Sheffield Indexers
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Please can anybody help me I am looking for my Grandads mum and dads name all I have got is his name John Davison DOB 02.02.1878 and that he lived in Sheffield.If anybody can help it would be brilliant.
Hi Julia,
I have looked in the BMD for John Davison b.1878 in Sheffield and the only one I can find is a John W. Davidson b. 1878 and registered Ecclesall Bierlow in the 3rd qtr. Are you sure he was born in Sheffield and on that date?
This particular John Davidson is living in Sheffield in 1881 with his parents Joseph and Eliza Davidson. Joseph is a bricklayers labourer - Eliza originated in Birmingham.
John, Have looked on this site under baptisms and also the LDS site. LDS throws up one John Davison b.1878 in Sheffield and living Liversedge in 1901. When I look it up he is a single man, working as a coal miner (underground) boarding with a couple called Tom and Emma Heeley - Tom is a coal miner too. Putting 2 and 2 together I have found this John, now a pit deputy and married to Alice with 2 sons and a daughter, living Whitwood, Castleford/Pontefract. Does any of this ring any bells Julia?
Wendy
Hi Sue thanks for you questions all I have got is that my grandad was a Miner, and I know my grandmothers name which was Alice but she lived in Horbury and also there is no name for his father on the marriage certificate.
Hello John Thanks for replying I have got my Grandfathers marriage certificate but his fathers name is not on it.
Hi WENDY Will look into those names but I am not sure, probably will have to go th Sheffield to try and find his Birth Certificate for his parents names. Thanks again.
Hi Julia,
Go to Sheffield to find a birth certificate.. tut tut LOL if our sleuths can't push you in the right direction I dont know who will. LOL
Here are some suggestions.
1. FreeBMD... on line and free.....
http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/
2. Sheffield Council BMD's
http://libplugins.sheffield.gov.uk/bmd/Home.aspx
The 1881 census which would be the first census he would show on. There is a free copy of this census on Family Search.
Usually if NO father is list on either the birth certificate or marriage it means he was illegitimate.but........ until you know for sure thats still up in the air.
As you are new to researching may I suggest you have a good read of our getting started pages over to the left. The fun part is sleuthing it out for yourself......
Lots of material & suggestions. there.
Hope this finds him for you.
Elaine in Ottawa
Skype 
Julia
Is the quoted date of birth - accurate ?.
Kind regards Brian.
Hi Wendy Already got all the information you have found, just cannot find his parents names and where they lived.
Hi John S Thanks for your help my Grandad did not get married until 1905 and the witness were my grandmas sister and brother, and they got married in Horbury.
Hi Elaine in Ottawa Thanks for the information will try your suggestion, but I think I will have to go o Sheffield. Thanks again.
Hi Julia,
Let me explain a little more about the birth index.
The General Registry Office index has many mistakes in it.
In brief what happened was all the district offices for BMD's would then send their entries on to the central one in Sheffield who would then make another list out and send on London in those days where another index would be made.
You can see right there that there is room for errors.....
About 12 years ago now it was decided to re index those Sheffield ones and Sheffield & District Family Histsory Society
took up the challenge.
Our good friend Angela Treweek was one person behind the projects
and they found many mistakes.
This new index is on the Sheffield Council Site.
BUT it has also been placed on a CD which can be purchased from S&DFHS.
FreeBMD is the old index.
There is a book by Michael Whitfield Frost of New Zealand (A Comedy of Errors)
who paid his own way to England and did a paper audit of the
system in the 1990's. He was the only one who been allowed
to do such an audit for which we are ever grateful.
What was needed as far as Sheffield was concerned was exactly
what S&DFHS were finally able to accomplish. Even I had tried to get at those records at the Registry Office but from
my home in Ottawa it was impossible.
So you can see from this we really can help you but we will need more information so we can turn him up on a census.
I can feel it in my bones folks are chomping at the bit to help you. LOL.
So give us another try.
Kindest regards.
Elaine in Ottawa.
According to the 1911 census John and his wife Alice DAVISON were living in Whitford near Normanton.
They had been married for 5 years (supports the 1905 marriage which Julia has evidence of).
John says that he was born in Sheffield and is aged 33 making him born 1878.
Alice is 24 making her born 1887 in Blackpool Lancs.
John's occupation is Underground Colliery Deputy Manager.
There are children:
Frank, Arthur and Millicent with another child having died.
Working back from this:
Marriage:
Alice Kershaw
Spouse:
John Davison
Father:
Alfred Kershaw
12 Jun 1905 - Horbury, St Peter and St Leonard, Yorkshire, England
On the 1901 census:
John DAVISON is lodging with Tom & Emma HEELEY in Liversedge,Dewsbury, he's aged 23 (born 1878) in Sheffield, he's a Coal Miner's Labourer (below).
Regards,
Marlene
Hello Brian H not sure about the dob bu I think it is correct.
Hello Marlene Collis Thanks for all the information, but I have already got it all, It is his parents name and address which I need. Thanks again. Julia
Hi Julia,
I thought you would have but, we always start with the more recent and work our way back so, I posted the most recent reliable information available so that anyone else can see where to work back from. Have you found anything further back from the 1911 census, i.e. any earlier census?
Regards,
Marlene
Julia,if you are not sure about the date of birth,where - did you obtain the date ?.
Kind regards Brian.
Julia
Did John Davison- have any siblings ?.
Kind regards Brian.
Hi Brian H, My dad gave me his dads dob and he never mentioned any siblings when he was living. Julia
Hi Marlene, Thanks for you information but yes I hve found out that my Grandad was a boarder living with Tom and Emma Heeley in Liversedge in the 1901 census, but after that I cannot find anything else. Thanks Julia.