Whole family dissapear

[Ashleigh_]

It wasn't a case of spoiling my fun. Alma. I was just trying to give Ashleigh a bit of practice in checking for stuff in the Historical births and then on FreeBMD in an attempt to find Violet in 1939.

Pam

Thank you so much to all of you. It was really starting to bug me about what happened. I did see a death record for a John Hands who died age 24 but I put it to one side as it’s such a young age but it seems it was the correct record.

I will still use Historical births and FreeBMD to search for Violet’s wedding and to get my head around those systems. At least I will know when I have found the correct one.

Thanks again all 😊

[Ashleigh_]

When giving census information, you also need to give at least the place people were living in, and ideally, the census reference. This makes it much easier for anyone to help you.
So in 1911 the family were living in Wickham, Durham, and the reference is RG14PN30496 SN167. (Thankfully, in view of the length of the complete reference for 1911 you only need the RG, PN, and the last SN numbers.)

Then you need to find out the actual years of birth of the people you name. Ages in censuses can be out by a minimum of a year, sometimes much more.
For births prior to 1912 always use the Historical Indexes at https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/ because the earlier GRO Index didn't include the mother's maiden name.
That's the same address you use for ordering BMD certificates, and for the entries in the Historical Indexes there's automatic links. Births in that Index go up to 1918/1919, and for later ones use https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

I started with Joseph Hands, who's 10 in the 1911 census. Mother's maiden name Briggs, index says birth registered June quarter 1900, Gateshead registration district. You have forty-two days in which to register a birth which means he was born anytime between about 14 February and 30 June. FreeBMD can also be useful in confirming you have the correct person because if you click on the registration district in a record it gives a link to all the places in that district.
That enabled to look in the 1939 Register for Joseph Hands, born 1900. There's one whose birthdate fits, and the place he's living, Ryton, is in Gateshead registration district, meaning that he didn't move very far from where he was living in 1911.
This would indicate to me that the family probably also stayed 'local' to the area.

Will delve a little more.

Pam

Hi Pam,

How do I navigate to the Historical Index following the link you sent?

[Pam Downes]

Thank you so much to all of you. It was really starting to bug me about what happened. I did see a death record for a John Hands who died age 24 but I put it to one side as it’s such a young age but it seems it was the correct record.

I will still use Historical births and FreeBMD to search for Violet’s wedding and to get my head around those systems. At least I will know when I have found the correct one.

Thanks again all 😊

Good for you. The more you use those (and in fact any) sites, the better you will become at finding records.

A few things to remember.
I've already said about forty-two days to register a birth so someone could be born in the previous quarter to the registration. Birthdate and date of birth registration are very rarely the same date.

Although the name of the registration district is often the same as in the main town in the district the name should never be quoted as the place of birth. Always say '[I]xyz/I] registration district' unless you have a copy of the birth certificate which will give the address.

Similarly, unless you have the birth certificate, always say 'birth registered abc quarter 19-whatever', not (for example) he was born June 1919. The birth certificate might say he was born on 18 March 1919.

Always record where you found your information, so it's easy to go back to that site and find it again. You don't necessarily have to repeat it for every entry - a note at the top of the page to cover all the entries will suffice. Though you could always add (GRO) or (FBMD)if you wish.

Pam

[Pam Downes]

Hi Pam,

How do I navigate to the Historical Index following the link you sent?

I've just clicked on the link, and that took me to a page which said 'log in', and if you've not previously registered then you click 'register as an individual'. You only need do that once, and then you're taken to a page which asks you to select either births or deaths.

If you get a page which gives some bumpf about using the site for personal research etc, then read, tick the boxes, and you should then get the log in page.

Don't worry too much about entering a registration district or a quarter, or a mother's maiden name. It's good to omit those to start with because it makes you look for the information we've given you for the correct entry.

Pam