Advice needed regarding parish records.

[GeneCat]

So far up to yet my research into my ancestors has involved only BMD index and census returns. Now, I am really in a jam. I don't know what I'm doing, completely lost now that I've gone back beyond 1837.

I have an ancestor...   George Thorne born 1835. All info I have on him is later on his life when he lived in London. But on 1871 census he said he was born Bath Somerset. Marriage certificate gives his fathers name as Thomas Thorne,  a painter.

I want to find Georges birth record, but as you can see I have nearly nothing to go on. My preliminary searches on parish records suggest there are hundreds of parishes in Somerset.... and I can't be sure which is the right one obviously.

What i need to know is this....   Do I need to search every last parish one by one. Is this the only way to find him?  If so, if you know a name how quickly can each parish be searched?

If so... where do I find these records, and are they free to search? I'm based in London, would I find copies near to me?

Seems like I'm asking a lot of questions, but the more I read the more confused I get, and you can't beat hearing it from someone who has already done it.

Thanking you for looking...

[casalguidi]

You can look at the LDS site http://www.familysearch.org and see what films they have in their library catalogue.  They can be ordered to view at your nearest Family History Centre - see the site also for the list of these.

You can also search their site (IGI) to see if there any likely baptisms for your ancestor but it is only an index and partial one at that.

Alternative, you can look at visiting the Society of Genalogists in London - they, too, have lots of records for outside the area.

http://www.sog.org.uk/

You can look here to see which parishes, if any, are on the British Vital Records Index and request a look up on rootschat if you find a likely parish or two.

http://www.genoot.com/lib/index.html

Doubtless there will be other rootschatters who have more experience with Somerset records than I so you might get further replies as to any indexes etc. that I haven't mentioned.

Firstly, I would start with trying to establish which churches were in Bath 1835 and systematically search those for your ancestor's baptism.

Have you captured him on any census other than 1871?  It might be a good idea to try and do that first if you haven't already ie. find him on every available census from 1841 until his death.  You never know, he might have a different birthplace listed on another census.

As you have discovered, things are not always quite so easy prior to 1837 and these searches do take time.

Good luck

Casalguidi

[sjsbc]

Hi,

George was born just before the civil registration started, but it is close.  does he have any younger siblings who were born after 1837.  If so you could apply for their birth certificates instead.  You have the father's name and occupation so should be able to tell if you have the correct family.

Have you tried to locate this family on an early census?  

Hope this gives you comething to work on.

Sue

[GeneCat]

Hi .....

thanks to you both for reply.

I already searched LDS... and socitey of genealogists in london charge £4 an hour.. eek. Not good when I don't even know which one to start with.

George died very young and so I have no later census returns for him and I can't find him on any earlier ones. He could of been in Somerset but I have no address or even rough area to search.

I feel my only option is to search all the records for Bath and surrounding area. Fills me with dread as it's seems an enormous task.  I just need now to find out where i can search for free and local.

Thank you both again.

[sjsbc]

Hi,

Looking on the 1851 I can only find one Thomas Thorne, Painter, in the right area.

LYNCOMBE & WIDCOMBE 1851 CENSUS, Somerset.
COPYRIGHT
H.O. 107/1942

CENSUS No. 3
Part of the Parish of Lyncombe/Widcombe. Timbrells Court, Claverton Place. Bridge Place, Strangers Court, UpperTrafalgar Place, Beechem Cliff Field, Union Place, Magdelan Place, Springfield Place, Holloway, Paradise Row, GraysBuildings, Lisbon Place, Wells Terrace

Bridge Place
THORNE Thomas Widow/er 44 Painter Scholar
Charlotte 13 Scholar Scholar
M. Ann 10 Scholar Scholar
Hannah 7 Scholar Scholar

I don't know if this is your family or not as George isn't there.  Maybe these other names will help.

Sue

[GeneCat]

It's definitely worth looking further into.. thank you.

I think when I do get access to parish records now I will start in that area in Somerset.

  feeling bit more optimistic now I have somewhere to start from.

Thanks again 

[moiramount]

HELLO, I HAVE THE BRITISH ISLES VITAL RECORDS INDEX FOR PARISH RECORDS, I HAVE COME UP WITH A GEORGE THORNE BUT IN HORTON B1833 DORSET. I TRIED SOMERSET & NO FATHER CALLED THOMAS, HERES WHAT I FOUND.

JAMES THORNE SON CH 25/7/1830 HORTON DORSET
GEORGE THORNE SON CH 10/3/1833  "
ELIZABETH THORNE CH 3/1/1836          "
SARAH THORNE CH 3/2/1839               "
EMMA CHARLOTTE CH 6/4/1842          "
ELIZA ANNE THORN CH 30/3/1851        "

FATHER THOMAS THORN
MOTHER CATHERINE             MARRIED 26/3/1829 HORTON WITH WOODLANDS
                                                               DORSET

NOTICE THE SPELLING OF THORNE/THORN, ON SOME IT HAS AN E OTHERS WITHOUT.
THIS WAS QUITE COMMON IN THOSE DAYS, THEY SPELT THINGS AS THEY SOUNDED.
I KNOW YOU SAID SOMERSET, BUT ON FREECEN DORSET IS CLASSED IN SOMERSET.
IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO GO ON LET ME KNOW, WHO DID GEORGE MARRY & WHEN DID HE DIE.
                                   MOIRA

[GeneCat]

Hi Moira.. how good of you to check all this out.

Thing is I know so little about him. See George Thorne is married in 1864 in London and appears on 1871 census with his wife. But he dies very soon after.
On his census return he has birth place as Bath Somerset (b.1835), occupation railywayticket collector.
On his marriage cert. he has father as Thomas Thorne, occupation Painter.

I don't know his mothers name or anything else about his previous life in somerset. I've found a Thomas Thorne in bath with son george but the ages are out. It's same family as mentioned on this posting for 1851, I got them in 1841 and there is a george.. but suspect now it's not right family.
I've not found him on 1861 census at all.

This is all I know sadly.

Thanks again ..