Help needed on a Clifton Correction

[Roy G]

Hi there
My problem is one of differentiating James Clifton born ? Kent c1768 from James Clifton born Brenchley 1776.  During my Clifton researches I have inadvertently aligned these two with the wrong parents and partners and I am now trying to sort the problem.  My initial step is to try to find a possible baptism identifying the parents of the James Clifton born in Kent c1768, so any help from Rootschatters would be much appreciated.  Below is a quite brief collection of some of the details I have collected so far.

Documents I have and research on the Internet show that the James Clifton born somewhere in Kent c 1768, married Priscilla Young in Horsmonden 5 Sept 1796 (when aged about 28), and they lived in Horsmonden and had numerous children born there.  The children included James 1799, Robert 1801, William 1804, John 1806, Elizabeth 1808, Ann 1811.  I also found this same James Clifton on the 1841 Horsmonden census aged 73 with the word ‘Cripple’ deleted, and  have a copy of his death certificate when he died in Horsmonden aged 74.
 
The above contrasts with another James Clifton born Brenchley c 1776, baptised 6 may 1776, the son of William and Elizabeth Saxby.   This other James Clifton married Anna Carpenter in Maidstone 15 July 1807 when aged about 32 and they had numerous children born in Tonbridge.  They included James 1809, Harriet 1810, Charles 1813, Stephen 1815.  There are later sightings of this same couple on the censuses.
1841 James on Tonbridge census aged 65 with Anna  (have copy of census)
1851 James on Tonbridge census without Anna aged 74 birthplace Brenchley  (have copy of census)
1861 James on Tonbridge census aged 85 (have copy of census)

Worth noting are the confirming death certificate and the overlapping baptism years of the Horsmonden born children with the Tonbridge born children.  The combination suggests no bigamous marriage and thereby confirms that these were two different James Cliftons who lived in close proximity to each other.

As already stated, in order to correct my error and align the findings with a quite detailed Clifton family history I firstly need to identify the parents of the James who married Priscilla Young.   Any ideas or sources you suggest I should look at?

Regards Roy G

[Westfrem]

Hi Roy

Not sure if this helps but are you sure that your James Clifton was born in Kent.
Reason I ask is that there is a baptism for a James Clifton in Mayfield, Sussex (approx. 12 miles away) 7th May 1767 parents George & Ann.

Maybe worth eliminating if you haven't done so already?

Regards

[Roy G]

Thanks Westfrem, that could be a definite possible (contradiction in terms I know)
There was a positive Kent marriage, but the only evidence of his Kent birth was his say so on the 1841 census, and we do know that sometimes declarations were not too truthful. 
I must have been so focused on Kent, that I overlooked this Sussex alternative for I did a general but unsuccessful search on familysearch but forgot to also look at the SFHG baptism database.

Thanks again
Regards Roy G 

[Roy G]

Having to come back to you Westfrem.  I have now discovered that whilst SFHG confirm the Mayfield baptism in 1767, I have just discovered they also show the burial of a James Clifton a year later.  I do not know whether your source also shows this burial and if so, whether he is recorded as an adult or infant?
Regards Roy G

[Westfrem]

Hi Roy G

I see the entry, unfortunately there is no age attached to the source. However, the same George & Ann appear to have had another son Samuel baptised June 1763 and buried Jan 1764 - so maybe their sons did not thrive. 

Sorry I can't be of more help but at least this James can be eliminated?

Good luck with your search. 

[miw]

Hi, not really any help to you but you say that on the census the word cripple has been crossed out.  This is probably not crossed out as such but crossed through by the statistics clerk as they went through extracting their figures in the same way that ages often are crossed through, fortunately in the main things are still readable.
Mary