talk report - august 2006
23 August: Mr Simon Martin - Family History Detective
Mr Martin is a professional genealogist who solves problems in Family history research.
He gave us some tips on difficulties with Heraldry - always check the colours. When you find a death look for a will up to five years after the death. Look in Occupational records, Army Record, Naval Records, Electoral Registers.
Civil Registration: Before 1875 it was the Registrar's responsibility to register bmd., after 1875 it was the individuals responsibility. As his agent had to go round checking and he got paid per entry he sometimes made up entries. (There was a prosecution in Liverpool for this in the 1860s). Before 1866 no ages were entered in the registers and sometimes the names are distorted. Manorial Records from 1200s to 1926. Parish Registers 1500s to present day - before 1837 the names of the parents of the bride and groom were not given unless (after 1813) their permission had been given. Baptisms: sometimes a limited amount of information given i.e. just a list of names, but can include names of parents and grandparents.
Marriage licences and bonds - those for Ormskirk are in Cheshire Record Office. (EDC 8). Special Licences for marriages were issued by an Archbishop either form York or Canterbury. Bonds were for £200 or £500. The punishment for bigamy was transportation to Australia for 7 years. The Bond money was not paid up front and the sum was arrived at as it being twice what the person was worth. These were done away with in 1853.
Census Returns on Ancestry.com - check the original.
Always try to get the primary record not a transcript copy as there can
be errors upon errors.
Bishop's Transcripts: copies of the parish registers sent to the Bishop. The spelling of surnames before 1880s is not consistent and names were spelt as they sounded.
1834 Poor Law after this date there were workhouses. Before look in the Parish Chest for documents relating to illegitimate children, Settlement certificates, examinations and removal orders. Remember 11 days were lost in September 1752.
And while gravestones give an idea of age of death the early ones of the 1700s are worn away and information lost. In the 1800s some were transcribed and now lost. Burials could be in grave ownership books or Burial Books.