With online searching now the order of the day, often records are chosen at random and you are left wondering well, have I selected the correct record.?

So, for example, based on a 1901 or 1911 Census, entry, you might select a marriage of say, Patrick and Mary. But that nagging feeling remains, how do I know this is correct for my ancestor?

One important step to take in such a scenario is to establish the maiden name of the mother. Obvious I know, but it is a step often missed. The Census entry will list all the children of the couple.

You need to obtain the birth/baptismal record for any one of the children to establish the mother’s maiden name. Once you have done that you can then narrow down your search only to marriages of couples with those two surnames.

In some cases, there may only be one obvious marriage but for others of us, we will still be left with a multiple number, but still less than what you started out with.

By, Expert Researcher

Carmel Gilbride