Now you can see Henry in his domestic setting. From his birth certificate, you know his parents' names and his father's occupation as well as where he was born, so it should be fairly easy to identify the correct return. Returning to our example of the Crosbie family, you know that Henry Alan Crosbie was born in Bath in 1890, so could search for him as a baby in the 1891 census. If you follow the rule that you never put anyone on your family tree unless you are sure of their identity, and that you ask yourself at every turn if you are sure this is the right person, you are likely to keep on track. The census, which we will come to in the next section, is a fabulous tool for distinguishing between different people, particularly by pinpointing our ancestors' exact location. You might even find that there were two people called John Smith born at the same time in the same place, and worst of all, with parents of similar names. Sometimes you will have to order more than one certificate before you find the right one. It will then be up to you to choose between them. But what if the name you are looking for is John Smith or Anne Williams? Then when you search the birth indexes, you are likely to come up with dozens and dozens of options. With luck and sound technique, you might keep this pattern up for several generations.įor example, the name Henry Alan Crosbie is not very common, and you are unlikely to find lots of options in the indexes. Once you are happy that you have the correct birth certificates for Arthur and Ada, you will have the full names of both sets of parents, so can continue by searching for both marriage certificates. You know from the marriage certificate that Arthur's father was William Arthur Crosbie, and Ada's father Frederick George, so does this information match what is recorded on the birth certificates? You may even find that the professions of wheelwright and chair maker that appear on the marriage certificate are replicated on the birth certificates, but remember that many years had passed in between, and people might have changed occupation between one document and the next. However, you will have to do some checking when the certificates arrive. If you are lucky, there will only be one person of each name born in the right time period, leaving you confident that you have found the right ones. You should therefore search the birth indexes for Arthur and Ada in the relevant years, and a few years either side. These names should be added to your family tree. You now have your first genealogical document, and have discovered the names of your great grandparents. And your father was right - Henry's parents are listed on the certificate as being Arthur Alan Crosbie, a teacher, and Ada Crosbie, formerly George (George was therefore her maiden name). When it arrives, you will be able to examine the information it contains and confirm it is correct: the name and date of birth should match the information you know to be true. Some of these details might be confirmed by information in family photographs, letters or diaries, and perhaps Henry Alan Crosbie's death certificate, which your father may have.Ī good first step would be to order a copy of Henry's birth certificate, which can be done by searching the birth indexes for England and Wales under his name and year of birth, and buying the certificate from the General Register Office (see 'Elsewhere on the Web' links). Your father adds that Henry's parents were called Arthur and Ada Crosbie, but knows no more about them because they died when he was young. Your family members agree that your grandfather was called Henry Alan Crosbie and that he was born on 18 June 1890 in Bath. Suppose your starting point is your grandfather's birth.
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