Chatham Brick Wall

[Blue-Sten]

I am trying to find the marriage record of mt GGGG Grandparents, William and Mary Ann Berwick in Chatham, Kent.  I know that they were married pre-1823 in Chatham and would love  to find out when, and what her maiden name was.

 They had one son, to my knowledge, Stephen George Berwick in 1823 an have found the parish record for this, but have been constantly hitting a brick wall ever since.  I do not know if he had any other siblings and do not know when his parents died.

Can anyone PLEASE help me?

I have looked on the Medway website but can not see anyone vaguely resembling my family.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated 

[Josephine]

Blue-Sten,

If you haven't found the marriage in the Chatham registers, I would suggest that you branch out to the other nearby Medway towns.  Try Gillingham, for example.

P.S.  Is that Stephen in Bethnal Green in 1851 with wife Mary?  Do you have his marriage record?  It might tell you if his father was deceased at that point in time.  He's the only Berwick born in Chatham that I could see in the index for 1851.

Regards,
Josephine

[Frances]

Hi,

These are details of the children of William and Mary Ann Berwick  in Chatham

Elizabeth Christened 14 April, 1822
FHL Film 1469319
Stephen George Born 18 July 1823 Christened 17 August 1823
FHL Film 1469319
Robert Henry Christened 6 May 1827
FHL Film 1469319
Hannah Lydia Christened 17 May 1829
FHL Film 1469320

Do you have any of these on any census?

Frances

[Blue-Sten]

Thanks for this information.  I didn't know he had siblings, Frances.  I've had a look tonight and can't seem to find any of them on the 1841 or 1851 census.  I wonder what happened to them.

I Stepehn Berwick in 1851 with his wife and children, and a copy of their marriage certificate, which mentions William but does not show him as being deceased.  I don't know the Kent area at all and have tried looking but didn't know if I was looking in the wrong places.

Has anyone been able to find the other Berwicks on any censuses?

[Josephine]

Blue-Sten,

Have you looked through the burials in Chatham on the Medway Ancestors site?  I'd start looking after the birth of the first listed child.

That site has a little map that shows the towns.  It might give you an idea of where to look if you don't find what you're looking for in Chatham (as long as they stayed in that area).

What was William's occupation?

Regards,
Josephine

[Blue-Sten]

William has been stated as a mariner in HM Navy and a ropemaker.

I've not been able to find that bit - do you have a link?

[Josephine]

Blue-Sten,

Do you mean The National Archives?
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.htm

I haven't been able to find any of them in the census.  This is a tricky bunch. 

Maybe you'll find a clue in the Chatham parish records (burials).

Regards,
Josephine

[Blue-Sten]

I found Stephen George Berwick's birth record on the cityark.medway.gov.uk website.  I've tried looking on here for the others but am struggling.

I've tried the censuses and can't find anything and am just about given up!

[kesannah]

Blue sten, I too have ancestors from Chatham. They were found in the register St.Margarets Rochester. These are indexed so it makes it easier to search.  Failing finding anything at St. Margarets try St. Nicholas in Rochester.
This register is not indexed though so may take a while to go through. You will find these on Cityark.
Hope that this will help