Non-conformist birth registers

[elzabels]

Jackpot!

ancestry.co.uk

Dr Williams Library London records

Children of James & Rebecca PRATT of Thundersley Essex Baptised 30 June 1837

Matilda b 21/10/1821 cert no 11781
James b 28/11/1822 cert no 11782
Selina b 27/08/1830 cert no 11783

An explanation of Dr Williams Library
http://dwlib.co.uk/library-history/family-history/nonconformist-registers-and-records/

Records held at RG4-8 Nationla Archives. You should be able to find this listing on familysearch select UK the listing should appear alphabteically

[nannyj]

Ah ... that's really kind of you to go to all that trouble.
Unfortunately, I already have these ... but they are the birth records and not the baptisms, so I can't tell which church they went to ... other than the all enveloping 'non-conformist' label!
Thank you though ... really kind of you.
I think they must be Methodist though, based on their son's Canadian census, which does state their religion. The 1911 census was really helpful too, as it asked how many children they had and how many still living, which was great for finding those who had died or who weren't living there any more :-)

[elzabels]

Gets better

Certificate is on line

Dated 22 June 1837                     Certificate 11783
This is to certify and declare that SELINA the daughter  of James PRATT of Thundersley in the County of Essex,  Farmer and Rebecca his wife ( who was the daughter of Edward WISBEY of Thundersley in the County of Essex  Shoemaker) was born at the house of the said James PRATT in Thundersley in the County of Essex on 20th August 1830,
The parents above named  James PRATT & Rebecca WISBEY
‘Cume DOWSETT cousin of the child’
Sophia(e) DOWSETT Aunt of the child
Received, filed and Registered according to the custom in use among Protestant Dissenters, at the Registry of Births kept at Dr Williams Library Red Cross Street Cripplegate London this 30 day of June 1837 by me Richard COGAN

[elzabels]

My understanding is that the 1837 entry is a record of the baptism, I realise that you do not have a Chapel to place your ancestor with, but this isn't unusul with Dissenters, who may have held 'services' in anothers home until such times as a meeting place was built.

Most places of worship were built by the parishioners.... I live in NE Cheshire so am not familiar with the landscape of Essex, you may need to look into the fact that James PRATT was a farmer to see if you can identify his land / tenancy in the area. You will alos note its populations, probably rural....

Es

[nannyj]

Hi. Yes, that's right. Looking for a chapel. May not have been one, true. Thanks.

[elzabels]

Something I have just spotted Rebcca WISBEY could have been married in 1805 to a John SCUDDER, there is a Grant of Probate entry for her as Rebecca PRATT widow of Thundersley Essex. Probate to Henry SCUDDER of Hamlet Lodge Prittlewell son and one of her next of kin estate £200 died 10 January 1866 Grant 5 April 1866.

Sorry butterflying!

added address

[elzabels]

Hi. Yes, that's right. Looking for a chapel. May not have been one, true. Thanks.

Yes, certainly in the NW there are records of these meetings being held in one anothers homes, as the word suggests they were dissenting from the main religion of the UK at the time!!

I haven't had time to digest the name places at present but I suspect they are hamlets.....

I have found a marriage for Rebecca WISBEY to John SCUDDER

[nannyj]

Ha. Yes she is Selina Pratt's mother (my 4x great grand mother). She was married first to John Scudder who died very young. She then married my 4x great grand father, James Pratt and they had Selina plus her other siblings :-)
Her father was Edward Wisbie/Wisbey ... different spellings. She also has no record of baptism in any of the surrounding parishes to where all the censuses say she was born.
They were all farmers and it was a rural part of essex. There is a quaker meeting place and a methodist chapel nearby.

[elzabels]

Other than what is available on line, I do not think you will be able to find your other ancestors baptisms or the building the event occurred in.

Stephen HARVEY s/o William & Mary is recorded as Leigh( Hadleigh to Leigh 2- 3 miles)  Essex 1818 in Pallotts Baptism index. I understand this is created from snips in Parish Magazine & news articles

He died 25/03/1904 and was of Ray Lands Farm Thundersley his Grant of Probate granted to David AMEY / James Pratt HARVEY / Stephen HARVEY the latter bith being farmers.

I would think the family if they have farmed on the same land for years would be documented in the local press.