RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Gloucestershire => Topic started by: M_A_A_B on Monday 01 January 07 20:46 GMT (UK)
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I have tracked down my G-Grandmother as VIOLET BESSIE GARDINER b.11/03/1907 in Bristol
I know she married Harold Grimes and they had five daughters. They lived in the Knowle area of Bristol.
Violet died in November 1993.
I have found her birth and death details but cant find her marriage (or any details about her husband!) and I dont know the names of her parents....can anyone give me any ideas of how I can get a bit further back please?
*edit* Also....apparently, she had a brother called Ernie (Ernest I guess!) I dont know anything more about him though
Cheers, Amy
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You really need to try and pin down the names and ages of the children. Is there anybody you can speak to who can remember the family?
Then although it's not an easy job you can search the birth and marriage indexes online at www.ancestry.co.uk but don't search the database, you need to choose the top option and search the images since as recent as these births and marriage might be, they are probably not yet transcribed.
Births after 1912 at least have the mother's maiden name given on the indexes as well as their surname which gives you some help in finding them.
It's probably worth starting your search for the marriage somewhere just before 1927 and working forward until you find her name and then when you have the reference number, check for Harold and if the reference matches, bingo!
Hope this helps a bit.
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Snap, Mary :D
Hi Amy,
You can search BMD indexes here
http://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/rectype/vital/freebmd/bmd.aspx
(choose complete BMD Index ranges & Images 1837-1983)
You have to view each quarter of every year for the marriage so it would be a good starting point to have an idea of when their eldest child was born.
Violet Bessie's birth is on FreeBMD:
Violet Bessie Gardiner
June quarter 1907
Bristol 6a 14
With his reference, you can order her birth cert here:
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
It will give you her father's name and occupation, as well as her mother's maiden name. From there'you'll be able to trace her parents' marriage etc.
Tanja :)
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I thought I'd have just a quick look at the indexes myself and luckily it turned up very quickly.
March qtr 1926
Harold J Grimes married Violet L Gardner
Bristol 6a 176
With the above information you can order the marriage certificate if you wish to online at the address Tanja has given for the GRO.
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How can anybody do anything ... with you two ....... I swear !!
New Years resolution ........ take typing lessons !! ::) ::) ::) ::)
Sorry Amy !! :)
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Hi Annie ! I type with 2 fingers !!!(But I bet Mary uses at least 3 ;D)
Just a guess so far but I can see a birth as follows:
Harold Joseph Grimes
March quarter 1902
Bristol 6a 91
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One and a half aksherly!!
Happy New Year Tanja :D :D :D
Too many Grimes in Bristol in 1901 to even consider guessing without a certificate.
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Happy New Year Mary :D :D :D
(Sorry Amy ;))
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And Amy too :D :D :D Hope you had a good one
Mary
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I thought I'd have just a quick look at the indexes myself and luckily it turned up very quickly.
March qtr 1926
Harold J Grimes married Violet L Gardner
Bristol 6a 176
With the above information you can order the marriage certificate if you wish to online at the address Tanja has given for the GRO.
Would that be the right one though? As the middle initial for Violet is different and the spelling of her name is different....
the Harold J ties in with the birth refernce mentioned earlier but I'm not very sure that Harold was born in 1902....I'll have to go and have a look at his grave stone to confirm his age when he died (it does say it on there apparently!).
I know the names and rough ages of the children....
Thanks for all the help and advice!
Happy new year everyone :) ;) :D ;D
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You might be right and I have got the wrong entry, it just seemed very coincidental that the two names (at least the firstname and last name) were there, right place - Bristol, and more importantly the same quarter.
We never depend on a correct spelling for a surname, it often depends on the literacy or otherwise of either the person giving the details, the person writing the details or even the typist who correlated the indexes. The same would go for the middle initial. I did wonder whether I had mistaken the L when it should have been maybe an 'E' and the Bessie had been shortened from Elizabeth, but it is clearly an L.
You now have a few choices,
To check the Parish Registers for the area and see what names have actually been signed by the couple
To order the certificate and stipulate that the name is actually correct
The third option is probably where I would start if I were you, and that is to continue forward searching for another Harold Grimes - fewer of them and less chance of mis-spelling, however don't forget to check Grime without an s also - and for any that you find then check for Violet in the same quarter and see if you can find an alternative couple who fit better, at least if you have some details for the children maybe these will help narrow down the dates for you.
Mary