Tony Ruscoe has been gathering information about the Ruscoe family surname since around the year 2000. The starting point for his research was an old family bible which listed names, births, marriages and deaths for some of his ancestors. Since then he has discovered much more about his family, mainly due to the generosity of other people who have willingly shared their research and offered helpful advice.
Tony created this website in 2004 to try and help others who were researching their branches of the Ruscoe family tree. If you have the Ruscoe name in your family tree, there are several ways in which this website could help you.
Prior to Civil Registration being introduced in 1st July 1837, births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales were mainly recorded in local parish registers. Despite formal registration being available since then, it was only made compulsory in 1875.
The births, marriages and deaths available on this website have been compiled using the original index images (prior to 1984) and the more recent digital indexes available online. Where available, the registration district and volume information can be used to order copies of birth, marriage and death certificates from the General Register Office.
Censuses have been conducted in the UK every ten years since 1801 (with the exception of 1941, due to World War II). Between 1801 and 1831, they were mainly used to report on headcounts and did not contain any personal information of any value to family history research. In 1841, the General Register Office conducted the first census that recorded the names of everyone in a household or institution. Birthplaces and relationships to the head of the household were not recorded, although it was noted whether the person was born in the place they were currently living and relationships can sometimes be inferred from the occupation. Ages were recorded for anyone under the age of 15 but older individuals often had their ages rounded down to the nearest five years. Since 1851, census records have shown the exact age and birthplace of each individual and have also included their relationship to the head of household. Information found in census records is not always accurate, so misspellings and other errors can often cause problems for family history research. Each census is not made available to the public until 100 years after it was conducted.
The census records available on this website have been compiled using original images and online resources, meaning that some census records have much more information than others. Where possible, families have been linked together across census records so that you can trace them more easily.
Over 120 members have joined the Google Group since December 2004. This includes members from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Being a member of the group allows you to view previous discussions about the Ruscoe surname and participate in new discussions, either by email or on the group website. Many new members have quickly discovered that they are related to others members of the group and have been able to share their research, photos, family stories and experiences.
If you have any problems joining the group, read my Getting Started with Google Groups or try the Google Groups Help Center.