Small family

[CV-S]

Hello

Any help would be appreciated with this family: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ken-ian/Descendants_of_John_Small.html

John Small married Sarah Sophia Carbine in Sussex c1790's.

Thanks

[sillgen]

John Smale married Sarah Sophia Kerwin 14th June 1795 in Waldron according to the Sussex Marriage Index.  It is easy to see how both names could be altered.
Andrea

[CV-S]

Thanks Andrea

That seems like a bit of a brickwall

[Roy G]

An unsubstantiated reference in the IGI says the Sarah Sophia Kerwin who married John Small in Waldron in 1795, was baptised in St Mary the Virgin, Dover, on the 17 Feb 1777.  A separate reference (batch no C036562) states her parents were Henry Kerwin & Elizabeth.
The first IGI reference also gives John's birth as 21 OCT 1753 in Goudhurst, Kent, and his Christening as 01 SEP 1754  Findsbury Or, Dartford, Kent.   A separate reference for Dartford (batch no C036541) states a John Small was baptised on that date as the son of John & Sarah of Dartford. 

Would the ages given at their deaths seem to match up with that information?        Roy G

[CV-S]

Thanks Roy G

I don't have John and Sarah's death's but yes those births all seem to fit in well.

That's always been the brickwall in this family but that seems to get them pretty far back

[Roy G]

On the assumption that the couple stayed in Sussex and did not return to Kent, I have looked for their deaths. 
I can't say this is the right one but there was a burial of a Sarah Sophia Small in St John the Baptist, Westfield on 5th November 1836.  It gave her age as 60, making a birth year circa 1776.  Her burial in Westfield was followed by a John Small on 29 Sept 1839 whose age was given as 71, making a birth year of circa 1768 which (unless he had lessend his age to be closer to that of his spouse) was a bit far off the birth year for your John.   

Amongst alternatives is a John Small buried in Mayfield on 24 August 1813 aged 72, giving a birth year of 1741.  Of the two, Westfield may be worth further investigation. 

What parish was the Thomas Henry Small listed on the website born in, for that suggests he died in 1885, but I found no trace of that death on FreeBMD, or of him  on the 1881 census or on several censuses that preceded it? 

  Roy G

[CV-S]

Hi Roy G and again thanks alot for the help

This family is my friends and this is on their behalf. Thomas Henry Small was moved to Australia in the 1820s after the birth of his daughter Keturah.

I think you've found Sophia & John's burials so I'm very thankful for that

[Roy G]

Glad to help, and going to (or being sent) to OZ explains the missing on the census issue.
By the way, the following Internet abstract may help explain the age gap between John & Sophia and why their marriage was in Sussex and not their home county of Kent.
Baptism Waldron 1795 June 21    Elisabeth    d/o John & Sophia SMALE (Kerwin)
That was a quick conception, to be born & baptised only a week after the parents' marriage! 

you might also like to consider if either of the following also fit?
IGI Beckley            1811 Aug 23    Louisa    d/o John & Sarah Sophia SMALE (Kerwin)
Reported to have died 4 November 1881.
Northiam born 8 Feb 1803 but only baptised Northiam 1828 June 22
      Sarah Sophia    d/o John & Sophia SMALL (labourer residing in Boulogne, France in 1803)
(Weren't we at war with Napoleon then, or was this in the lull prior to Napoleon's escape?)

Roy G

[CV-S]

One week after marriage! 

Yes that does seem to explain it!

Also I heard that the family were sometimes known as SMALE in Australia as well.