Genealogy Chat

I subscribed to the Platinum Membership today as I assumed I would be able to glean a lot more information on my grandparents' marriage records by paying for the top membership, however all I've been able to find is a basic transcription document simply giving the names of my nan and grandad and the year they were married in West Ham, which I was already aware of, but there is no month or date of month given. I also expected to be able to find original marriage certificates when I signed up, giving addresses and occupations of the couple. It seems the only feature that gives addresses and occupations with original handwriting is the Census of 1911, am I correct in this? Hopefully not, as my grandad was born in 1910 and I would like to look up which street he lived in and who lived with him when he was a young man. I would be extremely grateful if someone can clarify that I'm doing everything correctly as at the moment I'm feeling extremely disappointed with the site and now wish I hadn't signed up to such an expensive subscription.
Thanks in advance

Welcome to the forums!
The only way to see original certificates is by buying them. And the index to them is FreeBMD. You might find Church records, which are not available free online.

You are correct about the 1911 census.

There is the 1939 listing which is not free online, you might find something useful on there, others will tell you how.

However, once you get over the first hurdle of your grandparents, you may find your subscription more useful going back.

Caroline, if you'd like to post your nan and granddad's names and years of birth we could hopefully get you started with your search.

The 1939 Register is available on findmypast, which is a subscription site.

Welcome, by the way.

Thank you Granny and alviegal for your responses and for your welcome(s) ?? To answer your question, alviegal, my grandad was John Twitchett born 1910 and my nan was Milly (Amelia) Nichols born in 1915. I really wanted to find addresses from when they were younger, especially my grandad, and see who else lived there in the family and their occupations. So just to be clear, as well as the £80 subscription today, I will also need to pay extra to look at Church records and pay another subscription to get the 1939 Register? Just out of curiosity does anyone know if I would be able to get a refund for my Platinum Subscription as it was only made today - I could then choose one of the cheaper options and pay any extras that I need to, like Church records?

*not sure why after welcome(s) there's 2 questions marks, it's suppose to be a smiley face :-)

Marriages Dec 1938 (>99%)
Bresciani John J Tinton W.Ham 4a 166
Nichols Margaret A Twitchett W.Ham 4a 166
Tinton Elizabeth I Bresciani W.Ham 4a 166
Twitchett John Nichols W.Ham 4a 166

Amelia (Margaret) Twithcett on the 1939 Register

1939 Register Transcription

Twithcett Household (2 People) 39 Flanders Road , East Ham C.B., Essex, England
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First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number
Amelia (Margaret) Twithcett 03 Jul 1915 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 141 1
John Twitchett 07 May 1915 Male Labourer Tobacco Works Married 141 2


john born 1915 won't be on census until 1921


you will need the marriage cert for his fathers name

TWITCHETT, JOHN SMITH Order
GRO Reference: 1915 J Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 411

John Twitchett
England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007
Name John Twitchett
Event Type Death Registration
Registration Quarter Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration Year 1994
Registration District Havering
County Essex
Event Place Havering, Essex, England
Birth Date (available after June quarter 1969) 07 May 1915
Volume 2341B
Page HB76
Citing this Record

"England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZ8-DQWJ : 4 September 2014), John Twitchett, Dec 1994; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death Registration, Havering, Essex, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

Looks like there is an elder sister as well as younger siblings
Births Jun 1913
Twitchett Lucy M Smith W.Ham 4a 462

Take a look on freebmd for them West Ham reg district

Maybe the parents
Marriages Sep 1900
Smith Mary Eliza Pancras 1b 217
Twitchett William Pancras 1b 217

But they are still living in st pancras in 1911

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
44 St George's Road Regents Park NW, St Pancras, London, England

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Print transcription View image Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place
William Twitchett Head Married Male Packer Drapery Warehouse 35 1876 Essex Toppesfield Transcription
Mary Eliza Twitchett Wife Married Female - 39 1872 Sussex Brighton Transcription
Emily Mary Twitchett Daughter - Female - 9 1902 Kensington West Transcription
Ruth Annie Twitchett Daughter - Female - 7 1904 Kensington West Transcription
William Frederick Twichett Son - Male - 4. 1907 St Pancras

