Genealogy Chat

Hi everyone and anyone out there, How can I find out who my grans brothers and sisters are if they were all born after 1906 and there isn't a census then? Sorry if I sound a bit of a thicky!!! Alison ps am going to watch king kong now and drink lots of wine but I WILL be back x See below (added 19.2.06) I.ve added a msg instead of updating oops!

might be an idea to give us at least a clue as to the name you do know, or else come back when you want to research your family tree and not watch king kong

If you know your gran's mother's maiden name, then you can search through the GRO references (free on Ancestry at the moment), looking for any births with the right surname in the right area, and after 1911 the mother's maiden name will be in the index, which makes it easier to identify the right ones. If you don't know your gran's mother's maiden name, you are best starting to find gran's birth certificate (if you know her birth date this should be easier). Kath. x

If you are impatient you could subscribe to Family Relatives and get any matches 1911Q3 (when mum's maiden name first was included on the index) through to 1920 inc, at the click of a button......That's if you have the mum's maiden name! I would have done it for you, but, there are no names here :O(( Merry

If you get place of birth from your gran's birth certificate you may be able to find the rest of her siblings by searching the parish baptism registers. Afraid they are not likely to be online but if you are able to visit the county records office covering the area she was born you may well be in luck - perhaps combine this with a holiday trip to 'walk where your ancestors walked', visit graveyards and all the other strange things us addicts do on our holidays! You would need to check that the registers have been deposited and aren't still in use in the church especially if its a very small parish. If a trip to visit is not a possiblility then the staff at the records office, or the relevant family history society may be able to help.

King Kong - run time 187 minutes.......Alison should be back at 21.19!!! Merry

I'm back!!! thanks for all replies. King Kong was great by the way and so was the wine!!!! I have grans maiden name so will go through GRO refs. If I get stuck again I will be back!!!!!! regards to all Alison x

It's your GREAT-grandmother's maiden name you will be needing, too!! Merry

Ok ! for everyone who helped me last night, I give up!!! I have my grans details: Margaret Hall Atkinson (maiden name) born 12 June 1903 to Joseph Atkinson and Catherine Atkinson formerly Hall, at 41 New Rows, Usworth Rd, Reg district Chester-Le-Street, County Durham.My gran is the eldest of about 7 children, how can I find her brothers and sisters? Alison x

It's tricky, this, because most if not all of them will most likely have been born between 1903 and 1911, and Atkinson is a pretty common surname. Durham BMD doesn't list mother's maiden name, and I can't even see Margaret's birth on there anyway, so it doesn't look as though that site will be any help either. My best suggestion would be to see if there is anybody in your family who can give you any help with the names. If not, do you think either of Margaret's parents might have left a will? Oh, and another one - if you can get a copy of Margaret's marriage certificate, perhaps a brother or sister will have been one of the witnesses. Kate.

Do you know if they stayed in the Chester-le-Street area. If so, it is just a matter of going through all the years for Atkinson births looking at the district. These are the only two births in 1904 for Chester-le-Street:- Richard Wigham Atkinson Sept. qtr. 1904. Chester-le-Street, 10a, 598 Ethel Atkinson Dec. qtr. 1904, Chester-le-Street, 10a, 569 These are in 1905:- William Atkinson March. qtr. 1905, Chester-le-Street, 10a, 577 Norah Atkinson June qtr. 1905, Chester-le-Street, 10a, 642 Robert William Atkinson June qtr. 1905, Chester-le-Street, 10a, 650 Elizabeth Atkinson Sept. qtr. 1905, Chester-le-Street, 10a, 589 Mark Heron Atkinson Sept. qtr. 1905, Chester-le-Street, 10a, 579 John William Atkinson Dec. qtr. 1905, Chester-le-Street, 10a, 559 It would be impossible for all of these children to be siblings of your gran, but since you have your gran's parents names, it would be a matter of ordering certificates as and when you can afford it and give the parents name's as checking points. That way you would get the right birth certificates at a cost of £7, and any that were born to different parents, would just cost you £3 for the check and you wouldn't get the certificate. Perhaps someone in the family might remember a few names and you could start by ordering any that family members mention. It really won't take that long to go through the years up to 1911, and after that the mother's maiden name will be in the index, so you should be able to find the right ones after that. Kath. x