Genealogy Forum UK

Good morning all,

A couple of years ago, I started tracing my family name. I had very little information to go on other than my father (name and DoB). I sent off for his birth certificate which gave me a good start. It gave me where he was born, his parents names (my grand parents) and mothers maiden name. I then sent off for my grandparents marriage certificate, which gave me plenty more information I needed. I thought, this is good as I now know who my granddad was, or so I thought!!! The marriage certificate gave me the date of the marriage, where they were married, their ages, professions, residence at time of marriage and their respective fathers names and professions. So, to confirm who my grandad was, I took his age at the time of marriage and worked out his approximate DoB (1881/82). So, I had a name, an approximate Date of Birth and an area. Armed with this information, I thought it would be a simple task of entering these details on to the BMD site and (pardon the pun) "Bobs your uncle". Nothing!!! I then checked the 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 census' which revealed he did exist. The 1881 census stated he was 0 yrs old and was born in Armley, Yorkshire. So I went back to BMD with this additional info and still nothing. I think you can probably work out why I have given the title of this a "I'm confused". I am now wandering if I am doing something stupid or missing a glaring point.

Details I have found to date are:

From my dads Birth Certificate, my granddad's name was Walter Ross and my grandmother's name was Florence White. They were married in May 1910 (can't quite read the date, either thirteenth or thirtieth). According to the certificate, Walter was 28 and Florence was 23, making their approx year of birth 1882 and 1887 respectively. Walter's dad's name was John Ross and Florence's dad's name was John White. They were married in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. As stated above, the 1881 census revealed a Walter Ross aged 0 and he was born in Armley. Subsequent Census' have him as being born all over the place (1891 - Barnsley, 1901 - Leeds and 1911 it's back to Armley - this one was filled in by him and not his dad). The BMD searches did reveal one Walter Ross, but his Birth period was the last quarter of 1880 and the District was Bramley. Armley and Bramley are a matter of about 2 miles apart. His marriage certificate suggests 1882, and the 1881 census suggests 1881. Is this him????

Before I move on and go ordering a Birth Certificate for the one person I have found, is there something I have got wrong and am I barking up the wrong (family!!!) tree? I would like to confirm that this is difinitely him.

Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions.

I would think that it is him:
You must remember that when the census was taken
not all occupiers were present so ages and 'where born'
often were guessed at, and a lot of people could not read
or write. I would take a chance and order your cert:

Hi
You can also look for bmd stuff here http://www.yorkshirebmd.org.uk/
That site gives the registration sub-district which can sometimes help.
I think you probably have the right entry. I believe you can order it but stipulate you only want it if the father is John.

Births Dec 1880
ROSS Walter. Bramley. 9b. 378. Bramley covers Armley.

Could be this one,
Yorkshire Birth indexes for the years: 1880.
ROSS Walter. Wortley, Leeds. WORT/87/297.

Thank you for your replies. I think you are right with this being him, so I have taken a chance and ordered the Certificate.

I did look at the Yorkshirebmd and came up with the same as Jimmy. I think they are the same person as Wortley is only about a mile from both Bramley and Armley.

We will see what comes up!!!

hi bfcoakwell bramley is the registration office for armley

if you go to free bmd and click on the name bramley this what comes up

Births Dec 1880
ROSS Walter Bramley 9b 378


The district Bramley is an alternative name for Bramley and it is in the county of West Riding of Yorkshire; information about it can be found here

if you click on here

this is what you get

BRAMLEY REGISTRATION DISTRICT
Registration County : Yorkshire West Riding.
Created : 5.2.1863 (out of Kirkstall registration district).
Abolished : 1.10.1925 (to become part of Bramley & Holbeck registration district).
Sub-districts : Bramley, Gildersome, Wortley.
GRO volumes : 9b (1863"“1925).
Registers now held by : Leeds.


Table 1: List of Places in Bramley Registration District

Civil Parish Count From To Comments

Armley Yorkshire West Riding 1869 - 1904 Abolished 26.3.1904 to become part of the parish of Armley & Bramley. See also Table 2, note (b).

Armley & Bramley Yorkshire West Riding 1904 - 1925 Created 26.3.1904 from the parishes of Armley, Wortley, Bramley, and Franley. Abolished 1.4.1925 to become part of the parish of Leeds. See also Table 2, note (d).

Bramley Yorkshire West Riding 1863 - 1904 Abolished 26.3.1904 to become part of the parish of Armley & Bramley. See also Table 2, note (a).

Farnley Yorkshire West Riding 1869 - 1904 Abolished 26.3.1904 to become part of the parish of Armley & Bramley. See also Table 2, note (b).

Gildersome Yorkshire West Riding 1863 1925 See Table 2, notes (a) and (c).

Wortley Yorkshire West Riding 1869 1904 Abolished 26.3.1904 to become part of the parish of Armley & Bramley. See also Table 2, note (b).

plus outer notes