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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: sirius on Sunday 24 December 06 16:52 GMT (UK)
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Hi
Only a baby, I have been looking for Peter Callison a Mariner for 3 years who has had the longest
search found or not.
Sirius
:D :D :D :D :D :D
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HaHa what a cruel reminder at Christmas time ;D
But about 5 years for a certain James Webb, general skallywag so it seems and probably in the workhouse somewhere or other in London or masquerading as someone else completely in mid-Victorian London. A few possibilies, but however much I try no positive identification. Have gone up several dark and long blind alleys - including a very bizarre and on reflection desperate search in Australia - to track him down based on the slimmest and erroneous lead. Arggh!
Still searching though .... when I have the energy :D
Good luck with yours.
Happy Holidays!
Biker
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Again like Biker, around 5 yrs for the baptism of George Winter circa 1823 in Greenwich...or is that Stelling in Kent maybe :-\ ::) :-\....what a name GGGRRRRR... But I will track him down ;)
hey Biker, George lived in Rotherhithe for quite some time so he's probably skulking around one of those alley's with James webb :D
Merry Christmas
Debbie :)
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I can beat that! Started my search on my Dad's 80th birthday in 1986. Still not found a positive birth for the elusive Francis Sill c 1785/90ish. He fathered an illegitimate child in Durham in 1804 so of "a certain age" by then! Possibles but no proof. The annoying thing is that my Dad will presumably have met up with him by now so could tell me!!
Andrea
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Beat this :D................Sixty Three an' a bit :P :P :P :P :P :P
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40 50* years on and off for a great grandfather. I was told about this mysterious person when I was quite young. The stories and speculations about him used to come out when the family were gathered at this time of the year. I will never find him.
Otherwise, like the others, about 5 years for 3 different ancestors. A 4th cousin and I have spent 4 years together looking for Edward Stokes (b.c. 1775) baptism and his wife Catherine Jones' s death.
Another mysterious 3 x great grandfather is a John Roberts from somewhere in Merionethshire :-\ :-\ :-\
Gadget
* I'm taking 10 years off my life :D
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The true identity of the mother of Edward Bates aka Edward Luetchford, and what happened to her.
Edward Luetchford was shown in the 1871 census as a son to my great great grandparents Thomas and Harriet Luetchford. 10 years previously he was shown as Edward Bates, and listed as their nephew. Edward was born at Princes Road Workshouse, Lambeth in 1858 to a "Mary Ann Lutchford".
The exact identity of which Mary Ann Lutchford or Luetchford was Edward's mother is unclear, because there are about three candidates. Logic says it is the eldest daughter of Thomas and Harriett Luetchford, but we can't prove it. We being assorted Luetchford descendants - some of whom have been seeking this holy grail for about 10 years or more.
JULIAN
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I've only been into my family history for about nearly 3 years now so not very long compared to some!
However I think my old friend Helena Lorraine Lovekin Stamford Smith could be one I will search for, for a very long time ::) ::) ::)
Kerry
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:) 15 years!!
I've been looking for some record of my grandfather Thomas Ford/e, who was allegedly born in Roscommon, Ireland in 1873.
I have come to the conclusion that he re-invented himself a few times because I haven't found a single thing.
He was 'allegedly' in the Coldstream Guards, but all paths have been gone down, without success. Even the marriage can't be found of him and my grandmother, so I think they lived in sin.
On my uncle's birth certificate, who was born in Glasgow, their marriage is down on the cert as London 1919 - No such marriage.
Believe me, whatever search I could have done, has been done. I have his death certificate, my mam's birth, and my uncle's birth cert. And that's as far as it goes.
I think my uncle knows something, because apparently his army medals have disappeared. That's another thing, there's no match with army records.
I won't give up, I'll wait until the next census is available, you never know, something might turn up.
:-\
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21 Years.
I began my family tree when a cousin sent my mother her side of her family tree as part of a school assignment, only going back a couple of generations, mostly living.
That started me on mine in 1985. I have been searching for my paternal Great Grandmother, Ellen Lascelles, since then. To test later generations, (she didn't want her past discovered) she had changed her name, no marriage so no certificate. To make it more difficult her "husband" changed his name also. But she left lots of clues and putting them all together and with a little help ...............
Success ............. just recently (5th Nov 2006) after joining RootsChat and with the help of my new very best friend Dave Francis we found her. ;D ;D ;D
WOOO HOOOO!!!!!!! Thanks Dave.
