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Pre-1841 records.

MWS

MWS

from Bham
I've come to a bit of a dead end with one of my family lines (unfortunately the main one) and am just wandering what options I've got. Here's what I've got...

My great great great grandparents were married in 1812 in Cuddesdon Oxfordshire, I've got the Cuddesdon records and it says both of this parish. Neither though were born in the parish. They had 10 children (3 sons and 7 daughters) and then unfortunately they both died before 1841.

By 1841 one son had emigrated and 2 were still living together in Cuddesdon together. It looks like the two youngest daughters are in Headington Union Workhouse, two are married and living in a nearby villages, and two don't appear on the census.

Which leaves just one daughter who may be living with a relative in Cuddesdon in 1841 or someone with the same name and age is, though there doesn't appear to be any other families of the same name. Unfortunately, again, this relative wasn't born in the county and possibly died before the 1851 census or at least isn't living in the area.

So all I know of my g g g grandparents is their names and their marriage, I don't know their ages for certain and I don't know where they were born. My options would seem to be search nearby parishes, which being Oxfordshire, would soon become expensive and pointless if they were born elsewhere.

Are there pre-1841 records that could help? Will I find anything useful from the workhouse records if there are any?
 
From the ones you can identify, maybe at least one was born after 1837 if not perhaps you could try to find their baptism records or maybe even their later marriage records, these might give more information on the parents, even though they may be deceased.
If that fails you may have to make a guess on their ages and try to find a family with a similar naming pattern.
Or if all else fails maybe give some further details on this site or such as roots chat, there are people out there who may be able to help.

Clarkie
 
Thanks Clarkie and Carol.

I have got all the children's baptisms and several marriages but there is ninternet further information. There is a slight naming pattern which is something to bear in mind but can be dangerous to place to much faith in it. I've had no luck with messages.

I am a member of ancestry but just a free account. Oxfordshire records are few and far between on the internet, the ofhs like to keep them.
 
Ok.

They are James Simmonds (Simmons, Symmonds) and Jane Clarke both born about 1790.
 
I am having to go out now to pick my grandson up but will have a look when I return. Perhaps in the meantime someone else will be looking. Good luck.
 
So far have only been able to find the marriage of James Symonds to Jane Clarke on 25 May 1812 at Cuddeston. Have found 10 children but unfortunately haven't been able to get back further online.
 
MWS - Have a look at Family Search.org There are several possible births for James Symonds/Simmonds in Oxfordshire in the late 1700's - any one could be yours! You might have a better idea of family names that could link in!

Judy
 
Thank you Judy. I have seen those on familysearch and have eliminated one or two. The others the names of the parents don't tie in all that well but are possibilities.

It was pointers to other possible records that I was after really, more in hope than an expectation. It's frustrating...but good fun.
 
MWS well I have searched and searched. The only thing I have found for Symonds in Cuddeston is this, but it does go back a long way.

The medieval chapel was dedicated to ST. MARY THE VIRGIN and lay on the south side of the High Street, presumably where the War Memorial now stands. (fn. 391) In 1629 Archibald Archdale failed to get it consecrated as a church. (fn. 392) In 1644 the antiquary Richard Symonds found no monuments or arms, 'onely in the east window the picture of St. Nicholas with his arms under' (fn. 393) but a century later the antiquary Browne Willis noted that this had long since disappeared. The building was repaired in 1715, (fn. 394) but was pulled down in 1785 to make way for the new church.



https://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=101883
 
Judy - thank you, a trip to Oxford at some times is a definite, just got to fit it it with trips to Derbyshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Huntingdonshire, Buckinghamshire and possibly Wiltshire as well. Ancestors have no consideration. :-) And I hope you have some luck with your dead end.

Carol - thank you for your efforts, much appreciated. It would be amazing to connect my Simmondses to that Richard. I have been on the workhouse site and it helped me clear up a bit of confusion between the 2 Simmonds daughters and two boys named Summers which were wrongly listed as Simmonds somewhere else which put some doubts in my mind.
 
Reviving an old thread.

Just came across something called the Posse Comitatus, a 1798 survey of men of fighting age undertaken in the face of a possible French invasion. I'm not sure if it was taken nationwide and didn't survive in places or was planned and didn't happen everywhere.

Either way it is a pity it didn't. Buckinghamshire appears to be the best recorded county (which was lucky for me) and it is here if it's interest to anyone (quite large)...

 
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