I've just spent a very frustrating day chasing a family around a goodly part of England (and France and New Zealand) and not getting anywhere fast! It doesn't help when they use three variations of their surname, not just from generation to generation but within a single family. Considering they had a "family pile", they were seemed to have a gypsy in their collective soul. They've appeared and disappeared with great regularity. Births with no marriages or deaths - and they can't still be alive. Marriages with no births or deaths. Deaths with no births or marriages. I'm wondering if the fact several of them were dentists has anything to do with their propensity for hiding on a regular basis ;)) Does anyone have any favourite ways of dealing with families like this - other than giving up on them? -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk

You can always hope that one of the children has an unusual Christian name. I've always found that extremely useful and I just type in the Christian name and an approximate date of birth give or take two years. Certainly when looking for a family on the census that's a great help. Then when they go AWOL, remember many families put their toe in the water so to speak and went abroad - even dentists were required in the colonies - they could have married abroad and then come back. I've often found that and amongst the children will be one born abroad. Liz www.btinternet.com/~e.newbery OPC for Street, Somerset ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charani" <familyhunter@family-hunter.co.uk> To: "B+D List" <bristol_and_district@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 12:14 AM Subject: [B&D] Frustrations, frustrations! > I've just spent a very frustrating day chasing a family around a > goodly part of England (and France and New Zealand) and not getting > anywhere fast! It doesn't help when they use three variations of > their surname, not just from generation to generation but within a > single family. > > Considering they had a "family pile", they were seemed to have a gypsy > in their collective soul. > > They've appeared and disappeared with great regularity. Births with > no marriages or deaths - and they can't still be alive. Marriages > with no births or deaths. Deaths with no births or marriages. > > I'm wondering if the fact several of them were dentists has anything > to do with their propensity for hiding on a regular basis ;)) > > Does anyone have any favourite ways of dealing with families like this > - other than giving up on them? > > -- > Charani (UK) > OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM > Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM > http://wsom-opc.org.uk > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BRISTOL_AND_DISTRICT-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Tell me about it Chirani!    I have spent endless hours with one of my families and still I'm back where I started.  In view of all the experienced people on this list I thought I would put out a plea for help with the following details. William Ebenezer Yeates born 1844 Bristol ( sometimes Yates/Yeats) Married Elizabeth Bick 1866 - their daughter Mary Elizabeth Mortimer Bick born at Uley, Glos, 2 yrs before their marriage . Elizabeth Yeates nee Bick died Jan 1876 William E Yeates married Emily Ann Gallop Sep 1876 All plain sailing so far but after their marriage Emily always appears on the census returns living with her father John Gallop, in Chew Magna and William lodging elsewhere. I know that could be pure coincidence and he could have been away from home working as a Gas fitter/Plumber but the following details lead me to think otherwise.   In 1891 William Yeates is living back in Bristol with a daughter Elizabeth 6yrs and a son Thomas 4yrs  (no records of their births have come to light yet in my searches and I have tried all spelling variants I can think of)) and at the same address is a widow Elizabeth Clifford  ( her husband George died 1883) with her 6 children.  By 1901 Elizabeth Clifford is listed as Elizabeth Yeates,wife of William and they have moved to Bath. Meanwhile Emily, his lawful wife, is still living with her family in Chew Magna. The death  certificate of Emily Yeates 1901 confirms her as the wife of William but he was not the informant as an Inquest had been held as was the case with William when he died in 1915 so I assume William and Elizabeth lived as man and wife in Bath with no official status as such.   It seems very strange to me that a father has the care of two young children, Thomas and Elizabeth in 1891 when his wife is still alive and leads me to wonder if Elizabeth Clifford was their mother but their births are not registered under her name either.  Whilst Thomas appears on the 1901 census with his father  I can find no further trace of Elizabeth. If anyone can help me to find the births of these children or Elizabeth after 1891 I should be most grateful.   Janet  :o))

>I've just spent a very frustrating day chasing a family around a >goodly part of England (and France and New Zealand) and not getting >anywhere fast! >Does anyone have any favourite ways of dealing with families like this >- other than giving up on them? My first port of call in cases like this is the wills index. Don't forget to order both the will and the notice of probate (at no extra cost). Wills are a bit like a Chance card - sometimes providing great leads, sometimes nothing. At the very least, the names and addresses of the executors give you something to go on. Ian