Hand family

[Lizzielogs]

A bit of background..
My father's name was John Henry Hand who resided in Margate Kent, one day in the late 50's / early 60's there was an announcement in one of the local newspapers to say that my father should make contact as his father was looking for him.
My grandfather had left my grandmother when my dad was a boy and went to New Zealand where I believe he lived with the Maoris and 'married' one (or more?) despite not being divorced from my gran!
He came to visit us and stayed a while - he was a distinctly odd man (and I was terrified of him), my parents at the time had a pub something of which he heartily dissaproved. Needless to say my gran was totally unimpressed that he had turned up after a great number of years and he must have realised he was surplus to requirements and headed for Nottingham where 'we had relatives'.
To the best of my knowledge his name was Charles Henry Hand and unfortunately my dad is no longer alive so I am at a bit of a loss to know where to go from here. I will get a copy of my father's birth certificate which might tell me more but in the mean time does any of this ring a bell with anyone?

[Ruskie]

Hello Lizzielogs and welcome to rootschat.

Your plan to purchase your father's birth certificate is definitely the first and best thing to do. Then you will know for certain both of his parent's names and occupations.

Using this information we can look for the right marriage and look for the couple and their family in the censuses.

Without this certificate it will just be guesswork to try to find the family and you might even end up following the wrong family. As as example, without knowing the year of birth and place of birth of Charles Henry Hand, I did a broad search of the 1901 census and there are 74 people with this name.

Do you need any help ordering your father's birth certificate?

Can you find his birth registered here:
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
(this is not complete, so if you need help locating him just ask.  Armed with the details you can order the certificate here:
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

[Lizzielogs]

Hi Ruskie
Thanks so much for the reply, I cannot find my father on FreeBMD and am waiting to gather more information on all parts of the family in general before I join something like 'Ancestry' all the info I have for him is
John Henry Hand
Mother Elizabeth (Turner ?)
Father Charles?
Born 13 March 1917 (based on the fact he was 7 years older than my mum who was born 1924)
Possibly registered in Margate Kent
All very vague but there is only myself and my mother left in the whole family so I have no one to ask, my father remarried 30ish years ago and we lost contact and he died in 1996 (I think).

[Ruskie]

This looks like it might be him:

John H Hand
mother's maiden name: Turner
birth registered: Apr/May/Jun quarter of 1917 (tallies with a birth in March)
Registration district: Thanet
volume: 2a
page: 1606

Father's names are not listed on the index so I can't double check that his father is Charles.

You can easily and safely order the certificate online with a credit card via the gro link I posted. You will need those numbers and districts to order the certificate. Cost is only £7 and well worth it.  When you order write the details exactly as above. For example write the middle initial of H rather than the name Henry, otherwise they mightn't issue the certificate. They're very particular. 

Please let me know what info is on the certificate and I'll try to help further.

[Lizzielogs]

Have ordered the BC, have had to send it to our postal address in the UK (we live in Spain), I have found the Marriage records of him and my gran which states
Charles H Hand Married Turner  June1916
Stupid isn't it, now I cant find my grand DoB as I always thought she was an Elizabeth but now I don't think so as I can find her sister Ivy H in 1907 but not fre! Frustration grrrrrr!!

[Tati]

Hi both 

Lizzielogs - the bride's name for the 1916 Thanet marriage is Edith E Turner

 

[Tati]

If you are positive that the Ivy H registered in 1907 is her sister then I think we have enough information to trace her back a little.

The 1911 census index (details are pay to view but searches are free) suggests that she was in the household of William Henry and Elizabeth Turner

Here are the 1901 census details for this family:
RG13/821 14 20
Margate, Kent
10 Sparrow Castle
2 rooms occupied
William H(enry) Turner, head, 33, Corporation Dustman, b. Margate Kent
Elizabeth, wife, 35, Laundress, b. Paddington London
Florence M, dau, 9, b. Margate Kent
Edith E, dau, 6, b. do.
Elsie M, dau, 5, b. do.

 

[Ruskie]

I was just about to post a reply when I saw Tati was on the case and beat me to it with some fab info!! (she's one of our best 'searchers'  )

By the way, the gro can send certificates worldwide, including Spain. (someone plese correct me if I'm wrong). I think there are a few rootschatters who live in Spain.

[Tati]

Sorry Ruskie - your little light was out so I thought maybe you went to sleep (never know what it is in your neck of the woods) - I wouldn't have posted here otherwise.

Yes, the GRO post worldwide for the same price as far as I'm aware