In the first stages of development of the BMD (Birth, Marriage and Death) and census spreadsheets, information on UK Adamthwaites was collected from a variety of sources:

 

• details of family composition of members of the Adamthwaite mailing list on Rootsweb, much of which is the result of decades of research

• all Adamthwaites found in the 1841 to 1901 censuses - this became much easier with the availability of on-line indexes, but there are still some individuals that we have been unable to find, possibly due to the imaginative ways in which the surname has been transcribed for indexing

• all Adamthwaites found on the GRO Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths - these were accessed at the Family Records Centre and on-line  (though recent details are not published on the website)

• all Adamthwaites found on Parish Registers - accessed at various County Records Offices and the Society of Genealogists by members of the mailing list.  Also details from IGI have been used with caution - where possible all these entries have been double checked on original parish registers

• names of family members mentioned in Adamthwaite Wills and Letters of Administration - these have been invaluable in building up a picture of the early Adamthwaite families

 

 

In order to work out how the different family groups were composed, a cross analysis was undertaken of all census data with the birth, marriage and death details found in parish records and on the GRO index to establish parentage of each individual, and rough family tree diagrams were drawn up.  To avoid any individual being allocated to more than one tree a colour coding system was developed and gradually a picture began to emerge of the different lines. The period between the start of general registration in 1837 and the 1901 census was the most straightforward, and also the period after 1912 when the mother's maiden name was added to the birth index (subsequently, the 1911 census data was added).

 

We then followed all the branches that migrated overseas, and collected all the relevant birth, marriage, death and census (or electoral roll) records to discover how these branches expanded in their new country - this stage is still continuing as more records become available online.

 

The Resource Section includes spreadsheets showing BMD and census data, a range of other records and migration data covering the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA  - all of which use the colour coding system.

 

The Birth spreadsheets from about 1800 onwards are the most informative - and should be used as the starting point for discovering what we know about any particular person.  For most individuals, as well as details of their parents, and (if known) their place and date of christening, you will also find their date of death and marriage and the name of their spouse.  This cross-indexing also serves to ensure that each event is only associated with one individual!  In order to identify death records of adult female Adamthwaites, we have also included the births of many female spouses, though there is very little information about their parentage and frequently their year of birth is estimated from either census information or age at death.  

 

Armed with the information about an individual found on the Birth spreadsheets, you can then look up their entries on the Death and Marriage spreadsheets. If you look at the far right-hand columns of the Birth spreadsheets from 1750 onwards, you will also see an indication of the censuses where each individual has been found. You can then go to the relevant Census page to see the address where that person was living, their place of birth, status, age, occupation and other members of the household.  Where we have any more information, a will, or photos for an individual, you will also see notes in the third column of the Birth spreadsheets directing you to the relevant section of the website.

 

We have bought a considerable number of certificates to confirm our hypotheses.  As more and more people have joined the mailing list and contributed details from BMD certificates they hold, the percentage of individuals allocated to one of the nine family lines has grown substantially.  The final column of each of the BMD tables indicates if an actual certificate is held. There are still some entries which are mere speculation, but our members regularly submit corrections and additions.