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Original poster

researching family tree...HELP IM STUCK!!!!

51 replies

buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 15:15

im hoping that someone else has done their family tree and can offer some advice as ive come to a complete halt!!
im originally from hull and now live in wales and ive been trying to research my grandads side of the family.ive got back to 1541 on my grans side,but on my grandads side,im totally stuck!i havent been able to find out anything about his parents,not even their names!i found today through genesreunited,that his mothers maiden name was kelly,but no firts name for her.and def nothing on his dads name.ive asked relatives that are still in hull,but they dont know anything either.
what is the best way to find out the things i need?all the rest of my tree i had no problems with,just my grandad!!

OP posts:
LeahE · 02/05/2006 15:24

Do you have his birth certificate? Marriage certificate? Is it a common name?

General principle (which I'm sure you're aware of) would be to get hold of a copy of his marriage certificate (if he had one), which should list his father's name and occupation and give his age at the time of marriage. That will (assuming he was telling the truth) give you an approximate year of birth and you can search the indexes for a birth certificate -- you can use the father's first name as a check against that if it's a common name to make sure you've got the right one and that should get you both parents' names.

Doesn't always work, especially with people with common names who move around a lot (I have one of those in my tree) -- have you done all that already with no success?

Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 15:28

the name is tommins so dont think its that common really.ive got his date of birth but not his birth certificate.can you buy them online?

OP posts:
bubblerock · 02/05/2006 15:46

What quarter and year was he born? I'll look it up for you.

Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 15:49

he was born july 1919.thank you bubblerock.think im just having a bad day (or year) as i just cant find anything.even googled him!his first name is charles and his middle initials are hfa but i dont know what they stood for.

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bubblerock · 02/05/2006 15:52

I know what you mean - some people are so hard to trace! Well done on getting so far back with the other side, I'm still stuck on 1796 but have a lady on the Isle of Wight doing some searching for me as we speak Grin

I did a quick check on Tommins - it really is uncommon, only 47 on the 1901 census and all oop north, Hull/Lancashire way. I'll check BMD and get back to you.

DumbledoresGirl · 02/05/2006 15:53

I would purchase your grandfather's birth certificate as that would give you the details of his parents.

LeahE · 02/05/2006 15:59

Yes, you can order them from \link{http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificate/index.asp#0\the GRO}. If it was on or after 1st January 1900 then I think you just need his name and the date (not positive, though) -- otherwise I think you need the index reference. You can get that (paid) from somewhere like www.ancestry.co.uk (which you might be interested in joining anyway, and might have a free trial on) and from other places online too.

I'm a bit rusty on that side of things as I did most of my research (which is kind of lapsed at the moment) before most of these things were available online, and at the time worked 2 minutes' walk from St Catherine's House (where all the records and paper indexes were kept in those days) so I did pretty much everything in person.

Unless he was born in Scotland, of course. Things are different there (much easier for the family historian).

bubblerock · 02/05/2006 16:01

Okay - this is what you'll need to order his birth certificate. You can do this online I think it's about £7.

Charles HFA Tommins Hull (district) Kelly (mmn)

Volume 9d page 418

Any idea when he got married?

SaintGeorge · 02/05/2006 16:02

I'm in Hull buffy, so if you need any local searches doing let me know and I will try to help.

Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 16:08

hi and thanks st george!my grandad used to live down subelius road (my uncle still lives there,but hes abit of a recluse since my gran died)found on the 1891 census that there were some tommins living at 5 robinson way,but havnent been able to find the connection to my grandad.also he had a sister living down scalby grove with her daughter.i went to school with her grandaughter (nicola smith) but lost touch when we left junior school and i ahvent been able to find her since.

OP posts:
Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 16:10

thats what i found aswell today bubblerock.he married my gran in 1944,but i dont have the exact date.

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 02/05/2006 16:12

Have you considered putting a small ad in the Hull Daily Mail asking for info?

SaintGeorge · 02/05/2006 16:13

Did they marry in Hull? There might be info on the parish records. A lot of those are on microfiche at the central library.

Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 16:28

they were married in hull but i dont know the date,only that it was in 1944

OP posts:
NoPearls · 02/05/2006 16:57

I tried looking through the indexes for you but couldn't find his parents getting married - I went back to 1911 when they started putting both people's surnames down. There weren't very many Tommins' listed - about a dozen at most, so at least he's unusual!

I did find these ones though, who might be brothers/sisters of your great-grandfather:

1915 Jan/Feb/Mar: Harold Tommins m Clare Grundy Hull - Vol 9d/page493
1915 Oct/Nov/Dec: Evelyn Tommins m George Baggley Hull - Vol 9d/page 750
1919 Apr/May/Jun: Elsie M Tommins m Richard Emslie Hull - Vol 9d/page 725

Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 17:03

they could be my grandads sisters and brother,i dont know.thank you for looking!

OP posts:
NoPearls · 02/05/2006 17:10

Try the names on some relatives - you never know they might recognise 'Aunty Evelyn' whilst swearing blind that they no nothing!!

Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 17:10

i will do,thanks again!

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SaintGeorge · 02/05/2006 17:17

If you track down info that I can research at the library, parish records etc then email me.

antlxstew @ yahoo .co .uk (remove spaces)

Calista · 02/05/2006 17:41

I did a search for your Grandad's mariage in 1944 - a Charles Tommins married Louisa Tong at St Johns, Newington, Kingston Upon Hull, Yorkshire, England.

Is that the right Grandmother's name?

Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 19:15

omg,yes calista!god youve done better than me and ive been at it for a year now!!

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Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 19:17

thank you so much saint george!ive been totally stuck for a year now and havent been able to find anyone in hull to help me!your a very kind lady for offering!dont want to put you to any trouble though.only go if you are goign anyway sort of thing.

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 02/05/2006 19:20

No problem. My mum has done all the research on our family tree and I miss the fun of helping out Smile

Original poster
buffythenappyslayer · 02/05/2006 19:27

my cousin started doing my mums side of the family,but when she moved she didnt carry on with it all.and my mum had quite alot done,she came over to hull especially to go on the st catherines ledger,then she moved last year and all her stuff got thrown away by my brothers gf who thought it was a bag of paper and therefore rubbish!!4 years worth of research gone down the loo!!whereabouts in hull do you live?i used to live just off wold road.

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 02/05/2006 19:37

OMG - that's where I am. My kids go to Wold Primary.