Edit wrong family see later posting . Will leave for eliminating purposes

Family tree on ancestry has this

Birth: 1915
Marriage: 1938 - West Ham
Parents: Joseph Alfred Twitchett, Harriet Smith


So marriage a little ealier than the one I found

Marriages Jun 1897
Smith Harriet W. Ham 4a 259
Twitchett Joseph Alfred W.Ham 4a. 259

Quite a big family to 1911


1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
22 Peter St Canning Town E, West Ham, Essex, England

Joseph Alfred Twitchett Head Married Male Dock Labourer 35 1876 London Hackney Transcription
Harriett Twitchett Wife Married Female - 30 1881 West Ham Essex Transcription
Edward Twitchett Son - Male School 10 1901 West Ham Essex Transcription
Frank Twitchett Son - Male - 8 1903 West Ham Essex Transcription
George Twitchett Son - Male - 8 1903 West Ham Essex Transcription
William Twitchett Son - Male - 6 1905 West Ham Essex Transcription
James Twitchett Son - Male - 4 1907 West Ham Essex Transcription
Margaret Twitchett Daughter - Female - 3 1908 West Ham Essex Transcription
William Smith Lodger Single Male Factory Hand. 15. 1896. West Ham

Married. 13 years. 8 children born 6 still living

Wonder if William smith is Harriet son born before she married




1939 register
Day (Twitchett) Household (5 People)
85 Lansdowne Road , West Ham C.B., Essex, England
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FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB OCCUPATION
Harriet Day (Twitchett) 17 Oct 1881 Unpaid Domestic Duties
May Dimmock (Twitchett) 04 Jul 1919 Sugar Packer
Letitia Nelson (Twitchett) 27 Apr 1922 Unpaid Domestic Duties
William Twitchett 04 Dec 1904 Pocker Heavy Worker
John Joseph Kelly 14 Sep 1905 General Labourer
Ref: RG101/1045F/016/25 Letter Code: CBWB
© Findmypast Ltd
Open a closed record Request a living person's record Close an open record Report an error

Marriages Sep 1940 (>99%)
Day Thomas C Twitchett W.Ham 4a 489
Twitchett Harriett Day W.Ham 4a. 489


Joseph A Twitchett
Birth Date: abt 1876
Date of Registration: Mar 1928
Age at Death: 52
Registration district: West Ham
Inferred County: Essex
Volume: 4a
Page: 119


Possibly
Name: Joseph Alfred Twitchell
[Joseph Alfred Twitchett]
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 20 Jun 1875
Father's name: Alfred Twitchell
Mother's name: Martha Twitchell
Parish or Poor Law Union: Mile End New Town All Saints
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Register Type: Parish Registers

Think the informant was a year out in her birth date

Deaths Jun 1971
DAY Harriet 17Oc1880 Redbridge 5d 1700

According to the 1939 register her birth was 17 Oct 1881 but that could be wrong too as she shows as born 1881 on the 1911 census which an oct 1880 birth would show as

This is the site to order English & Welsh birth, marriage & death indexes
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp

Each certificate costs £9.25.

What you've found is the GRO register index. Sometimes you can find images of the baptism register but that would only give an address, or partial address, of where they were living at that time. Some give the date of birth, others don't.

The replies above indicate that members have checked the website Ancestry. If a baptism had been found, they'd have posted it. West Ham registers would probably be on SEAX http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/ParishRegisters.aspx
There is an access fee & there no guarantee that your grandparents were even baptised.

In the week before census Sunday, each enumerator of a regular residential district went round his walk, dropping of census forms for folks to fill out.
Then, starting on the Monday, he'ld go round his walk, picking up completed forms - he'ld check them over, make sure they were signed, and help with omissions, etc., then go on to the next house.
This is what you'll see in 1911.

In 1841-1901, after collecting the forms, he went back to the office and entered the forms onto census summary sheets.
The original forms were all destroyed, and all that remains now are the census summary sheets.

Suppose this is your John:
Births Jun 1915 (>99%)
TWITCHETT John Smith W.Ham 4a 411
and he belongs to the 1911 family that Shirley posted 09:04.

The informant was probably a parent, and the birth would have been rego'ed at the Canning Town subdistrict office within the West Ham Rego District.
This register would have the informant's signature, but you're unlikely to see this.
A copy of this register was sent in quarterly installments to the GRO, and that copy is what you'll see if you buy a b.cert from the GRO.
Deaths are handled in the same fashion.

