City Directories and GRO questions

[lohengrin]

Several people on this board very kindly provided vital information in the search for my very mysterious father. I now have his birth certificate from the GRO and a "suspect" that may have been his father (as none was given on the certificate). My father was born in Barnstaple in 1914 and his mother's occupation is listed as Confectioners Assistant residing in Weston Super Mare. I found an on-line version of a WSM city directory and it listed a certain Thomas Garside, Confectioner, residing at 50 Regent St. WSM, the address given by my grandmother--hence my prime suspect. My question is I can't sem to find any other information in these directories other than address and occupation. Would anyone have any ideas how to track this person down?

As for the GRO certificates, I have reason to believe that what is found in the GRO is a copy from an original filed in a parish. Is this true, and would the original provide anything different from the GRO version? Again any information anyone would care to provide is much appreciated.

[Ed Bradford]

I was able to get information concerning voter registration. In my case the records were in the archives and local studies library. I emailed them and they very generously provided the information. It isn't much but it does confirm where they lived and the fact that they registered to vote. You might also try newspapers, police reports and court records. Most of our ancestors walked this earth but didn't leave much of a footprint.

I have an original copy of a marriage certificate that was issued at the time of the marriage. It’s has the same information on it as one I get new from the GRO.

.............Ed

[Peter Goodey]

"As for the GRO certificates, I have reason to believe that what is found in the GRO is a copy from an original filed in a parish"

You're talking about a birth certificate? No. Birth registration was nothing to do with the church.

The child might or might not have been baptised and the parish register might or might not include the date of birth but that's another matter.

That Thomas Garside was surely just her employer. Why do you think he might have been the father?

Try the poor law records and court records for a possible filiation order (ie child maintenance).

[lohengrin]

I have no evidence whatsoever that Thomas Garside was the father, just speculation. Given that my grandmother went to great lengths to falsify much of her past including that she claimed to have married a certain Thomas Fox in Bristol in 1913 (no record exists) and this person's Christan name is Thomas, and that he was a confectioner and my grandmother a confectioner's assistant it is possible that Thomas and my grandmother may have co-habited at that address which could have been both a business and residence address (e.g.living over the shop). I don't know how else to proceed except to try to check out any little bit of evidence no matter how speculative.

As for parish, perhaps I shouldn't have used that term. In Canada and America "parish" can sometimes mean a town or county and not a religious institution. Did the local government in Barnstaple keep the original birth certificate and then send the information to the GRO where a copy was made? I notice that on line 7, it states "signature, description and residence of informant." It is obvious that some official completed the form as my grandmother's signature (I have copies of her handwriting) does not appear as the informant, it is handwritten by this official.

[Peter Goodey]

Well, I've given you some pointers but you'll need a researcher I imagine. Possibly the county archives offer a research service.

What you get from GRO is indeed a copy of the entry in the original register which is at the local register office. You might or might not get a photocopy of from the local office, otherwise you'll get a manuscript or typed copy. The only difference from the GRO certificate will reflect any clerical error in the original copying. It's extremely unlikely that a clerk would overlook copying a father's name!