My maternal gg grandfather, Lawrence (maybe Laurent originally?) BERTRAND (b, abt 1792, possibly in Paris, maybe Soho, London?) is my major family research 'brick wall'.
Lawrence married Sarah Tratt HUNT 20 Oct 1833 in London. He worked approx. 1830-1840 as a 'huissier' or interpreter at the French Embassy in London. In 1848 he appears in the Insolvent Debtors' Court. Thereafter his occupation is 'lodging housekeeper' & 'interpreter' in the 1851 & 1861 UK Censuses.
Lawrence & Sarah had 5 chn whom I have all the basic BDM info about. Their son, my g grandfather, George Frederick BERTRAND (b. 1840 Marylebone, London; d. 1927 Urenui, Taranaki, NZ) emigrated to NZ in 1856 at 16 years.
Lawrence also came to NZ after his wife, Sarah d.1865 Sussex, England & he died in 1871 in New Plymouth, Taranaki, NZ.
3 of their 5 children died young.... Lawrence George d.1839 @ 3yrs; Charles Thomas d. 1855 @ 18 yrs; Sarah Emily d.1848 @ 9 years. The youngest son, John Frederick (b. 1842, London) 'disappears' after the 1861 UK Census. His occupation was listed as 'stationery traveller'.
I have no definitive info on Lawrence's DOB or place of birth, & no info on his parents' names, or when/if they came to live in England. Lawrence may have come to UK as an adult or could have been born in England?
I have located 2 siblings of Lawrence's: Mary BERTRAND (b.abt 1780, d.1855 London) & George BERTRAND (b. c 1782-1791, d. 1858 London). Unfortunately neither of these siblings appear to have married. The first evidence of them in England is in the 1851 UK Census. I have copies of both their Wills which links them to their brother, Lawrence who is Executor.
Myself & a cousin have extensively researched other BERTRAND families living in London in the late 1700s & 1800s but haven't been able to find anything to link them with our family.
Is anyone able to give me any suggestions to help my research? I live in NZ & do not speak French which makes researching via French websites difficult.