Brick wall tumbles!

[605sffx]

This is the story of finding the answer before posting the question.

I was drafting a new post about my continued failure to find my Irish great-grandparents' marriage certificate when I noticed that one document I have said she was English. I had searched English records before without success, but tried again through the bmd index on Ancestry using her name, Louisa Jane Mesney, only. And lo, there she was! At least it was her name and a likely date listed in the index.

Then I searched on his name alone, and found him listed, not as Richard Louis Murrow, but as Richard Loius Murroy! The year and reference numbers matched. So they married in Totnes, Devon, England, not in Ireland at all, and because I had searched before on both names at once, the misspelling prevented a find.

The next step is to get a researcher to get the actual certificate for me and look up some other possibilities and then make a trip to Totnes. I am so thrilled!

[stickymone]

Hi,

If you have the relevant reference numbers and a credit card you should be able to order the cert online

Not sure what the postal charge would be to the US but the cert will cost you £7.00 Sterling

Cheaper than a researcher

Stickymone

PS you need to go to www.direct.gov.uk and follow the links

[v.wells]

That's great news 605sffx! You can order certs on line at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ for £7 quoting the GRO ref numbers.

The name as it is entered in the index, district, vol #, page # and year event took place. Takes 2-3 weeks to come by mail.

[605sffx]

Thanks, Stickymone and v.wells, the certificate is on its way.

I don't really care about having certified copies of certificates, but I gather there is no way to see them on line to get the information listed.

[stickymone]

Hi 605sffx,

Unfortunately you're right, you have to get the cert to get the info, there's no on line access yet.

The upside is if you decide to go to Totnes you will be going to one of the loviest towns in Devon. There's nothing like taking the boat down the river Dart to Dartmouth and having sundowners on route

Of course you do need the sun to shine

Stickymone

[benny1982]

Hi

It is very gratifying. I recently found the marriage of my 4xgreat grandparents after years of failure to find it.

Ben

[605sffx]

Indeed, Stickymone, I had a trip to Totnes in mind, but thanks to you, I shall look forward to more than dusty ledgers. A boat and sundowners on the Dart sound delightful! I haven't heard of sundowners since my days in Tanganyika and Ceylon, back when they were still called those names. And I've found out that some of the Mesney family lived in Dartmouth, so there's a good reason to go there. This is so much fun!

[stickymone]

Hi 605sffx,

Sundowners are very well known in this house, my wife and her parents are ex colonial East Africans (Kenya and Uganda) We try to partake most evenings irrespective of the British weather

As far as any proposed visit to Devon you may wish to avoid July/August. It's school holidays and the South Hams basically fills to bursting point with tourists.

As far as your research is concerned, if you're not familiar with Genuki I suggest you have a look here http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/ The Devon FHS is another good source of info you'll find a link on the above

Good luck

Stickymone