Genealogy Chat

Hi Some advice on what to do. My ggrandad married his second wife in 1899. Looked on the 1901 census for the family. Found Wife as married and head of house, also the three children he had with first wife. No sign of him. I have looked for his death cant find it. Decided to try to find marriages of daughters. On looking on 1837, I came across a marriage for a Susannah Fitzsimon, my step ggrans name. Do you think I should send for certificate, as how many Susannah Fitzsimon do you think there could be? Ann Update on this. Sent for cert, gave as much info as i could. They have written back to me saying it isn't my ggran. They have given the reason as being that her Fathers name was not the name i had given them. I had explained on the phone that her Father had been dead at least 15yrs by the time of this marriage. Surely his name wouldn't be on the cert anyway.

Ann, what was your ggrandads name, how old would he have been in 1901 and where was he born? Georgina.

I guess it depends on whether you can spare the £ for a wasted cert. You could include the checking info so that you only pay half-price for the search and don't pay £7 for a cert you don't want. I had a look on Ancestry (which, as you may know, uses a copy of the FreeBMD database, which is still being transcribed) and found only these BMD records at all: Fitzsimons, Susannah 1871 March Marriages Sunderland Co. Durham Tyne and Wear FITZSIMONS, Susannah 1874 March Deaths Whitehaven Cumbria Cumberland (aged 4 - but no birth recorded on FreeBMD, presumably) Fitzsimons, Susannah 1879 December Marriages West Derby Lancashire (West Derby 8b-627) The last one is this one from www.LancashireBMD.org.uk: Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1879 Surname Forename(s) Surname Forename(s) Church / Register Office Registers At Reference FITZSIMONS Susannah CORKING Joseph J(ohn) Toxteth Park, Holy Trinity Liverpool 2104TP/2/27 Christine

hi Ann, I don't know how much help this will be but Archer's surname Atlas, based on 1881 census gives only 86 'Fitzsimon' countrywide! There are 472 'Fitzsimons', again fairly rare. On this basis you may decide that yr Susannah is worth a gamble! As for g'pa he could have been anywhere on the night of the census; I think the usual thing is to trawl names/addresses of relations or less likely, known friends....J.

Hi Georgina, My ggrandads name was Alexander Fitzsimon. Born in Manchester and would have been 34 in 1901. The marriage I found was in 1912. Christine, I have looked at thoes but they are not the same person. I have her marriage cert for when she married my ggrandad. This was in Manchester in 1899, the other marriage I found 1912. Ann

Hi Jude, I think I will phone for the certificate, as I dont think there could be that many Susannah Fitzsimon. I will give as much information as I can, that way I may not have to pay for a cert I dont want. Thanks for the help from all. Ann

In 1901 a lot of men were abroad fighting in the Boer War. Do you know if he was ever in the army? Kath. x

He wasn't a mariner, was he? In which case he could have died at sea. Have you tried looking in the 'overseas' indexes on 1837 online and looking for a will? Kate.

Hi to Kate and Kathleen, I know he wasn't in the Navy, although in 1891 he was in the Army, what year till I have no idea. I have looked on 1837 overseas, can't find anything there. I have looked on Kevin Asplins web site for the Boer war and nothing there. I am going to contact Kevin to see if he can help. Thanks for the help. Ann