Geneology- any experts??

[colette]

As there is a lot of mystery surrounding my great grandfather's death I have always morbidly thought I would like to trace his death certificate.
A few weeks ago I actually found my great grandmother on the 1901 census(I do not know his christian name so I thought I would trace her marrige certificate to obtain it)
Great granny was still showing as unmarried aged 30 (obviously runs in our family) and running a shop with her widowed mum, but as my grandmother was born 11 months after the census took place it was likely that she married from this address. So how do I obtain a marriage certificate without going to Kew as I live in Scotland when I don't know the exact date or parish? She lived in Norwood which was part of surrey then. Sorry about the rambling . BTw I have looked at Church of Latter day saints website and haven't managed to get anywhere.

You need to look at the birth marriage and death indexes - they are often kept at main libraries - but I am not sure Scotland would have the ones for England (probably not). In which case you have to get some nice friendly person to do it for you.

Actually thinking about it if you know when your grandmother was born and where you can contact the local register office and get them to give you the certificate of the birth. That way you can go by district rather than parish. That should have her fathers name on it. Then you would need to look at the indexes to find his marriage and or burial.
This might help www.freebmd.org.uk/

Have a look at www.freebmd.org.uk/ - you might find it listed there.

The IGI (latter days saints aren't usually useful until before 1850ish, and then not everyone is on it).

Is his death likely to have had a coroners inquest ? If so then maybe there are records of it at the county record office - you would need to contact them.

you might want to look here
bbc tracing family history page

Throckenholt and Nasa Thanks for your replies.
Throckenholt are all the indexes held at all main English libraries?
I will ask my mum re: where her mum was born, I don't hold out a lot of hope as she doesn't even know where they were married!The idea of trying to trace the coroners county records is good. Again I need confirmation of the exact place. Also they changed their surname after he died in 1911 as he was German and it did not make them very popular. Do you know how I would access those details?
Nasa I am going to look at the website when ds and dd are in bed it looks really interesting thanks[smile}

oops

Bump ?

Colette

You can see the indexes to the registers of birth, marriage and death certificates online at www.1837online.com/Trace2web/

• if you go to this site you get a lot of good advice on starting family history. Another good pllce is the national archives site, as they have put up a lot of research guides into using their stuff - army, navy, criminals etc. It's worth browsing their research guide index (www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/researchguidesindex.asp) just in case anything matches what you know - eg fought in first world war etc. Their family history guide is pretty good on certificates etc.

Looking at what you know, you may find a skeleton in the cupboard - no name, no death certificate may mean no husband ... May be worth going for your grandmother's birth certificate as this should include details of her father like name age and occupation. Lots of us find skeletons like this ...

Thanks copper I will look at the websites in detail this evening.
I have been on the National Archives but need to spend a sessions when ds and dd are in bed as he keeps attacking the keyboard..It is fascinating stuff .

Oooh the 1837 website looks interesting - what am I turning into. Thanks a lot betroot I will cat you then I better go and do something housework wise .