Question re. reference checking at GRO

[ElizabethHerts]

I have never used the reference checking option before, and I'm trying to find the death for my ancestor Sarah White.

I have three options to check, and I'm not quite sure how to proceed:

Sarah White Mar qr 1843 Farnham 4 97
Sarah White Sep qr 1843 Farnham 4 97
Sarah White Mar qr 1848 Farnham 4 145

How do I go about this? Do I have to order all three with reference checking, or is it best to order one, eliminate it or get the correct one, then carry on?

I feel particularly dim asking this, but I am on the GRO website and it doesn't help much!

[Merry]

I have never used the ref checking facility as I'm not sure I would trust the person at the other end! (unfair perhaps, but the way I feel)

So, if it was me I would contact the local registrar. Unfortunately the registers for Farnham district may be spread across several offices, but I would just phone/email one of them and ask where I should write to for Farnham deaths in the 1840s. They may ask you if you know which sub-distict you want (because the different books may be in different offices), which, if the person hadn't moved since the 1841 census, will be on the census transcript on Ancestry.

Here's the Hampshire area office:

The Register Office, 30 Grosvenor Road, Aldershot, GU11 3EB.
Tel: 01252 322066. Fax: 01252 338004.
E-mail: [email protected]

and if the books are not there they may be in West Surrey, North Surrey or Alton.

This way may be a bit fussy, but you should only pay £7 in total.

I have to admit to giving up on local offices where the books were spread about as often no one would admit to where I should write except that it 'wasn't them' lol But if I had a case with three certs as you do, I would bite the bullet and try contacting the local office.

[ElizabethHerts]

Merry, I have already contacted Guildford and Alton, and neither were particularly helpful.

After telling the lady at Guildford that Sarah had three children, in 1839, 1840 and 1841 respectively and that she was dead by the 1851 census, and that she was born c. 1816, she was convinced that the death that I wanted was for an 80 year old!

Thanks for the Aldershot number, I shall try them first.

[Merry]

and neither were particularly helpful.


Oh dear!

[ElizabethHerts]

I have just phoned and got through to a general person. She is passing the query on to the appropriate department and they will phone me back. Here's hoping!

Sarah is my most elusive ancestor. All I know she was born Sarah Thomason and not in Hampshire c. 1816. I have a marriage for her where her guardian Richard Hall was present. That is all I know about her!

[JessBow]

Thing is, the ref check for a death is always difficult - you might use her husbands name as registering the death...and then it not match because someone else did it.

what about address? are they on death certs of that age?

[ElizabethHerts]

Jess, when Aldershot phone back one of the things I can tell them is that she was Matron of the Workhouse at Headley Hampshire, where her husband Edward was Master. I'm hoping that might identify her. Assmuming, of course, she was still Matron when she died.

Headley WOrkhouse later became Headley Grange and is where Led Zeppelin recorded some of their albums!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headley_Grange
http://www.learnhistory.org.uk/cpp/headgnge.jpg

[Oakum Picker]

As always there are exceptions but the majority of death certs. I have for married women state she is the wife or widow of 'her husband's name & occupation' even if he's dead.