Pre 1841 Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates

[robsnicta]

I tried to get a copy of a birth certificate of one of my forebares born c1830 in the hope that I could find out his mothers maiden name. The GRO website said I couldn't get a certificate dated before 1837.

Damn bang goes my plan then. Does anyone know how else I can get this information?

[Jan1954]

Yep, unfortunately Civil Registration did not start in England and Wales until 1st July 1837.

Do you know roughly where they were born, as it would be the Parish Records that you need to investigate. Have a look here (http://www.british-genealogy.com/resources/registers/home.htm) for some information about searching Parish Records.

[robsnicta]

I have got the parish records which shows their birth but unfortunately only gives the christian names of both parents, I have ordered ac couple more though.

[Jan1954]

It may be that the family are living in the home town/village of one of the parents. If so, the Marriage Banns may be of use, if the marriage is not recorded as having been held in that place.

By the way, where did the baptisms take place? Have you checked on GENUKI (http://www.genuki.org.uk/contents/) for what might be available as well as details of surrounding parishes?

[RobinC]

I have got the parish records which shows their birth but unfortunately only gives the christian names of both parents, I have ordered ac couple more though.

Parish records don't show the mother's maiden name but there are ways of finding out the maiden name, if the family were in London, the marriage for the parents could be in the London marriages collection on Ancestry. Otherwise you'd have to trawl through the parish records for marriages near the birth dates of their children.

I'll look on Ancestry if you would like?

[Peter Goodey]

For the marriage, try Phillimore, Boyds, Pallots. The home parish of the bride is usually the best place to start looking.

[Lizzy9]

Did your ancestor have a sibling born after July 1837? If so you could buy that birth certificate which would give you the mother's maiden name.

[robsnicta]

Thanks Robinc that would be great if you wouldn't mind looking for me, unfortunately they weren't in london just wales. I remember some mention of Ruabon years ago which is very close to Chirk where they lived, also there was some mention of Bangor. I have ordered a couple more parish records for marriages for Ruabon and Chirk for a later period then I already have, unfortunately I can't get anything later then 1812/15 for Denbigh.

From what I can gather they lived in a mining community as there were two big coal mines in the chirk at the time, the oldest in Wales, these I understand closed in 1832. One of the children was born in Greenlane which I understand were miners cottages.

I have no Idea where the Bride came from all I know is she was called Mary and all the children have the same mother, that doesn't discount the possibility of later marriages for Richard as Mary doesn't appear on the 1841 census and may well have died by then.

As far as I know there were only 3 siblings all born before 1837 and as Richard was aged 55 in the 1841 census I think it highly unlikely that he had any more, he was actually born in 1784 which would have made him 57. All the Baptisms took place in Chirk.

I will look at Genuki, Philimore, Boyds and Pallots to see what I can find. He may still have been alive in 1869 when g g grandfather Thomas got married as I have a copy of the marriage certificate detailing him as a labourer but he didn't actually sign the register so may not have been present.