Benjamin Churchill born approx 1806 - 1811

[LizzieL]

Please can anyone help with finding baptism of Benjamin Churchill. According to 1841 census he was born in Oxfordshire and his stated age gives a birth year between 1806 and 1811. He married Jane Palmer in Bladon on 31 July 1828. They had four children Richard (born and died 1830), Richard Claydon bapt 31 Jul 1831, Mary Sarah Claydon (b 1835) and Benjamin (b 1841). In 1841 the Churchill family are living in Bladon. By 1851 Jane and two younger children are living with John Eltham in Eynsham, nr Witney. It states they are married, I have not found a marriage for John and Jane, although John was widowed in 1839. This might imply that Jane has left Benjamin but he is still alive so she is not able to marry. 
 

[rosie99]

Could this be Benjamin's death

March qtr 1843 
Benjamin Churchill
Woodstock reg district
16   112    

[rosie99]

There are some christenings in Deddington on familysearch around the time you are looking at for Benjamin Churchill   

[Milliepede]

No marriage for John and Jane but there is this one for John Eltham in Sep 1842 Witney.
Bride is Ann Wiggins.

[LizzieL]

Thank you both. I wondered about the 1843 death for Benjamin, but as Jane does not seem to have married John Eltham, I thought Benjamin must have been alive at leat unti 1851. The Deddington baptism looks tempting with parents Joseph and Esther. On online tree gives Esther's maiden name as Gilks. I had half thought Benjamin's mother's maiden name would be Claydon as this appeared as a christian name for two of his children, unless Jane's mother's maiden name. Her father was Thomas Palmer and mother was Ann, but I haven't found thier marriage.

The John Eltham who married Ann Wiggins was the son of this John. 
He features a bit in my earlier post which was mainly about his supposed son Henry
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=678875.0
 
This whole family is a bit of a mystery, John senior is missing in 1841, leaving his son and his oldest daughter who were barely adults themselves looking after their 5 year old sister. And quite a gap (12 years) between the three eldest children (including Henry East /Eltham) and little Elizabeth Adelaide. There could have been miscarriages or stillbirths but maybe John was away for a long period. 

[NDRFT]

Hi Lizzie

Just having a look at Bladon PR's and can tell you that neither Benjamin nor Jane were baptised there. Whilst their marriage says they were botp I suspect they moved there for work perhaps on the Blenheim Estate?

Benjamin died there and was buried at St Martins Church on 26 Feb 1843 aged 36.

Nigel

[NDRFT]

Lizzie

I am not certain this is yours but it is so so close and must be worth a few minutes thought?

In the St Marys Church, Woodstock I see;

Baptism
Jan 1 CHURCHILL Benjamin John s of Benjamin and Matilda, baptised 30 November 1801, received into the church 1 Jan 1802

Your Benjamin was recorded as 36 when he died at Bladon in 1843 so B circa 1806 - this baptism is close and I do not see any other's but of course at this time it is just speculation.

In case this is of interest;
Benjamin and Matilda nee Townesend (that's how it is spelt in the Index) were married by license at St Peter in the East, Oxford 12 Oct 1796. The PR says he was from Woodstock, she from Oxford. Wits; Ann Townesend Elizabeth Churchill & John Shury.

Nigel

[NDRFT]

Me again
In regard to Jane's parents. I am looking at all I have here, because my maternal Gt Grand mother was a Palmer from Woodstock and Wootton.

You say Jane's parents were Thomas Palmer and Ann. Looking in the OFHS Marr Index 1538 - 1837 there are 2 that fit your 'date range'

1. St Marys Church, Chesterton on 5 Aug 1781: Thomas Palmer bach and Ann Messenger spin botp Wits; William Rogers & Robert Walker (he witnessed loads) after banns

2. Benson on 21 July 1802 Thomas Palmer and Ann Hedges - sadly I do not have anymore info on this marriage.

Anyway hope these may help in some small way

Nigel

[LizzieL]

Thank you very much for all the information. I have Jane as born in Benson abt 1803 (from 1851 census,)  so the Thomas and Ann Hedges marriage looks like the right one.
The baptism for Benjamin in Woodstock does seem a little early, his age in 1841 would make earliest year of birth as 1806 which ties in with age at death. The burial information confirms the registration in Woodstock district was his after all. Strange that Jane (now confirmed as a widow) did not marry John Eltham. I have now found that the child Emily Eltham (with John and Jane in 1851) was called Emily Churchill in 1861 when Jane was living seperately from John and caling herself a Churchill again. John is a lodger with his married daughter Elizabeth Adelaide and her husband Edward Franklin(g). So still not clear whether John was Emily's father, but now confirmed, definitely not Benjamins. Emily's pob is given as Hensington the same as Richard and Mary Churchill and not Eynsham as might have been expected if she was John's child.
There is a Benjamin Churchill in 1851 who was born abt 1803 in Woodstock (widowed farmer living in Tackley) who is a better (but not perfect) fit with the 1801 baptism. A previous reply mentions baptisms in Deddington and there is a Benjamin in 1806, but Deddington is quite some distance from Bladon (at least for those days), although there must have been a lot of people travelling some distance from their original homes to work on an estate as large as Blenheim.
So as my Benjamin was a carpenter he could just pack his tools and move where the work was, so Deddington is still a possibility, unless the Deddington Benjamin is definitely dead before 1843 or definitely alive later than then.
I still feel the name Claydon is significant somewhere and to name two sons Richard might mean we're looking for a father called Richard.