Dot Hawkes

[Redbel]

Now I'm not putting our Dot on a pedastal or anything, but this lady helped me find out my dad's parents names. My dad never talked about his family and I could only give Dot a few names ie, my dads name....she found my dads parents and even my grandmothers maiden name.....my dad has passed away now and I was so glad to pass the information Dot found onto my brothers and sisters.

[Redbel]

pedestal*

[dot.hawkes]

cheers Bez, i know there a several abers on here who have a very broard knowledge of the working of the very many sources , both online and in local studies libraries and record offices, and there will be lots of people willing to help and share info, it's gonna be a busy category i think, we may ask the ed for a sub-sub-category for Irish ancestry as that is the most misunderstood and misdirected research lol

[daisy48]

Dear Auntie Dot, Im tracing my mother's side using Ancestory.co.uk and so far Im back to my Gt Gt Grandfather who was born in Essex. I sent off for a copy of his birth certificate giving all the details but had a letter back saying that as my he was born in 1834 they could'nt help as cencus's did'nt start until 1837 so Im stuck now! Any tips or advice pleeeeeze? TIA

[dot.hawkes]

well have you checked the IGI for Kent? If the Parish he was baptised in has been covered by that index his baprism should be there, most people would have been baptised in the Anglican Church at that time. the IGI is available to search free at your local studies library. The whole country is available apart from some Cheshire parishes.
Next i would try to locate a younger sibling that may have been registered after July 1837 who appears on the 1851 census with the family, which is indexed by surname within each registartion district and available on Ancestry,co i believe. the parents should be the same on the birth cert with any luck and so at least you wil have that and then it is easier to find the baptisms anyway. You should already have his fathers name from his marriage certificate which should have led you to the census anyway. You need to cross reference all these records to add proof anf extra detail, you don't always need to go for the direct ancestor as i say, a sibling will get you the same info.

[daisy48]

Thanks Dot, I'll look up the 1851 cencus now as so far no siblings have shown up for Archie. I'll also got to our central library as well. Cheers:-)

[BBWCHATT]

Dot, I am sure you are right that there are others on here with a wealth of information - but having read most of the Genealogy questions you have responded to it isn't apparent!!! You seem to consistently have more valuable information than all the others put together!!! I always enjoy reading your responses.

[dot.hawkes]

BBWCHATT, well I am sure that is not necessarily the case but I do know there is a real difference between the way genealogy is done online and the way it is done using the primary and secondary source material in a county record Office or a local Studies Library.
The main difference is that i have a thorough understanding of not just how the indexes and records look on the internet, but how they were compiled and for what purpose, what they include, what the original source contains and how much info you can derive from the index and the original indexed record.
I also feel that there needs to be an nderstanding of how people lived their lives on a day to day basis to try to uncover by deduction and elimination what records they are likely to be found in, why they did what they did, why things turn up that cause us to puzzle over what has happened.
I did teach many topics within the subject for 7 years and so through repetition it is all stored in my head, the thing now is that though the primary sources and original type of record have not changed, the research methods have through technology and the internet.
i am dying for someone to post some really interesting questions about the Poor Law, Tythe maps, Manoral Courts, Paleography, Quarter Session records, early taxation etc, we shall see, i hope the other ABers with some understanding of the sources used will be able to offer their advice aswell, like those here have already done.

Dotty
xxxx

[BBWCHATT]

Dot - I smell a business here!!! Why don't you have a website where you do the work for others for a fee??? I am sure there is an ABer who could set one up for you for free or at least for a small amount of money. Of course I am hoping you still help us at no charge :)