Anyone else into seeking their ancestors?

[darksideofthemoon]

I have become adicted to Ancestry.com and am lucky enough that one side of my family can be researched way back into the dim times.

The other side has hit a brick wall and I have to wait until someone else in the world may have more information.

How is everyone else going?

[clair.de.lune]

I see a lot of: Fathers name U

What does it mean?

[flashie*]

It means unknown.

[clair.de.lune]

Oh... lol

thanks flashie

[izabsmiling]

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LIN/civilreg.html

Birth Certificates: During the early years of registration many births were not registered because it was not compulsory and there was no penalty for failure to comply. This was especially true for children of illegitimate birth. In 1875, it became compulsory. There was a six week (42 days) time limit in which to register a birth. After six weeks and up to six months the birth could be registered on payment of a fine. After that time, with very few exceptions, a birth could not be registered. It was fairly common for parents to adjust the birth date to within 42 days. Also, as part of the 1875 changes, a mother, when reporting an illegitimate birth, could not name the father; he had to be present and consent to his name being entered.

Guy Etchells also adds this concerning illegitamate children:

Prior to 1834 a woman would be "examined" to determine who the father of her child was in order to alleviate the parish of its responsibilities to care for the child. During this examination the woman would be expected to name the father of the child. After 1834 the mother was expected to provide for her child until he/she was 16.

There was no shame in illegitimacy (as long as the child was not a drain on the parish). Until the end of the 17th century, illegitimacy was simply viewed as part of life.

From 1837 to circa 1850 there was some confusion as to whether an unmarried father could register the birth of his child, some registrars allowed it others would not. This situation was clarified by 1850 by which time no unmarried father could register the birth of his child. The 1875 Registration Act changed the situation again by allowing the unmarried father's name to be added to the registration if both were present and signed as informants.

[flashie*]

When tracing births it is a good suggestion to see the bishops transcripts where possible.

People may fib when registering their children.................but were unlikely to fib to the priest.

Some parish record/bishops transcript have an illegitimate child's fathers name in the column somewhere........there would not have been much that went on that the parish priest was not aware of.....(not as many as I would like though)

[clair.de.lune]

It drives me crackers when I can't find a birth record

In some cases I can't find a birth OR death record. Yet from Trove I know that a person existsted or from my fathers cousin in Perth I have a death certificate printed out but I still can't find the record on ancestry? Grrr

[flashie*]

A mistranscription maybe Clair.

Have you tried searching either of these ways.

Say you are looking for John Smith.....and his parents are Michael and Mary.....born in Melbourne.

You put the surname Smith in the search thingie...........(no christian name)

And then you put the mothers name and fathers name in their search thingie are (very correct technical terms)

Try this for both birth and death............I have found a few that way.

Or.............

Put John in the christian name search thingie..........and Sm**h in the surname search thingie (not sure if you can use 2 *'s)..............this should give you and surnames that will be similar to Smith.

Or ..........

Try putting in the  birth date..........year...........place of birth (if you know it).......and go through them....this is the slowest way.................if you know the christian name that can lower how many you go through.

Or............

Try reversing the christian name...................John Joseph Smith may actually be Joseph John Smith.

[clair.de.lune]

Hi flashie I haven't tried your second or third options (which I will do soon) I've done the first & fourth and shuffled names/spellings around sometimes I get lucky but there's a couple of people I can't find blimmin' anything on

One I discovered existed through a funeral notice on Trove. I knew there was a James but I thought he died at birth but turns out they had another James. Still can't find the birth record on him but I have the death record.

[clair.de.lune]

Thanks for those tips flashie I still haven't found anything but it certainly gives me new ways to search

[2chappies]

Great tips for searching flashie, thank you.