Tips for beginners and others

[prefabkid]

When looking at the records,look further than simply recording names,but look for name patterns.

Often the eldest son and daughter,or sometimes their siblings, were named after their parents,this can be especially useful when looking for parents pre 1841 Census.This pattern may pass through several generations (I have Thomas Fennell running through 6 generations from 1722-1902)

Other children may be named after aunts and uncles and consequently certain names frequently re-occur within the extended family.This can be useful for linking family groups.

Another clue can be the misspelling of names (note these down),whether it be forenames or family names.By sharing a common misspelling it may link families you hadn't initially suspected were connected.(I have connected married siblings who consistently spelt their name Elsy instead of Elsey).
This was especially the case when people were less literate than today and wasn't always the fault of the enumerator!

Misspellings aren't always,therefore,a genealogists nightmare!!

Thought I'd pass on my thoughts (appreciate other members experience/findings)

 

[Minden]

My ggggrandfather Robert Haworth was born in Over Darwen, Lancashire, in 1808. I'd hit a brick wall with that branch of the family, until I looked more closely at the 1841 census. At that time he was living in the same house as another Robert Haworth, around 5 years older. Based on similar logic to what prefabkid outlined, I assumed that they must be cousins (or else why share a house? They were power loom weavers and ostlers respectively, so not that well off, but not poverty-stricken either).

If they're cousins, they must share a grandfather, called Robert at a guess, and born around 50 years before youngest Robert (25 years per generation being a good guess). And there he is on IGI, Christened in 1756 in Over Darwen. The father of the younger of the 1841 Roberts could well be....Robert Haworth, b. 1783, m. 1804. The eldest Robert's father was called Thomas, and he married a Phoebe Yates in 1755. Middle Robert married a Martha Yates in 1804, but I didn't delve too deeply into the relationship between the two Yates girls Yates is another popular name in Darwen around that time.

What I don't have is documentary proof that middle Robert is related to either of the other two, but I'd give it a >60% chance, and maybe one day I'll go to Lancashire and try to confirm it. It's got me back nearly another 100 years, which ain't bad.

Haworth is spelt Haworth, Howarth or Howorth, depending on the level of literacy of the person filling in the register, or that of the person doing the transcription to on-line records. You do need to stay flexible on that! One ggggrandmother was Jinney, Janey or Ginney Duckworth. It helps if I read it out loud (with my cod Lancashire accent eek ) , and don't depend on what it looks like on the page.

Another side of the family has 6 generations of men called Harland Coates, but that's just taking the mick.

 

[rustynath]

Ive also found that in my tree, there are at least 4 times that a parent has named their child after a dead sibling of theirs (so the childs aunt or uncle who passed away before the childs birth). I just thought this might be the case in other families and might not be apparent straight away.

 

[prefabkid]

Ive also found that in my tree, there are at least 4 times that a parent has named their child after a dead sibling of theirs (so the childs aunt or uncle who passed away before the childs birth). I just thought this might be the case in other families and might not be apparent straight away.

Hi rustynath

I have also found cases of child being named after a dead sibling in my trees.

It can be especially confusing if a child appears in one census then apparently appears in the next with a totally different birth year.

You then have to resort to checing the death registers between these years.It's definitely a point to remember.

prefabkid

 

[Elanter]

Hello,

It might be worth investigating if there is quite a gap between a marriage date and the first born child, particularly if the child isn't named after a parent. It may mean that the original first born has died, living somewhere else or staying overnight with a relative etc. I found this to be the case in two of my ancestor's families. I also look out for big gaps between siblings.

It may also be worth taking a note of lodgers and visitors, I've found a few maiden names this way. The earlier census forms don't always state what the relationships are.

I also found a couple of children who had unusual middle names that turned out to be their mother's maiden name.