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Emma

Emma Report 24 Apr 2006 17:48

Hi there Can anyone give me some advice as to my next steps please? I've managed to trace my tree back to 1815 using Ancestry but now I've come to an abrupt halt as records don't appear to go any further back. I'm still quite new to this so sorry if it's a stupid question but where should I go next? The family name I'm tracing by the way is Sunshine (You'd think it would be easy but there's actually more of us than you'd believe!!). Thanks

Suein10b

Suein10b Report 24 Apr 2006 17:53

Ancestry goes back much further than 1915 What details do you have from an actual birth marriage or death certificate. Sue

Heather

Heather Report 24 Apr 2006 17:53

Hi Emma you probably need to get some certificates to back up your research. Perhaps if you put some names on here someone can give you some ideas. There are some Sunshines on the 1901 census. Heather

Suzanne

Suzanne Report 24 Apr 2006 17:53

Hi Emma (If you meant 1815?) the IGI is your first port of call for tracing Baptisms, Marriages and deaths prior to general registration in 1837: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true The findings on hree should be taken as a guide and parish registers are then your next option. Suzanne

Emma

Emma Report 24 Apr 2006 17:55

Thanks everyone but.... Oops - my first posting and I couldn't even get that right! I meant to say I've gone back as far as 1815!! I don't have any certificates at all so would that be my next step?

Sue in Somerset

Sue in Somerset Report 24 Apr 2006 18:16

Which area are you looking in? What names are you looking for? Sue

Phoenix

Phoenix Report 24 Apr 2006 18:32

Hi Emma You would definitely find that a few certificates may be helpful to you. With such an unusual name, you have probably got the right family at every stage, but the certificates would confirm that. Marriage certificates would show witnesses, who may be family members. They also show the occupations of groom and both fathers, which can be helpful. Try visiting as many family history websites as you can: family history online family search national archives etc to see whether your name crops up.

Phoenix

Phoenix Report 24 Apr 2006 18:34

ps The National Archives website definitely has references to the surname Sunshine, so that's worth a look.

Emma

Emma Report 24 Apr 2006 18:35

I've got as far as: Thomas Sunshine (1817) married to Ann Woole Sunshine (1827). The areas keep changing but is usually Bethnal Green, Spitalfields, East London/Middlesex areas.