Genealogy Chat

What documents can I search for somebody on when they were born in 1905? Any help greatly appreciated!

First of all you need to find their birth registration - the birth certificate will show the parents names. When you have that you can then find the parents marriage certificate and work back through the census. Give us the name and place of birth and we will point you in the right direction.

Thanks! The name is Joseph Williams and was born 21st April 1905 in London

any idea where in London - will help narrow the search down !

On his death cert it just says London but his son's birth cert says St Pancras so try there!

go to this website http://www.ancestry(.)co(.)uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=8964 remove the brackets enter details of name and year of birth click on the 2nd quarter and you will see any Joseph Williams who were registered in that quarter. The only place name that I recognise as being NEAR London is the West Ham one - which is I believe in Essex Check it for yourself. then go on to the 3rd quarter as a 2 month period was allowed for birth registrations so you sometimes find them a few months later than the actual birth date - The only one I can see here is Joseph florian Williams - registered in Fulham, vol 1a p 318 So, do you know if either of these are the right ones ?? What else do you know about Joseph Williams. Did he marry? If so do you know when and the name of his wife? If you do then it would probably be better to get his marriage certificate first, which would give his fathers name.

Have just seen your message - you have one of the children´s birth certificates which will show the names of the parents. Your best bet to start with is to find the marriage certicate of the parents and then work back from that. You can search for this on Ancestry (free) http://www.ancestry(.)co(.)uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=8965 remove the brackets Again put in name and then search each quarter individually.

He married Ellen Margaret Slater but I'm not sure when.

Then you need to trawl through the marriage index http://www.ancestry(.)co(.)uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=8965 remove the brackets until you find a marriage of Joseph Williams / Slater Its free to do - unfortunately it just takes time.

Thanks so much for your help...I'm still a bit of a newbie!

No problem. Might be advisable to read some of the ¨Tips for Newbies¨ and the Getting Started on the Home Page of Genes Reunited - lots of very useful advice there. Have a trawl through the marriage indexes - come back to the board if you have a problem and we will try to help some more!

Forgot to say - do you know the year of birth of their eldest child - if you do start searching for a marriage from that year, going back year by year.

There's this one in Pancras: Births Jun 1905 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Williams Joseph Pancras 1b 43 but I wouldn't buy it witheout first getting his marriage cert to check up his father's name first. You need to begin with something really reliable! Merry

How did I miss that one Merry ??? Laura - as Merry said - best to get marriage certificate first and work back with that.