Petts Family - Brick Wall

[cjl]

I wonder if there is anyone who might be able to help me break down a brick wall I have come to in my research.

I know that my great, great, great grandfather George Petts was born in about 1820 in Alderwasley Derbyshire.  He moved to Yorkshire sometime between 1851 and 1861.

I know from his marriage certificate that his fathers name was also George, but have had no luck either locating a baptism record for George Junior or tracing this line of my family tree any further back in Derbyshire.

I wonder whether someone could advise me where to look for a possible baptism record for George Junior, or give me any  ideas on how to progress any further back with my research.

Unfortunately I do not live in Derbyshire, so am having to do most of my research via the internet or by trying to purchase parish registers on cd.


Any help or advice given would be gratefully accepted and appreciated.

Thank you

CJL

[DebbieG]

Hi

I had a hunt around for you and found this on another queery board

http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/DERBYSGEN/1999-05/0927660778

It looks like this refers to the baptism of 'your' George and his two brothers William & Daniel,  the children of George Petts & Mary (nee Barker)

I have found the youngest Daniel in the 1841 census in the house of Daniel Petts aged 70 a farmer,  I suspect this would be his grandfather and therefore the grandfather of 'your' George. 

The Alderwasley registers do not seem to have been transcribed - so consulting them at Matlock RO may be the only option,  though the person who posted the original queery does not seem to have found the elder Daniel in
 them.

Anyway - hope this helps

 

DebbieG

[cjl]

Debbie,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post and for also doing some searching.

I think that you are right that this may well be my great, great, great grandfather, his parents and siblings.

I just need to find a baptism record to confirm this.  I think my only option is to try and contact Matlock Records Office and see whether they can look up the baptisms of the three brothers and also possibly the marriage of their parents.

I will take a look and see whether they do look ups and what cost is involved.

Many thanks for your help.

Best Wishes
CJL

[spendlove]

Hi,
Would do a lot of checking re the Christening places quoted, i.e there was NO church at Belper Lane End.
There is such a place, very near to Alderwasley and Belper.

Because of the Alderwasley connection, I did wonder if this report taken from the Derby Mercury, published
25th April 1821 could be the death of George Petts Snr?

Derby Mercury 25.4.1821

On Monday se'nnight, an inquest was held at the Bull's Head, Belper Lane End, on the body of a man of
the name of Petts, a keeper to F. Hurt Esq., of Alderwasley.  He had shot at a rabbit, which ran into a hole
in a rock, and as he was attempting to follow it, a large stone came down upon his head, and crushed it
in so dreadful a manner, that he died immediately.
Spendlove

[cjl]

Spendlove,

Thank you for taking an interest in my post regarding my Petts family.  I am afraid that I have not as yet been able to make any further progress in finding my Petts family in Derbyshire.

I did take a look at the link in the post which Debbie very kindly found for me, but have not been able to find any conclusive sources to verify that this is my Petts family.

Could you advise me of which areas to search for possible christening records for George based on where he was born and also where I might locate any possible christening records.  Living in Yorkshire my searching is restricted to the internet and any possible parish records which I might be able to purchase either in booklet form or on cd.

Thank you also for the details from the newspaper article.  I don't know whether it relates to my Petts family as yet, but will certainly keep the details of the article just in case I ever break down this brick wall.

This is the information which I have, George Petts was born in about 1820 in Alderwasley, Derbyshire, although on the 1861 census his place of birth is recorded as Hallslee, Derbyshire.  Not being very familiar with areas in Derbyshire, I put this down to a Yorkshire enumerator having as limited knowledge of Derbyshire as I have and recording Alderwasley as Hallslee, could I be wrong?

I have a copy of George Petts marriage certificate.  He married Ann Blackham in Duffield on the 20th September 1840.  Ann was born in Duffield. 

On the marriage certificate,  George's fathers name is recorded as George and George seniors occupation is recorded as a labourer.  On the marriage certificate George senior is not recorded as being deceased, although I know that this does not necessarily mean that he was still alive at the time of his sons marriage.

George Petts junior is living in Ironville, Alfreton in 1841 and appears to live in Alfreton until at least 1857 going by the place of birth recorded for some of their children in later cenusus'.

Just to add to my confusion my great, great grandfather, who was their eldest child gives his place of birth as Codnor Park on three out of five census records.

