I'm fairly certain I've found my granddad on the 1901 census, now what?

[Tinker]

I know that bit isn't too hard and I could order his birth certificate - which I will do. I know his father's name already and have found 3 possible families for him on the 1871 census. What do I do next to find out which family is correct? Order lots of birth certificates? Have found some I WANT to be mine

Bumping for you.

From the 1901 census, is his father on that as well? If so, it should give his father's place of birth. This should narrow down your choices. Also if you order your grandfather's birth cert, it will give his father's occupation. If you follow back throught the other censuses (1891 and 1881 and 1871) you will hopefully find him on all of them with the same (or similar) occupations, and the same birth year (within a year) and birthplace. Your father's birth cert will also give his mother's name, so you need to look for her name with her husband's name on the censuses.

It's bestto rule out as many red herrings as you can before you start spending money on birth certs.

Thanks. The three I've found are all in teh right parish and teh right time. I think I'll just order his birth certificate and see what that says. Am quite excited now. It's the only line of mine which seems to stay in England atm.

Happy to help narrow it down - I have done lots of this. Are you happy to give your grandads details?

Thanks Portofino - not on here but you can email me at tinkerblush at a o l dot com if you have the time.

Marraige certificates - they give the fathers name and occupation along with witnesses. Sometimes marriage certificate give an age for the bride and groom - other times is states 21 or of full age (which is no good to man nor beast) It will also give an address on the marriage certicate, at times the bride and groom give the same address (it saved money on having banns read, and doesn't mean they were living together)

All these things added together will hopeully then give you the correct family on the census - as all the jigsaw pieces fit together - sometime

happy hunting

Thanks IK, Have sent off for marriage certificate toda, hadn't realised they'd given parents' addresses so that'll help

Another question - these sites hosted by the Mormons, do they include Catholics on them? I thought I remembered that they didn't

I've emailed you with the results of my bit of searching! I think the marriage cert will sort things out for definite.

Marraige certificates only have the fathers name - not mothers name... still the same today!

The address will be the place that the bride and groom where living at the time of ther marriage - so maybe no the parents home address (could be in service or apprentice and not living at the "family home" when they married.

The Mormons colllected church records back in the 1950's i think, but no I very much doubt that catholics will have handed over their church registrs!! Some CofE did and some didn't. This is why some counties are well covered and pthers are patchy.

As for the 1881 census though they were (I think) the first to transcribe the census and also did three counties of the 1851 census.

You have to watch the geography though - the mormons aren't wonderful on UK places and sometimes put parishes from one county into another by mistake!

Portofino - read it, thanks so much. Gives me a lot more to work.

IK - I thought that about the mormon sites. Haven't been able to find to very easily findable info on there.