Thread: The name Smith

I am having problems locating my great grandfather's birth certificate. He was known as George Herbert Smith and according to all censuses was born c1870. I have requested several searches from GRO and for all the George Herbert Smith's i could find, born in Manchester around that time; to no avail. I am now thinking that he may not even have Herbert as his middle name on his birth certificate. Anyone with an ancestor named George Smith born in Manchester will surely understand the difficulties I am having tracking him down. His name alone makes him somewhat elusive. Anyway adding to that, he disappears off the 1911 census and it became pretty clear that he has disserted his family. My grandmother declined to name him on her wedding certificate and she never spoke of him. I have no hope of finding out what happened to him without a date of birth and confirmation of the area that he was born. As it happens i do know the names of his parents: George Hilton Smith (who appears to have immigrated to USA with most of his sons and Hannah Ellen Ollerenshaw who died in the UK

I would be so grateful for any advice and equally i would love to hear from anyone else having simular problems

As you have the names of his parents, wouldn't that give you the area where he lived.? You mention George Hilton Smith, ' who Appears to have immigrated to USA' if he did emigrate that would show up in the census.