How do I research someone who was born in Switzerland?

Q I am looking for assistance tracking a relative named Dora Whiteley, born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1873.

I n around 1889–1990, Dora and her brother, Thomas, left New Zealand to live in Manchester with their uncle, James Evans. Their older sister and mother had died in 1884 and 1888 respectively.

I eventually found a marriage for Dora, which took place in Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois, on 7 March 1906 to an August Jucker, who may have come from the north of Switzerland. The marriage seems to have been arranged by JA Dowie, who had started a following with the Zion Christian Church in the USA. He apparently made matches between people who were interested in his work.

After this date, I have been unable to find anything else about Dora. The only possible reference comes from the will of her uncle James, who left shares to “Norah Jucker of Switzerland”. Can you help? Marjorie Prictor

A As with most European countries, the records in Switzerland are held locally, so you need to know where your ancestor lived. This is particularly the case here, where as much as possible is devolved locally. National civil registration began in 1876, but of course church records started long before then. Some church records are on familysearch.

org. These contain a baptismal record for Auguste Jucker, who was born on 9 May 1862 in Nussbaumen in the canton of Thurgau, and baptised in the Evangelical church there. His parents were Johannes Jucker and Adele Kern.

Is he your August Jucker? Thurgau lies in the north-east of Switzerland. Nussbaumen is in the north-west of the canton, close to the border with Canton Zurich.

Birth, marriage and death records are held at the Zivilstandsamt, Seestrasse 123, CH8266 Steckborn, and you should write to them in German if possible – see the letter template at familysearch.org/wiki/en/Switzerland_

Genealogy. It might also be worth emailing the cantonal archives at staatsarchiv@tg.ch.

John Alexander Dowie (1847–1907) was an interesting character – a charismatic pastor who preached in Australia and New Zealand, where he built up a reputation as a faith healer.

Following a scandal in which his church burned down in suspicious circumstances (thereby enabling him to pay off large debts), he moved to the USA, where he founded the small town of Zion, Illinois, as a centre for his Christian Catholic Apostolic Church.

However, he continued to be dogged by financial improprieties. Forced out of the church’s leadership, he died in poverty. Simon Fowler