Over the last few years I have been involved in a long frustrating search for my paternal
grandfather's civil registration records and family history.
The only record that we have on which he is named is my fathers birth certificate. This
shows that my paternal grandfather was a Benjamin Williams who was in the Merchant Marine
in 1911. Beyond that there are no other details other than he was in the Cardiff area in
1910, my father having been born in Penarth in 1911.
Over the years I have attempted to identify Benjamin, and hence his family line, in the
1901 census but each attempt has failed due to the large number of candidates born in
Glamorgan in the assumed time period, 1881 to 1895 and the fact that Mercantile Marine
records are indexed by ship not by persons. In addition, these maritime records are not
necessarily held in UK archives but can be in Newfoundland of all places. Since I live in
Western Canada extended travel either to the UK or to Newfoundland (4.5 time zones away
from here) is not really feasible given the huge mass of records that would have to be
searched.
So, as a fall-back position, I am working by a process of elimination. The Free BMD
service shows that there are 24 candidate Benjamin Williams born in Glamorgan in the
selected time period. Using the results of postings, the Free BMD death records and the
Commonwealth Graves Commission search facility I have reduced this list to 15 but am now
brickwalled again.
Therefore, in order to move forward, I have the following request to those listers whose
family tree includes a Benjamin Williams born in Glamorgan between 1881 to 1895. Would you
please consider sending me the details of your Benjamin Williams regardless of occupation
in 1911. With that information I may be able to reduce my list of candidates further or
even specifically identify "my" Benjamin Williams.
TIA,
Peter Williams, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada