Is there any way i can....

[willowbee]

I wonder if anyone can give me advice on this question! I have been trying to find out who my grandfather was/is but my father did not know who his father was. We only know he was a lay preacher circa 1938/40 in the parish where we live.I have tried certain places like churchs etc but no-one is willing to give me any advice. We do not have a name but at the time there were only one lay preacher to a parish. Im completely stumped! Oh' and his name doesnt appear on dads birth certificate either! Any advice anyone? im in the UK.

[sara3]

I'd do a tour of the local residential care homes, see if any of the old dears remember him. they can never remember where they've put their glasses but they remember the really old stuff, especially if it could be classed as scandal!

good luck :o)

[Lil O'lady]

You could also try old parish newsletters, which might mention who your lay preachers were at different times. If the churches themselves don't have them, local libraries and museums often have a surprisingly large collection of this kind of stuff, so it's worth phoning round and asking

[philandlil]

I would put an ad in the local paper asking for anyone who may remember a lay preacher around that time. If there is a parish magazine/ newsletter i would ask if i could put an ad in that too.

Do you know exactly where your Grandmother lived at the time? try and find out which church she attended and start there first. (if she stayed in the same area and got married she would possibly have used the same church)
If the Church is not willing to help, ask relatives that were around at the time or are there friends she knew at the time your father was born that you could ask?
Ask your father if he remembers any of her friends from when he was a child maybe she told them who his father was. If they are still alive try tracing them or speaking to their children.

Go to the local Library they usually have a Family History section which has records and free access to Ancestry.co.uk

Write everything down.

[spudqueen]

I agree with write everything down. I 'interviewed' my Auntie for my research into our family tree, and wrote down everything, including all her little anecdotes. One of her tales was about an old Irish lady who used to call my Grandma Mrs Duffy when that wasn't her married name at all. It turns out (after much research by myself) that my Great Grandfather was into identity theft and his real name was Duffy, but if it hadn't been for this tale from my Auntie I might never have found out. It was just that something in my research came up with the name Duffy, and I might have dismissed this little clue if I hadn't heard the tale!

[echokilo]

Try contacting you local Diocese Office (if he was Anglican) as they should have records of all appointed lay preachers.
EK

[willowbee]

thankyou all for your answers and i have wrote everything down what you have said and will do when i go researching.

thankyou again.