Marriages
Searching for a marriage
The churches in England & Wales have been recording baptisms, marriages and burials at parish level for centuries. However, the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths – in other words, record-keeping by the state – did not begin until July 1837. At that time, the legal jurisdiction of England & Wales was subdivided, for the purposes of registration, into administrative areas known as registration districts. Within each district a district registrar would be appointed to take responsibility for the recording of births, marriages and deaths within their district.
Four times a year, a copy of the district registers was made for the Registrar General, who ingathered all the registers for England & Wales and collated them into a single countrywide index, arranged alphabetically by surname (and then alphabetically by forename within each surname). The indexes to the registers are quarterly rather than annual in scope – the four quarters being known as March, June, September and December. Each of these covers the month itself and the two preceding months, as follows:
January, February, March registrations in the March quarter
April, May, June registrations in the June quarter
July, August, September registrations in the September quarter
October, November, December registrations in the December quarter
Note that, for the researcher, marriages, unlike births, have the advantage of being registered immediately at the time of the event. Normally, then, where you have an exact date of marriage, you will find the entry for the marriage you are looking for in the same quarter. Please note that our marriage records do not extend as far as the present day. Marriages suffer an unfortunate delay in reaching the central register, as (unlike births and deaths) the information relating to marriages has to be collated from churches and other religious establishments as well as district register offices.
Troubleshooting
Of the three events of birth, marriage and death, marriages might be the event where most inaccuracies are recorded – sometimes by accident and sometimes by design. The field on the certificate which must be regarded with most caution is that for age – note that what is recorded is declared age rather than proven age. It is therefore not uncommon for bride and/or groom to allow themselves some latitude and – how shall we say? – modify their respective ages. This might be done especially to reduce a disparity in age, where one party is significantly younger than the other. Some early certificates unhelpfully state merely that the bride and/or groom were “of full age”, which only suggests that they were over the age of majority, being 21 years of age at that time, and able to marry without their parents’ consent.
Bigamy
Sometimes, a bride or groom might be coy about their marital condition. Previous marriages might be concealed from partners, even when the marriage has been terminated by death or legally dissolved. Bigamy is not so very uncommon that you can rule out the possibility of finding it on your own family tree. In any event, be prepared to treat with caution all declarations of marital status found on marriage certificates.
Where in the country?
Marriages traditionally took place in the parish of the bride, which may or may not be located in the same registration district as the parish of the groom. Eloping was probably more common in fiction than in life but do not be surprised if you find the marriage of an ancestor out of area. You might even want to consider Scottish records for those whose idea of romantic included Gretna Green! It is a common misapprehension that what we would now call common law relationships were rare in the Victorian era. They may have been rarer but they were not so uncommon that you should feel shocked or startled to discover apparent evidence of them on your own tree.
IN whose name?
The indexes record each marriage under the names of both bride and groom, so for every one marriage there will be two entries in the indexes. From March 1912 the spouse’s name was recorded on the indexes so, if you know both names, the correct entry should be immediately identifiable. Before that date, where you know both names you will need to cross-reference any candidate entries against the other surname to see if there is a match. You are looking for a name match first and foremost but need to verify this against the registration district, volume and page number, which will always be identical. It is sensible to search under the more distinctive of the two names, unless you believe that this surname is at serious risk of being mis-spelt or being subject to spelling variation.
Spelling variations
If you still have no success, you may wish to consider spelling variations, either those genuinely in use by the family, or those accidentally created by registrars or by those copying them or preparing the indexes.
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Birth Records Searching
Births
Briefed by www.birthrecordsuk.co.uk
Searching for a birth
The churches in England & Wales have been recording baptisms, marriages and burials at parish level for centuries. However, the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths – in other words, record-keeping by the state – did not begin until July 1837. At that time, the legal jurisdiction of England & Wales was subdivided, for the purposes of registration, into administrative areas known as registration districts. Within each district a district registrar would be appointed to take responsibility for the recording of births, marriages and deaths within their district.
