Before General Registration

[Jenko]

Hello everyone, I'm tracing my fathers family tree (surname BISHOP) and have got back to about 1800. I understand that prior to this I should be looking in parish registers and that it's not always easy to cross check results obtained. My question is how do I know that the results I'm finding are relevant to my faimly tree? For example I've found 3 different records of baptism for a THOMAS BISHOP all within about 15 years and any one could be 'my' Thomas Bishop. Another example is trying to trace the marriage of Thomas, the only record I can find is recorded as being in the parish of Rotherhithe St Mary in the borough of Southwark, but to my knowledge the family lived in Ealing, Middlesex. Do I need to visit Ealing to try to crack these problems (but I still wouldn't find enough info to cross check them would I??) and is this a usual problem once you get back before the formalized census, and birth, marriage and death records? Thank you in advance and sorry to be asking such a basic question but I feel as if I'm getting nowhere at the moment! Jenko.

[Megan Roberts]

Unfortunately you have summarised very well the problem with common names. Its a question of trying to find common information and hoping to match it all up. For instance you might find a family where all the children adopt the mother's maiden name as their middle name; or where a baptism record tells you the father's occupation, or the name of a farm.

If your ancestors are from Ealing, then I doubt that the record that you have find in Rotherhithe is anything to do with your family, as it is in south east London and Ealing is West/North.

The West Middlesex FHS has a page setting out where parish records can be found:

https://www.
west-middlesex-fhs.org.uk/content/links_church.aspx

Megan

PS don't just rely on transcripts of parish registers. Always have a look at the original, as sometimes these have additional information that does not appear on the transcript.

[MythicalMarian]

Everything Megan says and more. Parish Registers can be your friend, but you do have to put in a heavy level of commitment. For an unusual surname - or one that is unusual in the locality, say - it can be easier than you think to trace a family, especially if there are wills too - although I do appreciate that this may not be the case. I'm in the same boat at the moment, tracing Hudson and Hodgson in Lancaster, Caton and Liverpool. Unhelpfully, my Hudson ancestor married a Hodgson! Both names spill out of these localities like dust. I'm a bit more fortunate in that both families were relatively wealthy and left some wills, but even so, with some of them, in order to prove the correct connections I've had to resort to tracing the families of their business connections as well as their own to find things like common witnesses to marriages, common executors to wills, etc.

But as Megan says, ALWAYS spend time in the microfilmed register, or its original if it is still available in a record office. And if you do find a possible baptism, make sure to search the burials for that parish too, to make sure the child did not die. So many people still forget to do this. With the era you are talking about (1800) you should at least find people on the 1841 and 1851 censuses, which may help with identity.

Good luck, Jenko. A whole new set of research skills and disciplines are needed for parish registers, but if you are assiduous, you should get returns.

[Peter Goodey]

If you tell us the earliest proven ancestral event (presumably involving this Thomas Bishop), we'll talk you through the next steps by example.

How's about that then?*

*Did you spot what I did then?

[cicilysmith]

There is a small book by Andrew Todd called Nuts and Bolts Family History Problem Solving through Family Reconstitution Techniques which I have found very useful and regularly re read, cicilysmith

[CanadianCousin]

There is a small book by Andrew Todd called Nuts and Bolts Family History Problem Solving through Family Reconstitution Techniques which I have found very useful and regularly re read, cicilysmith

Which I see is available here.

[Jenko]

Thank you Megan. I was thinking of checking out the local FHS so this might be my next step as well as trip to the local records office.

[Jenko]

Thanks for this, I'm sure you're right about checking death records too, as one child in particular seems to have dropped off the records.

[Jenko]

Thanks ciclysmith, I've just ordered this, what a good tip!

[Jenko]

Hello Peter, I have a copy of the baptism record for one Henry Bishop, son of Thomas & Julianna Bishop, dated 3rd December 1815. The baptism took place in Ealing, Middlesex. When I visited the Ealing records office I found baptisms for 2 other children Ann (born 1819) and Thomas (born 1822). There was another child, Diana (born 1812) but I think she may have died quite soon after birth so I'll check the death records for this one. I've had a look on the 1841 & 1851 census records for Thomas but although there's info on there I don't think it relates to the right person/family as they aren't living in Ealing. However, just to add to the confusion if I look for Julianna Bishop on the census I find no record at all for 1841 but in 1851 someone with that name, with no husband, living in Marylebone with her daughter called Ann. On the 1861 census Julianna is still living with her daughter Ann but this time in West Drayton. Confused or what! Any guidance you can give gratefully received as I really would like to find out a little more.