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Question: Genealogy - Getting stuck with 'invisible' ancestors
Please tell me that its not just me that has this problem!. I have been doing me family tree for about 4 years now and some characters just cannot be found!. I have found them in later census returns, even found marriages for some of them, but just cannot find their births, either by parish registers, registration etc and therefore, cannot go back and find their parents!. Im so frustrated!.
I have one woman, Anna Maria Batson from Norwich, I cannot find her birth details anywhere (just another birth with the same name, got certificate and found it wasnt her), and yet, she is on later census returns, marries my great great grandfather, dies, etc,,, why no birth registration
I have another, Annie Barnard!. She records her father as Samuel Barnard (blacksmith) on her marriage cert, but I cannot find them anywhere on census returns before she married, I cannot find her birth and cannot go back!. Arrrggghhhh
What do other people do,,,, should I just accept I cant go back any further with them!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
If you would like to give the year of birth for both ladies I would be more than happy to do a search for you!.
Are you the lady who wants to start up a genealogy based business, if so I would like to hear more if possible!.
Edit!.
Are any of these Anna!.
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983
about Anna Maria Batson
Name: Anna Maria Batson
Year of Registration: 1851
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Norwich
County: Norfolk
Volume: 13
Page: 304

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983
about Annie Maria Batson
Name: Annie Maria Batson
Year of Registration: 1873
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Amersham
County: Buckinghamshire
Volume: 3a
Page: 478

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983
about Annie Maria Battson
Name: Annie Maria Battson
Year of Registration: 1867
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Lambeth
County: Greater London, London, Surrey
Volume: 1d
Page: 427

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983
about Annie Maria Battson
Name: Annie Maria Battson
Year of Registration: 1873
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: Romford
County: Essex
Volume: 4a
Page: 165Www@QuestionHome@Com

births were supposed to have been registered by law from 1837,but often were not!. Don't presume that all babies were baptised in olden day's,they frequently were not!.
Sometimes,they were baptised in small out of the way places that were missed from the igi!.My gf was baptised in 1868 in the Free Bethel Methodist chapel which I found on the free reg site!. No idea why this happened,except that it was very close to his homeWww@QuestionHome@Com

Odd and infuriating problem!. There are, by nature, plenty of missing records, and one can only hope that other records can point to the information of the missing link!.

I looked for birth records for a grandmother and grandfather!. I never found them, (because they didn't exist) but I did finally find court affidavits in the bottom of an old family box!. One was written by a neighbor attesting to her birth, and the other was a mother attesting the the birth of her son!. These were filed in the courts in so they could be eligible for Social Security when it first started!.

Good luck, and happy hunting!.


Www@QuestionHome@Com

LMAO!!!
Of course, it isn't just you who has this problem!. Genealogy is about brick walls and challenges!.
I don't want to insult anyone here!. People who say they used some website and found their whole family tree, make me shake my head!. What fun is that!? It's like someone wrapping up a jigsaw puzzle, and handing it to you, already complete!.
It's a game, ok!? When you have an ancestor that everyone else says is unfindable, and you go to the courthouse, and FIND the document (that they are "sure" does not exist!.!. they searched all over the internet)!.!. THAT is when you "win"!. Coolest feeling in the world!.
If you found all the answers in 2 weeks online!.!. you would have to give up, and go find another hobby!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

I've found that 1870 is bad about that, especially in the south, due to reconstruction!. We were just upset and didn't want stranger around:)

Then people liked to move around so they might have been inbetween moves!. Now my family in GA did live in one place but you won't find them in 1850-1870 there!. It's like they lived in a black hole!. They were close to two borders so each state probably thought the other would take the census there!.

Just need to make sure you are searching under all spellings and abbreviations!. John William Smith could be under Jno Wm Smyth!.
I like using ancestry because you can put 3 characters and an * and search for partial names!. If you have a family, look for the parents and the kids!. You might find one of the kids, with the parents and then see there was an error in spelling!.
I don't stop but I'll put it aside until technology catches up to me, such as someone put more records online for me to find!. www!.familysearch!.org has the 1880 census and is putting the 1900 census online plus a lot more records so if you can't find someone now, give it a fresh pair of eyes later!. In addition, for my area, children were given a first middle and last name but were ususally called by their middle name or a nickname!.

Birth records weren't required until a certain date for your country and mine!. Before that you might find a christening record or even a newspaper entry!. Some of my family have delayed birth certifiates because they needed it for something, so someone when to the court with them and was a witness that they were born, to whom and when!.

Anna Maria Batson
Year of Registration: 1851
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Norwich
County: Norfolk
Volume: 13

Anna Batson
Age: 21
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1860
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Norwich
Civil Parish: Norwich Liberty of Town Close
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England
Street address: 5 Newmarket Rd
Occupation: Housemaid
Registration district: Norwich
Sub registration district: Mancroft
ED, institution, or vessel: 7b
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Anna Batson 21
Ann Bennett 78
Edwd!. Bennett 77
Mary Cooper 62

Anna Robson
[Anna Batson]
Age: 11
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1860
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Potter
Mother's Name: Sarah
Gender: Female
Where born: Norwich, Norfolk, England
Civil Parish: Hellesdon
Town: Hellesdon in Norwich
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England
Registration district: Norwich
Sub registration district: Coslany
ED, institution, or vessel: 1
Household schedule number: 59
Household Members: Name Age
Anna Robson 11
Potter Robson 46
Richard Robson 14
Sarah Robson 43

Maria Batson
Age: 31
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1860
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Norwich, Norfolk, England

Civil Parish: St George At Colegate
Ecclesiastical parish: St George at Colegate
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England
Registration district: Norwich
Sub registration district: Coslany
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Florence H Andrews 24
George B Andrews 61
George P Andrews 20
Helen Andrews 51
Maria Batson 31
Catherine Rendell 65
Kate Rendell 26

If you have dates or any other information, we can help you lookWww@QuestionHome@Com