Four times a year, a copy of the district registers was made for the Registrar General, who gathered all the registers for England & Wales and collated them into a single countrywide index, arranged alphabetically by surname (and then alphabetically by forename within each surname). The indexes to the registers are quarterly rather than annual in scope – the four quarters being known as March, June, September and December. Each of these covers the month itself and the two preceding months, as follows:
January, February, March registrations in the March quarter
April, May, June registrations in the June quarter
July, August, September registrations in the September quarter
October, November, December registrations in the December quarter
Note that the quarters contain the births registered within them, which is not necessarily the same as births which took place within them. The reason why this is so is that legally there are 42 days within which to register a birth with the district registrar. This means that some births which took place during a month in one quarter will be registered in a month in the next quarter. Clearly, this is most common for births which took place within the last month of a quarter. So, for example, a birth in December might be registered in January (or, indeed, in February) the following year, which means that it would be registered not in the December quarter but in the March quarter of the year following that in which it took place. Normally, then, where you have an exact date of birth, you will find the entry for the birth you are looking for in the same or the next quarter, as follows:
January, February, March births in the March or June quarter
April, May, June births in the June or September quarter
July, August, September births in the September or December quarter
October, November, December births in the December or the following March quarter
Troubleshooting
Most family trees will, however, have one or more births which were registered late. In theory at least, there was a fine for late registration and some explaining to do. If you do not find the entry you are seeking in the same or the next quarter, therefore, it is sensible at least to check the two immediately following quarters, to cover the possibility of late registration.
Age adjustments
If, despite having an exact date, you do not find the entry for the birth you are looking for at or immediately after that date, treat the year with some caution. If, for example, the date is from, say, a modern (post-1969) death certificate, it may well be the case that the day and month are correct but the year is not. It is not at all uncommon to find that a person has modified their age – for instance, when declaring their age at marriage – and then this fiction has stuck with them over time. In respect of other people, their ages simply may have become hazy over time. In any event, in these circumstances, try checking a year or two either side of the given date, beginning with the same quarters. For example, if you have a birth which supposedly took place in January 1898 and it is not listed as it should be in the March or June quarters 1898, nor registered late in the September or December quarters 1898, next check the March and June quarters in both 1897 and 1899, as necessary.
Spelling Variations
If you still have no success, you may wish to consider spelling variations, either those genuinely in use by the family, or those accidentally created by registrars or by those copying them or preparing the indexes.
You can have the search undertaken for you via www.birthrecordsuk.co.uk
Briefed by www.birthrecordsuk.co.uk
Searching for a birth
The churches in England & Wales have been recording baptisms, marriages and burials at parish level for centuries. However, the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths – in other words, record-keeping by the state – did not begin until July 1837. At that time, the legal jurisdiction of England & Wales was subdivided, for the purposes of registration, into administrative areas known as registration districts. Within each district a district registrar would be appointed to take responsibility for the recording of births, marriages and deaths within their district.
Four times a year, a copy of the district registers was made for the Registrar General, who gathered all the registers for England & Wales and collated them into a single countrywide index, arranged alphabetically by surname (and then alphabetically by forename within each surname). The indexes to the registers are quarterly rather than annual in scope – the four quarters being known as March, June, September and December. Each of these covers the month itself and the two preceding months, as follows:
January, February, March registrations in the March quarter
April, May, June registrations in the June quarter
July, August, September registrations in the September quarter
October, November, December registrations in the December quarter
Note that the quarters contain the births registered within them, which is not necessarily the same as births which took place within them. The reason why this is so is that legally there are 42 days within which to register a birth with the district registrar. This means that some births which took place during a month in one quarter will be registered in a month in the next quarter. Clearly, this is most common for births which took place within the last month of a quarter. So, for example, a birth in December might be registered in January (or, indeed, in February) the following year, which means that it would be registered not in the December quarter but in the March quarter of the year following that in which it took place. Normally, then, where you have an exact date of birth, you will find the entry for the birth you are looking for in the same or the next quarter, as follows:
January, February, March births in the March or June quarter
April, May, June births in the June or September quarter
July, August, September births in the September or December quarter
October, November, December births in the December or the following March quarter
Troubleshooting
Most family trees will, however, have one or more births which were registered late. In theory at least, there was a fine for late registration and some explaining to do. If you do not find the entry you are seeking in the same or the next quarter, therefore, it is sensible at least to check the two immediately following quarters, to cover the possibility of late registration.
