I have been generating my family tree using the various on-line resources for some time and have finally run out of 'easy pickings' and need to get down to some real research. I'm seeking advice and pointers as to where to go next and how to get there.
My g-g-g grandparents are the William and Jane. William was a coal-miner c.1809-c.1864. His place of birth is reported as Norham or Faden (?). Jane's birthplace is fairly consistently reported as Windmill Cottages, Shoreswood Colliery c. 1813. Rather conveniently after William's death she was shunted around her offspring throughout subsequent Census until her death in 1893 in North Seaton. Most of her children ended up in North Seaton and I can see they lived close to each other, which neatly ties them all together. Useful with a Northumberland family called Hall!
I am searching for their marriage, then anything to take me back one more generation. I plan a visit to Woodhorn, and I am trying to plan ahead to get the most out of this visit. Although I'm an Ashington lad and my maternal grandfather spent his entire working life at Woodhorn, I now live in Pembrokeshire, so a trip to Woodhorn is not to be undertaken lightly!
What to look for at Woodhorn? How to ask for it?
I have gone through all the scanned Norham parish registers on FamilySearch without success - but could have missed it, although I created a 'tree' on-line to log all the Hall BDMs at St Cuthbert in the relevant period, so was reasonably thorough. Ancroft scanned register doesn't cover the likely marriage period.
William & Jane's offspring's baptisms are mostly found on FamilySearch. None have images available, so I could check primary sources, but I fail to see how baptism records would help me find marriages records:
John baptised 22 May 1842 St Anne, Ancroft - my g-g grandfather
Isabella 5 May 1833 United Presbyterian, Spittal
Richard 30 March 1835 United Presbyterian, Spittal
Margaret 25 Feb 1841 St Anne, Ancroft
William born 1844, no baptism record found
Robert 23 Oct 1846 St Cuthbert, Norham
George 25 Nov 1849 St Cuthbert, Norham - he emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1884
As at least two were baptised at a Presbyterian chapel the CoE 'baptisms' may just be registrations of baptisms elsewhere, so their marriage may be Presbyterian as well?
Pointers anyone?
William 'may' have been the one baptised Belford 16 July 1809. This is based only on linking William with George and Richard Hall mining coal at Shoreswood or Norham in 1841/51/61 Census back to a common set of parents. If that is correct it doesn't get me far as the mother is a Robson!
I have higher hopes of a Patterson, but no idea where to look. FreeReg throws up 2 of them baptised at Berwick's Golden Square Scotch (sic) Church United Secession Presbyterian in 1814 and 1818, so that might prove just as tricky.