Thread: How do I search for Family members outside the UK

Hi My Father came to the Uk in 1955 From Jamaica and I know his parents name - Mother Catherine Peters (nee Hall) and Father Ivan Peters and thats about it, His mother was in London for some time before my father actually arrived here but then went back home to Jamaica. They had 3 daughters ( Rose, Freda, Merthlyn) and 1 son (my father)

Where do I go from here??

Thanks
Nigel

I have just found out today that Catherine Peters (nee Hall) lived to a ripe old age of 105 and passed away in Apr 2006 her birth date was apparently 02 Dec 1901 in Jamaica. She was already in London and had sent for her children to complete their education so my father arrived in 1955 (as we have already discussed) and when he moved up north in the 60s would travel from Darlington to London to visit his Mother until she went back to Jamaica (don't know when though)

Also my fathers sisters Rose (born 22 July 1931) freda (c Sept 1929) and merthlyn ( Born 30 oct 1933) came to england with Rose also travelling by ship but Merthlyn arrived by plane

But Nigel, Lawford was 27 when he came. His education was already complete.
Did anyone you talked to know when/where Ivan and Catherine were married?
If she was born 02 Dec 1901(where in Jamaica? St Catherine's, Spanish Town, Kingston? St Elizabeth? St. James? Trelawney? or?) then you can send of for her birth cert. Then you will be another step further back.

Sorry lola....I think im unwittingly confusing things - your right my fathers education was already complete it was his sister Merthlyn who was finishing off her nursing here.

No one seems to know where my Grandparents were married but I have found that Catherine (my fathers mother) had 4 other sisters and 1 brother and also her middle name was Issadora and Ivan's full name was actually Ivanhoe.

My Fathers school in Jamaica was called Mount Carmel

my father remembers Daniel hall (catherines father) having 2 brothers David and Issac, he also remembers names / figures in his life called Turner, Wright, Sharrier.


I feel this is going to be a BIG project :-)

Yep , got lots of bits of paper with a ton of scribbles that don't seem to make too much sense at the mo!

Too true Lola, I feel I have made great inroads in a short space of time and have also spoke to my fathers sister and we are planning to go and visit in a couple of weeks. I agree about the softly softly as people may think I am trying to unearth some deep laid secret (thats not to say that something may unintentionally may be uncovered)

I will ask my father about Inanhoe's occupation although I do recall him saying he was a police officer....or that may have been his grandfather, I know I should have listened to my fathers childhood stories a little more intently when I was a boy!!!

Not sure about Catherine being a nurse but I can ask and are you refering to the same catherine born in 1818? as I know my fathers catherine (mother) was born 02 Dec 1901

Not heard of a Joseph Hall but what I am trying NOT to do is put a name in my fathers head and thus lead him a little

thanks for Now

A notebook Nigel and a fine line pen are a must and a page for every person. If your scribbles are like mine then you won't be able to read them.
Make a note Ivanhoe.... occupation. Try to find a place. Place is very important in family history. Ask your father was his school, Mount Carmel, in Kingston or where?

No I am not talking about Catherine Isadora/e Hall who married Ivanhoe Peters.... I am talking about a Catherine Peters who was a nurse in the coddington family in Somerset in 1871 and 1881 and who was born in 1818 in Jamaica. Anyway just forget about her for the moment.
I wondered if your Catherine born 1901 might be a nurse else how did she support herself over here ? and her daughter Merthlin became a nurse. That was all.
Was your father born in Kingston?

Time is running out for asking questions on the Caribbean side so you need to get all those pieces of the puzzle first. The English side can wait a bit longer.