Electoral Rolls Brighton 1950's

[mothermicheal]

Hi
 Very new to this, but hope someone could help.  I am trying to get details of my family they lived at 16 Red Cross Street Brighton. We left there in 1960, and moved North, but my Grandparents lived there before that. He was called Walter James Fowler, I am trying to find out my Grandma's name and any other person that lived in that house in the 1950's. If there is anyone who could help or point me in the right direction I would be over the moon.
Thanking you very much
Linda

[kizmiaz]

Hi Linda, and welcome to Rootschat

The history library in Brighton has all or most of the 20th century Electoral Lists so there should be something in there. I will probably be there on Saturday, so if I remember I'll have a look for you.

Just for your info, there isn't a great deal left of Red Cross Street any more. Most of it is now underneath a car park for the City College, and all that remains is the first couple of buildings on either side at the Trafalgar Street end

(Another source for your grandma's name would be a birth certificate for your parent. If you haven't already got one, you can do a search for the relevant details at www.ancestry.co.uk (its free to look) and order a copy. They cost £7 each)

Glen

[sillgen]

Hi Linda
There is a death registered in Brighton on FreeBMD for a Walter James Fowler in May 1989  Ref Brighton Vol 18 p 64.     If this is the one it gives his date of birth as 8 July 1913.   Does that sound about the right time frame?     Did you go to his funeral for instance?
Glen is right that certificates may be the best way at the moment.  Although it will cost a bit it will give you proven facts to work with.    Your parents' marriage certificate will give his name and occupation for instance.   Assuming that you know the names and ages of your mother/father and  their siblings you could look for a marriage for Walter around the time of the birth of the eldest child.   The full GRO index is online at various paying sites so you could do it yourself or if you give a few more details someone here may well look for you.   Actually just giving the name and date of birth of any one child will produce the surname of your Grandma from the GRO index without buying a certificate.
Andrea

[mothermicheal]

Hi Glen

Thanks for your message and that would be great if you could.
I have my Mum and Dad's marriage certificate, thats how I found out my Grandad's name.
When I  was a child can remember being told the houses where going to be knocked down.
My Dad John was married in 1956 and that was his family home.
 My Dad was born in 1920 somewhere in Canada, hopfully in the next few weeks will send off for that certificate.
I don't know how I managed to find this site, but very glad I did.
All this and the computer is all very new to me, but it can only get easier from now.

Thanks for everything
Linda

[kizmiaz]

Hi Linda

Do you know if your father was registered as Canadian or whether he was registered as a British citizen?

I don't know any of the sites for Canadian genealogy, but if you look on Cyndi's List (http://www.cyndislist.com/) there should be all sorts of websites listed for Canada.

If he was registered as British, his details may be in the Overseas Birth Indexes, which are available to view at the Family Relatives site (http://www.familyrelatives.com/)

Do you know roughly when and where your grandfather died? A certificate for his death may have a name for his widow if she was still alive at the time.

Regards

Glen

[mothermicheal]

Hi Andrea
Thanks
I don't think he's my Grandad with the birth date. But he could have been related,  My Dad's family where never spoken about, so I don't know if there where any siblings. We were lead to believe my Grandma could  already have had some children, before she married my Grandad.
Could you give me the address for the GROindex site, don't think I found that one yet.
Thanks for all the help
Linda

[mothermicheal]

Hi Glen

I spoke to the Canadian Embassy a while ago, they said I would be able to apply for a Canadian passport, so i would have to say he was registered as a Canadian, but I really do not know.

I have just taken some time off work, I wish I had found this site then, instead of the day I go back to work. Will give those two sites a try when I get back from work.

Thanks
Linda

[sillgen]

Hi Linda
If you look at the beginners' board you will find lots of links to useful websites.  The full GRO index is on the one Glen mentions and also on www.ancestry.co.uk.     FreeBMD is rootsweb based and has a lot of the BMDs on it - improving all the time.  If you look at the top of the Canada board there should be useful tips there too.   
Glad you found us and that we can help!
If your Dad was born in Canada does that mean his parents returned from there to England?
Andrea

[kizmiaz]

Just for info, the Walter James Fowler that Andrea has found who died in Brighton in 1989 was also born in Brighton and seems to have had at least three siblings, according to FreeBMD.

They were:
Arthur J, born 1914
Ethel K, born 1918
and Thomas P, born 1911

It looks like their father was William Fowler and their mother was Ellen Elizabeth Ellyatt, and they married in 1897. Ellen was born in 1879, and William in 1878. They had a 3 year old daughter also named Ellen on the 1901 census.

They may turn out to be a part of the family at some stage.

Glen