Cheers, Kevin
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I suppose I have been at this for about 7 years, seriously hunting after my brother persuaded me to get a PC about 5 yeas ago (what do i want one of those for? I remember saying!!!)
Biggest challenge was my g g grandmother Caroline Berenger Cooper, (Prue M will vouch for this) we couldn't find her anywhere, then the name Biggs came up on the death cert of her youngest daughter as mother maiden name Biggs (we thought it was an error) but lo and behold there she was Caroline Berenger Biggs... she was illegitimate and tok her stepfathers name of Cooper later.
There are still loads like my ggg grandparents who i think will always prove elusive
Cal 8)
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At the age of three, my unmarried mother gave me to another couple saying she hoped to come back for me sometime. She never did. This was 1937.I stayed with my foster parents untill I married in 1957. I loved my foster parents dearly and never asked them any questions about my real parents.
When all the celebrations were going on for the new Millenium, (2000), I contacted my birth mother and asked her who my father was.She was very nervous but very honest and full of apologies for what she had done. I was very surprised when I was told. Three years later (2003), My son-in-law got me interested in the family tree. From this I found out my real father had died in 1961,and on making further enquiries, found his grave 1˝miles from my house.It was a very emotional moment. He is buried in the same grave as his parents,my Grandparents I have also found out that he never married. My birth mother died in 2005 aged 90 years. DEEGEE.
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I have been searching for my ggg grandfather, William Davis, for almost 15 years now. I have him from 1874 to 1900. He just doesn't want to be found. But I will keep digging.
Kath
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5 years for great uncle Charles.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,199907.msg1002928.html#msg1002928
meles
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Since 6th June, 2002 when I got the marriage certificate for Catherine Parle and Francis Louis Longford, my grandmother's first husband, who I have never found a death for. She can't really be a bigamist ... can she?
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,34662.0.html
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I've got two bigamists in my tree (or maybe they just forgot they were already married... :-\
meles
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She actually put down that she was a widow, just can't find the evidence to prove it :-\
Mary
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So did mine, but hubby was alive and well! She just moved towns and remarried later.
meles
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I think mine would have been risking it a bit - she married only a couple of miles away.
I suspected he returned to Ireland, but there's no death there either, one of my priorities when I took a trip over there was to check the registers there.
He's either under the patio or .......... ;D ;D
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I searched or my great grandfather's arrival in Australia for 8 years - after an Aunt had searched for a number of years. Finally found that his father came out alone in 1856 and his mother arrived with him and his older brother 2 years later. Within 3 years she returned to England taking my great grandfather back with her. The older son had drowned a year earlier.
Am still searching 2 years later for my great grandfather's return to Australia! .....dee
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About 4 years for information on my half great uncle, who was bit of a mystery and slowly but surely the mystery is unravelling, and 4 years on my grt-grandmother's father, but as she is illegitimate its quite tricky!!
acceber
p.s glad to see the xmas smileys are still here! ;D
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HIYA ALL
mines 8 years :'( my gg grandmother mary ann johnson(bn 1875 feckenham) married gg frederick day bn 1872 birmmingham
in 1897 g grandad frederick thomas was born in 1898
in the 1901 census frederick is living as a boarder ,but listed as married (he died betwwen 1901 and 1921)
frederick thomas was living with an auntie in the 1901 census
,he was raised by 2 aunties .
mary dosent apear on the 1901 census and i carnt find a death cert for her its so frustrating ::)
roll on the 1911 census
YOU CARNT HIDE FOREVER MARY :o
GIG
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Over 30 years for a ggg grandmother.
Still haven't found so I guess I haven't looked long enough.
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Over 40 years ago, I went with my dad to Somerset House to find his Grandad.
My dad has been dead these past 15 years. No word back to me yet.
So Robert Norris b abt 1868/9 in Kilburn with no reg district.
About time you came forward.
Lesanne.
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I figure there has to be a real good reason for my missing relatives to stay hidden or missing in action. Why would you want to simply disappear?
But one of these days they will appear ... or so the optimistic side of me thinks.
yn9man
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I figure there has to be a real good reason for my missing relatives to stay hidden or missing in action. Why would you want to simply disappear?
