Butlers

[Norm Butler]

As a “newbie” I hope to be able to advance my knowledge of matters of practical genealogy. In particular, as a colonial (a New Zealander who has lived in Australia for close to 40 years) I would be grateful for the guidance of list members on how best to proceed with the “on-the-ground” research I hope to do in Surrey and Devon (and Scotland and Ireland) either later this year or early next.

Whilst I have some of the basic information about my Butler forbears, including birth, marriage and death certificates for many, I’d like to both expand the coverage and, perhaps as importantly, be able to “put some flesh” on the skeletons - so to speak - by viewing parish registry entries, visiting cemeteries and the like – if that’s not an unrealistic ambition.

Is it?

[pownek]

If you haven't already used the following sites they are wonderful free sites to do some prep work before you travel

www.familysearch.org - this is the free latter day saints site

others are www.freebmd.rootsweb.com and www.freecen.rootsweb.com

pownek

[Peter Goodey]

It's not unrealistic at all.

It would be best to progress your research fully back to the start of civil registration before leaving home.

Secondly, the visit itself will need careful planning beforehand.

You'll need to be clear what you want to know, what documents you'll need and where to find them.

Assuming you start off in London, you might want to spend some time in the National Archives. Also while in London, the Society of Genealogists' library may give you a head start on some research before you hit the road.

Then, generally speaking, at least in England, the records you want will be found (if anywhere) in County Records Offices. These will I guess be milestones on your route and you'll want to research beforehand where they are and what they've got.

I suppose this is vague and pretty much stating the obvious, but if you tell us some more about what you're looking for, we could give more concrete advice about where to find things.

[Norm Butler]

Thanks for you prompt and helpful response. At the risk of becoming too specific as opposed to general – and, if so, please accept my apologies in advance.
I have certificates for the birth, first marriage and death of my grandfather (Richard Jago Butler) and grandmother (Elizabeth Anne Greetham) on my father’s side, but for the marriage only for my great grandfather (Stephen Butler) and for the birth, marriage and death of my great grandmother (Jane Jago). According to the 1841 Census, Stephen – a shipwright - was born in Waterford around 1920 but thus far I’ve had no joy in tracing further back, other than to discover from the certificate of his marriage to Jane that his father’s name was James (whose occupation was shown as “Steward”).
Apart from the following that up, presumably in or around Waterford, I would dearly love to track down the descendants of my late father’s brothers and sister - and with whom, as far as I can judge, there has not been any contact since my father emigrated to NZ in the early 1900s. They were:
Richard J Butler b Battersea 16-02-1880
Rose G Butler b Battersea 15-04-1881
Edward Butler b Battersea c1888
Wilfred Joseph Butler b Croydon 12-02-1905
It would be a bonus if I could track down my the descendants too of my great uncle, William J. Butler who was still living in Devon with his family – and his mother, Jane, then 92 - at the time of the 1901 census.
Hope this may help to point me in the right direction…and I’ll save the Scottish connection on my mother’s and late wife’s side to a different forum at a later date.
Thanks again.