Genealogy Chat

see below.

Evening, I am trying to find the 18-19 children born to Arthur Sheppard and Vera Matticks after their marriage in 1944. So far (after searching nearly 6 years) I have found only one born in 1945. I am assuming (though possibly wrongly) for a couple to have that many children, they would need to have them a little more frequently. I know that they emigrated to Canada (NewFoundland) at some point, but I am not sure when, and dont know where (if anywhere) I would be able to find out. Any ideas?

Um do you mean 1944? 18-19 children would be a huge number even before reliable contraception. I haven't got any families in my tree that big. How do you know of them if you havent' found births?

Hi Nell. Karen does mean 1944 - some of the names were included on an obit notice and I lost count after the first dozen or so. :) Karen, wasn't she married three times? Perhaps some of them were step-children?

Surprisingly enough, there were that many!! Family stories etc, I would have not believed for certain until Lisa very kindly found me the obit notice. I have names, but cannot for the life of me find births. I would have expected at least one or two every 18 months - 2 years or so.

Is there a chance that twins run in the family? I have one family that had two sets of twins.

Thats what I thought, but still wouldnt necessarily explain a gap of 5 years, would it?

Karen when was Vera born & if she was married 3 times was Arthur Sheppard her first husband? Georgina.

If I didnt know that they emigrated I would continue trawling the bmd records, but I feel slightly be-grudged staring at it for hours when they may have left the country years earlier!

Are you sure the obit notice said they were all children of the marriage - perhaps they might be children plus their spouses, ie sons and daughters in law/ Anyway, to answer your specific point about emigration, information about ships' passengers' lists here www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/migration/step1.htm no information about air travel. Or you could start with Canada. Try contacting the embassy to see whether there are records and if so where.

Vera married for the first time in 1944, and only once more to a Wallace Layden, but again I have no idea about whether or not that was in the UK or Canada, or even if they married early enough to have children.

When were the couple born? It seems quite reasonable that the couple had their first child in this country, so the woman could have her baby surrounded by relatives, and then promptly emigrated. (My Mum's cousin would not be the only woman emigrating to Canada with a new husband as soon as WW2 was over) On the other hand, they might each have come to the marriage with one or two children of their own.

She was born in 1921. :-)

My work break is over, so I have to get back to work, but try a google search for 'Fred' in Cormack - if I'm not mistaken, Cormack is a small town. I believe you might be able to get in touch with him.

This is the good news... if you have the patience! 'BT 27 outward passenger lists digitisation project and availability of records A major digitisation initiative is underway at The National Archives with contractors of the website 1837online.com already onsite preparing to begin digitising the entire BT27 series. It is envisaged that the first batches of content will go live online from autumn 2006, with the entire series digitised online by late 2007. To make sure the scanning of the records is completed as quickly as possible, we have had to temporarily suspend the advance ordering of BT 27 records. We are working to minimise any disruption to availability, and we will ensure that the number of pieces out of accessibility will be kept to a minimum at any one time. Please check that the pieces you wish to consult are not affected before you travel. For the first time this fascinating series will be fully searchable by name, ship, port and date, further opening up what is already well-used resource at The National Archives, and giving you easy access to a digital copy of the original records.'

NB The series consists of 1922 boxes and goes up to 1960.

On Ancestry.com I have just seen a picture dated 1951 and newspaper article The lethbridge Herald relating to a pvt Arthur Sheppard of Newfoundland, I don't know how to transfer it to this site.........help please.

Another Article refers to the Death of Arthur Crook otherwise Arthur Sheppard late of the city of Lethbridge in the state of Alberta retired miner died 15th June 1974 and has claims to his Estate.....does this mean anything to you!

OK another article refers to Arthur sheppard Crook passed away suddenly on June 17 1974 age 80years born and raised in Lancaster England and came to canada in 1905 and was employed in the mining industry , it mentions a sister Mrs Elizabeth Lamensfield of Flint, Michigan and a brother William he also had one brother and two sisters deceased and several neices and nephews.! do you know what date your person was born and where.

nudge