But one of these days they will appear ... or so the optimistic side of me thinks.
yn9man
And yn9mn, that is what will make them interesting. ;) I have one in particular I am chasing right now, and have been for almost 14 years. >:(
Kath
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Kath -
Once they eventually appear I will want to know not only the "why" but the "what" that caused them to disappear. ;) ;)
As I have said on many occasions before I must be looking in all the wrong places .... ::)
yn9man
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yn9man,
Maybe my guy and yours are hiding out together. ;D ;D It doesn't help mine is William Davis. It can't be Mordecai Frumpelmeyer or something...although think of the spelling issues with that one. :D :D :D
Kath
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I'll look for her with William or does he go by Bill ... ;D ;D
My ggg grandmother was a Robertson so not that difficult a name but could be spelled with many variations. :D :D :D
yn9man
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About 5 years (so I have a long way to go to catch you all up) on my GG Grandmother Harriet Barham born Islington, London 1827. But there is nothing in her maiden name, not even a marriage certificate, until she appears married on the 1851 census.
Daisy ::)
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15 years now i have searched for James Markie who was married in 1760 in Northampton, but i cant find where he was born or where he died. and i have a feeling he is not from the county of Northants. so i been trying all spellings
like markey / marke/ mackey/ mackie /
but i really dont have any clues to go on !
except his proffesion as a Chapman (Peddler)
I just call him my Itch ! becasue all i do is scratch my head wondering where he could be. i hope to solve this one in 2007 ! (LOL bet i dont )
Ian Markie
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Have been read posts with interest
I having been looking for Peter Callison and his son Peter Fredrick, have son's marriage in 1842 in Tynemouth cannot find them in 1841 census . Found his wife and children in 1851, wife is a widow when remarried in 1857. Cannot find no death for ether Peter, also a Brother of the younger Peter, John was born in the cape of good hope South Africa around 1818 on the 1851 Census all were mariners.
Its so frustrating!
Sirius
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Hi all: Depending upon how you would reckon the time, I've been looking for my Scottish great-grandfather, Robert Hendry, for either 33 years (when I first saw his death record in the offices of the Massachusetts Department of Vital Records. They used to let you mill about among the shelves where the records were actually stored) or 10 years (when I began searching first at LDS Family History Centers and then online at the ScotsOrigin, now Scotlandspeople website).
If I were to divulge my real name and you were to scour the Internet for traces I've left, you'd only find messages seeking information on Robert Hendry. My first post on Rootschat in August '06 was about him, of course.
I am a shameless beggar. Here's the link if anyone wants to have a go:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,177604.msg852682.html#msg852682
I've found his grave in Massachusetts, and as recently as five years ago, the last I saw it, someone was still putting flowers on it on our Memorial Day (the last Monday on May). He died in 1916, but my great-grandmother lived until 1944. I suppose it was one of the grandchildren, my mother's cousins, who put the flowers there. But that generation is quickly departing for points unknown, so there is a danger that Robert Hendry may be lost to the ages...unless, of course, the nearly 40,000 Rootschatters put their heads together and save him and his forebears (as well as mine) from oblivion.
I must add that there has been compensation. Since coming to Rootschat, I've had the benefit of expanding my Yorkshire roots by three of four lines going back to the mid-1700s in some cases. I used to think that my Italian American father had it wrong when he said that our English family originated in Lancashire, but my research--using info I've gleaned on RC has indeed taken my family to Wigan.
Thanks all for your help. Now get ye hence (or thence) to Scotland and find Robert Hendry!
John :o :o :o :o :o
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John,
Have you contacted the cemetery office to see if they know who is putting the flowers on or if they can watch and give your contact information. Maybe you can find a living relative with some more information. There's also Scotlandspeople, which might provide you with records. I posted my great-grandfather's name on the Scotland board, and within hours a wonderful Rootschater had gotten me his birth record, his family in the 1881 census, and his parents marriage record. It's worth a shot.
Kath
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John -
As Kath wrote you should contact the cemetery office (if you haven't already).
Maybe cemetery staff is placing the flowers there as part of a continuous care or maintenance agreement with the family. If so, the agreement would have contact information on the family.
yn9man
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24 years now for a baptism for John Payton sometime around 1715 - he married in Abingdon in 1740 and is given as 'of East Ilsley' - but there is no sign of Paytons in East Ilsley at this date it is soooo frustrating this is my 'main' line and I have been stuck at the marriage in 1740 all this time, while another line has taken me back to tudor times and before - anyone know any good mediums?
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anyone know any good mediums?
Oh, I wish it were that easy...sometimes. ;)
Kath
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Probably about 20 years for my 3x Gt Grandfather John Burrow.
