52 Ancestors - #6 Eliza Ann REES

Eliza Ann REES was born in Aberdare, Glamorgan, Wales in 1882 to Henry Thomas REES and Hannah WILLIAMS.  Eliza was the third child out of seven that I know of.  I wish I could have met Eliza, she didn't have an easy life but she had a head for business.  Eliza's grandchildren and great grandchildren would tell how Eliza's father was no good with money, however her mother certainly seems to have been a clever woman (who ran a number of businesses) and taught her children how to earn, manage and invest money.

Eliza was married at the age of 20 (1902) to  George Emmanuel SAUNDERS, after 3 children and 10 years together, Eliza was left a widow (1913). Eliza didn't grieve very long, with 3 children to tend to, having a husband to help keep them and raise them would have been the most practical thing to have.  About 1 year after loosing George, Eliza was wed Henry Uppington LEWIS (1914).

When Britain went to War Eliza must have feared here husband would be called to fight and had most likely told him so.  Eliza's grandchildren and great grandchildren recounted that Henry 'ran away' and joined the Army without telling Eliza.  For three more years Eliza raised her children alone and soldiered on.  In November 1918 Henry was transferred to the Labour Corps, at lease now he was not on the front lines.  Finally in February 1919,  Henry was discharged from the Army and returned home to Eliza and the children.

Eliza and Henry purchased the lease hold on their house and ran a grocers shop from the front room.  Eliza's Great grandson speaks of how Eliza wouldn't turn away someone in need, be it a cup of sugar or a weeks groceries.  Eliza kept 'tabs', little wooden blocks detailing what her customers owed her, but would after sometime knowing that the family could not afford the bill burn those tabs to clear the debt.  Eliza would also receive visitors to the backdoor at weekends or after hours, since she couldn't sell them anything at that time she would 'give away' what was needed and the bill would be settled at a latter date.

At 69 (1951) she purchased the freehold to her house from the land owner and still she kept working.  Eliza continued to work for the rest of her life, taking her rest in July 1963 when death claimed her. She was 81 years old.  Her beloved Henry joined her just a year later.

Eliza's home is now home to her one of her Grandchildren, but her true legacy is that her daughter and granddaughter have the same heart as she did - always sacrificing their own needs for the sake of other people.

Yes, how I wish I could have met Eliza, despite the heartache she endured, she raised her children to be loving, caring, selfless individuals.  An inspiration.

Researching British Isles Roots: Civil Registration - Part 3 (Ireland)

What is Civil Registration?

• Civil Registration is the process of recording Births, Marriages and Deaths that are created and maintained by government. There records are also known as Vital Records.

When did Civil Registration begin?

• 1 January 1845 for Non-Catholic Marriages
• 1 January 1864 for all

Where can I locate Civil Registration records?

• Records are available from the Registrars employed by local Councils. 
• NiDirect allows you to purchase certificates for Northern Ireland online
• hse allows the purchase of certificates online for the whole of Ireland up to December 1921 and for the Republic of Ireland from January 1922.
• The General Register Office in Roscommon accept postal requests for certificates

What type of certificate do I need?

• Standardised certificates have been issued since 2003 and are the equivalent to the old long form certificates.
• Photocapies of the registers are available as research copies (not certified) by postal request to the General Register Office in Roscommon.

What information is recorded on Civil Registration Records?

Birth

• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Names of the child
• Gender
• Father's name (May be left blank if not married to the mother)
• Father’s occupation
• Mother's name
• Mother’s maiden names
• Informants signature
• Informants  description
• Informants  address
• Date of registration
• Registrars signature

Marriage

• Date of Marriage
• Location of Marriage
• Groom's name
• Groom's age (may be given as Full or Minor)
• Groom's condition (bachelor, widower, divorcee)
• Groom's occupation
• Groom's usual residence
• Groom's Father's name
• Groom's Father's occupation
• Bride's name (including all prior surnames)
• Bride's age (may be given as Full or Minor)
• Bride's condition (spinster, widow, divorcee)
• Bride's occupation
• Bride's usual residence
• Bride's Father's names
• Bride's Father's occupations
• Signature of groom
• Signature of bride
• Signature of 2 or more witnesses
• 
  
