GRAVES Thomas Henry

[Selina]

Thanks David I will look on Ancestry later when I get sat down for the evening.

You are being far too modest!  You made the initial connection between Thomas Hand/Graves, I am not at all sure that I would have got there.

I too am convinced that it was the same man and agree that it was one of the most fascinating cases to crop up on here.

Selina

[Linda2309]

Thanks David for the tree - I managed to find it OK and will have a closer look when I have more time.  Off to the optician this morning.   Thanks to all who have contributed in this investigation.  Pity my Mum isn't still around for me to be able to tell her.
 
Linda

[bedfordshire boy]

Selina, I've been looking again at the 1788 marriage you found in Cambridge - William Hand of Ely and Mary Gotobed. The date is right, the names are right, the places are wrong. But I can't see any other marriage in Hunts or Cambs that works. I can't see a baptism of a William Hand in Ely, but there is one on 23 Mar 1764 at Wisbech, son of Edward and Mary. The timing works with a burial age of 67 in 1832, but again, the place is wrong and he didn't name a son Edward.

Does your Baptism Index show any other possibilities for his baptism c1765, or for any Hand baptisms in Cambs from 1785 onwards where the parents are William and Mary? If there are no other baptisms of children of William and Mary it makes it more likely that the Cambridge marriage is the right one.

I found yesterday in Pigots 1830 directory that William was the postmaster in Linton - I assume this was William sen rather than William his son b 1791 who I cannot trace after his baptism unless he was the witness, rather than his father, at the marriages of Mary Ann Hand in 1809 and Thomas Hand in 1816.

Many thanks

David

[Selina]

David,

I can't see an alternative baptism for William, but Edward and Mary Hand did baptise a Thomas in 1766 at Wisbech St. P. so slight link with name there.

One other bit I noted was the marriage of a Thomas Hand to Louisa Clara Ferriss on 20 June 1854, Tasmania.  I have a feeling that there was another Thomas Hand around though so that could be a red herring.

Selina

[Harpgirl]

Hi David,
To answer you previous question(s) - I am, indeed 'CockaleechieSoup' and I found this thread by 'googling' "James Messenger" and "Marianne" - initially seeking marriage details.
I had - at the same time - been trying to find marriage details for James' sister "Mary Ann Messenger" and discovered she was married to "George Bance", which also brought up this thread, as their daughter "Emily Bance" married "James Graves" - the youngest son of "Thomas Hand" and "Sarah Graves".
Really, this was an ideal connection.
I hope any of my research is helpful to you all.
Regards
Meg