Seeking my grandfather’s parents

Q

Joseph Gray/grey was a merchant marine fireman. Born about 1857, no birth registration or baptism have been found for him, but all documentation (census, crew lists) gives his place of birth as Liverpool. Joseph`s marriage certificate to Ann Jane Moran in February 1884, St James RC, Bootle, names his father as James Henry Gray, sailor, and it is James Henry Gray about whom I wish to know more, as I have no idea where James Henry Gray was born (he misses all census returns).

• A marriage certificate of James Henry Grey, bachelor, to

Mary Cromley, spinster, 14 September 1864 in Liverpool Parish Church, gives her father as James Cromley, agent.

• When widowed, Mary marries William Fulton, marine fireman, 27 November 1868.

• No convincing death certificate found for James Henry Gray between 1864-1868.

How do I go about finding his son Joseph’s baptism? Liverpool & S.W. Lancs FHS [family history society] forum have tried to help online and I have also visited to the records office with a negative result.

My feeling is that even though Joseph’s birth was not registered (and neither was that of his sister Catherine), then both he and his sister would have been baptised somewhere. Joseph died in 1931 and is buried in the Catholic area of Ford Cemetery, Liverpool. His wife, Ann(e) Jane, was buried in the same plot in 1933.

Any advice to help me sledgehammer this brick wall would be greatly appreciated. Sue Todd

A

When the usual sources of both civil registration and parish records don’t provide the answers, then it helps to make a systematic list of other potential sources. I think you’ll always be hampered by the commonness of your ancestors’ names and will have to wade through many potential candidates before hopefully narrowing it down.

Since sailors are often itinerant, consider that Joseph could have been born outside England, or even at sea (consult the TNA guide for these records https://www.nationalarchives. gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/birthmarriage-death-sea-or-abroad/).

You could check similar sources for the birth of Joseph’s father, James Henry, although not all of them will apply to this earlier era. I would also look at Merchant Navy national employment registers on Findmypast. These sometimes give helpful clues to an ancestor’s origins. James Henry’s death ought to be more straightforward. The BT153 register at TNA covers crew members’ deaths between 1852 and 1889 and is available to search via Findmypast or Ancestry. But, again, don’t forget to check non-english sources in case he died elsewhere. Many seafarers left a will or there may have been an obituary in a local newspaper, even if they were poor, so see whether local record offices can help you.

Finally, Merseyside Maritime Museum archives may be able to advise you as to whether there are records of a welfare fund for wives of seafaring men who died. Maybe Mary Gray tried to claim financial support in Liverpool when James died? SW