• Signature of officiant

Death

• Full Name
• Gender
• Age or Date of Birth
• Occupation
• Date and place of Death
• Cause of death
• Condition as to Marriage
• Informants signature, description and address
• Date of Registration
• Signature of Registrar

Further Reading and Information

• NI Direct
• Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
• HSE
• The General Register Office
• Researching British Isles Roots: Civil Registration - Part 1 (England and Wales)
• Researching British Isels Roots: Civil Registration - Part 2 (Scotland)

52 Ancestors - #5 Rees WALTERS b. 1869

When I first asked my Grandfather about his Grandfather Rees WALTERS he told me that Rees was a foundling. Oh great! A foundling with no known parents was just what I needed to throw up a brick wall. I refused to be defeated, I knew that it was impossible to suddenly turn up on earth as an adult and get married without some kind of back story but what made Rees the man he was? Even if he was a foundling, surely someone had raised him as a child. I decided the only thing I could do was analyse what I actually knew.


Info from my Grandfather:

Rees Walters was his maternal Grandfather. Rees married Alice BARNES and had 3 Daughter; Amy Olive, Elsie Mary and Ida Lucy. My Grandfather knew Ida was born about 1913 around Builth, Breconshire, Wales and was the youngest daughter but was unsure of when her sisters had been born other than Amy was the eldest. He also recalled that Alice had been born in Gloucestershire, England and grew up near Tewksbury, Gloucestershire, England where Amy would later live with her husband in her Grandparents cottage.

Using what I knew about the family structure I estimated that given Ida was born in 1913 then assuming there was a year minimum between the girls, then Amy would have been born no later than 1911. When I consulted the birth index I found Elsie Mary was born in 1912 and a likely Amy Olive born in 1909.

1911¹
Feeling that my best chance of finding the family on the 1911 Census was to start with Amy, I entered her details into the search box and hit search:

1911 Wales Census Result For Amy Olive WALTERS at Ancestry.com 

As you can see the first result on the page looks like a match except the county appears to be wrong but I decided to check the record and see if this was what I was looking for or not. The census showed:

Address: Penbenkin, Builth Wells

• Rees WALTERS, Head, age 40, a Gardener (Domestic) and was born in Beulah, Breconshire, Wales 

• Alice WALTERS, Wife, age 38 was born in Oxenton, Gloucester, England. She had been married 2 years,had given birth to 1 live child and had 1 child still living. 

• Amy Olive WALTERS, Daughter, age 1 was born in Llanelwedd, Builth, Radnorshire, Wales. 

When checking the map I realised that Builth is a border town which spans both Radnorshire and Breconshire. This family felt right and I was confident that I was on the right track.

MARRIAGE²
From the 1911 census (which was taken at the beginning of April) I knew that Rees had been married to Alice for 2 years, so off to the Marriage index I went to see if I could find their marriage between April 1908 and March 1909 but expecting to have to widen my search if my initial search didn't bear fruit. Only one result was returned:

Marriage index search for Rees Walters - http://www.freebmd.org.uk

So clicking on the page number to see who else was on the page I could see:

Marriage index search for Rees Walters - http://www.freebmd.org.uk

The marriage certificate showed that on 10th November 1908 at the Parish Church in Breadon, Worcester, England, Rees WALTER, 38, Bachelor, Gardener, Son of Rees WALTERS (deceased), Cowman was married by Banns to Alice BARNES, 35, Spinster, Daughter of William BARNES (occupation unreadable).

1901³
with no idea of a mother's name or any siblings to aid the search, finding Rees was going to be a leap of faith. looking I found a a very likely match:

Address: Pencerrig, Nr Llanelwydd, Builth, Radnorshire, Wales

• Mary Anne WALTERS, Head, 57, Widow, a Caretaker and born in Beulah, Breconshire 

• Rees WALTERS, Son, 31, Single, a General Labourer and born in Beulah, Breconshire 

• Sarah J WALTERS, daughter, 27, single, a housemaid and born in Beulah, Breconshire 

• Mary WALTERS, daughter, 24, single, a cook and born in Beulah, Breconshire. 

