Where to begin finding great grandparents?

[ali.]

Hi all,

It's been impossible for us to find out anything about this side of my family and i'm wondering if there's anyway to get this information, or if it's too recent and I just have to wait it out.
My great grandmother was called Laura Patricia Smyth/Smith and married Gerard Kieran McCartney sometime around 1960. I don't know her parents names, her wedding day, her date of birth etc. They lived around Jonesborough.

I've never been able to find a birth record for her, and her marriage i'm sure is too recent to get a copy of.
Anything I can do?

Thanks so much 

[ali.]

Should point out her husband was born approximately 1932 and died in 1979, but her birth date is unknown and she died sometime around 2000. Nothing else known!

[mckha489]

It’s tricky isn’t it!
I see in your tree you have a birth of 31 July 1932 for her.

Have you ruled out Laura P Smith registered July/Aug/Sept 1932 Dublin North?   MMN McENTEE
Added.. although the other Smith McENTEE births don’t match the siblings you have in your tree.

I’ve looked in the newspapers on FindMyPast but don’t see a marriage announcement.

[Dundee]

Not helping with your query, but do you think that most of Gerard's older siblings were actually born in England?

MCCARTNEY, MARY  ELLEN
Mother's maiden name: CRUMMEY     
GRO Reference: 1911  D Quarter in WEST DERBY  Volume 08B  Page 712

McCARTNEY, Bridget born 1913 at Newry
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1913/01456/1594877.pdf

MCCARTNEY, TERESA
Mother's maiden name: CROMEY     
GRO Reference: 1915  S Quarter in WEST DERBY  Volume 08B  Page 590

MCCARTNEY, PATRICK  JAMES
Mother's maiden name: CRUMMEY     
GRO Reference: 1917  J Quarter in WEST DERBY  Volume 08B  Page 559

MCCARTNEY, JOHN
Mother's maiden name: CRUMMIE     
GRO Reference: 1919  M Quarter in WEST DERBY  Volume 08B  Page 594

Debra 

[ali.]

I did look into her but sadly that Laura P Smith dies the same year she was born. Some ancestors really just are invisible aren’t they!!

And thank you Dundee I’d never thought of that before, but it’s very possible! I’ll look into it!

Thanks so much

[Elwyn Soutter]

You mention Jonesborough and Co. Armagh. If the birth c 1932 and the marriage c 1960 were in Northern Ireland you won't find either on any of the usual on-line sites such as irishgenealogy. Only GRONI hold those records. If you can get into GRONI or PRONI (both in Belfast) you can search there, right up to events registered yesterday. £2.50 a time to view the certificates. If you aren't near Belfast, you can phone or e-mail GRONI and ask them to search for you. There may be a fee for that. They will advise.

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
This might help
A couple of trees on Ancestry have her birth 31 July 1932 at Newry ,Armagh and a death 2001.
No parents listed.

Ciderdrinker

[ali.]

Elwyn, would I be able to email GRONI asking them to search for me with such little information? Would I be able to request a lookup for anyone in Belfast or would they really struggle?

I’ve only ever seen GRONI ask for full dates for ordering certificates.

[Elwyn Soutter]

They will usually search a 5 year window for a single fee. The population of NI is less than 2 million. The numbers of events they register is a fraction of the rest of the UK. So searching isn't so hard.

I have been in GRONI and heard a member of the public ringing in, looking for an event around X date. The staff found it in a few minutes, and the customer paid over the phone by credit card. I think you have to buy a certified copy if you do that. I think that's £15, but GRONI will tell you the correct charges.