Tips to Help Make Your Research More Successful

Looking for a birth, death or marriage on the GRO indexes?

In trying to locate a birth registration based on an age appearing on a Census, remember that the Census date from 1851 was late March / early April.

Example: 1881 Census shows that Rebecca Thornley as aged 17. As she was either just 17 or almost 18, search June 1863 to June 1864 quarters.

Birth could be listed as "male" or "female" - parents may not have decided on a name at that time.

Don't always believe family legend such as "definitely born / married / died on 14 May 1913" - the date is probably right but the year may be a year out. And the same applies to names - "his name was Sam" ... it may turn out to be a nickname.

Know the name of the village, town or city? Narrow your search area by finding out what Registration District it is in by reference to a Gazetteer and the 1891 Census index.

Consider every possible alternative spelling - even looking at the Parish Register might help.

Looking for someone on a Census?

Surname Indexes are available for 1881 and, for many Counties, 1851 also. If your Family History Centre does not have these, refer to the appropriate Gibson Guide.

You may get an address from a birth, marriage or death Certificate issued close to Census date.

Street indexes are available for many larger towns and cities. If there is an index for some years but not the one you are interested in , you can get a lead to the film number by reference to the "1841-1891 Census" fiche.

Film too faint to read? Don't give up - write to the County Record Office holding the original.

Looking for a baptism or marriage in a particular Parish?

Look up Phillimore's Atlas to see if the Parish has been indexed on the IGI for that date. If it has, probably better to try a nearby unindexed Parish.

Parish Register not listed on the Locality Catalogue? Write to the County Record Office.

Can't find your ancestor on the Parish Register? Perhaps the entry is illegible or the page is missing. Try the Bishop's and/or Archdeacon's Transcripts.

Remember - a child may have been baptised in the parent's family's parish where the parents originally came from.

Can't trace a marriage? There are privately held marriage indexes (pre 1837) for most Counties. Write to the holder of the index. Also, check Boyd's Marriage Indexes (all three series). And consider that, before 1754, the marriage may have been Clandestine ... it did not take place in a Church - if in the London area, indexes of these are available.

Your ancestor can't be traced in the most likely Parish?

Look for Poor Law Settlement Examinations - one of the most revealing of all genealogical tools. You may have to write to the County Record Office.

Your ancestor had an interesting occupation or was in the Military or Government Service?

There could be some specialised indexes leading to "Discharge Papers" at PRO, Kew.

Stuck in Ireland?

The name of your ancestor's Townland is pivotal and you may be able to get this off a birth, marriage or death certificate. When you have this and want to trace back further, try Griffith Valuations (carried out in the 1850s) and the subsequent Cancelled Valuation Books.

You may get a lead to a death, emigration or other departure from the Townland by observing the date your ancestor's name disappears from the Cancelled Valuation Books.

Also, write to the Heritage Centre for the County you are interested in, they are most helpful.

Scottish research

Married women's deaths are indexed under both their married and maiden surnames.

Certificate for the year 1855 (only) contain considerably more information than in other years - e.g. names and ages of all siblings. If you are stuck on one name - try working on a sibling

Unable to trace earlier generation? Because of the amount of detail about these on a person's Death Certificate, locating this can unlock the door to your earlier research

Key Dates - Birth, marriage and death registrations

England and Wales:

• Civil Registrations started - 1 July 1837
• Death indexes show age of deceased person - from 1 January 1866
• Birth indexes show Mother's maiden name - from 1 July 1911
• Marriage indexes show Spouse's surname - from 1 January 1912
• Death indexes show date of birth - from 1 April 1969
• Birth indexes show date of birth - from 1 January 1976

Ireland:

• Registration of non-Catholic marriages started - 1 January 1845
• Remaining Civil Registrations started - 1 January 1864
• Quarterly Indexes (prior to this, A-Z for whole year) from 1 January 1878
• Northern Ireland indexes kept separately - from 1 January 1922

Scotland:

• Civil Registration started - 1 January 1855
• Death indexes show age of deceased - from 1 January 1866
• Males and females held on separate indexes
• Deaths of married women recorded under married and maiden surname

Censuses:

• 1841, 6 June
• 1851, 30 March
• 1861, 7 April
• 1871, 2 April
• 1881, 3 April
• 1891, 5 April

Recommended Aids

• "Marriage, Census and other Indexes for Family Historians" by Jeremy Gibson and Elizabeth Hampson.
• "Bishops' Transcripts and Marriage Licences" by Jeremy Gibson.
• "Probate Jurisdictions - where to look for Wills" by Jeremy Gibson
• "The Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers" - edited by Cecil Humphery-Smith
• "A Genealogical Gazetteer of England" by Frank Smith
• "A Genealogical Gazetteer of Scotland" by Frank Smith
• "General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland"
• "A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland" by Brian Mitchell
• "Irish Records" by James G. Ryan

Tony Fitzgerald is a professional genealogist based in New Zealand. His research service entails taking your enquiry as far as possible within resources available within New Zealand and then, if the Parish is known or strongly suspected, passing on the searching of Parish Registers to an Agent in Dublin or Belfast. Tony is anxious to help you with your Irish research. His services are described on his web page.