1891
I hoped to follow this family and ascertain if it was the family I was hoping for only to discover⁴:

Address: 30 Martin's Row, Fochrhiw, Ysgwyddgwyn, Glamorganshire, Wales

• Rees WALTERS, boarder, 21, single, Labourer in a Coalmine and born in Llangammarch, Breconshire, Wales 

However his mother and sisters' are at⁵:

Address: Tyclun (Post Office), Treflis, Beulah, Breconshire, Wales

• Mary Anne WALTERS, Head, 47, Widow, a Laundress and born in Abergwessin, Breconshire, Wales

• Sarah Jane WALTERS, daughter, 17, single, a laundress assistant and born in Llangammarch, Breconshire, Wales

• Eliz^th WALTERS, daughter, 16, single, a dressmaker and born in Llangammarch, Breconshire, Wales

1881⁶

Address: Post Office, Llangammarch, Treflis, Beulah, Breconshire, Wales (same as 1891 with same neighbours)

• Mary Anne WALTERS, Head, 37, Widow, a Charwoman and born in Llanlleonfel, Breconshire

• Rees WALTERS, Son, 11, Single, a Scholar and born in Llangammarch, Breconshire

• Sarah Jane WALTERS, daughter, 7, single, a Scholar and born in Llangammarch, Breconshire

• Elizth WALTERS, daughter, 6, single, a Scholar and born in Llangammarch, Breconshire

• Mary WALTERS, daughter, 24, single, a Scholar and born in Llangammarch, Breconshire

1871⁷

Address: Aberawrell Lodge, Llangammarch, Breconshire

• Rees WALTERS, Head, 23, Married, Sawyer,  born in Llangammarch, Brecknockshire

• Mary Anne WALTERS, Wife, 27, Married, Sawyer's Wife,  born in Llangammarch, Brecknockshire

• Rees WALTERS, Son, 1, born in Llangammarch, Brecknockshire

• David J WALTERS, Son, 8 months, born in Llangammarch, Brecknockshire

Baptism⁸

Powys Baptisms, Welsh Archive Services / Gwasanaethau Archifau Cymru - www.findmypast.co.uk

Conclusion
I presented my research to my Grandfather who agreed that it looked right and he recalled an Aunt called Jane who married a Charles Oliver late in life.  When I checked for marriages I discovered that Charles OLIVER married Sarah Jane WALTERS in 1918 - Sarah's father was given as Rees WALTERS deceased while her brother Rees and sister Mary signed the record as witnesses.  When I asked about the 'foundling' my Grandfather repeated that Rees WALTERS was said to be a foundling, however we now know that it was not this Rees. However, I have not ruled out that their is a Rees WALTERS in the family that was a foundling but this just goes to prove that you have to take what others have said and been told with a grain of salt.  I don't doubt that my Grandfather had been told that someone had no parents although with sons named after their fathers and grandfathers, it is very easy to mix up the generations and end up on a wild goose chance.

Sources

1. 1911 Wales Census - Class: RG14; Piece: 33535; Schedule Number: 29.
2. Marriage Register - Powys Marriages provided by Welsh Archive Services / Gwasanaethau Archifau Cymru, Accessed at www.Findmypast.co.uk
3. 1901 Wales Census - Class: RG13; Piece: 5164; Folio: 8; Page: 7.
4. 1891 Wales Census (Rees) - Class: RG12; Piece: 4432; Folio: 9; Page: 14; GSU Roll: 6099542.
5. 1891 Wales Census (Mary Anne) - Class: RG12; Piece: 4565; Folio: 46; Page: 14; GSU Roll: 6099675
6. 1881 Wales Census - Class: RG11; Piece: 5453; Folio: 49; Page: 8; GSU roll: 1342312.
7. 1871 Wales Census - Class: RG10; Piece: 5573; Folio: 8; Page: 9; GSU roll: 850870.
8. Baptism Register - Powys Baptisms provided by Welsh Archive Services / Gwasanaethau Archifau Cymru, Accessed at www.Findmypast.co.uk

Researching British Isles Roots: Civil Registration - Part 2 (Scotland)

What is Civil Registration?

• Civil Registration is the process of recording Births, Marriages and Deaths that are created and maintained by government. There records are also known as Vital Records.

When did Civil Registration begin?

• 1 January 1855

Where can I locate Civil Registration records?

• Records are available from the Registrars employed by 32 local Councils (local government authorities) who are responsible for recording the Vital Records in registers which are then stored and preserved centrally. 
• The Registrar General receives copies of all births, marriages and deaths for Scotland, these are then made available to search and purchase at ScotlandsPeople.

What type of certificate do I need?

