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Researching a lost relative

  • 24-08-2013 9:30pm
    #1
    sarahguitar92
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 59 ✭✭


    My Grandad had an older sister who moved to Birmingham in the 1940s and lost touch with the family. I've always wondered what happened to her, but my Grandad never spoke very much about it and unfortunately died eleven years ago, so I was never able to ask him.

    Her name was Jane Stacey, and what we do know is she was born in Dublin in 1921. She disappears from the electoral registers after 1944-45, so it looks like she moved to Birmingham around this time. As far as I know she lived in Chelmsley Wood. Apparently she was single when she left Ireland, but did marry later. The story in the family is that she married a gypsy, though no one is sure of his name. How true this is, I don't know. I searched for her on the FreeBMD site, and found a marriage for a Jane Stacey to a man called Arthur J. Sheasby in December 1949 in Birmingham. I've also found two children born to this couple in 1950 and 1952, one of whom appears to be listed on the most recent electoral register in the UK. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I should proceed from here? I would love to know if this is the right family. I'm guessing that Jane is now dead, but it would be nice to track down any living descendants.


Comments

  • #2
    shanew
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,777 ✭✭✭shanew


    sarahguitar92 wrote: »
    ........on the FreeBMD site, and found a marriage for a Jane Stacey to a man called Arthur J. Sheasby in December 1949 in Birmingham. .....

    I think the first step would be a marriage cert.. English certs from this timeframe show the same details as Irish ones so would include father's name and occupation, and should help confirm this as a possible connection, or not. English certs are a bit pricier than Irish certs - abt STG £9



    .


  • #3
    Coolnabacky1873
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 556 ✭✭✭Coolnabacky1873


    I've had to approach people a few times in relation to their ancestors. If the cert provides more confirming info and you want to make contact I would suggest the following:

    IMO, the best initial way to make contact is with a letter. Outline who you are, why you are making contact, and a simple overview of ancestral connections. Include all your contact details and say you will call by phone in the next 5-7 days.

    If they are 'genealogy heads', or have been looking for more info too, then they will usually contact you. If not, this gives them a few days to digest the information, talk to their family members etc.. People can be wary these days with all the scams out there.

    If you call and everything works out, that's great. If not, be politely persistent. If the person you wrote to knows nothing, see is there anyone in the family who is into genealogy, every family has 'that person.' Don't be afraid to use the emotional aspect too to try and get info: your big family mystery, would bring so much closure etc.. You might have to suggest to the person that they talk to their family members and you will call again in a couple of weeks.

    Know when to draw a line under it though, you don't want to annoy them or come across as a stalker!

    Good luck with it.


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