Sidney WOOD

Hi Karl,

you ask;
"So, my question is: how can I trace the birth of someone born on 28th February 1895 if I'm not sure of his name?"

Easy, if you can access the 1939 Register on Find my Past.
On their form, just enter that birth date and given name Sidney.
You should get 16 results of people with that name and birth date.

The difficult part will be deciding which one is your Sidney, although there is one Sidney WOOD.
Also, bear in mind that the date of birth, when given at the registration of death, is notoriously wrong.

Regards,
Gwynne

Hi Gwynne

Many thanks for taking the time to post.

If I understand correctly the 1939 census would provide his name, date of birth, occupation and other details. The Sidney Wood indicated in the 1939 census (with Ethel M Wood) is, I'm sure, my grandfather.  But, the details provided in that census will not tell me any more about his birth than I already know.

What I'm really after is his birth certificate, but can't find it because I can't find a Sidney Wood born on 28th February 1895 in Shrewsbury in the birth registers. That's the dilemma.

Karl

Hi Karl,

Have you considered getting the marriage certificate of
Sydney WOOD to Ethel M COOK in the Sept qtr 1920, in Walsall Reg'n District.
The marriage certificate may get you confirmation that Sidney's father was indeed John or not.

Gwynne

Hi Gwynne

Their marriage certificate does show John Wood (deceased) as his father. And his WW1 discharge papers also show John Wood as his next of kin. I recall my grandfather telling me that he was adopted so my suspicion is that John Wood was his adopted parent and that he took the surname "Wood" through that process.

If he was indeed born on 28th February 1895 in Shrewsbury then I guess my best hope is to find all those males born in Shrewsbury on that date and try to deduce which one is my grandfather. Do you know if it is possible to do such a specific search - either on line or in person?

thanks

Karl

Hi Karl,

Have you found the family in the 1901 census and the marriage  of his 'parents'?

He may have been Jane's son born prior to her marriage to John Wood and John 'adopted' him on marriage. Look in census for relationship 'step-son' rather than just son.

If he was born before they married you could try searching GRO index for Sidney (use both surnames) and enter mother's maiden name in search form along with other relevant data.

Maybe Jane had been married before? What was her status on marriage to John Wood? Was her father's name on the cert, (or in the parish register) the same as hers?

Regards

Malcolm

Hi Malcolm

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

In the 1911 census: Sidney is recorded as the son of John Wood and Jane, married for 22 years, with only 1 child in the marriage. John 40 years old, born in Ripon. Jane 40 years old born in Herefordshire.

I have not been able to trace them in either the 1901 or 1891 census, nor have I been able to find a marriage around 1889 between a John Wood and a Jane ? So I haven't got a maiden name for Jane, and there's an awful lot of John Wood's around.

thanks

Karl

Would it help if you checked Atcham Poor Union/Workhouse records for a child born on that date? You would probably have to ask Shropshire Archives to look at the documents.  I have done a quick check on the Baptisms for Atcham and Berrington for 1895 but there aren't any looking unusual. There must be a lot more births. Sidney's name could have been something completely different, of course.                                    Good Luck with your interesting problem KMB