OneGuyFromBarlick

Excellent, I gave sent in numerous corrections over the years to different places and never had a reply or acknowledgement.

I gave up on Findmypast when my subscription ran out. Tried in vain to get a refund, on the grounds that the site was unusable. Didn't really expect one, but enjoyed the tussle.

I'd guess I was not the only one.

Anyway I've just had an email saying that their site is completely free to anyone - from noon Friday 6th March to noon Monday 9th March 2015. They say they have changed the search facility. - So I was right then?

I tried to look something up last night and was asked to pay!

This is the link they sent to me - seems to work - for me anyway.

findmypastfree

I got on last night, thanks Tripps. I had to re register for some reason.

I have been doing a little more research on this family for part of a chapter of my book. I think I have solved a mystery. Maria Widdup nee Lake had a brother William H Lake. They were born in Warwickshire. About 1876 Maria came to Barnoldswick, where as a single mother she gave birth to a child. The census records show him as Arthur but I think he was William Hartley Lake. I think he may have been called Arthur by the family to distinguish between him and his uncle. I found that in 1922 William married Nellie in Barnoldswick
I have also found that Maria trained as a midwife and in June 1909 she qualified. She was then living at 24 Park Road, later she was at 21 and in the1930 s at 17. This is all in the midwives register. When she died her probate entry has her at 17. Her executers were her sister and Nellie the wife of William.

Smith and Maria were at number 21 I think when Smith was in the army 1914-1919.

Smith lied about his age when he joined up on August 31 st 1914, but stated it correctly when he was in the Royal Navy in the late 1890s. Why would he say he was 29 in 1914 when he was actually about 35.

I need to check that William Hartley Lake is the same person as Arthur Lake.

That sounds like a bit of good detective work Sue.....

New things on Ancestry , Stanley , make all the difference.

I love it in local history when new evidence comes to light leading to a rethink.....