Finding dates for deaths

[foggyjano]

I just wanted to check if i am checking for the year my ancestors died in a long winded way.

I am basically "guessing" around what age they may have died and working my way back, but it is a long task and i  wondered if i am making it hard for  myself.. but without anyone to ask " when did uncle Samuel Winnard die" it is quess work isnt it.

What is a simpler way of attempting to come up with dates for births marriages and deaths or am i doing it the only way without knowing the facts.

I am looking for folks born around the year my ancestors were and in the district i think they may have been living at the time of their birth, marriage or death?

Any tips ?

Foggyjano

[nanny jan]

Are these ancestors post 1901 census?  If not then looking for them on various census is a good way to narrow down the search window.

Nanny Jan

[foggyjano]

Yes I am now trying to find deaths post 1901, so i know it will not be as easy cos the census are a good guide on the whole, until the next census comes available am I doomed to looking at BMD lists ?

 

[Necromancer]

yep !

post 1911 / 12 you'll see maiden/spouse names in Birth and Marriage indices, otherwise its a slog w/o knowledge of related events.

[foggyjano]

Oh Dear, I was afraid i was doing it the "right way", yes you are right it is a slogg.. good job none of my ancestors are not going anywhere!!

[lizdb]

Just be grateful it is online now!!!

Not so many years ago I would take a trip to London every now and then, armed with what my brother and I would call the 'Death List'-  that is everyone that I had some info on, but they had faded out and I never found out when /where they had died.
Then it was a case of going through the index books manually (the same books which are scanned on Ancestry and 1837online etc) and I can tell you they are big and heavy! And by the end of the day they seemed even bigger and heavier!!

But so rewarding when you found someone!

It is SO easy now, flicking through the quarters at the click of a mouse!!