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Dear all,

Apologies in advance if the nature of this query flouts any of the forum rules, but I have a bit of a predicament and I'm hoping to get some opinions.

I started researching my family history about ten years ago. Not long after commencing my research I found that my father, who I had always thought was one of nine, actually had another sibling. She was born in the 1960s with disabilities and as my grandparents already had seven children at the time of her birth, she was placed in an institution. The family would visit occasionally but in the 1960s the visits stopped for some reason and no one mentioned the sister ever again. My grandparents died 20+ years ago now and there's been no mention of her since, though all of the other siblings are aware of her existence, and several of them presume her to be deceased by now.

Through researching the family history, I have ascertained (through Electoral Rolls) that she is still alive and have located her current address. She is being supported by a care organisation, who I contacted and they confirmed she was receiving their support and that she had given them permission to release this information to me.

As the 'researcher' in the family I'm now in a position where I need to do something about this knowledge. The two eldest siblings have apparently been emphatic in the past about not tracing her/talking about her, and some other siblings I have approached over the years have said they were crippled by indecision. Another sibling, I'm told, would really like to trace her but doesn't know how. My own father is undecided and doesn't want to commit one way or the other by himself.

The questions is, what do I do? The care team have said I could write a letter and my Aunt would decide based on the letter to proceed with any contact, or not.

I am leaning towards writing a letter containing all the facts of the matter to all nine siblings on the same day, and letting them decide what they would like to do.

What would you do? Have you ever broached a difficult topic with family before? Any help or advice would be gratefully received in what is a very complex situation.

Thanks for reading.

Matt

Hello,

I am after some advice on returning a family bible to its rightful owner.

I bought the bible in a charity shop in Basingstoke (Hants) in 2012 as it had an inscription in the front, from mother to daughter, from 1895. She was an only child and had no siblings, and the mother appears to have died when she was young so she grew up with a relation in Yorkshire. I have traced the daughter who was born in 1886 in Liverpool and who went on to marry and have two children, A and B, before dying in Nottingham in 1958.

A was a daughter who married a chap with a common surname and although I have identified two children C and D (from the GRO birth indexes) born in the 1940s, it's difficult to trace them later through the indexes/on electoral rolls due to their common names.

B was a son who went on to marry and have two children, E and F. B was living in Hook, about 5 miles from Basingstoke, when he died in 2010. I have found both of them on electoral registers. E is married and living about 5 miles from Basingstoke, and F is married and living about 10 miles from Basingstoke.

As I bought the bible in a charity shop in Basingstoke I wonder whether it ended up in the charity shop when B died - perhaps in a house clearance/other circumstances? I am wondering what to do and who to contact to offer the Bible. Perhaps I'm reading into it too much and should just contact E or F to see if they're interested. What would you do?

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Hi all,

I am trying to find a specific address in the 1939 Register. The address is 12, Percival Street, Manchester. There are several Percival Streets but I am looking for the address in Chorlton-on-Medlock.

I have found 8 Percival Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock - Piece number 4479D, Item number 012 (RG101/4479D/012/38).

However, the next page (Piece number 4479D, item number 013) is a page entirely of restricted entries. Why might this be? I know who was living at number 12 in 1939 and they were born before 1916, so why are all the entries redacted?

Many thanks in advance and apologies if I'm overlooking something obvious.

Matt

Good evening,

I was looking for the death of Samuel Lightfoot - buried at Stone, Staffordshire on 21 Jul 1866 aged 72 years, of Abbey Court, Stone. Logically, this would be in Sep qtr 1866 at Stone. However, two options came up on FreeBMD:

Deaths Sep 1866
Lightfoot    Samuel    72    Stone    6b   18   

Deaths Mar 1867
Lightfoot    Samuel    72    Stone    6b   24

Both entries have linked scans and appear on the images on FreeBMD.

The only option that comes up on the GRO BMD index is the Mar qtr 1867 option - I bought the certificate and the date of death is listed as 18 Jul 1866 and the date of registration 14 Feb 1867.

Why would there be two entries for what I believe to be one death? And, why would the death be registered so late?

Thanks.
Matt

Oh dear - I seem to have been a bit silly...

I was looking at a birth certificate from 1887 and I thought I was reading 181... I've just looked again and it I was actually reading 131..

You're quite right - Cleveland street stops at 177!

Thanks for looking, Bookbox.