Using census records I had found the names of 11 out of an expected 21 children in the family of my great-grandmother Moore (see 21 siblings - part 1). The next stage came years later when I discovered that, without purchasing each certificate, I could find the mother's maiden name for births registered in England from 1837 onwards using the GRO Online Index.
Once I was certain that I had the details of William Moore's marriage to Elizabeth Hoskins, which was in 1842, then I looked for births registered with the surname Moore and the mother's maiden name Hoskins. My great-grandmother, Frances Kate Moore born in 1864, seemed to be their last child. Before her was a birth registration for Emily Jane Moore in 1862, a daughter who had not appeared on any census with the rest of the family.
A search of the death registration index found an entry for Emily Jane, in the same registration district, 2 years after the birth and recorded as age 2. There were other losses as well. A birth registration for Walter in 1857 was matched by a death registration in the same quarter of the year. Harriet died age 1 and a couple of years earlier Alice had died without reaching her first birthday.
Using this approach of comparing birth registrations with the father's and mother's surnames against death registrations I found the earliest case was the most poignant. In 1843 a baby girl was born alive (only live births are included in the usual registration index) but died without having been given a name.
With a heavy heart, I added these 5 children to the family tree. Combining those who appeared in the census records, plus those who were born and died in the intervening years, there was now a set of 16 siblings. A better research result but still short of the expected 21 in the family.
Not for the first time, I wondered whether the story passed down the generations was a slight exaggeration or the result of the family just not remembering accurately how many babies were born altogether. Another possibility was that as well as experiencing the death of babies and young children, perhaps there had been stillbirths that were included in the total. I put the topic aside, not expecting to ever be able to piece together the whole family.