When finding someone seems impossible did you carry on?

[toni*]

Hi,

I dont know if you uses these sites:
FreeCen and familyrelatives.com
Freecen is free and familyrelatives costs £37. per year, i subscribe to this and they are beta testing the census at the moment but other than that they offer:

PARISH RECORDS (Phillimore Marriages)
 Parish Record Index
 Berkshire (2 vols)
 Buckinghamshire (9 vols)
 Cambridgeshire (9 vols)
 Cornwall (26 Volumes)
 Cumberland (2 vols)
 Derbyshire (15 Vols)
 Devon (2 Vols)
 Dorset (7 Vols)
 Essex (4 vols)
 Gloucestershire (17 Vols)
 Hampshire (16 vols)
 Huntingdonshire (1 vol)
 Kent (2 vols)
 Leicestershire (12 vols)
 Lincolnshire (11 vols)
 London
 Middlesex (9 vols)
 Norfolk (12 vols)
 Northamptonshire (2 vols)
 Nottinghamshire (22 vols)
 Oxfordshire (2 vols)
 Somersetshire (15 vols)
 Suffolk (4 vols)
 Warwickshire (3 vols)
 Wiltshire (14 vols)
 Worcestershire (2 vols)
 Yorkshire (4 vols)
 
The full BMD index to 2005
1866-1920 & 1984-2005 are searchable like FreeBMD the other years are like ancestry but the full index is there.

Census transcripts (still in Beta test but will be available soon) and you can also search this by 'Borwse Counties'

Military Records WW1 (Deaths), Army (1913-1921) Royal Navy (do.) & soldiers who died in the Great War (1914-1918)

Military Records WW2 (Deaths) Army (1935-1950) Navy (do.) RAF (do.)

WW1 National Role : The National Roll of the Great War is a unique series of 14 volumes. The volumes were published by the National Publishing Company and are extremely rare. Each regional volume contains a brief biography of men and women who largely survived the Great War.

Overseas Records 1761 - 1981



i was looking for my great grandfather for ages he has a very common name and he leftthe family when my nan was 8ish anyway i eventually found someone on Genes who had his sister in her tree. which was very lucky, as my great grandfather had 7 siblings but i only knew of 2 and one of these 2 was the sister.

Don't give up someone who knows something will just pop up!

[Floss]

I've been trying to find details of my g grandfather for about 7 years.  I could find details from his marriage in 1871 up until his death 1895 but I couldn't find anything prior to that.  Every few months or so I'd start looking again.  Finally a couple of months ago I was able to find him on the 1851 census living with his mother and grandmother, I now believe he was illegitimate.
The point is, don't give up, maybe give it a break for a while then start looking again and you never know what you might find   

Fiona

[LizzieW]

Toni

I have just subscribed to Familyrelatives.com and am very disappointed.  I joined primarily because of the WWI deaths and the WWI national role.  Although I have full details of my 2 g.uncles, one who died and one who survived WWI, neither is listed.  I sent them an e-mail to ask if their records are complete and haven't even had a reply.  Also I tried to look at a census record and is was totally illegible.

I should have stuck with Ancestry and Findmypast. 

Liz

[toni*]

Toni

I have just subscribed to Familyrelatives.com and am very disappointed.  I joined primarily because of the WWI deaths and the WWI national role.  Although I have full details of my 2 g.uncles, one who died and one who survived WWI, neither is listed.  I sent them an e-mail to ask if their records are complete and haven't even had a reply.  Also I tried to look at a census record and is was totally illegible.

I should have stuck with Ancestry and Findmypast. 

Liz

oh dear

i find them very useful esp. for the parish records marriages, i know these are not complete but it does list what counties are on there.

and also the BMD look ups are quicker - for me.

the census are still in beta test and will be available fully soon - i know you can browse the counties now.

perhaps you can contact them again and ask for your money back then as it was not what it appeared to be. (or stop the money going from your account)

[LizzieW]

Toni

Must have given too much info, I've just searched again with surname only and lo and behold, found the g.uncle who was killed.  Now to find the one who survived.

