Belgian Records?

[alcrighton]

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience in searching BMD or census records for Belgium?  I'm trying to track down information on my g Grandmother's brother who I believe lived in Antwerp before WWI.

I've found out that there was a census in Belgium in 1910 but I can't find any links or information on other sources.

Any clues would be very welcome.

Al

[jorose]

BMD records are on microfilm from the LDS but none really after 1900.  You can try writing to the muncipality if you know the name/date of say one of his children but they won't normally do speculative searches.

Population registers/census are even more difficult to get your hands on.  For a general guide to sources you can see: http://belgium.rootsweb.com/

If this is someone who was British but living in Belgium then the GRO overseas records (indexed on 1837online.com ) would probably be your best bet:

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/research/searchingforoverseasrecords/index.asp#0

[alcrighton]

Thanks Jorose,

It's going to be as difficult as I feared!  I'd had a look at the belgium.rootsweb page but as you say, census information is extremely difficult to get your hands on.  My gg uncle was born in North Eastern France in 1867 to Scottish parents and it appears that they didn't register his birth with the British Consulate.  That's all I know about him other than that he returned to the UK for 10-15 years or so (late 1880s to early 1900s) where he trained as a marine engineer.  The Belgian connection is actually a bit tenuous so I was hoping to find some census records to see if I could track him down.

Regards,

Al

[liverpool annie]

Where did he train as an engineer Al ?

Maybe there is some kind of record there - of his new position ! - nowadays jobs are found for graduates - think they might have done the same then ??

Annie 

[alcrighton]

Pressed the send button too soon

Modified!

[alcrighton]

You're reading my mind again Annie!

As you know from my previous posts, John CRIGHTON was a boarder in the house of Annie Patterson in Bootle in 1891 (his occupation was Fiitter).  By 1901, he'd married his landlady and was a Marine Engineer, still in Bootle.

So where did he train as a marine engineer in the Bootle area?  You know the are better that I do!

Regards,

Al

[Sisterjane]

Im looking for a marriage in Belguim which took place in early 1940s so if anyone can tell me where to go(dont all say it at once LOL) Id be very grateful

Joe

[jorose]

For John CRIGHTON, I wonder if he got on-the-job training? From 'fitter' to 'engineer' isn't that far.

There's a John Crighton m. possibly Annie Paterson in W. Derby Mar 1892 quarter.  He could have been apprenticed/training in Liverpool?

To joe: that depends on whether the person was English living in Belgium, or Belgian.  If they were English living in Belgium, see http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/research/searchingforoverseasrecords/index.asp#0 (and indexes on 1837online.com )
If they were Belgian then it gets more tricky and you'd definitely have to know where in Belgium they were.

[liverpool annie]

Two things come to mind Al Crighton !!

He could have lived in Bootle - but worked in the shipyards in Birkenhead!
Also I know  a guy who fixed TV's - but called himself an "Electronics Engineer" 
maybe John WAS just a fitter - probably a very good one if he was able to go on and into business!
I've been trying to get Liverpool Directories on line - but my Safari has been acting up - maybe he's noted on there !!

http://www.lib.duke.edu/access/news/citydir/kl.html#Liverpool

Annie