I hope someone can help - I am looking for local people with knowledge of the Merchant and Emery families for our family research project.
In particular, James Merchant (1778 - 1837), a cooper, married to Anna Emery (1778 - 1852), married at SS Peter & Paul in 1798.
Would be great to hear from anyone who is researching that period and has any advice/information. Especially any advice on where records are held and how to access them. Thanks.

By cmckellar at 21:42 on 03/04/11

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Hi, I will ask if anyone has info. In the meantime, would you possibly share what other approaches you have taken to your research? The reason I ask is that people often inquire about this sort of thing and I did an article on it a while back to answer a couple of peoples questions. Many thanks. http://tinyurl.com/43h98z7

By SheptonPeople at 12:57 on 05/04/11
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Happy to share my approach so far but I am not an expert - hopefully others can add their advice as well....please!

Family Research is like a big puzzle - you find pieces and sometimes they fit together and sometimes they don't! And sometimes there are big gaps.....and it is very satisfying when you fill in those gaps!

I signed up with Ancestry.co.uk because it was recommended by a friend. That gives me access to all the Births, Marriages, Deaths (BMD) records and the census records as well as somewhere to record the information discovered and so I feel it is good value. It also finds overlaps between your family tree and others....so I found a new, very distant, cousin - we share the same Gx5 grandmother! He had lots of information including some newspaper stories from the 1840's in Bristol, where the family had moved to.

I managed to find information in the various census records about past family members and about relatives we didn't know about and 'busted' a few family myths - we come from SM and not from B'Ham!

I ordered online for copies of BMD certificates direct from the General Registry Office (used to be £7 per copy, not sure what it is now). It was very exciting when they arrived in the post and they gave extra information which helped confirm whether I had found the 'right' relatives... sometimes I found I had the 'wrong' relatives!

It is fairly easy to get back to 1840's because the census information is so useful - I managed to piece together different members of the family moving around every ten years and often living with different relatives. It is so frustrating that we are only up to the 1911 census being available... I want to know what happened to my family next but will have to wait for 10 years until 1921 is released!

Earlier than the 1800's it gets trickier and that's why I need to start looking at Parish Records to get further back, plus speak to any local historians. I am sure there are also other online records that I have not found yet. So, any useful advice on what to do next will be gratefully received - thank you!

By cmckellar at 19:58 on 05/04/11
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I drive past an old derelict and creepy old house on the Old Wells Road most days on my way to work and I am fascinated to know its history. I believe it was called Barrington. Can anyone tell me anything about it, who lived there and why it's in the state it is today.

By Fuchsiamagic at 14:19 on 06/04/11
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Thats brilliant and hopefully really helpful to those who are researching their family tree's or who are interested and didn't know where to start. I have done some asking and will know if I have any useful info/contact for you shortly.

By SheptonPeople at 17:25 on 06/04/11
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Re: that house, I dont know if Im thinking of the right one (there can't be too many) but I know a story of one up there where an old farmer died and the will was contested, so it literally fell apart while the parties argued and the property ended up intestate. I don't think it was in a great state during his lifetime to be fair but that's how the story has it.

By Ed_2010 at 17:29 on 06/04/11
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Hi - I have been shiwn some bits a pieces which might be of interest. James (b1778) and Hannah (also known as Anna) seem to have had two children baptised at the RC Church - Sarah (b27.06.1800) and Mary (b11/11/1801). There is also a picture of Thomas Meacham Merchant b28/12/1813 if that helps tie it up as the right family? Drop me an email: sheptonmallet@thelocalpeople.co.uk if this sounds like the sort of thing you are looking for and I'll give you the contact details so you can find out more. Hope that helps.

By SheptonPeople at 18:22 on 06/04/11
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*shown - not shiwn (sounds like the policeman from Allo Allo!)

By SheptonPeople at 18:25 on 06/04/11
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