Liz

[toni*]

Toni

Must have given too much info, I've just searched again with surname only and lo and behold, found the g.uncle who was killed.  Now to find the one who survived.

Liz

good

it took me a while to get used to it,

i must admit on the military records it doesnt say deaths, but that is all they list.

[LizzieW]

It was actually the WWI national roll I was interested in.  (Sorry I spelt it wrong previously).  Their website states:

"The National Roll of the Great War is a unique series of 14 volumes. The volumes were published by the National Publishing Company and are extremely rare. Each regional volume contains a brief biography of men and women who largely survived the Great War.

The volumes are a valuable resource in finding out about individuals who served in the First World War and help to give a sense of who each individual was".

I was probably very optimistic to think that any relative of mine would be listed, although many of those who are, were Privates etc. so not just the officers.

Liz

[bluewhoopi]

Just wondering if you've had a difficult person to trace and did you find him or her?

Hi Jillynetter - to reiterate many others: Don't ever give up!
My mystery woman is the first wife of my great grandfather
She was Margaret Sarah Close, born in Rotherhithe, Surrey in 1837 (but not entered in the Register!). I've found her on the 1841 and 1851 censuses, living with her family in Rotherhithe.
Then in 1854 she married my great grandfather Francis Atkinson at St Paul's Church, Shadwell. Francis was 22 and Margaret Sarah was 17 years old. After the marriage she seemingly drops off the edge of the world!

In 1877 Francis Atkinson married my ggm Mary Ann Nunney at St Dunstan's Church, Stepney. The marriage certificate tells me that he was a widower aged 44 and Mary Ann was a spinster aged 33.
Now, Francis and Mary Ann had a child, Charlotte Annie Atkinson born in 1871- that is, 6 years before her parents' marriage - eeek! A son, Francis Philip Atkinson was born in 1874.
When she registered the births Mary Ann Nunney described herself as the wife of Francis - this was a porkie-pie methinks......

So to return to my mystery woman. It appears obvious that the reason Francis did not marry Mary Ann before 1877 was that he could not because his wife was still living. But where on earth was she???
I can only think that poor Margaret Sarah Close became incapacitated, either physically or (more likely) mentally, and was 'put away' somewhere.
Given that Francis remarried in 1877 Margaret Sarah must have died around this time. But I cannot find a death cert for her. Nor can I find her in any census after 1851. If anyone can come up with any suggestions as to where I might look I'd be very grateful - although I seem to have looked everywhere.
So that is my tale of woe - sorry to have wittered on - but I will find her one day I just know I will. I've only been looking for ten years so.......
As others have said, I turn my attentions to other names and places when I think the mystery of Margaret Sarah will drive me barmy - but I always come back to her. The daft thing is she's just a step-ancestor but even so I should like to know what happened to her.
Oh - one final thing just to add to the mystery: I have a copy of an old family document - it's an early passport dated 1853 and shows that Francis Atkinson was working as a carpenter in Brussels. Perhaps he came home the following year to marry and then perhaps they both returned to Brussels and maybe Margaret Sarah died there - but that would not explain why he did not marry my ggm until 1877, would it?
Aaaagh - it's driving me batty! Pat.

[jillynetter]

Blimey you all I'm only new to searching really, only for 2 1/2 years.

I feel so much better not because you're all struggling with someone but because I'm not the only one who is finding someone hard to find and it's normal, no-one else I know is doing their family tree.

I feel a bit selfish too for moaning so thanks you all for being so friendly. I've enjoyed reading what you've been busy with and I find it all very interesting with the twists and turns of peoples' lives.

Pat no wonder you feel like yours is driving you batty there's loads of twists and turns there Very interesting though.

I'll look forward to hearing you're all getting on and will look on other areas of the board for general chat about it.