Genealogy Chat

Can any of my friends out there please help me. I don't know where else to look for my ggrandmother - Alice Owen. She married John Michael Humphreys on 2 Nov 1891 in Manchester and her age is stated as 21. Her father is Joseph Thomas Owen, her mother Ann (nee Cresswell) and I have found the family on the 1881 census. I have also found her Christening on IGI (13 Nov 1870) but I cannot find her birth record on 1837. I've searched 1869 - 1870. I wrote to the Manchester Register Office with all the details, including the Christening and they wrote back saying they cannot conduct a search with the info given, due to lack of resources. The only other thing I can think of is to write to the Gen Reg Office in Southport as I belive they will conduct a 3 year search but I'm not sure of the charge. Can anyone advise what else I can try please before I go mad and blind with staring at the screen. Yours hopefully!!! Lynne Sale

Hail to thee careless spirit, how did you manage to lose a great gran? Mind you I left the baby at the Supermarket once. Only once. Anyway, looking at what you tell me the only thing you have to go on is the age of 21 on the Marriage Certificate. I would widen the search because she could have exaggerated her age, but more likely as long as she was at least 21 that was good enough. You often see "of full" entered in the age box. Good hunting, Jim, Gosport, HAM

If she was christened in November 1870 you need to search 1870-71, not 1869-70. HTH

Oops, Sorry Lynne, Ihve just gone back and seen the note about the Baptism. Unfortunately I can't switch from message to answer and back and the memory sometimes plays tricks, Jim, Gosport, HAM

Brian If she was Christened in Nov 1870 how could she be born in 1871? Jim Yes, very careless of me losing my Great Gran but on the other hand I only found her recently!! Joking apart, her husband was 20 when they married (lost him too, think he may have been born in Ireland). Do you think it's possible that she was older and lied about her age??? Maybe I'll search further back although on the 1881 census it says she is 10. Thanks again, I'll just have to keep trying. Lynne Sale CHS

hi lynne i think the charge is £11 or £11.50 if you are unable to supply page\volume\year etc but they will do a three year search either way. i have been getting all my certificates from there,because until if joined this site thought that was where i had to go. Heather Bournemouth DOR

Thanks Heather I've found the phone number so will give them a ring tomorrow to confirm the charge. Lynne

lynne, Just looked on 1837, in entry for births for year 1870 quarter Jul-Aug-Sep. I found Alice Owen born in Stockport which isn't far from Manchester where you great granmother was christened, might be her ref 8a 43. Am afraid no maiden name as there is in later searches. Shelli

Lynne, Have re-read messages and must add that if she was born in Jul/Aug/Sept 1870, she would've only have been 10 on census night in 1881. Her 11th birthday would've been later in 1881, cos the census was in April wasn't it? Think that's correct been a long long day. Hope it helps. Shelli

If I have done my maths right (and it's getting late): If she was 10 at the time of the census at the end of March 1881 the her birth date would be between April 1870 and March 1871. Her Christening in November cuts that window to between April 1870 and early November 1870. Christenings were quite often about a month or so after birth so I would guess at a probable birth date in September or October 1870.

Please bear in mind Lynne that they did sometimes lie about their age when they married. My grandmother did - she said she was 21 when in fact she was only 18! Consequently, her death certificate said she was 82, when in fact she was only 79! Apparently my great-grandparents wouldn't give permission for her marriage, so she went ahead by lying! Janet. Northamptonshire.

Some women lied about their ages so they wouldn't appear older than hubby, some pretended they were illiterate and made a mark if hubby couldn't write

She's also shown on the 1901 census aged 30 (as is her husband John) I used the census decoder to find them - the census entry lists her born in Manchester

Teresa Thanks for checking 1871 but I know Alice was born in Manchester. Thanks also to everyone else for your help. I am going to phone the Gen Reg Office at Southport this morning and ask them to search. Cheers Lynne Sale CHS

Lynne,If you haven't phoned them yet,do it now,it was a very helpful gentleman that answered my call he asked for all the info I had,which wasn't much and Hey Presto! the cert. arrived this morning. The cost was £8.50 for the cert + £3.00 search fee. June,Preston.Lan.

June Yes I have phoned the Gen Reg Office and given them all the info I have on Alice Owen and John Humphreys - £11.50 each. The only trouble is I have to wait 3-4 weeks for the certificates. Not sure I can contain myself that long!! It's not like the local (Manchester) office where you send a letter on Monday and receive the certs on Wednesday - that's service for you! Thanks again everyone, I'll just sit and wait for the certs to arrive - hope they find them! Lynne Sale CHS PS: I'll be able to spend more time on these boards whilst I'm waiting anyway!