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Original poster

Tracing my family tree, can anyone help please.

22 replies

NonnaMai · 15/04/2013 18:58

I'm trying to find out the maiden name of my great, great grandmother. I've found her marriage certificate but maiden names were only recorded on certificates after 1912. She was married in 1866.

I'm sure there must be a way of finding out but I'm stuck.

OP posts:

lljkk · 15/04/2013 19:08

Long shot, but ... Death certificate? American ones often have maiden name written on them.

RemindMeWhatSleepIs · 15/04/2013 19:24

Try the birth register of any of her children. Usually listed with mothers maiden name too.

RemindMeWhatSleepIs · 15/04/2013 19:25

If you get stuck PM me the details and i'll see what i can find.

Original poster

NonnaMai · 15/04/2013 19:33

Thank you, I only started this today and I'm stuck already

I will go back and look birth register she had 9 dc so that might work.

OP posts:

LeChatRouge · 15/04/2013 19:37

Hi NonnaMai,

I subscribe to quite a few family history websites. If you want, let me have your gg grandpa's name, her first name and date/marriage place. I'll have a go at helping you......

SorrelForbes · 15/04/2013 19:37

I've got British marriage certificates dating back to the 1870s and they've all got maiden names on them.

If you post her DOB and name and spouses name, I'll have a search for you.

throckenholt · 15/04/2013 19:37

If you buy the certificate you will get her maiden name and (hopefully) her father's name. Or if you can find the church record it will also have it (assuming not married in a registry office). But you won't get it from just the index entry which is all that is available on most sites.

LeChatRouge · 15/04/2013 19:38

....I'll only tell you the answer to this conundrum.....the best thing about this research is finding things out!

MrsPoglesWood · 15/04/2013 19:43

I'm a bit confused. I've been doing my family tree for the last 15 years or so. I have plenty of marriage certificates pre 1912 back to about 1840 that show the bride's maiden name. The bride's surname entry on the marriage certificate is their maiden name. As in Jane Smith -spinster - married John Brown - bachelor. Do you mean her Mother's maiden name?

MrsPoglesWood · 15/04/2013 19:50

Ah penny drops. She had the same maiden surname as her new husband. Chances are they were first or second cousins. I have some of those, not at all unusual.

As others have said to confirm you could try the births index to check the mother's maiden name but to do a quick reference on the GRO or Ancestry they would have to be registered after the September quarter of 1911. To check for certain you would have to pay for the birth certificates. But her surname at marriage should be her legal surname. What are her father's details on the marriage certificate? How is she listed in the 1861 or 1851 census whilst living in her parents' household?

Or check if the church where they married/had their DC baptised has allowed their registers to be transcribed and put on line.

Original poster

NonnaMai · 15/04/2013 20:04

Ok don't think this will out me,

Her name Elizabeth ? Born in 1844 in Bewerley Yorkshire

His name John Kirkbright, born in 1836 Bewerley Yorkshire

They married in 1866 in Pateley Bridge, Yorkshire.

I'm really confused. Also does anyone know about divorce records, did they exist in those days?.

I've just bought some credits on the find my past site so I can get certificates.

OP posts:

MrsPoglesWood · 15/04/2013 20:14

Yes, as I thought. They had the same surname when they married. They were probably first or second cousins or she was the widow of someone called Kirkbright. That should be obvious from the marriage certificate though. Is she described as a spinster or a widow?

Divorce in those days would have been beyond the means of ordinary folk. Only the aristrocracy could afford it. And it was a hugely shameful thing to go through back then. Full on court hearings and the lot.

LeChatRouge · 15/04/2013 20:46

Hmmm, interesting.

I see a marriage between a Joseph Kirkbright and Elizabeth RHODES in 1861 in Pateley Bridge. And then I see two possible deaths for Joseph in 1861 and 1865.

This could explain why Elizabeth had the name Kirkbright when she married John in 1866......

.....let me look a little more. Do you have brothers for John Kirkbright?

MrsPoglesWood · 15/04/2013 20:52

Elizabeth was born in 1844 the daughter of John Kirkbright and Ann. They married before a formal marriage certificate was required so Ann's maiden name isn't easily obtainable without paying. There will be a church marriage register entry however.

Their eldest son's birth was registered as Timothy Kirbrite Sep 1837 Pateley Bridge ref 23/351. That will show you Elizabeth's mother's maiden name as will Elizabeth's birth certificate.

Original poster

NonnaMai · 15/04/2013 23:59

LeChatRouge I have possible parents for John:

James and Alice Kirkbright, they had sons Edward, James and John.

It would seem my ancestors liked to keep their relationships within the family

MrsPoglesWood Do I actually have to send off for hard copy certificates to get maiden names/parents names?.

Interestingly I have found my grandmother on a census but can find no record of her birth/marriage or death.

This is so addictive, my dc had burnt offerings for dinner.

OP posts:

SorrelForbes · 16/04/2013 00:04

I usually order copies (from GRO) of marriage and birth certificates to get details like maiden names, father's profession etc.

MrsPoglesWood · 16/04/2013 00:15

Oh yes, it is very, very addictive!

If you've got Elizabeth's marriage certificate then you should have confirmation of her maiden name - which is her name on the certificate. And her Father's name and occupation. That should enable you to find them on the census returns from 1861 back to 1841. You can follow Elizabeth and her children in her married life from 1871 to 1911 - which is the latest date that census records have been released for. Birth, marriage and death records are available from 1837 to 2005.

Original poster

NonnaMai · 16/04/2013 09:48

MrsPoglesWood Thank you for all your help.
One last question [grin.

Most of my information has come from census records so far. Obviously I need birth/marriage certs to get parents and maiden names. Is there anywhere online I can pay to view full certificates instantly or do I need to send off for them.

OP posts:

throckenholt · 16/04/2013 14:23

The only way you can see the certificates (if they aren't part of the parish registers already online (eg ancestry London registers)) is to buy the certificate either from the GRO or the local register office. The alternative might be to visit the county records office and view the register (or more likely copy of it) if it was a church marriage.

You may be lucky - it may have been transcribed and published of included in something like freereg - but that is vary variable - good coverage for some places like Norfolk and Somerset, but not for others (like Suffolk).

MrsPoglesWood · 16/04/2013 20:54

Agree with throckenholt. If you do buy certificates online make sure you get them from GRO as there are a couple of sites that charge three times as much just to act as a gateway. Not sure how they get away with it.

Original poster

NonnaMai · 17/04/2013 11:34

Thank you

OP posts:

tb · 04/05/2013 16:01

Often there are records that can be viewed of the certificates of the banns of marriage. I've found records of these in my own 'tree'. Most seem to be in Yorkshire, and I've found them on the ancestry uk site.

I, too, am stuck -I can't for the life of me find a link between 2 families, although have found details going back to the 1500s.

'Tis a bugger.

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