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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: moore-canada on Tuesday 18 August 20 21:06 BST (UK)
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Hi There
I am looking for information on Skerratt families living in and around Llangelli Wales (1800-1880). Apparently my Great Grandfather Thomas (son of Oliver and Sarah) hailed from his area. I have no idea on how to go about tracing this. The information is coming from a letter written in 1943 by Thomas's son, Oliver Thomas Skerratt who was born in Audley England in 1875. Supposedly Thomas' father Oliver was an officer in the British forces stationed in Gibraltar. Until this letter was unearth I have been working under the assumption that Oliver Skerratt (the father) was from the Staffordshire England area.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
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This is Oliver's baptism in 1875
First name(s) Oliver Tom
Last name Skerratt
Baptism year 1875
Baptism date 16 May 1875
Baptism place Audley, St James the Great
Denomination Anglican
Father's first name(s) Thomas
Mother's first name(s) Hannah
County Staffordshire
Country England
Archive reference D6149/1/1
Page 76
Register type -
Record set Staffordshire Baptisms
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In the 1881 census Oliver is with his grandparents living at Audley, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire
Thomas born 1833 at Butterton, Staffs, occupation Blacksmith
Mary born 1831 at Betley, Staffs.
Registration district Newcastle under Lyme
Archive reference RG11
Piece number 2702
Folio 5
Page 3
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This appears to be Oliver's birth record from the GRO
SKERRATT, OLIVER TOM SKERRATT
GRO Reference: 1875 J Quarter in NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME Volume 06B Page 80
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This looks like the marriage for Oliver's parents
Marriages Jun 1874
SKERRATT Hannah W. Bromwich 6b 962
SKERRATT Thomas W. Bromwich 6b 962
Are we looking at cousins marrying or not?
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There is another son for this couple on the GRO records
SKERRATT, GEORGE WILLIAM SKERRATT
GRO Reference: 1877 M Quarter in NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME Volume 06B Page 87
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Have a look at this link
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVF7-TBC
It is the 1881 census for Canada. Thomas's occupation is blacksmith.
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Hi Girl Guide
I know about Oliver Tom born in 1875 in Audley, it is his father Thomas that was apparently born in Llangelli, Wales. On Thomas's death certificate in 1930 Toronto Canada it list his parents as Oliver Skerratt and Sarah Thomas. According to family information Thomas was born in 1855 or 1856 but I don't know how to find out where he was born, I only have the information that Oliver Tom put in a 1943 letter about his dad being from Wales.
Any ideas???
Thanks
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Hi Girl Guide
I should add that you are correct Thomas Skerratt married Hannah Skerratt and they are Oliver Tom's parents. Hannah's parents were Thomas Skerratt and Mary Brassington. My big problem is I am dealing with 2 Skerratt families. I am trying to figure out if there is any validity to the claim that Thomas Skerratt, son of Oliver Skerratt and Sarah Thomas and the father of Oliver Tom came from Wales.
Thanks
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I've found the family in the 1861 census living at Farm Yard, Pads Lane, Broxton, Great Boughton, Cheshire
Oliver born 1828, occ. gardener, birth place Swinnerton, Staffordshire
Sarah born 1822, birth place Merford? Flintshire which is in Wales
Children are William born 1851, Mary 1854 and Thomas 1856.
Thomas's place of birth is given as Trentham, Staffordshire
This is his birth record from the GRO
SKERRATT, THOMAS THOMAS
GRO Reference: 1855 D Quarter in LEEK Volume 06B Page 184
Parents marriage record from free bmd
Marriages Dec 1849
Skerrett Oliver St Giles 1 70
Thomas Sarah St Giles 1 70
I'll see what I can find for Oliver re christening.
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Hmm, the 1851 census is giving slightly different details. Living at Robert Cottage, 2, East Moulsey, Kingston, Surrey
Oliver Skerratt born 1825 at Whitmore, Staffs, occ gardener
Sarah born 1821 at Marford, Cheshire
William born 1850 also Marford, Cheshire
Registration district Kingston
Archive reference HO107
Piece number 1604
Folio 170
Page 37
There is a baptism for an Oliver on 19 April 1829 at Whitmore, St Mary & All Saints, Staffordshire
Parents are William and Hannah
So far no suggestion that any of the Skerratt family are from Wales.
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Hhmm, birthplaces are possibly not accurate. This looks to be William's birth registration from the GRO
SKERRETT, WILLIAM THOMAS
GRO Reference: 1850 J Quarter in WREXHAM Volume 27 Page 281
Wrexham is in the county of Denbighshire which is Wales
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Hi Girl Guide (as in Be Perpared???)
I am thinking this William Thomas is not mine as it is spelled ett not att and 1850 would be too old for my Thomas. I have his DoB as Oct 1856 but know that sometimes years can be wrong. I have always thought that Hannah Skerratt and Thomas Skerratt were cousins but when I got a copy of this 1943 letter it caused me to rethink. Is there any way to trace a census by location?
Thanks!
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If you have an actual address e.g. 123 Long Way Road, York, you can click on the address button on whatever census you wish to search. Enter the name of the road and the place and county if you wish and then see what appears.
If you get stuck do ask and Rootschatters will happily help you, myself included :D
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Thanks for the information, unfortunately, all I have is Llangelli and "Thomas's father was an officer with the British forces stationed at Gibraltar and that while testing a breech-loader suffered fatal injuries by the breech block blowing out and striking him in the thigh." I know from Thomas's death certificate that his father's name was Oliver which makes sense as the 1st child (and the author of the 1943 letter) was called Oliver Tom.
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What exactly does the letter say that has Llangelli in it? Is it quite clearly Llangelli or could it be Llanelli/Llanelly?
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The other thing you could do is start a topic on the Wales board, the bit that is not specific to a county. Head it with something like:-
Where is Llangelli?
Then say in the body something like Llangelli is mentioned in a letter I have but I am finding it difficult to locate it.
Does anyone know exactly where it is, which county is it in, name of nearest large town?
You could link your Skerratt thread to it if you wish or leave it as it is.
Hope you can follow what I am suggesting :D
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Thanks for your suggestions. As to your question about Llangelli. This is what the letter says "My father was born in Wales and somewhere near a town, the name of which I cannot spell - it is pronounced Langelly" I am aware that many Welsh words have a double L and saw the post with the spelling Llangelli so I though that would be a good place to start.
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These Welsh place names can be misheard. I wonder if it was Llangenny which is in the Crickhowell registration district?
Something to consider.
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Hi There
So is there a way to find out if there were any Skerratts in LLangenny 1850-1870. I posted to the Wales board and the only thing I have heard is possible South Wales but nothing indicating some where definite. Perhaps Oliver Tom heard it incorrectly as you have suggested.
Thanks
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I think this is one where you may have to resign yourself to not being able to solve. :-[
The research I did on the family didn't suggest any of them came from Wales.
It's possible that Oliver got muddled up as he would have been nearly 70 when he wrote the letter in 1943. Perhaps he heard the welsh place but it was in connection with someone else and not his father. What he actually heard is now lost in the mists of time.
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Thank you so much for all the effort you have put into looking into all my questions! I really do appreciate all the information you provided!
Sue