Age adjustments
If, despite having an exact date, you do not find the entry for the birth you are looking for at or immediately after that date, treat the year with some caution. If, for example, the date is from, say, a modern (post-1969) death certificate, it may well be the case that the day and month are correct but the year is not. It is not at all uncommon to find that a person has modified their age – for instance, when declaring their age at marriage – and then this fiction has stuck with them over time. In respect of other people, their ages simply may have become hazy over time. In any event, in these circumstances, try checking a year or two either side of the given date, beginning with the same quarters. For example, if you have a birth which supposedly took place in January 1898 and it is not listed as it should be in the March or June quarters 1898, nor registered late in the September or December quarters 1898, next check the March and June quarters in both 1897 and 1899, as necessary.
Spelling Variations
If you still have no success, you may wish to consider spelling variations, either those genuinely in use by the family, or those accidentally created by registrars or by those copying them or preparing the indexes.
You can have the search undertaken for you via www.birthrecordsuk.co.uk
Genealogy Research
Genealogy Research
Key dates for records in England & Wales
1 July 1837 - Introduction of General Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths in England and Wales
Births
Pre-1875 – an estimated 6 to 10% of births NOT registered
1875 more rigorous enforcement of compulsory registration
September quarter 1837 to June quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and reference number
September quarter 1911 to present -- only first forename, subsequent initials, registration district and number but also includes mother´s maiden surname.
Marriages
September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and ref number
March quarter 1912 to September quarter 1962 -- if female was previously married, index shows maiden name and married name
March quarter 1912 to present day -- surname of spouse added
Deaths
1875 enforcement of compulsory registration
September quarter 1837 to June quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and reference number
September quarter 1911 onwards - only first forename, subsequent initials, registration district and number
September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1865 -- no age given
March quarter 1866 to March quarter 1969 -- age at death given
June quarter 1969 to present -- exact date of birth given
Key dates for records in England & Wales
1 July 1837 - Introduction of General Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths in England and Wales
Births
Pre-1875 – an estimated 6 to 10% of births NOT registered
1875 more rigorous enforcement of compulsory registration
September quarter 1837 to June quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and reference number
September quarter 1911 to present -- only first forename, subsequent initials, registration district and number but also includes mother´s maiden surname.
Marriages
September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and ref number
March quarter 1912 to September quarter 1962 -- if female was previously married, index shows maiden name and married name
March quarter 1912 to present day -- surname of spouse added
Deaths
1875 enforcement of compulsory registration
September quarter 1837 to June quarter 1911 -- only first two full forenames, subsequent initials, registration district and reference number
September quarter 1911 onwards - only first forename, subsequent initials, registration district and number
September quarter 1837 to December quarter 1865 -- no age given
March quarter 1866 to March quarter 1969 -- age at death given
June quarter 1969 to present -- exact date of birth given
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Privacy And Missing People ?
Brief by http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/advice/missingpeople/
Privacy and Missing People
When people go "missing" it is not always the case that they have been harmed or are seeking to evade the law. We need to consider at what point their right to privacy outweighs the public interest in identifying them in the context of a BBC programme or web site.
It is worth bearing in mind some basic points:
How old is the missing person?
A child under sixteen may be considered to be at risk of moral or physical harm if alone and unsupported in the world. A young person between 16 and 18, depending on their circumstances and their capacity to support themselves, may also be at risk. Their safety would outweigh considerations about their privacy in the first instance; however, the decision whether to identify them would be taken in conjunction with their parents and any relevant authorities. If and when a child is found, no matter that their name and picture may already be in the public domain, the decision to further identify them would need to be considered once again in relation to their current circumstances and future welfare.
An elderly person may be considered to be as vulnerable as a young child, depending on their age, their state of health and mental capacity. However, their right to privacy needs to be considered when deciding what intimate facts about their life to report, however relevant to the story of their disappearance.
If a person is a competent adult, and there is no reason to believe they have been abducted, assaulted or murdered, their right to privacy may outweigh the public interest in identifying them as a "missing person" on national television. A judgment will have to be made based on the known circumstances of their disappearance.
