RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Bedfordshire => Topic started by: k4rla on Sunday 22 April 12 16:39 BST (UK)
-
Hi I'm looking for the parents of a Lavina King. Born in Westoning c 1842. I have a copy of her marriage to James Letting in 1861 but no father listed so guess he's unknown/illegitimate.
Hoping that maybe there is a baptism record giving her mothers name. Appreciate any help on this, thanks.
-
Hi
If as you say that she was born in Westoning, the Birth would have been registered in Ampthill. With regards to her Christian name Lavinia, she may have chosen to have called her self that. This was not uncommon, this is why you may not be able to find a birth certificate record.
-
Could she be the Lavinia Taylor age 9 born Westoning on the 1851 census, with "parents" William Taylor age 23 born Greenfield,Flitton, Beds & wife Charlotte age 20 born Westoning, plus daughters Elizabeth age 7 & Lucy 4. As per FreeBMD William Taylor married Charlotte King in June quarter 1846 Ampthill RD ref 6/27
Now there are 3 Lavinia Taylor's birth registered in Ampthill RD: Mar 1840, Dec 1841 & Mar 1848 (OK we can forget the 3rd one but it's there for a reason). The NBI has burial of a 7 year old Lavinia King at Pulloxhill (also in Ampthill RD) on 26 May 1847, I'm suggesting that she is the 1st entry & is replaced by that 3rd entry - so by default your Lavinia could be the Dec 1841 entry.
Regards John
-
Good thinking John. It explains why I couldn't find Lavinia King in 1851!
Not sure who her parents would be, but if she were the daughter of Charlotte her mother would have been only 11 when Lavinia was born, a tad on the young side. Ah! The figures are bad in 1851, and have been mistranscribed by Ancestry. I think she was 30, not 20, and William was 29 not 23, which makes your theory work.
You know it doesn't take much to confuse me these days John. The 1847 burial in Pulloxhill was Lavinia TAYLOR not King.
But guess what? In 1861 James and Lavinia Letting were living in the same house as William & Charlotte Taylor! Shown as a separate household, rather than son in law/daughter, but I don't believe in coincidences.
So what you're saying is that Lavinia King who married in 1861 was actually registered at birth as Lavinia Taylor, which would imply that her father was William Taylor. Whilst I'm sure that Charlotte King was Lavinia's mother, I'm not entirely comfortable with William Taylor being her father, given the blank for father on her marriage cert and the fact that she used the name King. It would take an investment of £9-25 to buy her birth cert to prove it.
None of the three daughters appear to have been baptised, either as King or Taylor. (Having said that I now see that Westoning baptisms on the IGI only go up to 1812, so reference to the microfilm is needed) - OK John, this really is my final modification!
David
-
Wow, thanks especially to John and David for this, am now going to invest in the birth cert for Lavinia Taylor. Awesome!
-
Let us know what the birth cert says when it arrives
David
-
An amazing thing - I have a small collection of bibles from the Letting family, I've just had a look as something came to mind, one of them has William and James Letting written inside, but also written is the name of a girl - Lucy Taylor - Lavinia's sister.
-
Excellent, I have the birth certificate and Lavinia's father is William Taylor and mother, Charlotte King.
Don't know if its unusual for the father of an illegitamate child to be recorded but it's good news for me. Thanks all!
-
A result! Nice one John.
I haven't seen many instances where a father is named in an illegitimate birth, particularly in the 1840s. Named on a baptism is more common.
Shout if you get stuck. John's always available!
David
-
Seems I am available - again (sorry wrong website! )
It'd be good to take a look at the Westoning baptisms to see how Lavinia is recorded, as Taylor or as King. Also her sister Elizabeth age 7 on 1851 census was born before William Taylor & Charlotte King got married in June 1846
John
-
A great idea, does anyone have access to Westoning baptisms for this, I was near there visiting at Easter but obviously everything was closed up that weekend.
-
Very interesting.
I have James and Lavinia in my tree.
James parents - John Letting and Maria Woodcraft are my 3 time great Grandparents :)
By the way, I looked at the 1851 census on find my past and the image is clearer.
William is 29 and Charlotte is 30.