By 1861 the family have moved to Headlingley in Yorkshire and then to Wakefield where George died in 1866. 

I would appreciate any help that you or anyone else could give me in tracing my Petts family further back in Derbyshire.

Very Best Wishes
CJL

[Tom Piper]

Hi,

Looking in the Derby Mercury for the name George Petts, I see that there are 7 entries.

In 1870, a George Petts was elected into the Barmote Court for the Soke and Wapentake of Wirksworth.

In 1894, a tailor of Winster called William Ellis sued a George Petts of Stanton Lees, for the non-payment of a wedding suit for his son (George Petts's son). The wedding suit cost £8 5s and 6d!

Later the same year, in Alderwasley a George Petts was one of five men elected as parish councillor. He was again elected as PC in March 1899.

Tom

[cjl]

Tom,

Thank you for taking an interest in my post and for posting the entries for George Petts in the Derby Mercury.

I will certainly keep these entries.  If I every manage to trace George Petts juniors parents and any possible siblings which he may have had,  these records could well relate to my family.

Once again thank you for posting the details.

Best Wishes
CJL

[spendlove]

Hello CJL,

Places to search for Bpt of George Petts:-
Crich, Wirksworth, Belper, and possibly Biggin by Hulland.  You must remember that not all parish registers
are on the IGI, however you can access Wirksworth at www.wirksworth.org.uk including all Census.
It is also possible that the Petts family were of Independent Faith none of these registers are on the IGI,
so it is necessary to visit Derbyshire County Record Office.

Think your assumption re Hallslee being Alderwasley is correct.  You must also remember that George Petts
may have moved to Alderwasley when he was very young and so assumed he was actually born there.

Ann Blackham may have stated she was born in Duffield however my own research into this family, depending
when she was born and who her Father was, suggest she was born in the PARISH of Duffield but the actual
place could be Belper or Heage and again even Wirksworth.

The first Blackham to arrive in this district was Ambrose Blackham Bpt. 3.12.1752 Tipton Staffordshire
he married at Duffield Parish Church, 26th March 1777 Martha Cheetham. (Cheetham Family were from Belper).
they had:-
Joseph 1777 Belper
Ambrose 1778Edward 1779 Belper died 1842 Belper
Mary 1780 possibly Bpt at Tipton Staffs possibly dead bef 1791
Thomas  1784 Belper died abt 1821
Martha 1787 Belper
John 1788     Belper
Sarah 1793   Belper
Mathew 1795 Belper
William 1797  Belper
Millicent  1801  Belper

Most of the above names and dates of birth are from a Removal Order dated 1804, when Ambrose and
some of his younger children were removed from Belper back to the place of his birth Tipton, Staffs.
It is interesting to note that Martha and some of these children later returned to Belper, obviously to be with her
older children who were not subject to the Removal.  Martha was buried in St. Peters Church Yard, Belper 13.3.1830/

Agree, George Petts Snr, is named on the Marriage Certificate he could actually be deceased.

Codnor Park is an actual place, near to Alfreton.  This name originated from an ancient Deer Park.

I will be away for about a week, but if you would like to send me your e-mail address, I will send
you a copy of the removal order.

Spendlove

[cjl]

Spendlove,

Thank you so much for replying to my post.  I am familiar with the www.wirksworth.org.uk website, which is a brilliant web site, but not had any luck finding George Juniors baptism.

I may have to put going further back with the Petts line of my family tree on the back burner because unfortunately a trip to Derbyshire County Records Office is not something that I will be able to do any time in the foreseeable future.

You mention the Blackham family.  I am actually descended from Ambrose Blackham born 1752 Tipton, Staffordshire on two lines of my family tree.

On one line he is my 5 times great grandfather and on the other line he is my 6 times great grandfather.

Here are both my lines.


Ambrose Blackham    b 1752                        Ambrose Blackham  b 1752

Thomas Blackham      b 1784                       Joseph Blackham      b 1777


Ann Blackham             b 1821                      William Blackham       b 1799
   
                                                                    Harriett Blackham      b 1822

Ann Blackham born 1821 is my 3 times great grandmother and Harriett Blackham born 1822 is also my 3 times great grandmother.

I have managed to find quite a lot of information on the Blackham line of my tree but very little on the Cheetham line.

Thank you for your continued interest in my post.  Being in contact with someone who has local knowledge of the area is a great help.

Best Wishes
CJL