Joseph Stephen

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:01 pm

Hi Alan & Frances,

Thank you for your replies, I hadnt thought of your suggestion Frances, a good one I will give it a try.

Alan, I also wondered about my census info, so went back to check and I am pretty certain it is right, as Jane, is recorded as Jane Barclay Stephen and her son, who was in earlier census, Alexander Barclay, is also there in 1891, Joseph's age never varies and always stated, born in Benholm, I checked as to whether there were any more Joseph Stephen's births around the same time in Benholm, but nothing matched.

I have the 1875 death, it was one of the first I tried, absolutely sure that this was mine!!

What a let down! and many more since! I will go back on tonight and check earlier deaths, maybe there was another Joseph! my minds in overdrive now

Thanks

Ann

mr-aitch · Post by **mr-aitch** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:25 am

Hi, Ann

I'll suggest a technique I've used successfully on a number of occasions. You have Joseph alive at the 1891 census and Jane a widow in 1894 both events in Colthill Edzell. Having exhausted the use of wildcards in the indexes I resort to checking the Registrar's original indexes at the back of the appropriate book. That can only be done at New Register House, of course, where they are accessible fiche of the pages. Reading through those original indexes will let you see if Joseph's death was registered there using a strange version of his name. If not, it will at least tell you that he didn't die in Colthill Edzell.

Good hunting,

Tom

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:53 am

mr-aitch wrote:Hi, Ann

I'll suggest a technique I've used successfully on a number of occasions. You have Joseph alive at the 1891 census and Jane a widow in 1894 both events in Colthill Edzell. Having exhausted the use of wildcards in the indexes I resort to checking the Registrar's original indexes at the back of the appropriate book. That can only be done at New Register House, of course, where they are accessible fiche of the pages. Reading through those original indexes will let you see if Joseph's death was registered there using a strange version of his name. If not, it will at least tell you that he didn't die in Colthill Edzell.

Good hunting,

Tom

Hello Tom,

Have you ever tried it with births?

Regards,
Annette M

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:30 am

Hi Tom,

I was thinking that was what I was going to have to do, until......

I found him this morning!!!!

I am so happy! I went right back to the start and looked at everything, then noticed I had his birth as 1820, when it should have been 1822, a small slip of the pen but exactly where I was going wrong, then started again with wildcards, nothing again, so I just put in Jo for first name, and a death in Fetteresso, Kincardine, came up in 1894, spelling was Joesph but the age was 10 years out, I opened it and there he was, a Pauper, in the Poor House, and stating he was a widow, although Jane was alive at the time. It was signed by the govener, who must have got the age wrong ( oh I hope so or I have another problem

) Cant believe I did not see it before!

Thank you all for your help and advice, I am off to go over all my other BDM'S

just in case.

Ann

mr-aitch · Post by **mr-aitch** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:03 am

Great result, Ann!

Annette M asked if I had used the technique for births - indeed I have.

We had a William SOMAS listed as an 18-year old, born in Hamilton and living there in the 1881 census. DIGROS refused to divulge William's birth but I eventually found him in the Registrar's Index recorded as SEYMOUR! That was fine: 1891 and 1901 censuses, William's early death and his mother's death all followed under SEYMOUR but his father was not to be found until the Registrar's Index again came up trumps with SUMMERS.

Worth trying when confronted by a "wall".

Regards,

Tom

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 9:12 am

Thanks Tom.

Regards,
Annette M