grandparents names

[gliderf5j]

rosie99 thanks for the info i allready new it glider5fj

[philipsearching]

And a warm welcome to Rootschat from me.

Is James recorded as still alive on your parents' marriage certificate?

That is a great point.

It could also be worth asking around any cousins who might remember seeing them at family events, have parents' marriage certs, or have photos which can be dated.

Another possibility is to check electoral rolls https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/libraries/reference/electoral-registers/ has them, but I don't know if they have been put online.

Philip

[chempat]

Have you got the exact dates of birth of either of them - so that you can search the 1939 register to see if they are still alive then?

Did your Mother ever talk about them, or was she brought up elsewhere?

[rosie99]

rosie99 thanks for the info i allready new it glider5fj

The information that was given was to help others who are trying to help you.     The births given by Annette can also help us.  It is always a good idea to post additional information like this when  requesting help as it can sometimes lead to what you are after

[gliderf5j]

To chempat,Phillipsearching,Rosie99 and others who have been in touch sorry have delated some of your messages,I have found my mothers elder siblings since doing family history,so dont know if my mother knew about them as they were all bought up in childrens homes.  on my mothers wedding cert,she names her father as George John no James though she had a birth cert. I have looked on 1939 census no success, my mother was Sarah Lewis,hope that answers eveyone,Gliderf5j

[rosie99]

Is this James Samuel's birth registration 

LEWIS, JAMES  SAMUEL -    mmn BALLARD     
1869  Dec Quarter in DOVER  reg dist
Volume 02A  Page 868   

Living in Dover in 1871 with parents John & Maria
RG10 /1011 f63 p42

Parents marriage
Sep qtr 1853 
BALLARD    Maria Elizabeth       
LEWIS    John Williams       
Dover    2a   962

[philipsearching]

As the youngest child was born in Brighton in 1913, I looked on FreeBMD for deaths in Brighton after that date.

There is a possible death for James aged 65 Dec qtr 1934 (vol 2b p317), but no sign of Sarah.  My instinct is that this may be a red herring, but it is worth checking further.

As (at least some of) the children were placed in children's homes I am wondering if records are searchable - this is not an area of research I am familiar with.  Would records give years of admission, addresses and reasons?  Would they be sealed for 100 years?  Perhaps another Rootschatter can help with .

This could be a long, slow search because there are so many LEWIS names to check and eliminate.

Philip

[rosie99]

Do you have James and Sarah's dates of birth

[gliderf5j]

rosie99 you had james dob 22 oct 1869 and his parents marriage aug 1853, mmn ballard            phillip searching i know the dates the children wnt into but not why, ithink they were a poor family and i think james was a petty criminal  glider5fj