Leek - Walter Osborne

[sec3mitchdr]

Hi
My GGG Grandad was Walter Osborne, lived in Leek and according to the 1851 and 61 Census was born in Leek about 1790.  A number of Trees on Ancestry have his parents as Walter and Hannah Osborne but nobody appears to have found any proof of this, only copied the info from others.  I have searched St Edwards and Derby Rd Independent in Leek as likely christening places but without success.  If anyone can suggest other possible christening places or has any other relevant info I will be most grateful.
Thanks
Dave

[mshrmh]

Dave - GENUKI is usually good at identifying which churches were in use at the time. As well as the two you mention they have Mount Pleasant Wesleyan as being open:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/LeekandLowe/index.html
The same page gives the details for their surviving registers at StaffsRO - as they start later it implies earlier registers may have been lost.

[sec3mitchdr]

Hi mshrmh
Thanks for your reply.  Mount Pleasant baptisms didn't appear to start until 1808.  I have anyway run through the Independent Registers web site and it hasn't come up with anything.
Thanks anyway.
Dave

[mshrmh]

Dave - the surviving registers start 1808, but as the original chapel was open before that in 1787 I'd be surprised if there were no baptisms 1787-1808 - more likely that records have been lost. There's some information about the original and later chapels on the British History Online site:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22911
and the Trinity Church site has a drawing and other history:
http://trinitychurchleek.urc.org.uk/?page_id=130

[sec3mitchdr]

Hi mshrmh
Thanks for your further comments about baptisms at Mount Pleasance Leek.  I have looked at the websites that you have suggested and quite a few more about the history of the chapel.  I take your point that baptisms may have taken place between 1787 and 1808 but I can find no suggestion that this may have happened or that any records have been lost.  Do you have any actual evidence that this could have happened?
Dave

[mshrmh]

No evidence either way.

Given the membership numbers it would be surprising if no children were born to members in that period, as well as the possibility of adult baptisms, say at or soon after Wesley's visit. If such children weren't baptised at Mount Pleasant I'd expect them to have been baptised somewhere nearby, though given the Methodist traditions of circuits and visiting preachers I'd guess that they would have been baptised at Mount Pleasant.

Elsewhere I've seen comments about lost records, but that tends to be where there's a gap in the run - here, we're looking from the opening of the chapel, so more difficult to say. It may be worth contacting Staffs RO & seeing their views.

[sec3mitchdr]

Hi mshrmh
Thanks for your further comments.  As I posted earlier, I am desperately trying to find proof of parentage for my relative Walter Osborne and obviously details of baptism would provide that proof.  The suspected parents, Walter and Hannah Osborne did have other children baptised at both St Edwards and Derby Str. Independent that I believe was of Congregationalist origin.  My problem is that if I was to go along with the suggestion that the baptism records have been lost then this would probably mean that the proof I am looking for will never be found.  I am reluctant therefore to go down that route until I have exhausted all other avenues.  I am unsure whether or not having had children baptised at a Congregational Chapel one would have others baptised at a Wesleyan Chapel but I will take your suggestion and get a view from Stafford Record Office.
Thanks again
Dave

[mshrmh]

Dave - another possible way in - did either of the potential parents leave a will? If so they may have named their children in the beneficiaries - even if there was no will, but an administration it could be that Walter (junior) was administrator. If Walter senior died pre1858 & in Staffs it's likely any will or admon. would be at Lichfield RO - I think they will do a lookup to see if they hold anything if you call (best if you have rough date & location for deaths), though would charge for copies.

[sec3mitchdr]

Thanks for the suggestion but already thought of that one.  I have both of the burial dates and have had a look-up done at Lichfield but unfortunately no result.  My only thought now is that for some reason a baptism might have dbeen carried out in a neighbouring parish but where does one start!?