Digging deeper

 

Collateral lines


Think of your collateral lines as the branches of your family tree. They are the people who have the same common ancestor as you but are not lineally related and include nephews and nieces, cousins, aunts, uncles and, further back, great aunts and uncles.

When gathering your research, always make a note of your ancestor’s siblings as this practice will often come to your aid if you reach a sticky patch researching your direct line. You might, for example, lose sight of your great grandmother but, because they shared the same parents, be able to pick up the trail again by concentrating your search on her brother.

It is also worth remembering that your overall family picture is enhanced by an achievement or some notoriety of an ancestor’s brother or sister, so it is a good idea to take a sideways step now and again!
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War graves


Searching for an ancestor who died in either WWI or WWII usually comes under the heading of ‘modern records’ and I’ve had reason to search these records for a member of my own family as well as on the behalf of other people.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has a database that lists the names of 1.7 million men and woman of the Commonwealth forces who lost their lives in the two world wars. This ‘DEPT OF HONOUR REGISTER’ is fully searchable online and is an indispensable resource as it gives the cemetery or the memorial where each individual is commemorated.

And if one of your ancestors was a civilian and a casualty of the Second World War, you can also search the database for them as it gives information about the 67,000 civilians who were killed as a result of enemy action.
 
To get a more in depth look at a campaign in which your ancestor may have taken part, take a look at the HISTORIES area of the CWGC website.

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Researching Titanic Ancestors


The transatlantic liner Titanic, on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, set sail on 10 April 1912 calling at Cherbourg in France and Queenstown in Ireland where more passengers were taken  on board.

At the helm was Captain Edward John Smith and, along with the officers and crewmen, hundreds of workers were employed to ensure things ran smoothly for the thousands of passengers. Workers included chefs, medics, bakers, barbers, cleaners and orchestra members and just about everything else. 

There were three classes of accommodation and of course, the different classes never mixed: The luxurious first class would be a temporary home to over 300 – mostly Americans – while the comfortable second class held mainly Britons. The steerage passengers were a variety of nationalities and most were making a one-way journey to the New World.

By the third day, the Titanic, having made good progress, had reached the North Atlantic Ocean. On 14 April, lookouts, on watch for icebergs, spotted a vast object in the water and warned the bridge. But, too late to alter direction, the ship hit an iceberg at 23:40.

The rest, as they say, is history. But history is genealogy and this is where the following links may come in handy as they give names of passengers, crew and victims. I’ve had call to use these records myself when I did some research for a client whose ancestor was believed to be employed in the Titanic’s engine room.

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Solving an illegitimacy puzzle


Uncovering an illegitimate child in your family tree needn’t hinder your research too much; a number of records kept in local county archives can help identify the father’s name.

Parish Registers

Spotting the entry for an illegitimate child is fairly easy. Generally, the mother’s and child’s names will be appear with a word such as: ‘natural’, ‘bastard’, ‘base born’, ‘misbegotten’ or ‘spurious’. 

‘Reputed’ and ‘imputed’ are two words you might find cropping up alongside the entry. If, for example, a child is said to be the ‘reputed child of William Morgan by Mary Brown’, this will tell you that William has admitted responsibility. On the other hand, if imputed is used, then this implies that the girl claims William is the father, but he hasn’t acknowledged paternity.

Sometimes things are more straightforward; a father’s name might appear as in ‘Eliza Brown, daughter of Mary Brown and William Morgan’. A child who is given two surnames is another clue worth pursuing: ‘Eliza Morgan Brown, daughter of Mary Brown’.

Poor Law Records

Up until 1834, when the Poor Law Unions were introduced, each parish was accountable for its own poor, with the overseers responsible for collecting money by means of the poor rate. The record books kept by the overseers can include payments made to mothers of illegitimate children and money collected from reputed fathers.

A formal examination could be made to determine a child’s father either before or after the birth. These sworn statements, made by the mother before a Justice of the Peace, reveal things such as the date of birth and the sex of the child, the putative father’s name, place of residence and his occupation.

Quarter Sessions Records

A case against the putative father might be brought to the Quarter Sessions if not settled privately. The documents will give the man’s name and place of residence.

Bastardy Bonds

These bonds, used before 1834, were signed by the father if a case was found, absolving the parish from financial responsibility and guaranteeing payment of maintenance until the child reached seven years of age. The Bastardy Bonds required two guarantors – one guarantor often being the man’s own father – and were commonly used in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Further Clues

If you have suspicions that a particular man might be the child’s father, it is worth checking to see if he has left a will. There may be a reference to his ‘natural’ son, for example, particularly if he had no legitimate sons.

Another possibility is that he took on an illegitimate son as an apprentice or perhaps paid the boy’s fee. The Apprentice Indentures will give the name of the apprentice and the master as well as the parish to which the child belonged and this information could help you to piece together a missing part of your family tree puzzle.
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