Genealogy Chat

I was browsing through my surname list on the 1881 cencus and just typed in the surname I am researching-got something like 3000 names but trawled through them all looking for the street I knew one lived-then I clicked onto a known name and then clicked household, then next household, again and again and again, I have found my g/ggrandad as a child, his wife to be (my g/g/ grandma lived 10 doors up,) also found other family members and also my grandmas family, before she was born, she was born in 1893, I have so far, by clicking on next household browsed 19 streets, and it feels as if I can actually visualise the way things were. Sorry this is long winded but fasinating-give it a go.

Agreed, it's always worth looking at the houses in the vicinity: families seemed to stay very close together and a sibling, aunt/uncle or future spouse often turns up a few doors away.

It is amazing, this has saved me hours of research, loads of familiar names are popping up-will take me hours to check them out on my tree-but so very interesting-I am about 30 streets around Heworth, and the interesting thing is my Son now lives in Heworth, so I may find his house. Well worth the time-Jennifer.

Hi Is that a free search on what GR or another site????....ta

Sorry, so excited forgot to say - Family Search Org. Jennifer-I have found pubs, churches, Chemical works, Vicarages etc. jennifer..

I've used the previous household/next household option on 1881 on familysearch to go through an entire village. I only found one lot of rellies, but I got a good 'feel' for the village, from the posh house at one end to the poor shepherd living in 'a shed' at the other. This doesn't take long in a small village and you can see how all the families would have known eachother. nell

Just how I feel Helen, I have found missing rellies as servants in the big posh houses, and only just begun. I can picture my Grandad courting my Grandma-strange or what-Jennifer.

nudging

Hi Jennifer, What a great tip! Thankyou so much, I've just gone through the whole village of Rushall, Wiltshire. Found loads of interesting stuff! Found the school teacher, the blacksmith etc...and also possible connections to the family. Sue

When I got my GGFx3 death cert I was intrigued by the name of the informant, it wasnt a family member but it was only a small village so I trawled all the households. The informant had lived two doors down in the same road - as you say gives you a feel for the community. I could imagine this woman going in to give the poor old soul (87 years old - a good age in 1861) some soup or something in his last few months.

Know what you mean, I can imagine my g/g/ grandad watching my g/g/grandma go by, and him walking down to 'Call on her' marvellous thought.

i am very interested in what you are saying. i am trying to trace my family, i am getting so lost on all these web sites. is family search. org the name of the web site, and could you suggest any more. many thanks chris

I solved a great mystery, using this procedure. I did not know the maiden name of my 2 x GGM and I could not narrow down the possibilities by using baptisms as it was a very common name. On the 1881 census, my family had a nephew staying with them, by the name of Jackson - equally useless. There was a Jackson family in the same street, but there didnt seem to be any obvious connection between the families. When I looked on the 61 and 71, the two families were living in the same street, but at different numbers. Mr Jackson wasnt actually married at that point, but his bride-to-be, Jane Grimshaw, was in the house as a visitor. I went back to the 1881, walked up and down the street and found one of Mr Jackson's brothers in yet another household. With him was his NEPHEW, William Grinhans Jackson. What a daft name, I thought - then the penny dropped - it should be GRIMSHAW! To cut a long story short, Jane Jackson and my Ellen Holden were sisters, nee Grimshaw. But Ellen was born IOM and Jane was born 10 years later in Liverpool, which is why I hadn't made the obvious connection. If I hadn't done my little walk, I would probably still be looking for her maiden name. Olde Crone

I like your phrase 'took a walk up the street' very apt-but I started my walk hours ago and I am still walking - but I am thouroughly enjoying it - finding out about my rellies and recognising names- but I do not think my family are as pleased, apart from a quick break to throw together a meal, I have been hibernated in here-. but it is a bit addictive-thank goodness for those only fools and horses videoa hubby got for christmas.

Yes Chris, Family Search Org is the name of the site-and a very good one as well-and even free. Give my tip a go - it is fascinating - like walking down your rellies street.

Have 'walked up' 141 streets so far, and it is not my feet that are hurting-talk about let your fingers do the walking-but have discovered Churches, corner shops, factorys, schools etc. all used by my family-now an hour off to eat-forgotten to do that myself-just fed the men-and thenI will be walking again.

Great way to find families isnt it have done it quite often best thing about this site is its free, but if you have an ancestry account you can do this by using the green arrows at top of any census image you find sandie

Yes, I used ancestry this way a couple of weeks back and found the witnesses from a wedding. You can also look through the whole village on ancestry in any census.

I did this on the 1901 census when I very first started and discovered my ancestors mother living round the back. It helped me to get alot further.

Hello everyone. I am being a complete nerd but can you give me the www of this site. I fancy a walk - Thanks