pyd_zac7 wrote: > The marriage certificate of my grandfather Henry Rose states my > step G/mother Florrie Gerrish was aged 43 therefore born in 1863 > and that her father was John Gerrish a Cab Proprietor was deceased. > > All the indications are that they originated in Clifton Bristol BUT > I cannot find her actual birth records in 1863 There appears to be > two John Gerrish marrying in 1864 a Mary Short who had a daughter > Mary Ann and the second John Gerrish marrying a Rosabella Dyer. BUT > again cannot find any trace of them in subsequent censuses. There's one in Q1 1864 in Bristol to either Mary Hobbs COOPER or Mary EVANS and on in Q2 1864 again in Bristol to either Rosabella DYER or Mary SHORT. A check in the 1871 census suggests Rosabella married Henry WIGLEY and there's a death that fits in Q1 1890 Barton R. > Except for a married John Gerrish - a Fly driver in 1881 without > any family living with him in Bristol. Since a Fly was a type of carriage, I'd say that was your man. If John didn't marry Rosabella and it appears he didn't, then it opens up the possibility that he married either Ann COLLINS or Martha JAYNE in Bristol Q3 1862 which I would favour as a more likely marriage date if Florrie was born in 1863. I'd suggest putting in a request to the GRO for a birth cert for a Florence/Florrie/Flora GERRISH b abt 1863 with a John GERRISH as her father and his occupation as Fly, Cab or other driver. It's possible they have the birth but it isn't in the indices. They'll do a search for a couple of years either side of that given. If they have it, they'll send it. If they don't, you get a full refund. If that draws a blank, try the local register office with the same information. There's a Florence GERRISH in the 1881 in Clutton, born Bristol, who's a parlour maid to Francis ARNOLD, a clergyman. Her age is given as 22 but age is a moveable feast! The nearest birth registration to the above Florence is Q4 1855 in Thornbury RD. A girl 14 and upwards would most likely have been working, possibly younger. Many girls went into service and if she was good at her job, she may have been "headhunted" and risen to working with a wealthy family and been anywhere the family had a home. > The only possibilty seems to be that before the Rosabella married > John in 1864 there was an unnamed female Dyer child born in the Jul > Aug Sep quarter which would coincide with Florries Birth date of > 3rd August 1863 which I obtained from the Old Folks home where she > died in 1952. Whilst the unnamed child could well be Rosabella's, I suggest that she is probably not the one you want. > It is very frustrating not to be able to find a trace of John > Gerrish before or after 1881 census and also for Florrie Gerrish > before she married my grandfather They'll surface eventually. -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk http://www.savethegurkhas.co.uk/