What is their legal status?
If a person is facing legal charges or is believed, with good reason, to be involved in criminal activities, their disappearance may be linked to a desire to evade the law or to live outside of the law. Their right to privacy is compromised by their criminal status.
If a person does not have the right to remain in the UK, then their disappearance may be related to a wish to evade detection as an illegal immigrant and consequent deportation. This would also undermine their right to privacy.
What is their state of health?
If a person is currently suffering a mental illness, or has a history of mental illness, such that they may harm themselves or harm another, identifying them may be more important than their right to privacy. Equally, if they are by virtue of their illness unable to take responsibility for themselves, identifying them may be important to their safety.
If a person needs urgent medical attention or medication for a chronic illness, this too could be seen to outweigh their right to privacy; however, to broadcast details of their illness or treatment would usually be considered an infringement of their privacy.
What are the circumstances of their disappearance?
If an adult disappears from a domestic situation which is conflict-ridden and stressful, or possibly abusive, their right to privacy and to make a new life might outweigh any desire by friends and family to identify them with the intention of locating them or persuading them to return home.
If an adult leaves a family with no visible means of support, with a large number of debts or in desperate personal circumstances, our sympathies might lie with the family but we would still have to consider whether such a person has lost the right to privacy. The fact that they have abdicated their social responsibilities may or may not have a bearing on our decision to identify them.
If an adult is reported by family to be missing but we have good reason to believe, from talking to friends or work colleagues, that he or she may simply have re-located to escape an untenable domestic or professional situation, we should respect their right to privacy above and beyond the willingness of the family (or the police) to identify them as a "missing person". If we cannot establish, evidentially, whether a person has gone missing willingly or unwillingly, we should consider the balance of probabilities according to the circumstances and in relation to the public interest in telling the story. There should be no automatic assumption of exposure.
If a child or young person runs away from what is reported to be a conflict-ridden, abusive or neglectful home, their ongoing safety and welfare should be considered according to the BBC's Child Protection Policy . The case may need to be referred to Social Services. In this instance the family's possible desire to identify and locate them would take second place to the child's needs.
Privacy and Missing People
When people go "missing" it is not always the case that they have been harmed or are seeking to evade the law. We need to consider at what point their right to privacy outweighs the public interest in identifying them in the context of a BBC programme or web site.
It is worth bearing in mind some basic points:
How old is the missing person?
A child under sixteen may be considered to be at risk of moral or physical harm if alone and unsupported in the world. A young person between 16 and 18, depending on their circumstances and their capacity to support themselves, may also be at risk. Their safety would outweigh considerations about their privacy in the first instance; however, the decision whether to identify them would be taken in conjunction with their parents and any relevant authorities. If and when a child is found, no matter that their name and picture may already be in the public domain, the decision to further identify them would need to be considered once again in relation to their current circumstances and future welfare.
An elderly person may be considered to be as vulnerable as a young child, depending on their age, their state of health and mental capacity. However, their right to privacy needs to be considered when deciding what intimate facts about their life to report, however relevant to the story of their disappearance.
If a person is a competent adult, and there is no reason to believe they have been abducted, assaulted or murdered, their right to privacy may outweigh the public interest in identifying them as a "missing person" on national television. A judgment will have to be made based on the known circumstances of their disappearance.
What is their legal status?
If a person is facing legal charges or is believed, with good reason, to be involved in criminal activities, their disappearance may be linked to a desire to evade the law or to live outside of the law. Their right to privacy is compromised by their criminal status.
If a person does not have the right to remain in the UK, then their disappearance may be related to a wish to evade detection as an illegal immigrant and consequent deportation. This would also undermine their right to privacy.
What is their state of health?
If a person is currently suffering a mental illness, or has a history of mental illness, such that they may harm themselves or harm another, identifying them may be more important than their right to privacy. Equally, if they are by virtue of their illness unable to take responsibility for themselves, identifying them may be important to their safety.
If a person needs urgent medical attention or medication for a chronic illness, this too could be seen to outweigh their right to privacy; however, to broadcast details of their illness or treatment would usually be considered an infringement of their privacy.
