TRACING MY LONDON FAMILY
My mother’s paternal line certainly didn’t have a common surname, and usually that means such ancestors can or should be easier to trace. Well, when I started my grandfather’s line back in 2002, little did I know how hard it was going to be.
My grandfather was christened Edward Lily Card, born on 19 November 1887 in Mile End. You might say, ‘Well how difficult is that?’, and I would agree with you, but looking for Cards in the East End of London is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I had previously bought my grandfather’s marriage certificate, which stated his father as being no other than another Edward Card, steam loco driver. By this time I was thinking – this is going to be fun, it’s not the surname that’s the problem it’s the first name – but best not panic at this stage.
So I purchased his birth and death certificates, using FreeBMD.org.uk (to find the details that I needed to make my order – you place your certificate orders at www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/).