 1871 and found nothing.I looked up Helena to see if that would help and only foun that they had all moved to wimbledon by 1991 so I suppose thats another mystery that will never be solved.Not that it matters as I am just happy to have found them all.I wish I could find births for grandad 1898 and his children who are still living.I found my dad who was b 1925 d 1994.

1871 England Census about Amelia Babb Name: Amelia Babb Age: 15 Estimated birth year: abt 1856 Relation: Servant Gender: Female Where born: Landcross, Devon, England Civil parish: Landcross County/Island: Devon Country: England Registration district: Bideford Sub-registration district: Bideford ED, institution, or vessel: 1 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 3 Household Members: Name Age Amelia Babb 15 Emily J Browne 32 Anna Dilling 28 Edward H Farrington 58 Ellen Farrington 14 Francis J Farrington 37 Henry A Farrington 60 Liftros H Farrington 7 Mary E Farrington 10 Sophia E Farrington 47 Mary J Williams 17 Rose

Florence married Albert Klos in 1900 and Lilian married James Higgs also. Both marriages were in Fulham and they are all living their in 1901. I don't see Helena, Amelia or John. Rose

This looks like John: 1871 England Census about John James Name: John James Age: 19 Estimated birth year: abt 1852 Relation: Son Father's name: Martin W Mother's name: Elizabeth Gender: Male Where born: Buckland Filleigh, Devon, England Civil parish: Abbotsham County/Island: Devon Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Disability: View image Registration district: Bideford Sub-registration district: Northam ED, institution, or vessel: 1 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 42 Household Members: Name Age Elizabeth James 51 John James 19 Joseph W James 17 Martin W James 56 Mary S James 11 Richard James 13 William James 25 Rose

thankyou Rose.I will look as it says disability: see image.Just in case.

On the 1891 census there is something written in the disabilities section for Florence can anyone make it out.I've tried with a magnifing glass but cant understand it. Update, it's also on the 1881 census.

Hi, It's not a disability - It refers to the County in which she was born. It says 'Glam' - short for Glamorgan which was where Aberdare was. Dea x

Lesley, Where was your grandfather supposed to be born? Rose