• Images of the original registers are available to view and download on ScotlandsPeople for historical records by clicking the 'view' button on the search results page. Historical records are defined as (are at time of this post going to press): Births 1855-1913, Marriages 1855-1938 and Deaths 1855-1963.
• Certificates will need to be ordered for all records up to 2009. This can be done from ScotlandsPeople by clicking the 'order' button on the search results page.

What information is recorded on Civil Registration Records?

Birth

• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Full names of the child
• Gender
• Father's name (May be left blank if not married to the mother)
• Father’s occupation
• Mother's name
• Mother’s maiden names
• Mother's occupation (1855-1998 usually if unmarried or no father listed, 1999 onwards)
• Parents marriage date and place (1855, 1861 onwards)
• Informants signature
• Informants  description
• Informants  address
• Date of registration
• Registrars signature

Marriage

• Date of Marriage
• Location of Marriage
• How married (Established Church, licence,)
• Groom's name
• Groom's age (1855-1871)
• Groom's Date and Place of Birth (1872 onwards)
• Groom's condition (bachelor, widower, divorcee)
• Groom's occupation
• Groom's usual residence
• Groom's Parents names
• Groom's Parents occupations
• Brides name (including all prior surnames)
• Brides age (1855-1871)
• Bride's Date and Place of Birth (1872 onwards)
• Brides condition (spinster, widow, divorcee)
• Brides occupation
• Brides usual residence
• Brides Parents names
• Brides Parents occupations
• Parents alive or deceased
• Signature of groom
• Signature of bride
• Signature of 2 or more witnesses
• Address of Witnesses (1922 onwards)
• Signature of officiant

Death

• Name
• Age
• Date of Birth (1966 onwards)
• Occupation (May include fathers name and occupation for a minor or husbands details for a married/widowed woman)
• Date, time and place of Death
• Cause of death
• Duration of Illness (1855-1964)
• Usual residence
• Informants signature, description and address (no address 1966-1971)
• Parents Names, Occupations and Alive/Deceased
• Spouse's Names (1855, 1861 onwards. Sometimes 1856-1860)
• Name of Doctor certifying the death
• Date and Place of Registration
• Signature of Registrar

Further Reading and Information

• ScotlandsPeople - Statutory Registers.
• General Register Office for Scotland
• Researching British Isles Roots: Civil Registration - Part 1 (England and Wales)
• Researching British Isles Roots: Civil Registration - Part 3 (Ireland)

52 Ancestors - #4 Joan ANDREWS

Today's 52 Ancestors entry is a look at a story I was told as a child and how what we hear is not always the whole story.

The Story

As a child, I can recall various people telling me about my Grandfather's cousin.  I would be told that Uncle Jim (James Henry ANDREWS, my Grandfather's paternal Uncle) had a daughter.  This daughter was never names, but in many ways as a child that didn't matter to me as the story was a warning in its self. 

When she was young, this little girl had an accident and was scolded by hot water.  As a result she sadly died- the warning was don't play with hot water or you could be badly hurt or even die.  The story continued that the girl’s mother couldn't cope which what had happened and deserted her husband.  I was always under the impression that the mother had been giving the little girl a bath and poured hot water on the child accidentally, which resulted in fatal scolding. 

The Reality

I tracked down Uncle Jim's marriage and found the name of his with, this allowed me to use the index of births to find potential children.  In the 20 years after Uncle Jim's marriage, only five children were born with the name ANDREWS and the correct mother's maiden name, all these children were born in the area that I knew my family was living at the time.  One of the children was called Joan, I thought instantly that must be her, as the remaining four appeared to have boy’s names.  I decided to throw caution to the wind and ordered her birth certificate.  When it arrived, I found that Joan was indeed Uncle Jim's daughter.  

So now, I have a name but how much of the story was true?  The Index of death registration was my next port of call.  In the search box I put Joan's name, year of birth +/- 1 year and a 20-year period for a death - I had five results, only one was in was in the right county and registration district for where the family lived, this person was also just 3 years old.  Knowing that there was no guarantee that this was the person I was looking for, I opted to order the certificate to find out. 