West Ham Rego District is now replaced by Newham, Waltham Forest and Redbridge RDs, corresponding to the 3 GL boroughs.
The Canning Town subdistrict rego's will be held by Newham RD.
You can purchase a b.cert from Newham RD, but most local RDs lack the capability of being able to digitize the relevant rego entry and transfer that image onto the special b.cert page like the GRO does, so if you order a b.cert from the local RD, then they will usually make a handwritten copy especially for you.

Marrs are a bit difft.
Form 1837-1898, only the established church (i.e., C of E), jews, quakers, and registrars were authorized to keep official marr rego's.
If a non-conformist marr took place, then a registrar would have to attend with his official rego for the couple to sign to complete the ceremony.
These non-conformist marrs would be mixed in with rego office marrs.
After 1898, non-conformists could apply to become authorized to keep official marr rego's (although the RCs chose not to apply until 1980-ish).

If the couple signed a registrar's rego, then a copy of this rego was sent to the GRO, much like Bs & Ds.
If the couple signed an official church marr rego, then a copy of this entry is sent to the local RD and to the GRO.
After the rego is full and has been finally checked by the local RD, it is usually deposited in some archive.
For most of the GL boroughs, this is the London Metropolitan Archives, and these records are viewable on Ancestry with a sub.
The exceptions are Westminster (which GR has), a couple of Kent boroughs, and the Essex Boroughs.
The latter are with the Essex archive, which operates its own pay-to-view site (SEAX).

I would suggest the real value of the premium sub lies in tracing back from 1911 thru the censuses.


There is a new index online:
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp
This gives the mum's Maiden Surname pre-1912, and the age at death pre-1866

One can use this to resolve the 8 live births on the 1911
(NB Frank & George are twins)

Name: Mother's Maiden Surname:
TWITCHETT, ALFRED EDWARD SMITH Order
GRO Reference: 1899 M Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 142
Name: Age at Death (in years):
TWITCHETT, ALFRED EDWARD 14 Order
GRO Reference: 1900 M Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 51

TWITCHETT, EDWARD ALFRED SMITH Order
GRO Reference: 1901 M Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 71

TWITCHETT, FRANK JOHN SMITH Order
GRO Reference: 1902 D Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 187

TWITCHETT, GEORGE WILLIAM SMITH Order
GRO Reference: 1902 D Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 187

TWITCHETT, WILLIAM SMITH Order
GRO Reference: 1905 M Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 143

TWITCHETT, JAMES SMITH Order
GRO Reference: 1906 S Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 137

TWITCHETT, MARGARET MARTHA SMITH Order
GRO Reference: 1907 D Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 207

TWITCHETT, ALBERT HENRY SMITH Order
GRO Reference: 1910 M Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 203
Name: Age at Death (in years):
TWITCHETT, ALBERT HENRY 1 Order
GRO Reference: 1910 M Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 77

Although it says age at death as 14 y above, I think it's a mistranscription of 14 m:
Deaths Mar 1900 (>99%)
Twitchett Alfred Edward 1 W. Ham 4a 51

Sorry for my late reply to the very helpful responses from members of the site.

"safc" - many thanks for checking the 1939 Register for me, it's wonderful to discover the name of the road my grandparents were living in at that time and to know their occupations. Also the details of my granddad's death was also very informative.

"Shirley- " – thank you so much for checking my family tree on "ancestry" as you were able to find my granddad's parents Joseph Twitchett and Harriet Smith, as well as his siblings, a few of whom I remember fondly as a child - I believe there were 13 in total! The information you gleaned from the 1939 register is brilliant as it gives my great grandma's address after she was widowed and then re-married. These are the sort of details I was especially looking for, including the names of my great great grandparents which I didn’t know (Martha and Alfred) and the baptism records so thank you so very much.

"+++DetEcTive+++" – Thank for the information on acquiring certificates and for the SEAX link. I am going to delve deeper into this and will now also purchase two certificates of marriage now that I know how to go about it, so very much appreciated.

"mgnv" – your information on the census records and the GRO is highly informative and has helped me immensely.

My appreciation to all of you.
Regards
Caroline