RootsChat.Com

J H
When I need to research a new area of the country I always look at this site http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/

There is a page for each county which has lots of links and should tell you where parish registers are held and whether there are any transcriptions either on-line or on CD ROM/microfiche.  There are links to Family History Societies who also have transcript information.  Some have a look up service.  The Yorkshire page looks very informative.

Once you have located the registers, I have found that the best method is to extract all details for the required name over a given period - particularly if you have to travel to the Record Office or have to get a researcher to extract the details for you. This means that you can look at the data at your leisure and you can then try to link all the odd bits of information together.  Once you have your theories about family groupings you can test them out against census data, wills etc. Remember that people born in the 1770s may still be alive in 1841 - quite a few of mine were!

Good luck

Barbara F

Have you tried looking for the registrations under the mother's maiden name?  This is always worth trying if the parents are not married.  Also, have you tried name variations eg I have the surname Larkin in my family but I have to check Larkins, Larking and Larken as well as Larkin. I have even found them recorded as Ladkin on one census.

If you post the names you are looking for here someone may be able to help you.

Barbara F

Heather

I assume you have looked on the 1881 census to see if Patrick was a boarder with another family eg he might have moved to get work. In such a case he might be incorrectly recorded as single. 

Could he be in the 1881 census under the name Francis?

Another possibility is that he left home and has another family.  I have a case like this in one of my families and the "proper" wife continued to state on censuses not only that she was married (which was of course correct) but to give the occupation of her absent husband.

So far as 1861 is concerned, an index for London is due out this month - so you shouldn't have too long to wait.

Good Luck

Barbara

Mike

Laburnam Terrace is not indexed in 1841. It may not have existed in 1841 or the street may have been renamed by 1851.
Kingsland Road has so many references I don't know where to look!  Can you give me any idea of other roads that were near to Laburnam Terrace?

Someone with an 1851 Shoreditch index may be able to help.

Barbara F

Alan
I looked up the 1891 census entry for Mary Ann Parson in Boxted. Her "stepson" Stuart Gorton is shown as a widower so his wife Mary Ann nee Parson must have died between 1881 and 1891.
William Nicholas F Parson was however definitely alive in 1901 (he died in 1903 in Kent).  He and all his family must have been out of the country, missed or mis-transcribed on the 1901 census.
Thanks again for all your help.
Barbara