I started researching our family in 1987

[dothawkes31]

it was quite good back then as alot of the older members of the Hawkes family was still about plus my own family. It was harder to actually do the record research as computers were still a luxury and many records were still just on microfilm or microfiche, but i did ok and worked at it over the years.
So, conversation today with my ex husbands Auntie, i was telling her that I had found her missing aunt and uncle that were taken by the Catholic Nuns when orphaned in late 1911, we chatted about where she had lived as kids, she was chattering away and i glazed over as I heard her say '...that was just after Brian died....' and after a second i said, whoooaaaaa, back up, what did you say about Brian?
After umpteen visits, conversations and research feed back, I find out she had a baby brother who died in 1931, it kinda slipped her memory to mention it at every christening marriage and funeral or every family history related visit over the past 20 odd years. So, basically, never stop asking eh? lol

[carolegif]

I also have been researching since the 1980's (we moved nearer London so it was easier to research at the old records office near the Alwych). I discovered that my gt grandmother had a child die on Christmas Eve when he was 6 years old and her daughter also had a child die at 6, but no-one knew about the first child, even my mother knew nothing - no-one said a word.
Now I find that my parents married twice!! Dad (90) said to me the other day, I am amazed you never found out in your research that Mum & I married twice (Mum couldn't remember!). Apparently Dad got a marriage licence in May of 1945 and were to get married in June, but my grandfather (Mum's Dad) dropped dead of a heart attack at the end of May so the wedding couldn't take place. Whilst out in Liverpool one day while Dad was on leave before going back to Belgium, they got two witnesses off the street and got married never telling anyone. Their next wedding was the 'official' one on October 6th of the same year, but it would never occur to me to look for another one and if I saw it I would think it was a mistake. Honest;y, the things your parents never tell you!!!

[dothawkes31]

That's an unusual story carole!!! So they have celebrated their wedding anniversary on the wrong date all these years? Or have they? No they haven't as they were both right I guess, lol, brilliant, do they both show in the index and was it the same RD for both?

[carolegif]

They have always celebrated it on 6 October - even after 64 years! I have now found both postings on Ancestry (look identical) and will get the other certificate even if it is just to see who the witnesses were! Even when they married on 6 October, my Nan thought it was too early (father not cold in his grave etc.)