*COMPLETED* Marriage and Baptism Lookup - Bruce

[DavidD]

*COMPLETED* BAPTISM LOOKUP - James Bruce, presumably born Hunts about 1752. He married Elizabeth Rootham
29 December 1777 and settled in Offord Darcy. Parents unknown.

MARRIAGE LOOKUP: John Bruce, son of James and Elizabeth Bruce.  Baptized at Offord Darcy 13 January 1788. Spouse is named Mary.

Any assistance is most appreciated.  I have looked for these two entries for several years with no luck.

Many thanks,
DavidD

[bedfordshire boy]

Marriages are instant, baptisms take longer

Two possibilities on Hunts Marriage Index,available on fiche from Hunts FHS, but as you don't give likely dates for the marriage, or baptism date and place of first child I can't separate them.
- 1798 John Bruce married Mary Bates at Godmanchester. Both otp (This marriage is on the IGI as a member submission on 30 Oct 1798. Whilst member submissions are very unreliable it should have given you a clue). The date is right as it appears on the BVRI with no additional detail.
- 1810 John Bruce m Mary Wignal at Abbotsley - PR transcript gives date as 24 Sep 1810, bachelor and spinster, both otp, both signed with an X, witnesses Mary Cade, and William Cade (Clerk). This one seems to fit better with Offord Darcy baptisms on the IGI, and this couple didn't baptise any children in Abbotsley.

There's a James Bruce age 67 buried at Offord Darcy on 31 March 1823. The only baptism I can find is on 10 Dec 1741 at Huntingdon St Mary & St Benedict son of Robert but this looks to be too early. Offord Darcy baptisms have been extracted onto the IGI and there doesn't appear to be any gaps, but the earliest baptism seems to be in 1784. The earliest burial on the NBI in Offord Darcy is in 1782 so it doesn't seem as though James was from that parish.

The only Bruce burials in Hunts 1650-1750 were in the parishes of Leighton Bromswold (1704), Hail Weston (1724) and James in Little Paxton (28 Oct 1750) plus other later ones in Lt Paxton. Lt Paxton baptisms have been extracted onto the IGI but there are no Bruces. I'm stuck! Perhaps he wasn't from Hunts. Whilst his 1777 marriage gives his parish of residence at the time of the marriage as Offord Darcy, it's not necessarily his birthplace

David

[bedfordshire boy]

 Mary WIGNAL, daughter of William & Sarah was baptised on 5 Aug 1781 at Abbotsley. This is a bit adrift of her assumed burial at Offord Darcy on 5 Nov 1846 age 61

David

[DavidD]

Thanks again Bedfordshire Boy!  I have tried to sort this one out for several years but not with complete satisfaction.

John Bruce and Mary (??Wignal ??) 's first child to the best of my knowledge was William baptised at Offord Darcy in 1813 so an 1810 marriage date fits better.  The death certificate of one of John's children (he dies circa 1875 in Wisconsin) gives his mother's maiden name as Wideland.  This is not a surname that I have ever found in any record, anywhere.  It is possible that given the passage of years, pronunciation change, and the fact that information at death was provided by a spouse or next generation that Wignal morphed into 'Wideland'.   The fact that at her death Mary's  age is recorded as 61 when it was more likely to have been 65 also does not bother me too much.  I've seen wider gaps in accuracy by far.

The birth of James still remains a mystery. In the next generation (James' grandchildren) several family members relocate to Hail Weston.  Had they lived there previously? 

Regards,
David


Regards,
David

[bedfordshire boy]

They also baptised Mary on 30 June 1811 at Offord Darcy. William's birth is shown on the IGI (extracted so reliable) as 8 Aug 1812.

There were Bruce burials in Hail Weston from 1724 onwards, and there are quite a few baptisms on the BVRI, but none between 1727 and 1764

I agree with your comments about her death age, which are notoriously unreliable. In 1841 living in Offord Darcy were John and Mary Darcy, both 55, Samuel 25, John 22 and Thomas 20. All were ag labs born in Hunts. Ages in 1841 should have been rounded down to the nearest 5 below

I think your Mary Wideland is Mary Wignal.

David