What are the circumstances of their disappearance?
If an adult disappears from a domestic situation which is conflict-ridden and stressful, or possibly abusive, their right to privacy and to make a new life might outweigh any desire by friends and family to identify them with the intention of locating them or persuading them to return home.
If an adult leaves a family with no visible means of support, with a large number of debts or in desperate personal circumstances, our sympathies might lie with the family but we would still have to consider whether such a person has lost the right to privacy. The fact that they have abdicated their social responsibilities may or may not have a bearing on our decision to identify them.
If an adult is reported by family to be missing but we have good reason to believe, from talking to friends or work colleagues, that he or she may simply have re-located to escape an untenable domestic or professional situation, we should respect their right to privacy above and beyond the willingness of the family (or the police) to identify them as a "missing person". If we cannot establish, evidentially, whether a person has gone missing willingly or unwillingly, we should consider the balance of probabilities according to the circumstances and in relation to the public interest in telling the story. There should be no automatic assumption of exposure.
If a child or young person runs away from what is reported to be a conflict-ridden, abusive or neglectful home, their ongoing safety and welfare should be considered according to the BBC's Child Protection Policy . The case may need to be referred to Social Services. In this instance the family's possible desire to identify and locate them would take second place to the child's needs.
Trace Absent Parent For Child support
Brief supplied by www.csaabsentparent.co.uk
Tracing anAbsent Parent or HusbandChild Support Agency or for Maintenance problems associated with locating or tracing a missing person for financial reasons.
The reality is one in two marriages fail or goes through major periods of separation and a high proportion of those marriages involve a partner who leaves either the partner and or children without any contact details for a future residence etc. The difficulties in serving legal papers or negotiating a financial settlement if you do not know where or how to contact the absent parent is both frustrating and possibly financially catastrophic.
The CSA will require an address where the Absent parent can be contacted , it is our experience in dealing with hundreds of CSA cases that they will not go out of their way to search for people and certainly not take positive steps to identify any assets including property which may be a factor in any financial determinations.Some people search sites like 192 .com and others of a similar ilk. These sites merely allow you to search electoral rolls and other public records which in all probability the person is unlikely to be recorded upon for a number of very obvious reasons, it is a fact that over 30% of the population are not recorded upon the edited edition of the electoral roll and given that the individual as left relatively recently they will most certainly not feature upon any of these sites, especially if they have moved in with a new partner within a new area!. You cannot expect to succeed in your search by merely trawling registers of births, deaths, marriages or telephone directories. That is a reality of life.All those who have had experience of on line research sites will understand that accessing on line search engines can only take the investigation so far.
It is the skill and experience of the Trace agent armed with the most comprehensive information data bases that the general public do not have access to. Those tools and experienced agents will make the difference between stumbling from one site to another and getting that key piece of information which will allow you to take positive decisions about your future.The most common questions we get asked are “How do you find People” “What Information do you need to locate somebody” and many more. The straight answer is clear and honest, make the phone call on 0844 88 42 831 to discuss any question you may have with our experienced agents and get all the answers you need to reassure you that we can succeed in a successful investigation.
Tracing anAbsent Parent or HusbandChild Support Agency or for Maintenance problems associated with locating or tracing a missing person for financial reasons.
The reality is one in two marriages fail or goes through major periods of separation and a high proportion of those marriages involve a partner who leaves either the partner and or children without any contact details for a future residence etc. The difficulties in serving legal papers or negotiating a financial settlement if you do not know where or how to contact the absent parent is both frustrating and possibly financially catastrophic.
The CSA will require an address where the Absent parent can be contacted , it is our experience in dealing with hundreds of CSA cases that they will not go out of their way to search for people and certainly not take positive steps to identify any assets including property which may be a factor in any financial determinations.Some people search sites like 192 .com and others of a similar ilk. These sites merely allow you to search electoral rolls and other public records which in all probability the person is unlikely to be recorded upon for a number of very obvious reasons, it is a fact that over 30% of the population are not recorded upon the edited edition of the electoral roll and given that the individual as left relatively recently they will most certainly not feature upon any of these sites, especially if they have moved in with a new partner within a new area!. You cannot expect to succeed in your search by merely trawling registers of births, deaths, marriages or telephone directories. That is a reality of life.All those who have had experience of on line research sites will understand that accessing on line search engines can only take the investigation so far.
