C17th Ledbury

[Siamese Girl]

Is anyone interested in C17th Ledbury? I'm especially interested in the Elton and Garners/Gardiners (including the multitude of other possible spellings!) families.

[jwfw45]

Certainly I am ! In particular, Ambrose Elton senior and his son Ambrose, together with their relations.
Frank Willy

[Siamese Girl]

I've had to do a bit of revision for this.

My husband's ancestor was John Elton who kept an Inn at the Southend in Ledbury and died in 1683. We tried for a long time to try and link him in with the known Eltons at Ledbury but with no luck. He married Anne Garner 1617-1676 and so we assume he must have been born some time c. 1605-1620. Their first child, Susannah was born in 1641, followed by Elizabeth, Dorothy, Anne, John b. 1651, Richard 1658 and Charles 1663. Looking online I found A Genealogical Account of the Mayo and Elton Families by Theodore Mayo 1882 which suggests that this Elton line is probably descended from Arthur Elton alias Birte who married Anne Drew in Ledbury in 1572. He had a son Edward b. 1577. In 1607 an Edward Elton married Elizabeth Langford in Ledbury, but I haven't found any children for the couple and don't know if that Edward was Arthur's son or the Edward son of Anthony Elton and Alice Scudamore who was born 1577 (or even someone else) so I haven't found any evidence to support this theory.

John Elton, the Innkeeper who died in 1683 asked to be buried inside the Church at Ledbury, which suggests that although an Innkeeper (with other property) he considered himself to be of a higher social standing. His will also mentions that he had a brother called Thomas Elton, who I haven't been able to fit in anywhere either.

Carole

[jwfw45]

Dear Carole,
Thank you for your response. If you let me know which sources you have used I will see if there is anything in the others I have consulted which help. My concern has been mainly with Ambrose 1 and 2, and yours seems to be rather earlier than them. Ledbury Church has ledger stones for Eltons but mainly for the 18th century; I have a few photographs of them.
Frank Willy.

[Siamese Girl]

Thank you. If our Eltons join in with the known family they would have to be descended from one of the brothers of Ambrose Elton b.1571 or from a previous generation. I think Theodore Mayo writing in 1882, thought that Elton alias Birte meant  illegitimacy, but I don't think that is necessarily right - two of the earliest references to the Elton family of Ledbury are to William and John Elton, both alias Baker. Surnames were more complicated then.
Since having done the research I've now discovered that all Ledbury wills from pre 1541-1700 have been transcribed and are on line. I'm working my way through them to see if I can find any clues to our family in them. http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/explore/items/ledbury-wills-and-inventories-introduction



Carole

[jwfw45]

You could try the Biddulph  of Ledbury MSS which have quite a lot about the Eltons, though mainly in the 18th century.
Frank Willy.

[jwfw45]

Ancestry is free this weekend. I see there are a lot of Eltons in the Herefordshire parish records section.
Frank Willy

[Siamese Girl]

I think I've pretty much exhausted Ancestry by now - another useful site which contains lots of transcriptions of Registers and other documents is the Forest of Dean Family History Trust http://www.forest-of-dean.net/

Carole

[trish1120]

I presume you have checked FreeREG?

Marriage of ARTHUR Elton is there 30 June 1572 to Anne DRUE
Notes, ELTON Alias BIRTE. Also DREWE

Children;

ANTHONY Elton, 28 Sept 1572
Rychard WYLLYSON Anthony ELTON gent godfathers Margery THRELKELD gent Godmother
EDWARD Elton, 4 April 1576
Thomas WYLLYS** John MEYOWE godfathers & Margery CLARKE godmother

Burials;
ANNE Elton, Wife of ARTHUR, 31 Aug 1573
ANTHONY Elton, Son of Arthur, 13 Nov 1572
If Anne died 1573 then Edward must have a different Mother?

** a Thomas WYLLYS married Anne ELTON,    29 Sep 1572


Trish