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You have my sympathy. My grandfather Leonard Smith never married my grandmother so all I had was a death date. But with in the last week I have got a start after contacting an aunt to confirm the right one on the 1901 census. As somebody else said Thomas Smith and John Smith is an endless task of searching through the millions of options. My George Smiths were from Swanscombe and Northfleet Best of luck with your research Gloria

The marriage was witnessed by the brides father Henry Wagstaff Wagstaff, and someone called John Harold Perkins who at the minute I have no idea who they are, but from your suggestions will start to have a look into who they were, possibly a brother in law, Thanks Everyone, you've given me a little hope, Tammie

Birth dates were only put on death certs after 1963 I think, but ages were given before then. I cannot find my Grandfather's birth, John Smith, born around 1863-65, West Bromwich, too many of them, so know how frustrating this business is! Ann

Tammie On the Marriage certificate a line means father unknown. There is a possiblity that his father and mother died when he was young so never knew them. On the Marriage certificate you will have 2 witnesses, I wonder if any of these could be family. Try and do some research on them. A married sister, brother in law or even cousins. Maybe even mother and/or stepfather. Just a few possiblities. Good Luck Irene

Was the marriage witnessed by any of his siblings? The combination of names within a family might help to narrow them down in a census.

Thanks Robin, Any information gratefully received, Tammie

Hi Tammie There are 8 George Smiths in Notts 1901 of the right age and all are born there. Four are miners , two listed as Nottingham and two in Sutton. Assuming he is born in Notts, that should narrow it down a bit. All four are 22. I will see if I can check who is single.

Hi Robin, It says miner on his marriage certificate,

Tammie Do you know the occupation of George?

Thanks Everyone for replying, Have just quickly looked on familysearch site and already found about 30 George Smiths that werent living with their father in 1881, some are quite local to where I live so they might be possibilities, gonna compare them to 1891 on ancestry to see if a father appeared later, But I think I might have to wait until 1911 becomes public to find out for definate, Again thanks everyone, Tammie

Think youself lucky, mine generally don't have middle names, and my paternal line alternates between John SMITH and Thomas SMITH !

Thanks Paul for replying, But theres no fathers name on the marriage cert just a line, Love been a Smith, but at the minute wish it wasnt so common! There was too many George (E) (Edward) Smiths around, Tammie

OK, serves me right for not reading it properly !

hi paul, tammie says the w cert didnt have fathers name on, so if he was on the 1881 [if born then] would be looking for baby prob living with mother and no father, would that cut down on possibles, am off now to have a look on the 1881 cds, sue.

Hi Tammie, I think you mentioned that you have a marriage certificate ? if so then you should at least have a fathers name. Have you tried looking on the 1881/1891 census for both the father and the son as a family unit ? You can find the 1881 census on the familysearch(.)org site and lots of us (myself included) are willing to search the 1891 on ancestry(.)co(.)uk By the way I empathise totally with your difficulty, my surname is Smith and I've managed to go back only 5 generations so far - although having just purchased some parish records, I hope to get much further shortly :o). Good Luck.

Hiya Sue, Thanks for replying, His grave stone just says his age when he died and not his exact birth date, and the same goes for his death certificate that was found in my grandmothers pocessions after she died, it again just states his age at death, is there a different death certificate that would state his exact date of birth? Tammie

Hi It depends on when he died. Not all death certificates will give the exact date of birth just age at death. I think that it is only recently that the birth date has been given on a death certificate. I have a cert from 1930 an it only gives age. Sorry its not much help Karen

hi tammie, if you have seen his gravestone you know the date of his death. get his death certificate. that should tell you his date of birth and place, hopefully if before march 1881 you might be able to find him on there and so on, good luck from a smith !!! lol sue.

I am trying to find information on the parentage of George Edward Smith, From his marriage certificate and his gravestone I’m pretty sure he was born 1880-1881, but that is all the information I have, From his marriage certificate I was hoping to get his fathers name, and then I could have tried to find him on 81, 91 and 01 census, but all there is for fathers name is a line, would that mean he was unknown or deceased? He married Rose Mary Wagstaff on July 1st 1911 at Warsop, Notts. And residence given as Warsop Vale, Notts. I have no idea where he was born, and do not want to waste money ordering birth certificates for the 18 George Edward Smiths listed on FreeBMD for 1880-1881, when none of them would probably help as to which I’m looking for, Have I just got to wait until 2011 for the 1911 census and hope I find him on there, or have any of you clever people got any ideas how I find this Smith?

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