Notts FHS Databases

Nottinghamshire Family History Society has spent time putting all available records from Nottinghamshire parish registers into three separate databases, which are provided with a “viewer” so you can search for baptisms, marriages and funerals in the County.

Here is a sample search for Edward Birkinshaw (my great grandfather), with the results provided by the search criteria as entered.  I decided to enter minimal details so that I could pick up any potential records. 

To start with I used the “Soundex” option to see what similar sounding surnames were recorded; this gave me  various unlikely names, so I tried a “Wild card” option instead: “B-r—sh—” gave me a collection of various spellings of Birkinshaw which I have seen in further family tree research.

My grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather were all named Edward Birkinshaw!  This is not an unusual occurrence as people often wanted to perpetuate their heritage in this way (or they were really unimaginative in picking names).

The record I was focusing on was Edward Birkinshaw baptised on 10 November 1833 – and I noticed he was not baptised until 8 April 1839.  I decided to search for any children born to Edward and Margaret Birkinshaw and came up with five records: Thomas baptised 19 April 1830, Edward, Charles and Martha all baptised 8 April 1839, and Charles baptised 2 June 1841.  Birth dates were only recorded for Edward and Charles, and I am making the assumption that the other three children were baptised not long after they were born (which would be the usual practice).  I wonder why there was a delay before Edward and Charles were “done”?!