Tracing English Immigrants From Abroad: Difference between revisions

Genealogical research in England’s large cities and towns requires knowing the specific locale, town, borough or parish within the big city in order to determine in which original records to begin research. That your ancestor was “born in Manchester” or that he was “of London“, is insufficient information. It requires obtaining the specific name of the town or parish in Greater “London” or “Manchester, etc., in order to know specific records to use to build your family’s pedigree connections further back in time.  

Our ancestors for example—as well as many among the living today—often named a large city or town as their birthplace such as “Liverpool” when in reality they were actually born in or resided in a locality such as Everton neighbouring just three miles northeast of central Liverpool. Or, some ancestors from London may have said they were “born within the sound of “‘Bo’ Bells” or, that is to say they were ‘born within hearing-distance of the bells ringing from the celebrated parish church of St Mary le Bow, City of London’.; or, ‘I was from the City of Bristol’ (Gloucestershire), when in actuality subsequent research proves the birth occurred at Bedminster, a parish bordering next to Bristol City, and barely across county borders in Somersetshire.  

When a migrant from within England (or an English immigrant to another country) such as a “John Smith“ said he was born in “London”, did he mean the City of London proper, with its 100-plus parishes, or, did he mean born in Greater London, which had over 200 ancient parishes and which, by 1900, had over 700 parishes? How will you know which “John Smith” is the right one in all of Greater London. This certainly applies as well for any other big city in England! Knowing or obtaining further or more clarifying information can make all the difference in the world in helping you to prove an ancestral connection in an England city.  

So what’s the standard technique that helps researchers to discover an ancestors’ specific birth place or place of residence in England?