Gibraltar records

[Ladkyis]

TNA has a large collection of non-statutory registers in (an index exists in RG43 though I don't know if this covers all entries). Births appear to be in RG33

Is this online? If I went to TNA and looked at the catalogue - pause here until I stop laughing - would I find something I could look at to see if Ana Rivero is on there?

[Kerrywood]

I may be wrong, but I don't think the Miscellaneous Foreign Returns at TNA cover Gibraltar. Try the International Memoranda at Guildhall Library, if you can get there? They also hold copies of records submitted by the Bishop of Gibraltar, but I think these are later than you want.

https://www.history.ac.uk/gh/overseas.htm

Kerrywood

[Ladkyis]

I don't travel well and London is just too far. I did it two years ago for the BBC and spent nearly a week in bed recovering. I just can't do that again.

[Geoffers]

Is this online? If I went to TNA and looked at the catalogue - pause here until I stop laughing - would I find something I could look at to see if Ana Rivero is on there?

'farid not, only the catalogue

I may be wrong, but I don't think the Miscellaneous Foreign Returns at TNA cover Gibraltar.

There are some there, not all the entries appear indexed by place in the catalogue - inspite of great advances there still exist a few anomalies; to quote my ancient copy of 'Tracing your ancestors in the Public Record Office'.

"There is the collection of miscellaneous non-statutory registers and records, 1627-1958 (RG32-RG36, largely indexed in RG43), which used to be in the General Register Office until 1977........................The indexes, in RG43, are kept on open shelves at Chancery Lane. References, by country, are given in 4.7: however, this includes only the most well-represented countires in RG32-36, and there are many others, besides (e.g. Uruguay and [b]Gibraltar[b/]). You should check the indexes in RG43 even if the country you are interested in does not appear in 4.7, or if it does so with a wrong date-range."

[NatashaBatsford]

Gibraltar does have parish records for the time you are looking, but you will need to write via snail mail or go to see them in person.

Us Llanitos are funny about our family history, it's difficult to get access to the records because people were going to the churches and changing any entried they didn't like lol

It is important to remember is that like England, there are loads of different churches in Gib, all of whom kept their own baptism records and the local people were often somewhat reluctant to register births with the authorities, relying instead on their trusted priest/ vicar.

If that is the case you might have to take pot luck and just start sending letters. The churches are listed here https://www.gibraltar.gov.uk/hol/WhatToSee/worship.asp
and there are no postcodes in Gib, so it's just the addresses as you see them.

If you need ANY help, drop me a PM and I'll do my best for you

Thanks
Tash

[Ladkyis]

Mt thanks to everyone for all the suggestions and ideas. My daughter and I will get to grips with them over the next few weeks.
I have sent for the marriage certificate so that should give me the name of the father of Ana Rivero which will help in getting back another generation.

I only agreed to get this started because of my 3 year old granddaughter and the baby that is due in three weeks. They deserve to have both sides of the family tree even if I am no longer married to their grandfather.

What a mixture eh? scots/irish/welsh/Jewish (ashkenasi and sephardi)/english/gibraltarian and goodness knows what else. That certainly makes them British doesn't it

[Ladkyis]

OK so the copy of the marriage certificate has arrived and now I know that it was Command 9th Company R.G.A at Gibraltar.
Ana Rivero was 22 a spinster and the daughter of Salvador Rivero. She married Gunner Albert Smith 1 January 1901 in the Kings Chapel, Gibraltar according to the rites and ceremonies of the church, after Banns by (Sd) D.F. Carey C.F.(what does C.F. stand for)

Albert was the son of John Smith ~sigh~

The witnesses were Salvador Rivero and Julia Garcia

The really frustrating thing is that where it says residence at the time of the marriage all the writer of the original certificate put was "Gibraltar"
They do it deliberately don't they! just to frustrate us. They knew that exactly 100 years later I would be hoping to find an address, grrrrrr

[NatashaBatsford]

Place of residence Gib isn't a strange thing to put really, it's just a symptom of the fact that Gib is so small and everyone knows where everyone lives. Not by road name, but by landmarks.

If you ask directions from anyone over the age of 40, you need to be prepared to be looked at blankly when you ask for a road by name, but directed with ease if you ask for "X's house", even if 'X' hasn't been on this earth for 50 years.

Memories are long and until very recently, education was in short supply so people didn't put the same store as you might on details like addresses. In their minds, they know where they live, that's the important thing - and that's still very much the attitude over there now.

And as for Albert, I can tell you exactly where he was living at the time he was married - the barracks are the same today as they were then

In terms of King's Chapel, despite sounding catholic, they were married in a C of E chapel (oldest in Gib, still there today, beautiful little place right by the Governer's Mansion). Do a google image search for "King's Chapel, Gibraltar) and you get quite a few images.

What I could do, is look at my Gib census CD this evening to see if there is any info on Salvador Rivero. He is as likely to have come over from La Linea as he is to be local, but if he is, families don't tend to move around the rock much. It used to be a very tribal place and where you came from was where you came from

Let me know if you'd like me to look

Tash

[Ladkyis]

I would love it if you would look for Salvador Rivero, that would be a real bonus. I haven't a clue about researching in Gibraltar or in Spain - or anywhere in europe really.

This really is very kind of you, thank you so much

[NatashaBatsford]

No worries

I make no promises because as I said, Salvador is as likely to have come from La Linea (Spain) as he did Gibraltar (British) and the census returns I have are just for Gib.

One thing you could try though: If Ana is not listed as being a native of Gib, but is listed as being british, there is a chance that she was born in Spain, but registered at the British Consolate in La Linea. This happened a lot. If this is the case, she will be in the overseas registers available in the usual way. If I had a membership to something suitable I would look it up for you but I'm afraid I don't, sorry.

I'll let you know about Salvador tomorrow

T