what next?

[jules67]

Hi All...Happy new year to you all.

Been a while since my last visit.
I'd like to ask a little advice please. Ive been researching into my family tree over the last two years and (with lots of help from yourselves) have found out so much.
But, I'm still unsure I have pinpointed my Taid....my Grandfather on my dads side. He has the most common name in Wales ever..William Thomas Roberts. i have two main possibilities but can find no way of confirming which on it is!
Please.......what else can i do to be sure. Obviously, i cant go any further back until i am certain.

[CaroleW]

Hi

It's difficult to say as we don't know what you have already done or the timescale involved

I may be going over old ground but here goes:

If he was your dad's father - then you must know who your dad's mother was and her maiden name from your dad's birth cert

Use that info to look for their marriage on freebmd www.freebmd.org.uk

Get a copy of their marriage cert to find his age at that time and his fathers name.  Look to see if any of the witnesses to the marriage were surname Roberts

If your grandfather was born before 1911 - look for him on the 1911 census using his birthyear and his fathers name and occupation from the marriage cert

If he died after 1969 - his full birthyear should be shown on his death cert

[jules67]

Hi Carol

I have my grandfathers fathers name off the marriage certificate. on entries we have found for him on various census and his wedding certs (he was married at least twice) make it difficult to tell his correct age, but it is most likely he was born about 1873. his father was Daniel. we have what seems a good match in Rhyl on the next two census.....but also a good match in Abergele. Both Williams have brothers and or sisters that share 'family' names so that doesnt help! I have no idea what his mother was called for sure so  when looking for Daniels marriage......I dont know who im looking for. I have gone with the Rhyl family, parents Daniel and Ann. The Abergele family are Daniel and Sarah. 
William could be anywhere by 1901......so many William Roberts around any number of whom could be him. I just dont know how to connect what i do know about him since 1905 with his life before that.

[CaroleW]

Does Daniel have a distinctive occupation or is he a miner or labourer?

[cath151]

hi,
Or any helpful addresses of residence at time of his marriage/s?
Cathy

[jules67]

on his 1905 marriage entry Daniel is listed as a carpenter whereas on the 1915 one (to my grandma) Daniel is listed as a general labourer. we are certain this is our William in both cases as he actually married sisters. also, we have found two entries on the parish register for the 1905 marriage, one says he is a batchelor, the other says he is a widower.
the 1905 marriage took place in yorkshire.
the 1915 marriage in St Asaph.......the home address at that time is familiar to us. His father Daniel is down as deceased.

tracing William on the 1901 census is the sticking point. there are a number of possibilities. we have no idea if his is married, what his profession was or where in the country he was. there are many William Roberts,s in the Abergele/Rhyl area that could be him, and lots in the north west of England too...a good few which we have found have strong links with north wales.

?