The death certificate arrived and I was not prepared for what I read.  The certificate was for Joan ANDREWS, a 3-year-old girl and the daughter of James Andrews.  The place of death was given as the same street that her father was living prior to marriage, which lead me to think she was indeed mine.  Suddenly I didn't want to read the box listing the cause of death but this was the reason I wanted her death certificate.  Having gathered my thoughts I read the box for cause of death: effects of accidental scolding.  The next box is the informant’s signature, qualification and date, this read: certificate received from Rees Jenkin RHYS Coroner for Glamorgan Inquest held 10 July 1924.

July 10th, 1924?  I knew that date well!  This was the day that my Grandfather was born, I couldn't help wonder if the shock of Joan's death had brought my Great-Grandmother into labour or if the inquest was a stress too far for her.

Now I knew that part of the story was true but still not what had caused the scolding.  A local newspaper held the answer with just two short paragraphs.

CHILD’S FATAL SCALDS.

A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned at an inquest at Bargoed to-day on Joan Andrews, the daughter of James Andrews, Park-place, Gilfach, who died Friday last from scalds received that day. 

Evidence was given by Mrs E. Blewitt, the child’s grandmother, who said that there was a bucket of hot water on the floor, and she placed the child on the sofa for safety.  The little one, however, climbed down and knocked the bucket over and was scalded.  The Child was delicate, and subject to fits, and died soon afterwards from fits.

 South Wales Echo, Thursday July 10th, 1924

Now I have an answer.  The little girl I remember being told about was named Joan, she did die after being scalded but it seems it was an accident while she was in the care of her Grandmother and not her mother.  I know that Joan’s mother did leave her husband some time after Joan’s death, eventually she and James divorced and she remarried many years later.  James never remarried; he lived with his younger brother and his brother’s family for many years contributing to the household income.

In Memory of John ANDREWS, 21 May 1921 – 5 July 1924

Researching British Isles Roots: Civil Registration - Part 1 (England and Wales)

What is Civil Registration?

• Civil Registration is the process of recording Births, Marriages and Deaths that are created and maintained by government. There records are also known as Vital Records.

When did Civil Registration begin?

• 1st July 1837

Where can I locate Civil Registration records?

• Local Register Offices record Births, Marriages and Deaths in the area that they occur. The Registrar at the Register Office is able to provide a certified copy of any record that is in their custody.  The Register Office for an area is often contactable via the local council.
• The General Register Office (GRO) receives copies of all births, marriages and deaths for the whole of England and Wales approximately 6 months after registration (18 months for marriages).  The indexes for the GRO are available online at Ancestry,  FindMyPast and FreeBMD (incomplete) to name just a few. The references in the indexes can then be used to order certificates direct from the GRO.

What type of certificate do I need?

• When given an option of different types of certificate, a Full certificate should be requested for genealogical purposes. Short (birth) certificates provide limited info such as name, date and location for the individual being recorded.

What information is recorded on Civil Registration Records?

Birth

• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Given names of the child
• Gender
• Surname of the child (from 1997)
• Father's name (May be left blank if not married to the mother)
• Father’s occupation
• Mother's name
• Mother’s maiden names
• Informants signature
• Informants  description
• Informants  address
• Date of registration
• Registrars signature
• Names entered after registration

Marriage

• Date of Marriage
• Location of Marriage
• How married (banns, licence, certificate)
• Groom's name
• Grooms age (May be recorded as a number, minor or full where full is over 21 years old)
• Grooms condition (bachelor, widower, divorcee)
• Grooms occupation
• Grooms usual residence
• Grooms fathers name
• Grooms fathers occupation
• Brides name (including all prior surnames)
• Brides age (as for groom)
• Brides condition (spinster, widow, divorcee)
• Brides occupation (frequently left blank on historical records)
• Brides usual residence
• Brides fathers name
• Brides fathers occupation
• Signature of groom
• Signature of bride
• Signature of 2 or more witnesses
• Signature of officiant

Death

• Name
• Age (until May 1969)
• Date of Birth (since June 1969)
• Occupation (May include fathers name and occupation for a minor or husbands details for a married/widowed woman)
• Date and place
• Cause of death (including name of coroner and date of inquest if held)
• Usual residence
• Informants signature, description and address

Further Reading and Information

• The National Archives
• Barbara's Registration Web Page
• UK BMD
• Gov.uk - Certificates, register offices, changes of name or gender
• Researching British Isles Roots - Part 2 (Scotland)
• Researching British Isles Roots - Part 3 (Ireland)