I know everything about him after he was married.
I know NOTHING about him before his marriage in 1817.
I dont know his parents, his date/place of birth or his siblings, although I do have my suspicions.
BD
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Very interesting thread,and some very good stories.
Hope you find my story of interest.
I had been searching for about 30 years,long before the days of the internet,
(What an invention)
Used to go to the local record office,rain or shine.
Trawling through the old record books, and yes they used to have dust on them,just blew it off,and carried on searching .
Was searching for just one person.
Never found a thing,
now here's the surprise,
turns out this man had changed his name,so the man I was looking for
didn't exist.
Found out eventually his real name,turned into a real sleuth,even found a pub near to an address,and rang and spoke to a lovely helpful barmaid,if she had ever heard of this person.
Cut a long story short,had to laugh at her reply, I only remember customers by what they drink.
But hang on will go across to the local newsagent,and find out if they deliver papers to a man of that name.
True to her word she did,came back to me,with the right name, address and tel number.
Needless to say I found out everything I needed to know.
That was only 2 years ago.
So with a good bit of digging around,I'm sure you will eventually find the answers to your research.
My motto is I WILL FIND YOU ONE DAY.
Bennett
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Bennett -
Great story with a wonderful result. You are fortunate.
yn9man
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The true identity of the mother of Edward Bates aka Edward Luetchford, and what happened to her.
Edward Luetchford was shown in the 1871 census as a son to my great great grandparents Thomas and Harriet Luetchford. 10 years previously he was shown as Edward Bates, and listed as their nephew. Edward was born at Princes Road Workshouse, Lambeth in 1858 to a "Mary Ann Lutchford".
The exact identity of which Mary Ann Lutchford or Luetchford was Edward's mother is unclear, because there are about three candidates. Logic says it is the eldest daughter of Thomas and Harriett Luetchford, but we can't prove it. We being assorted Luetchford descendants - some of whom have been seeking this holy grail for about 10 years or more.
JULIAN
Hi Julian,
Mary Ann Luetchford was my great great grandmother. I can certainly see where the confusion comes from as it seems there were 3 Mary Ann Luetchfords born within a 2 or 3 year period.
Unfortunately I can't help clear the confusion at all, it's information I'm after myself for a narrative of their family tree that I'm writing for my own children.
There is obviously something that grips our imagination about someone going through what was obviously a horrendous ordeal and I've found I've not been able to stop thinking about Mary Ann since learning the bare bones of the story recently. As such as I've posted elsewhere it was wonderful to read from another poster here that Mary Ann went on to marry and have more children in later life.
I hope you won't mind if I PM you in a day or two if there are no replies to this or my post on another thread. I'll be happy to fill you in on the recent lives of the Thomas Edward's children if that would be of interest to you. Unfortunately the name isn't to be passed on from Thomas's line as he had only girls.
Mike
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Hi Mike
According his profile, Julian hasn't been online since August 2014 but should receive a notification that you have posted and hopefully come back soon.
Dawn
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I have bypassed the previous 4 pages and put my stuff here. I am not ignoring the previous posts but want to access a possible new direction. Maybe someone only looks here ???!!!
This query has been in many other places, with much help from the public, but no solution. I will try anew.
James Thomas Cahill marries Sarah Ellen Williams in 1887 in Liverpool England.
A child, Ellen, (Helen) is born November 1888.
The family cannot be found in the 1991 Census, (Unless you are a magician !!!)
This is my Brickwall.
In !901 Census James re-appears as James Cohill with daughter and a wife (but they don't actually get married until 1902). In Liverpool.
Where was the family in 1891 ?
Where had Sarah Ellen Cahill ( nee Williams disappeared to before 1901 ??)
Apologies to all who have been down this track before !!!
I keep looking. I state I am in various places on this Forum. I don't want people chasing things already done.
Alan
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Maybe they just don't appear in that census
My great grandmother isn't in the 1901 census, I've tried every name combination and address I can think of and she got married shortly after.
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I have been trying to go further back with my ggggrandad on my paternal side for about 30 years.
Every census say he was born in Ashford Kent and his age is consistent with an 1809/10 birth.
But he obviously wasn't baptised as I have been unable to take that line any further back.
Carol
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More than 30 years trying to find my paternal grandfather Louis Wallace, silversmith!
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Can't believe it's 8 years ago,when I added to this post.
My word, time flies,I did get there in the end,found who I was looking for.
