GRO Belfast

Last week my good friend Jim Murdoch and I travelled to the big smoke "Belfast" for a day of family history sleuthing.

We had booked 2 computers at the General Records Office, (GRO) for £14.00 each - a little expensive in my opinion. That allows you to have unrestricted use of their records for births, deaths and marriages all day. You are permitted to leave the building for a snack or lunch and you retain your use of the computer on your return, I can assure you if you had the time you would be there all day!

The payment of £14.00 allows you to view 2 records free and each viewing of a record after that is £4.00, which saves you buying a copy of a certificate - I had 5 searches (4 successful and 1 unsuccessful) costing £12.00.

I planned the visit to the GRO to see if I could trace great Uncle William Anderson, sadly to no avail. There is a family rumour that he died in a road traffic accident in Wales and this may prove to be correct - as no record of his death is held at the GRO in Belfast.

Sadly, I trace his mother Susannah Anderson - my great grand mother who had died quite young in her 30's - her death is very sad indeed and it would be wrong of me to post the details of her death in a public blog - poor woman!

I was also able to trace back a further generation of Anderson's and I was very pleased to trace my 3 x great grand father to Ballywatticock (Ballyblack) on the outskirts of Newtownards.

My family searches at the GRO were very worthwhile and important, as I continue to build the family tree, but as usual I find out one item of information and that in turn leaves me with several other queries to follow up. So off to the newspaper library next week, and perhaps another trip to the GRO, this time cousin Claire may go along with me as we delve ever deeper into the Anderson's bloodline.

HMA