It is the skill and experience of the Trace agent armed with the most comprehensive information data bases that the general public do not have access to. Those tools and experienced agents will make the difference between stumbling from one site to another and getting that key piece of information which will allow you to take positive decisions about your future.The most common questions we get asked are “How do you find People” “What Information do you need to locate somebody” and many more. The straight answer is clear and honest, make the phone call on 0844 88 42 831 to discuss any question you may have with our experienced agents and get all the answers you need to reassure you that we can succeed in a successful investigation.
Old Friends Trace
Brief supplied by www.trace4u.co.uk
Tracing Missing Old Friends To a current address is unlikely to be achieved via on-line people search sites due to an absence of current data upon the missing person, most of the on-line people search sites merely repackage basic public records. These sites sell you search credits which appear good value but in the long run it turns out to a false economy.
Trace and Locate Old Boyfriends or Girlfriends.Find Missing Friends Trace Old Army Friends or Buddies Locate and Find Old School or College Friends Find Old Work Friends These types of instructions are best handled by the most experienced agents because the research required to process the trace can be difficult and attention to detail is very important. We will work towards finding a persons address or place of business dependant upon your instructions so that you may be reunited with that old friend colleague or lover. Finding missing lovers or old army friend is a normal instruction for Trace4u and once instructed the trace will commence immediately and you’re confidentiality will be of the utmost importance to us all for £ 99.99
To start that all important trace visit www.trace4u.co.uk
Tracing Missing Old Friends To a current address is unlikely to be achieved via on-line people search sites due to an absence of current data upon the missing person, most of the on-line people search sites merely repackage basic public records. These sites sell you search credits which appear good value but in the long run it turns out to a false economy.
Trace and Locate Old Boyfriends or Girlfriends.Find Missing Friends Trace Old Army Friends or Buddies Locate and Find Old School or College Friends Find Old Work Friends These types of instructions are best handled by the most experienced agents because the research required to process the trace can be difficult and attention to detail is very important. We will work towards finding a persons address or place of business dependant upon your instructions so that you may be reunited with that old friend colleague or lover. Finding missing lovers or old army friend is a normal instruction for Trace4u and once instructed the trace will commence immediately and you’re confidentiality will be of the utmost importance to us all for £ 99.99
To start that all important trace visit www.trace4u.co.uk
Thursday, 26 March 2009
People Searching By On-Line People Search Sites
People Searching supplied by www.freefindmissingpeople.co.uk
People Searching By Yourself via on line search sites who charge search credits like 192.com and tracesmart. If you cannot afford a professional tracing agent and you want to spend money on search credits you should consider the following points. Good luck with your search! You will need it.
If you’ve spent the last few years meticulously tracing your roots and creating a family tree, why not use this information to get in touch with distant living relations? This is your chance to complete your family picture by using the threads of information you have uncovered to search for relations across the UK.
Or maybe you’re looking for immediate family members and friends that you’ve lost touch with or were separated from? It can be a lot easier to find the people you’re looking for than you think.
If you’re looking for distant or missing relatives.
1) Arm yourself with the facts
If you’re an avid family history researcher, you will already be familiar with the need to collate as many names and dates as possible before you start your research. The same applies with tracing living relatives. Start by preparing a list of all the names, locations and dates of key events such as births, marriages and deaths. Old address books are a great place to start. The more detail you can collect at this point, the easier and more successful your trace is likely to be.
2) Start your search narrow and work your way out
Many families hail from just one or two towns or villages in the UK. Once you have determined the most recent family surnames, search by that name in the areas they were last known to be living. Current Electoral Rolls are the best way to find a shortlist of potential living relatives. These are often linked back to Directory Enquiry records or you may find it less intrusive to try snail mail at first. Even if you don’t hit the jackpot straight away, you may foster a local contact that can help you from there.
