Finding someone who nobody wants found

OU812

I have a direct blood relative who died 45 years ago. I know his name & approximate DOB & DOD. Nobody in the family wants to talk about him (real black sheep), but I can't go any further without getting more information - Line stops at grandparent level.

He was born in 1915, so he's not on the last released census (100 years is really too long) & I don't know his parents names as nobody will talk about him.

Any ideas on where to go ?

Also, I have another issue with a paternal Great Great Grandfather. The name I have as handed down through the family of him (no wife information available) has him living in Louth (no area) with an approx. DOB of 1826 & a DOD of about 1910. His daughter was my Great Grandmother, (approx. DOB 1877 DOD 1920). Ive no information on other siblings.

I was browsing MyHeritage & it came up with a smart match which the names, DOB & DOD were a 90% match, but had them living in the USA. Is it likely that these are the same people or just a pure coincidence?

Is my heritage worth the membership fee ?

pinkypinky

To deal with your first question first: I presume when you say "direct blood relative" you mean he's an uncle or cousin. Your query is quite vague - can you give some more details, eg, how he is connected? And what are you trying to find out about him? If you want to know what happened to him, you can investigate marriage records on familysearch, electoral register to possibly find addresses throughout his life. If you have an approximate date of death, you can search for this cert in the GRO (since he likely died post 1958).

Second query. DOB 1826 and daughter's DOB 1877?? Are you sure he's her father and not grandfather? I haven't used my heritage at all so can't comment on its accuracy. Always check if these sites have a free trial? I would say if there's no family record of people living in America and coming to Ireland, then it's likely a coincidence. You don't seem to have exact information. Also you mentioned that the name was handed down: I'd go back through the actual civil records and be sure of the person's name. My grandmother thought her grandfather's name was Bernard for her whole life. It wasn't. It wasn't even his middle name. We don't know where she got it from but luckily we didn't waste too much time looking for him with the wrong name.

OU812

He's a grandfather. I don't want to post his name as our surname is quite distinctive & there's people around who'll still be hurt at the very mention of him. I believe there may have been another family which has only come to light recently. He abandoned my grandmother when she was expecting & set up with someone else, since then he was never mentioned.

Second Query. Not altogether sure, those are the names I was given, but it's from my mother who got the information from my maternal grandmother (now passed), many years ago & she's not 100% sure.

I'd be fairly confident that it's a co-incidence on my heritage, but I can't get any further info & am quite stuck.

Jellybaby1

I have a love/hate relationship with 'black sheep'. I want to know more, but chances are when I do, I'm not going to like them.

OU812, I enjoyed reading your signature link - you could be a black sheep yourself in a hundred years!

TOMP

Check out following link for County Louth research

http://www.jbhall.freeservers.com/

Good luck with search.

dido2

In regards to your first queary, if his name is quite distinctive have you been able to find any possible matches for his birth cert???

Second queary, work back to him, get your great grandmothers marriage cert to verify her fathers name, then try getting her birth cert.. If you want to pm i can try helping if you don't want to post person details!!!

dido2

Also in regards to your grandfather you could try to get his marriage cert to your grandmother which would have his fathers name on it

jos28

Have you had a look at the newspaper archives online ? With a distinctive surname something might show up for him. Could be worth a try

OU812

As it happens, I had a massive stroke of luck. years ago, my mother went looking for information on one of her aunts who'd died as a child & by a pure fluke, her aunt had the same name as the sister of my grandfather who was buried in the same grave as him.

She pulled the grave records in Glasnevin & they gave her the incorrect ones, which detailed my grandfather & his parents who are all in the same grave as the sister.

Absolute fluke but has jumped me back to 1876 on that side of the family with a great deal more detail available. (Special thanks to Lynn in Glasnevin trust for looking into some stuff for me)

jos28

Delighted for you, love to hear those stories. Gives great hope to those of us banging our heads off that brick wall