Robert Alexander - Bungay

[LizzieL]

I'm trying to find out information on baptism/ parents and marriage for Robert Alexander.

The dates and information I have so far is:

On the 1841,  51 and 61 censuses he is living in Almshouses in Bungay. He is with his wife Elizabeth in 1841 and 1851 but she had died by 1861.
He is recorded as being born in Shipmeadow.
Age recorded in 1841 is 55 (birth year 1782 - 1786 allowing for rounding)
In 1851 age recorded as 70 (birth year abt 1781)
In 1861 age recorded as 73 (birth year abt 1788)
so quite a discrepancy in ages. Elizabeth is consistently 10 years older than him on '41 and '51 and according to '51 born in Bungay, so likely marriage took place there.

In 1841 a James Alexander age 15 was living with them. I have found a James Alexander bapt 27 May 1821 to Robert Alexander and Elizabeth Sparks at Holy Trinity Bungay but am not sure if it the same one, because he would have been 20 on census day not between 15 and 19.
I have also found a baptism for a Robert Alexander in Mettingham in 1814 son of Robert and Elizabeth. If he is also a son of the couple in Bungay Almshouse, it would put their marriage before 1814.

[ribbo39]

Hi LizzieL,

I have also found a baptism for a Robert Alexander in Mettingham in 1814 son of Robert and Elizabeth. If he is also a son of the couple in Bungay Almshouse, it would put their marriage before 1814.

In the Suffolk Marriage Index this marriage for Robert Alexander to Elizabeth Sparks was on 9-8-1812
in Mettingham All Saints.(before 1814)

Alan

[LizzieL]

Thank you very much.

So it confirms Robert junior and the James bapt in 1821 were brothers. As I cant find any other Robert / Elizabeth combination, I think the couple at the Almshoses must be the correct couple, although Elizabeth would be 41 at marriage and 50 when James was baptised, if her age is recorded correctly in 1851

[ribbo39]

Hi LizzieL,
Not sure if you already have these burials, but will list incase they are relevant;
Bungay Holy Trinity;
19-1-1859 Elizabeth Alexander of Bungay Holy Trinity (aged 88)

19-2-1869 Robert          "                "         "          "   (aged 79)

I see Bungay is on the border of Norfolk & Suffolk - could Robert have been born in Norfolk?
On Familysearch there is an entry for Robert in 1787 in Gillingham - see this link;
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JSCQ-YJ2

Alan

[LizzieL]

Thanks again. I had the years of deaths burials recorded but not the exact date. We had a look around the Bungay cemeterary and churchyard a few years ago, I think they must have been from  my notes back then. It seems to confirm Elizabeth was relatively old when married, possibly a widow? And broadens range for Robert's birth even more. I haven't got as far as sending for death certs, but I would assume Robert was informant for Elizabeth's death so more likely to get it right (as far as he knew). When he died, I would guess James was the informant, assuming he is the right James living at the Staithe and later Lower Olland Street. There is another James Alexander of similar age in Bungay, son of James and Ann (nee Bullen). My mother in law always said the two families were distantly related, but I've never found out how. In the next generation both families had a James Henry Alexander. "Our" JHA married Rosanna Tipple, whom I've posted about on another thread.

[LizzieL]

Oh and the Gillingham Robert would be worth looking at. Although his birth is given as Shipmeadow, he may have given the earliest place he could remember or he was actually born there but baptised Gillingham. Plenty of children particularly first one are born at the maternal grandparents house and baptised a few weeks later back where the couple are actually living.

[LizzieL]

Just looked up Shipmeadow and it was the site of the workhouse for the Wangford area. Possibly he was born in the workhouse and baptised in the chapel there.

[annes]

I checked the Shipmeadow parish register but there were no Alexander baptisms there during the right time frame.
At Mettingham Robert and Elizabeth Alexander baptised Robert on 28th August 1814 and Harriet on 21st April 1816
At Holy Trinity Bungay Robert and Elizabeth Alexabder late Sparks baptised a further child Susan on 20th April 1823

[LizzieL]

Thanks for the extra couple of children, but this seems to have thrown up another problem. I now have 4 children baptised by the couple 1814,16, 21 and 23, all typically spaced following an 1812 marriage, so no reason to suspect any were late baptisms. But if Elizabeth's age at death and on censuses is correct, she would have been 52 when the last child was born. And there's room for another to turn up between 1816 and 1821.

And as for lack of Shipmeadow baptism for Robert, maybe born there but not baptised there or not baptised at all.

Maybe I need to look more at the other Alexander family in Bungay who are supposed to be related to see if that forms a link somewhere.