3) Start your search wide and work your way in
If a narrow search doesn’t work in your favour, take advantage of our nationwide Electoral Roll searching. If you have a unique name or no idea where a person is living now, this will be your saviour. Other types of searching, such as Directory Enquiries, will require you to specify a location. If you are searching nationwide, try using additional search criteria such as the person’s likely age or the name of a person they may be living with (e.g. the name of their spouse) to narrow down your search.
4) Searching the marriage records
A common challenge with tracing female family members is they often change names when they get married. The trick here is to search the Marriage register by maiden name. Use the married name found on the wedding certificate to search the Electoral Roll for their current address.
5) Don’t forget their day job
It can be a long shot but 4 million people in the UK are registered as Company Directors. In addition to their full name and current contact details, you will find their exact age, nationality and their current and previous Directorships. Once you have a list of companies that they are associated with names, this can be used to find business contact details.
6) An aerial view of your roots
If some or all of your family migrated across the country or even emigrated overseas, it can be fascinating for descendants to see their ancestor’s home towns from an aerial view. Take advantage of the aerial photography and satellite images on many mapping websites today, including 192.com, to get a feel for the layout of the area and the rural landscape.
7) Don’t give up!
If you are not successful on your first round of searching, don’t give up. Most local Electoral Rolls and Director Reports are updated quarterly with a major update issued every year. The beauty of the Internet is that once this information is collected, it can be made available fairly quickly.
Good luck with your tracing.
People Searching By Yourself via on line search sites who charge search credits like 192.com and tracesmart. If you cannot afford a professional tracing agent and you want to spend money on search credits you should consider the following points. Good luck with your search! You will need it.
If you’ve spent the last few years meticulously tracing your roots and creating a family tree, why not use this information to get in touch with distant living relations? This is your chance to complete your family picture by using the threads of information you have uncovered to search for relations across the UK.
Or maybe you’re looking for immediate family members and friends that you’ve lost touch with or were separated from? It can be a lot easier to find the people you’re looking for than you think.
If you’re looking for distant or missing relatives.
1) Arm yourself with the facts
If you’re an avid family history researcher, you will already be familiar with the need to collate as many names and dates as possible before you start your research. The same applies with tracing living relatives. Start by preparing a list of all the names, locations and dates of key events such as births, marriages and deaths. Old address books are a great place to start. The more detail you can collect at this point, the easier and more successful your trace is likely to be.
2) Start your search narrow and work your way out
Many families hail from just one or two towns or villages in the UK. Once you have determined the most recent family surnames, search by that name in the areas they were last known to be living. Current Electoral Rolls are the best way to find a shortlist of potential living relatives. These are often linked back to Directory Enquiry records or you may find it less intrusive to try snail mail at first. Even if you don’t hit the jackpot straight away, you may foster a local contact that can help you from there.
3) Start your search wide and work your way in
If a narrow search doesn’t work in your favour, take advantage of our nationwide Electoral Roll searching. If you have a unique name or no idea where a person is living now, this will be your saviour. Other types of searching, such as Directory Enquiries, will require you to specify a location. If you are searching nationwide, try using additional search criteria such as the person’s likely age or the name of a person they may be living with (e.g. the name of their spouse) to narrow down your search.
4) Searching the marriage records
A common challenge with tracing female family members is they often change names when they get married. The trick here is to search the Marriage register by maiden name. Use the married name found on the wedding certificate to search the Electoral Roll for their current address.
5) Don’t forget their day job
It can be a long shot but 4 million people in the UK are registered as Company Directors. In addition to their full name and current contact details, you will find their exact age, nationality and their current and previous Directorships. Once you have a list of companies that they are associated with names, this can be used to find business contact details.
6) An aerial view of your roots
If some or all of your family migrated across the country or even emigrated overseas, it can be fascinating for descendants to see their ancestor’s home towns from an aerial view. Take advantage of the aerial photography and satellite images on many mapping websites today, including 192.com, to get a feel for the layout of the area and the rural landscape.
7) Don’t give up!
If you are not successful on your first round of searching, don’t give up. Most local Electoral Rolls and Director Reports are updated quarterly with a major update issued every year. The beauty of the Internet is that once this information is collected, it can be made available fairly quickly.
Good luck with your tracing.
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