FT Academy May 2023: The answers

Beginners

George Robertshaw Scholefield died on 20 January 1847 in Hulme, Manchester. Can you find his death registration in the General Register Office indexes?

George’s death was registered under the name George Scholefield (no middle name was recorded) in the Chorlton registration district in the March quarter of 1847. The GRO reference was Volume XX (20) page 229

Intermediate

What was the name of the ship that Rebecca Scholfield travelled to New York on in 1872?

Rebecca sailed from Liverpool to New York onboard the SS Cuba.

Advanced

Where would you find out more about the various patents obtained by members of the Scholefield family?

The British Library is the UK’s official patent library. Advice on using their collection of records can be found at: https://www.bl.uk/collection-guides/patents

Thinking Outside The Box

What sources can you think of that might tell you more about Sarah Scholfield and George Robishaw?

Sarah and George may have come into contact with the local Poor Law authorities in Oldham so it would be worth finding out what records might be held both at a County level (Lancashire Archives) and more locally (Manchester Archives and Oldham Local Studies & Archives).

Both surnames are fairly common in the area but it would be worth looking for other references to the names in Oldham at around the time that we know Sarah and George were there in case any connections can be found.

We would also want to look for potential baptismal records for both of them and to extend the search for possible burial records to other parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

How you can join in

If you'd like to learn how to improve your family history search skills by reading Family Tree magazine check out your options. From single issues to subscriptions, or membership of Family Tree Plus online learning community, we have something for every family history enthusiast!