searchmyancestry – Ruth A. Symes
Innovative approaches to understanding more about your family history
Garrould Oldren (1799-1883) baptism in Wissett, Suffolk on 23 December 1799.jpg Via Wikimedia Commons In the years before Civil Registration of births (England and Wales, 1837; Scotland, 1855; Ireland, 1864), and sometimes afterwards, some unwed mothers were willing to confess the name of their baby’s father to the vicar of the parish at the time... Continue Reading →
The Fallen Woman, c 1880, anon. Via Wikimedia Commons. We have probably all experienced that sense of frustration when the birth certificate of an ancestor arrives from the GRO and no father’s name is recorded upon it. The only thing that we can be reasonably sure about in these cases is that the parents of... Continue Reading →
Delighted to announce the publication of my article on Marriage Mishaps in November 2025’s Discover Your Ancestors online periodical (by subscription). http://www.discoveryourancestors.com No-shows at the altar, mixups with the marriage vows and umpteen weddings that were stalled at the eleventh hour !
