Hello from A.W.D.H.

[Arthur Hardy]

Hello everyone at B-G forums, I am an Australian, living on the NSW Central Coast. I am 78 years old and have been searching for my British ancestors for about 6 years. I have had considerable success, however I have come up against, what is to me a brick wall. This concerns my paternal grandfather and great grandfather, I have been able to obtain my grandfather's marriage certificate dated June 21st 1885, and aso his death certificate dated 1896. I have been unable to accurately determine his father's and mother's names, and thus cannot move back into the family history.

My Grandfather's name is shown as Elijah Hardy. Place of birth is shown as Castle Hedingham. Estimated year of birth 1855. Any help would be greatly appreciated in helping me clear up this problem.

[Dargie]

Hello Arthur|wave|

I am in Victoria so have just read your message. The real experts are now asleep in UK!!
However I had a bit of a look and have only so far found Elijah Hardy born Castle Hedingham, Essex....Halstead 12 124 in 1844.
Do you have a birth certifiacte showing Elijah's birth as definately in 1855?

In 1861 he was living in Castle Hedingham with his mother Elizabeth and brother. The brother's name is difficult to read. The transcriber has written
Wolias which is possibly incorrect:) but I cannot make much sense of the original either.

The reference is RG9/112 Folio 84 Page 9

Elizabeth Head 55 widow straw plaiter born Hedingham
Eliah 16 son Ag labourer born Hedingham
Wolias?? 14 son Ag labourer born Hedingham

This may have only confused the issue but if you think this could be the right family you may want to order the birth certificate and it will give you names of parents.
Good Luck. you will find a lot of very clever people on this forum:)
I am sure they will help you.
Marj.

[christanel]

Hello Arthur
I am just up the coast from you. Is it ever going to stop raining?
Apart from the Elijah that Marj found born 1845, and was my first hit, I have found another one born 1852 Halstead Essex March 1/4 Vol 4a Page 285.
Now in the 1861 census ref RG9 Piece 1112 Folio 75 Page 27 he is with his father James 42 ag labourer born Great Yeldham, mother Harriet 47 straw plaiter born Great Maplestead,
Son James 18 ag labourer, dau Mary 13, and Elizar aged 9. All 3 children were down as born Castle Hedingham.
I thought Elijah coupled with Hardy would be rare but I have counted 13 so far.
What exactly do the certificates you have say? Are any of the names above familiar?
Christina

[Dargie]

If you do have Elijah's marriage certificate that may help with deciding which Elijah is yours.

The one I had found born in 1844/5 married a Jane as per 1881 census. As he already had a son aged 10 I would think he is not correct if your Elijah was married 1885 unless it was a second marriage.

In 1891 I think I have found your man.
He is living in Great Warley and married to Elizabeth. Shows birth as 1855 and as he has three children the eldest aged 4 in 1891 I would expect a marriage in 1885 a pobability. I will now have a look at previous census details to see if I can track down his parents.
Does the marriage certificate mention Elizabeth as the bride?

By the way .... could we have some of that rain please. We are dry as a bone down here...shocking.
Marj.

[Dargie]

Do you have the names of Elijah's siblings?
That would maybe help in determining the correct Elijah living at home in1861

[Arthur Hardy]

If you do have Elijah's marriage certificate that may help with deciding which Elijah is yours.

The one I had found born in 1844/5 married a Jane as per 1881 census. As he already had a son aged 10 I would think he is not correct if your Elijah was married 1885 unless it was a second marriage.

In 1891 I think I have found your man.
He is living in Great Warley and married to Elizabeth. Shows birth as 1855 and as he has three children the eldest aged 4 in 1891 I would expect a marriage in 1885 a pobability. I will now have a look at previous census details to see if I can track down his parents.
Does the marriage certificate mention Elizabeth as the bride?

By the way .... could we have some of that rain please. We are dry as a bone down here...shocking.
Marj.
My grandmother's maiden name was Elizabeth Crowe, I have been able to track her parents down without any great problems, in 1891 there would have been 3 children, Andrew, Robert, and Dora Sophia.

[Dargie]

Yes, he is the right man in 1891.

Do the children in Christanel's thread ring a bell? James amd Mary as siblings for Elijah? With mother Harriet and father James?

[christanel]

Hi Marj
My husband says you can have all the rain and if it is still raining tomorrow he is staying in bed!
Now to do a liitle more digging for you Arthur.
Christina

[Arthur Hardy]

Hello christanel, the marriage states that his father's name was James. I also note that Mary Hardy was one of the witnesses. This is very interesting, I have not been able to obtain a birth certificate for Elijah, nor do I have any family history of his siblings, so in that respect I'm shooting in the dark

[christanel]

Hello Arthur
Here they are in 1871 RG10 Piece 1699 Folio 70 Page 13
James 59, Harriet 50(seems to have lost a few years), same occupations as 1861.
Now with them is Mary Lewis aged 83 - pauper and she is Harriet's mother. Also an Elizabeth Parnell/Pannell (hard to tell) aged 13.
I think this little lotare your family.
Oh and Elijah was transcribed on a.....ry as Clyah
So I think this is the birth certificate you need Elijah Hardy 1852 Halstead Essex March 1/4 Vol 4a Page 285.
And now you also know Harriet's maiden name. I love it when children take in their elderly parents - saves a lot of searching.

Christina

[Arthur Hardy]

Thank you Christine for your help, I will try to follow that up, much appreciated AWDH

[Mary S (WA)]

How did you find that info with all the folio and page etc?? I just joined an.....y and when I tried to look up info the screen kept telling me to download a magnifier but it just wouldn't. I couldn't find out a thing. What a waste of time but I followed everything correctly as far as I could tell. I was actually trying to find out if James Bradley married Mary Harrington (1905 - 1911) by checking both names in the UK marriage index and comparing to see if there was a match to time and place. A neophyte would love to know your secret!
Cheers from Mary in Perth WA It's nearly midnight. Anzac Day tomorrow and my oldest daughter is in Gallipoli for Anzac Day. I'm a proud mumma. It was watching a moving Anzac Day documentary on WW1 a couple of years ago that sent me to my computer to try and find out something about my grandfather who fought in WW1 !! I'm still at it!

[christanel]

Hi Mary
I have sent you a private email re accessing images.
It is a terrible Anzac Day weather wise here. Absolutely teeming. So I guess my husband is staying in bed all day. Peace, perfect peace.
Christina