Genealogy Chat

A mystery to be solved.
I’d like to run this theory past others with more experience, please. I’m thinking that William and Meshech might be the same person.

William Small born 1847/8 Long Crendon, Bucks (Thame District)
Meshech Small born 1847/8 Long Crendon, Bucks.
Shadrach Small born 1847/8 Long Crendon, Bucks.

William, my gt grandfather, shows on 1871, 1881 censuses and his widow and family on 1891, 1901 all in Isleworth.

William Married Anna Stevens in 1869 and cert shows his father as James Small.

I couldn’t find William on any census prior to his marriage, neither could I find a birth record for him in the Thame district. So I took a shot at looking for James in the Long Crendon area.

I found a James in Nether Winchendon (nearby) and noticed the wife and Son, Shadrach, born in Long Crendon. Shadrach then appears in Isleworth from 1881 onwards and in 1891 is only a few doors away from William’s widow and family. So possibly they’re brothers?

Meshech show on 1861 with James and family.
Shadrach and Meshech never show together with parents although they’re both born the same year and only appear separately in the same year in 1881.
So Shadrach and Meshech can’t be the same person.
But Meshech and William could be and changed name before he married. (Wouldn’t you!)
The Long Crendon/Isleworth connection seems too much of a co-incidence.

I found a birth ref in Thame district for Meshech but not Shadrach;
A Marriage and Death ref for Shadrach but not Meshach.
I have Marriage and Death certs for William.

Is the name change a red herring?
Where do I go from here to prove the theory?
Any help would be most gratefully received.

Thanks for your patience in reading this.
Mumsy.

What are the parents names of thes 2/3 boys please

James Small b1816 and Mary b1823, sorry I don't know her maiden name, for Shadrach and Meshach. I can't ascertain/prove this for William.
Mary born Long Crendon, James born Lower Winchendon.
William's father on Marriage cert says James.
Mumsy.

Mumsy,

It certainly looks as if they may be twins ( or perhaps triplets with Abednego dying at birth). It is not clear whether you have the certificates as the birth records should establish whether they were twins, and it may be that Shadrach was informant for William's death. If you haven't already done so, I would start getting the certificates as that is the most likely way to settle the matter.

Peter

I have William's Death cert. his wife Anna was informant.
I have his Marriage and the witnesses are not Small family.
I think I'll order the Meshech birth and Shadrach marriage. I can't find Shadrach's birth ref.

I still think it's possible that William and Meshech are the same person.
Mumsy.

Mumsy,

You would expect a twin to be a witness at his bother's wedding. Could William write? Perhaps his brother couldn't either.

Peter

William just put his X mark on the marriage cert and the witnesses were Harriett Stevens and Russell Stinton.

It may be that they were born at either end of the year as the birth ref I have for Meshech is Jan quarter, so Shadrach could have been Dec quarter but I can't find that.
Mumsy.

The IGI for Long Crendon (batch C109722) has only

Martha & Henry SMALL - Bap 22 OCT 1848
and
James SMALL - Bap 25 DEC 1843

all children of William SMALL & Harriet

Christine

Mumsy,

I've looked on freeBMD and have found the birth of Mashach but not Shadrach or William in the same quarter so, assuming the coverage is full, my twin theory collapses. A pity.

Peter

Thanks Christine, but I think if the James of Shadrach and Meshech is mine he was born in Lower Winchendon 20/5/1816 and baptised 21/7/1816 parents John Small and Hannah.

I can't go too far without being sure that this is William's father.
Mumsy.

I've submitted a correction to FreeBMD for both the spelling of Meshach and the page number (which should be 105)

Haven't spotted Shadrach, yet, either.

Christine

Either Shadrach wasn't registered, or it needs a more devoted searcher than I have time to be in my lunch break!

Christine

Am I still right in thinking Meshech and William are the same person? I think the Long Crendon / Isleworth connection must mean something.

Thanks again Christine, I too must get some work done now.
Mumsy.

Hi Margaret,

I don't think this is him. I ordered birth cert from Aylesbury district some time ago and it turned out not to be him. I have since been told that Long Crendon is/was registered in the Thame district.
Mumsy.

Thanks Margaret,

I think these are very likely and probably the only way to prove the link is to order these two certificates. I was hoping to be more encouraged that William and Meshech are the same person before I spent any more money.

I PM'd someone who has Shadrack on her tree on here but have had no reply so far.

I'm ever hopeful.
Mumsy.

Hi Maggiemay,
I got the detail from the Census starting with my grandmother. I also have Williams death from 1889 stating his age as 42yrs.
On 1871 it says Long Crendon, Bucks and 1881 says Bucks.
He had died by 1891 so Anna, his wife shows as a widow with the children.
I've been searching the IGI and can't find a marriage but other siblings of Shadrach and Meshach were also born Long Crendon (but not all).
Mumsy.

I tried to find William's father James in the Long Crendon area and when I found this one with a wife and children born in Long Crendon I thought it might be possible.

When I then found Shadrach living a few doors away from William's wife in Isleworth I thought the coincidence too much for them not to be related.

Do you think I'm a fool to pursue this theory? I may know my way round some of the sites fairly well but I'm not as competent as it may seem at researching.

Mumsy.

I already have one of these and it is definately the wrong one. As there are a few others registered in Aylesbury, rather than Thame, I thought I'd try looking for James. (See my last posting.)
Mumsy.

Mumsy,

This really is intriguing: the more I think about it the less it seems a mere coincidence to have Meshach and Shadrach living so close to one another. Perhaps Meshach's brother was either not registered or he was given the nickname Shadrach for obvious reasons and kept it, whereas Meschach decided to have a more conventional name.

Have you found any of them on the 1851 and 1861 censuses?

Peter

I CAN'T find:

Meshech on 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 nor can I find his Death.
Shadrach on 1861, 1851 nor a Birth.
William on 1861, 1851 nor a Birth.

I have both William in 1881 and Shadrach in 1881 separately.

Mumsy.