Uk tree help?

Assassin saphir

Hi I have been doing my family tree on my Fathers side for 3 years. I have been using ancestry but I'm worried I've made a mistake and following the wrong line. I have cancelled my subscription but keep going back and using pay as you go. Im back to my 4th grandfather born 1802 but I got this from someone's else's tree. I can't keep affording to purchase marraige certificates but these seem to give me the best information. Is there somewhere else I can try without the high costs? Also there is a missing death record for my greatgrand father. I know from my nana when and where he died and how he died but the only record around that time doesnt match as it was a military death and that's definitely not him . Ive asked her for more information but she said to leave the past alone. Is there an easier way to finish this tree as I want to give it to my Dad. Thanks

shanew

Have you followed the family back through the various English census returns ?

Usually the best place to start and unless they have a common surname you can usually get back to 1841 at least, as long as you have good clues to start with.

There are some marriage records, as distinct from index records, on sites like Ancestry and OPC (Parish Clerks) websites, but availability depends on dates and parish involved.

Assassin saphir

shanew wrote: »

Have you followed the family back through the various English census returns ?

Usually the best place to start and unless they have a common surname you can usually get back to 1841 at least, as long as you have good clues to start with.

There are some marriage records, as distinct from index records, on sites like Ancestry and OPC (Parish Clerks) websites, but availability depends on dates and parish involved.

Thanks yes I've used the census back to 1841 as luckily I have a rare surname. It's prior to 1840s I'm having difficulty with. Unusually church records can't help as my father's family were not part of a church so I can't use baptism records etc.

shanew

not part of any church or just not CofE ?

there are records for other denominations, or non-Conformist as they're listed - but more difficult to locate, and less of them available online

Assassin saphir

shanew wrote: »

not part of any church or just not CofE ?

there are records for other denominations, or non-Conformist as they're listed - but more difficult to locate, and less of them available online

Not part of any church which makes it very awkward.

shanew

that's a problem - getting back to the start of civil records in mid-1837 should be ok, but before that you'd probably have to try for land records, wills etc

Not sure what the scenario with marriages was in England, but here other denominations could, and did, marry in the established church to make their marriages 'official' - especially if there was property involved. (Wills were administered by the Established Church - I think before 1858 in England & Ireland)

Ponster

> Unusually church records can't help as my father's family were not part of a church so I can't use baptism records etc

Then I think you need to feel happy that you managed to get back so far without the single most useful source of records (bmd). As Shanew said, pre-1841/'37 it's all down to church records, many of which are not online anyhow. Depending on where they lived and what they did there may be some trade directories of local election registers but if you've always looked in Ancestry and good 'ol Google then you may be at a dead end.

If you were okay with it we could try helping search for you if you gave us the names of the people you were interested in.