Genealogy Chat

I visited Saffron Walden and Bury St. Edmunds today to look at parish registers and have hit a brick wall with two branches of my family for the same reason. See below

In Suffolk I was looking for Joseph Adams born about 1792. I always thought he would be born in Little Glemham where he raised his family there is even a marriage for a John adams in 1790 but no sign of his baptism I checked the 5 parishes ajoining Little Glemham and no joy! I ordered his 3rd marriage certificate(1837) and - no fathers name just labourer. This is the second time I have checked the register for him! In Stansted Mountfitchet - same problem. this time Ambrose Rosebrook in the early 1800's. Marriages just before for men with Ambrose in their name - but no baptism for Ambrose. I know some were baptised in non-conformist church they are on the LDS site - but he is not there- so what do I do now? I have recently done 2 look ups for people in Norfolk with the same problem - not baptised where they say they were born. Thanks for reading this (sorry it is so long!) Any advice please? Alice P.S. I did trace another branch back to 1750 so it wasn't a totally wasted day!

Some times people were taken back to their parents home town for christenings etc, someone else is having the same problem at the minute, baptised in one place but born and lived somewhere else, very odd, mind you I always take my children back to Ireland to be christened. Ciara

Look at the Bishops' transcripts as well, in case they have sliped through the net. Look at any poor law material there is: a settlement certificate would tell you which parish the man belonged to, as opposed to where he was living. Check the neighbouring parishes. The wife often goes back to her home parish for the birth of her first child. Look at any indexes that exist in the record office, particularly wills and marriage licences: these may suggest extra places to explore. B

If you have nonconformists, listed on the IGI, they should be in RG4 in the Family Records Centre. Have a look at the microfilm. There may be additional information not shown on the IGI eg both mother's parents.

Where would I find Bishops Transcripts please? I have checked the Parish Records for 1796 onwards through the LDS FHC and she wasn't there but the few years before have been damaged and only a few entries are left. Someone suggested the Bishops Transcripts but wondered where I would find them for Kirriemuir in Angus.

Thank you Sounds like it may be a long hard trawl possibly leading nowhere but i have to try! Julie The Bishops Transcripts should be at your local records office and possibly library. Alice

Yes, I have the same problem - my biggest brick wall so far. Just cannot find this couple in Norfolk although 6 of their kids are born in the village, found 3 werent but cannot find their baptisms or the couples marriage anywhere. A distant cousin who I met through GR came up from Devon in November and sat in the records office for 3 days solidly but had no luck. Gawd knows where they are.

Often Mum goes back to where she came from to have the child baptised. Just to be awkward! Joy

My particular favourite is where my ancestor IS baptised, yes, I have him, and then the vicar writes 'but it was born' But it was born where? But it was born when? But it was born with three heads? What was he trying to say? If I knew, then I might have been on track to find the next generation. There are a few crucial moments when I would like to change history and that is one of them.

Hi Alice One excrutiatingly obvious point about Joseph Adams - he didn't seem to know who his father was. This suggests that he was (a) illegitimate or (b) a foundling or orphan. Perhaps you might get some help from the parish Bastardy Examinations or Poor Law Records? Dave

Thanks David. He could have been illegitimate but I did wonder though if he didn't give his father's name because his father had died and perhaps vicar didn't know the new procedure( he was married in July 1837). He had been married twice before and hadn't had to give it . He puts dad's occupation as a labourer which is a bit ambiguous. Joseph was a shoemaker - I expected dad to be shoemaker too. But you are right someone else may well have brought him up and I think I should look into it. alice

Hi Alice Just a thought - if Joseph was a shoemaker, that's a trade and suggests possibly an apprenticeship. Apprentices were often related to the 'master' - e.g. nephew. Worth investigating? Dave

Thank you Dave I don't really jnow how to go about looking.I put a thread on here the other day asasking for help. Any suggestions? alice

Brenda When was your 'but born in' ? I have the same for several of mine and after a while the penny dropped. In fact, I was looking at the 'Vicars Hit List' of 1698-1702, of children 'that was (sic) born but not baptised'. The subsequent baptisms had a name and date and in the column it said 'but born in 1697'!! Dont know if this is of any use, and apologies to everyone else reading this thread, I know its rude to talk across you all, but I have to blurt these things out while they are fresh in my head. Marjorie

Alice I LOVE the name Ambrose Rosebrook - it sounds straight out of a romantic saga! I was disappointed when I went through some parish registers in Essex RO yesterday. My gt gt grandfather John Smoothy was born 16 December 1811 according to the family bible. On various censuses his age gives a birth year of 1813, at Chelmsford. I found his baptism - but it just says 1812 and a list of people baptised - some of the earlier ones have their d.o.b. but I think whoever compiled the list got bored and put the bare details - no occupation for father either. I found his parents' marriage in 1805 and again it didn't give their fathers' names. If they married 1805 and he was born 1812 I figured there must be some earlier siblings - but all I could find were two, born 1816 and 1820. So now I am wondering, did they cleverly use some magic family planning that enabled them to have just 3 children at 4-yearly intervals? nell

Hello Nell There were no occupations for fathers in the records I was looking at in Essex or Suffolk yesterday. I think that was up to the vicar. Still the records I looked at were wonderfully clear and the vicar could write legibly - a bit of a bonus! Yes Ambrose Rosebrook is a wonderful name - the name Ambrose carries on to my Ggrandfather who had it as his middle name. There was a marriage for a Rosebrook with middle name Ambrose just before his birth - it is really tempting to assume a link! Alice

I have a family in Beaulieu, Hampshire who were the only ones in the parish of their surname having children baptised at the time, 1813 that my GG grandfather says he was born there. I even have a convenient gap between their child baptised 1811 and the next shown in 1816. I've even looked on the Isle of Wight as the suspected parents moved there eventually, incase they originated from there. Now if only GGgrandfather had waited and married later in 1837 and not in April, when father's names weren't shown.....

Hi, There may be settlement papers in the parish chest papers. That will give you the original parish. If the settlements have survived they wil be in the county record office. Gwynne

In Febs Family Tree there is an artical by Bill Wheeler Who had a simaler prob. His was to do with to meny John Monday(s) In a nut shell.They should of all been in one parish reg but were spred out over the serounding ones as well. It turnd out it was all basicly to do with marages and family ties There wifes coming from other areas and the need to keep in good books. Its a lot more involved than that but its 4pages long and involves a will. The point is Are you in the same situation. He had to make visets to sort thing out. finding tomb stones and mamorials records and so on.