puzzled

[lowestoft-lass]

im very puzzled,,after going up the wrong family tree and having to start all over,,,
i have a death cert with the name FREDERICK JOHN otherwise JOHN FREDERICK,,,on his childrens birth certs and his marrige cert its FREDERICK JOHN but trying to find his birth cert i hit a problem,, im told by all the family he was born in bethnal green,,,i can find only a FREDERICK JOHN born in ABINDON or a JOHN FREDERICK born in POPLAR which is where he was married..
should i buy both certs?
i know from his marriage cert what his fathers name was,,,which way should i turn ?,,,im a bit worryed i will spend months going back up wrong tree..
any ideas would be lovely before i pull all my hair out again lol..

[Peter Goodey]

You don't mention the surname. If it's not excessively common, you might want to consider a GRO 3-year search using the father's name as a reference check.

Otherwise, go for those GRO references you've identified as likely ones and order them with reference checking on the father's name. Personally, having been once bitten, I'd use a reference check of father's name = whatever or none!

[Geoffers]

i have a death cert with the name FREDERICK JOHN otherwise JOHN FREDERICK,,,on his childrens birth certs and his marrige cert its FREDERICK JOHN but trying to find his birth cert i hit a problem,, im told by all the family he was born in bethnal green,,,i can find only a FREDERICK JOHN born in ABINDON or a JOHN FREDERICK born in POPLAR which is where he was married..should i buy both certs?
i know from his marriage cert what his fathers name was.
As Peter mentioned, a surname would help to give the best advice. But purely on what you have written and assuming that you have searched the GRO index of births for a reasonable period each side of his estimated birth year, I'd suggest that you just get the entry for Poplar to begin with as this seems to fit in with other information that you have.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[lowestoft-lass]

Yes ive checked 5 years each side of the year i want on 1837online.

The surname is right just the fornames are muddled.

I know i cant go on the first name put on death cert as the person registering it could have it wrong.

Well on a bright side to it at lease ive only got 2 names it could be worse.

Thank-you for the help.

[Geoffers]

The surname is right just the fornames are muddled.
I know i cant go on the first name put on death cert as the person registering it could have it wrong.
I wouldn't worry about the names being swapped around. One of mine was born George Robert, married as Robert and died as George. For whatever reason, some people just preferred one name over another - and as you mentioned, at least you only have two hits to contend with.

Good luck

Geoffers

[Mark]

I've had the same thing with a "Randolph Frederick" & "Frederick Randolph" ... if it's a case of one certificate cost versus months of "going up the wrong tree", I know which I'd go for.

Mark

[Ladkyis]

I had this problem with Charles John or John Charles but he had to compound his felony by using a double barrelled surname as well which gave his wife the chance to be GUILFOYLE or SEYMOUR or GUILFOYLE-SEYMOUR or she could use her maiden name which she used as her stage name so is it any wonder I can't find them on any census until 1901! and ... AND he was born in Ireland. However, it is a little comforting to know that I am in good company :)


Ann

[Aragina]

Hi,
Purely from a geographical point of viiew I would go for the Poplar one as Bethnal green is spitting distance in London terms I think a matter of 2 or 3 miles. Both are East london if you want to check out a street map. Good luck.

[lowestoft-lass]

I thought i would write this as an update,
I went for the john frederick in poplar and BINGO its him,

now im left thinking poor sod hes got the wrong name on his grave.

well on with the next person....lol

if it was all trouble free , wouldnt it be boreing?

[Mark]

What's "right" ... what's "wrong" ... he didn't choose his birth certificate name, he didn't give his name on his death certificate. He may (or may not) have given his name to the Registrar on his children's birth certificates. 100 odd years ago, he probably didn't have a cheque book, credit cards, appear on computerised mailing lists. (Half the population didn't even need to appear on an electoral roll).

So often there is leeway for names not always being exactly what you might expect. (Also depends how well the Registrar understood what was told to him)

Mark