Also found a half brother,who is brilliant, and looks just like me.(spooky)
Found also all my long lost family from Liverpool,
Rootschat is a brilliant site,so many many helpful people, and so supportive.
:D :D :D :D
Bennett
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10 years looking for Ann Woodman, whose illegitimate son George was baptised in 1785 in Little Sodbury, Gloucestershire, but with nothing to go on but a name, I'm probably not going to find her.
George went on to marry and have at least 2 sons (there's possibly a third, and others), George and James Martin. When George junior marries he gives his name as George Martin Woodman, son of George Martin Woodman. I did wonder if that might have been a clue to the elder George's father, but so far no sign of a marriage between Ann and a Mr Martin.
And about the same length of time looking for James' wife Eliza (nee Mathews). Fathers name left blank on the marriage certificate (James fathers details were also missing for some reason). Birthplace given on the census variously as Purton Wiltshire (possibly Porton, Wilts), Not Known and Wapley and Codrington, Glos. The 1841 census was taken after James and Eliza married, so she's not the one with father Isaac in Purton. I'm probably more likely to track down Eliza than Ann, but they are a struggle.
Thanks for listening!
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Still trying to find out who my grtgrtgranfather was.
There is no named father on the birth cert or the baptism record of my grtgran Annie Green Taylor born Holmfirth West Yorks. 19/05/1867 to Hannah Taylor ( Green was Hannah's late mother's name)
Annie seems to have been a woman of great strength who transcended the many difficulties of her situation and raised so huge family who all did well for themselves.
Also, I suspect that she, via her unknown father, imported what we call the " swarthy gene" into our otherwise typically local fair haired, light skinned family.
Am still looking for our "tall, dark stranger"!!
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I've easily spent 30 years looking for for my gt. granmother - Mary Anne / probably 'Sedgwick' / but could be a 'Blower' / or maybe even a 'Nixon'.
I'll find her one day :)
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Inmates of Workhouse and Jails were not named on census forms
Recorded by initials only.
For those who are trying to find ancestors, try their known initials.
Poor people got jailed for very minor offences, such as stealing a loaf of bread.
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Inmates of Workhouse and Jails were not named on census forms
Recorded by initials only.
For those who are trying to find ancestors, try their known initials.
Some were,it all depended on how many names the governor had to write out and if he actually even KNEW all their names!
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I cant remember how long I have been trying to find out where and what happened to my paternal great grandmother................ feels like a liftime ::)
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I had tried for a long time to find out when, if at all, my Oh's grtgrtgranmother had remarried. Or even if her first husband had in fact died.
No trace of any marriage in London where, going by the censuses, they had lived.
Only by chance after a long wait did I find that she remarried in Dublin- between censuses, as it were.
I deduce that her first husband, a coachman in London, was employed by an Anglo- Irish family and he and his family went to Ireland to work. He died there and she wed another servant in the household before returning to London.
Quite a revelation.
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15 years searching for my Grand Fathers Sister Mary Rae born in Ireland, the family travelled between Scotland & Ireland, got my Grand Fathers birth cert no problem but could find no record of Mary at all, low & behold last week her Baptism appeared on Ancestry-So excited but still can't find a birth for her.
Sometime after 1911 she goes to Canada and I am still searching, she is the bane of my life.
Trish
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I feel like there are a few relatives that I have been looking for ever since I started all this in the 1980's.
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I, too, have had ongoing searches for individuals since I started 6 years ago. However, I've learned never to give up. It appears that, after a question on a marriage recently, someone in Canada has the information I have been searching for all this time - the siblings of the father of this particular bride. And it would appear that I have the information necessary to tell her why she has these details, which have perplexed her family for a couple of generations.
So the moral is, never give up folks...your time will come (thanks to RootsChatters and the bottomless fund of knowledge and information that they have!)
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I spent two years looking for the parents of my 4x great grandfather. I only found them by finding out he was six years old at the time of his baptism.
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Been looking for my missing George Hinchliffe (1835 - ?) for about 8 years since I started doing this fascinating (and frustrating!) ancestry.
Good luck to everyone in tracking down their missing people :)
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20 years
for a missing pair of 5x gt grandparents - I had a long tree for him in my archives, done by a historian & genealogist. He had been not interested in listing his daughters!
The brickwall was broken by online research in the Archives Departmentales in Strasbourg, France.
Good luck to everyone in tracking down their missing people :)
Rudolf