Genealogy Chat

Rec'd marriage cert for my 3xgtgrandfather Wm Jennings & Elizabeth Critchlow unfortunately no ages just recorded as 'of full age'. But gives father's names & occupations. Found Elizabeth's on IGI & confirmed on 1861 census. William is more awkward. Marriage cert states he is a stonemason, as is his father Robert. Marriage took place in Birmingham 1839. Can find a Wm, son of Robert on IGI, born Holbrook Suffolk baptised 1813 which seems to tie in but on checking 1861 census they would appear to be mariners not stonemasons. Sooooooooooo where do I look now??????? Any help most gratefully received. Thanks Sue

People sometimes changed profession. Have you got William on another census, confirming his place of birth/age? If so, you can see who/what his father was by checking the original baptism register for the parish concerned. nell

Hi Nell Problem is I cannot find William on anything! Elizabeth is on 1861 with 3 children, all born in London but living in Ardwick, Manchester. She is down as wife, not head, not widow - I know she could have been widowed but ............ Without a dob/place of birth I cannot trace him on 1861. I have asked for help on 1841/51 but without knowing where they were living it is difficult. Really annoying that their ages were not on the marriage cert.! I will just have to keep looking. - So far not been able to trace a death for Elizabeth - but if she was widowed she could have remarried and that could be why I cannot find her on 1871! Any advice? Love Sue ps the William who was a mariner also had a wife who was not Elizabeth!

what is it you are trying to find? Is it his birth/if so try looking for his death. I had something similar for a relation who married in 1808 , & by looking for both him & his wife I eventually found death certs for both which enabled me establish the approx years of birth back to 1786 &1788 resp. Shirley

Thanks Shirley - But ................ If I don't know his age or where he was born how do I know which Wm Jennings is the right one on the deaths? I have looked on ancestry and IGI, LancashireBMD (as Elizabeth was in Manchester etc) It would help if he had a more unusual name!!!!! Love Sue

see what you mean!! I had a quick look on freebmd for deaths from 1840 to 1861 & there,s loads of them so unless you can establish where the family were then can see you have a brick wall. Shirley

Shirley On 1861 states youngest child, William (again) born London, 1847 - so I am assuming Wm sr was alive in 1846 at least! Maybe he died & Elizabeth moved to Lancashire but as her father farmed a large acrage in Staffs why wouldn't she go home? I presume they all moved to Manchester for his work but again I would have thought there was more call for a stonemason in London???????????? I am completely baffled and as this is my main line that I am tracing i.e. my Dad's line, I am desperate to crack it!!! lol Sue

You could try looking for the marriages of the 3 children - if their marriage cert has father as 'deceased' chances are he was dead. Unfortunately, if it doesn't say deceased, it doesn't mean he is still alive! As Elizabeth is wife on 1861 he must be somewhere! nell

I would do as Yvonne or Nell suggested, if it were my search. At least you should have more information about William's occupation and hopefully find out an address and perhaps know if he was deceased when his children married. Check for witnesses too. If he was a mariner, are there ship crew records that you could check? In my tree there is someone moving from a seafaring job in Sussex to Bootle, popping back to Sussex to marry wife no. 2 and then back to Liverpool to marry for the 3rd time, tacking on another obscure middle name to throw us off the scent. Keep looking -and good luck.

I will try and find William's birth, have tried on IGI without luck - there are so many! I have eldest son's Robert E Jennings, birth certificate - address not terribly clear but looks like 3 Saddlers Place - London Wall. Wm senior is mentioned on Robert's marriage cert in 1861 and it doesn't say deceased but I know that is no guarantee that he was still alive. Thanks for the advice so far! Sue

Found a possible marriage for William and believe I have traced him 1861 through to 1901 on census/Ancestry. But cannot find birth - there is a possible one which cannot be transcribed!!!!!!!!!!! With my luck it will be him! Sue

It's me again! Been search IGI and maybe think I've find him what do you lot think? Robert Jennings marries an Ellen Cook 21/7/1806 in Church Lancashire. In Hornby Lancashire the following 4 children are born to a Robert & Ellen Jennings: (bapt. dates) 2/10/1814 Robert 20/12/1818 WILLIAM 25/12/1820 Ellen 22/6/23 Mary 1818 would be OK - Elizabeth was born 1816, they married 1839 so would both be 'of full age' as stated on wedding cert. Can anybody convince me I've found the right one? How do I confirm Robert's occupation? - a very stressed Sue xx p.s. Put a plea out on records board for some kind person to visit Manchester archives for me and check it out.

Just thought I would update you! A GR member kindly visited the archives and confirmed that Robert (in Hornby) was a stonemason! So I now feel confident that these are my rellies. It doesn't help me trace Wm's family between 1847 and 1861. Different people have tried 1851 Manchester census - the street they were living in in 1861 is not available apparantly been eaten by mice - hope they enjoyed it. The address where Wm's son, Robert, was born in 1842 - Saddlers Place, London Wall - cannot be found on London census! - so anyone else out there with any bright ideas? By the way I have looked for the William's son, William's birth 1847 London - but needle & haystack come to mind! Open to all (reasonable) suggestions! cheers Sue

Thanks Yvonne - kind person on Records Board is going to look it up for me. - I just feel I am going round in circles!!! Cheers Sue