request for lookup at Berwick-upon-Tweed Record office and more?

[dee Veit]

Hello, I am Deanna from as far away as can be- Washington State in USA.  I would like to engage someone who would look up a certain baptism in the Ford, Northumberland microfilms at the above record office.  I would like also to ask for help in further research into the Brown family of Lintaugh farm in Ford, Northumberland.  I would like to find someone to work with who is interested in this area. 

My target for baptism record is John Brown, who was born between 1820-1823.  He states in '51, '61, '71 and '81 that he was born in Ford, Northumberland.  He is listed as 29,38,49,60 as his age and 69 at his death on Dec. 29, 1889.  I have his marriage in Scotland; he was a coachman and an innkeeper all his life and last ran the Ogle Arms in Alnwick. 

I have resources that point to the father also being a John Brown; #1 a 1828 directory of Ford Parish with only one Brown (John, at Lintaugh farm).  #2, a voter registration of 1832 with only one Brown (John, at Lintaugh).  This farm passes down to an Andrew Brown, who houses his father there in 1841. 

Hoping someone will reply and would like to help, my father is English born but lives here with me now.  I am sure he could me figure out how to send a small draft to compensate for time and copies.  Thank you, Deanna

[c-side]

Hi Deanna and welcome to rootschat

I will be at Northumberland records office tomorrow and will check Ford baptisms for your John Brown.

We all help each other out for free on this site - stick around and I'm sure you'll be able to return the compliment by helping someone else 

Christine

[c-side]

I’m afraid there was no baptism recorded in Ford parish church for a John Brown between 1813 and 1830.  There were only two babies called Brown in all that time.

I did wonder whether they might have been Presbyterian as the further north you go in the county the more likely it is to find Presbyterians.  The chapel within Ford parish was in the neighbouring village of Etal and a lot of the births are recorded in the Ford records but I did not find him there.  I also looked at the actual records for Etal Presbyterian but, again, didn’t find him.  There were a lot more people called Brown in those records and I did find a John in 1799 - a bit too early for you though but possibly his father?.

The trouble is that not all the records have survived - there are gaps - so I cannot say that he wasn’t baptised there simply that I didn’t find him.

I have just looked at the Northumberland farms list for 1860 and it shows four Linthaugh farms, all in the same area, labelled simply first, second, third and fourth.  Next week at the archives I will see if there is any further information.  You can see them listed here -

http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/idoc.ashx?docid=75caa247-2eb6-417f-b0c3-2838ae2897af&version=-1

Christine

[c-side]

Just wondering whether you are familiar with the online resources for Northumberland.  The Durham Bishop’s Transcripts which are on familysearch include the records for Ford.  If you can’t locate them I will post a link.  Not everywhere is covered and not all dates. Also they are not indexed but have to be searched page by page but a very useful resource for someone researching at a distance.

Christine

[dee Veit]

Thank you for having a look-see. Bummer that it isn't there.  I have followed your lead and am now looking through those handwritten transcripts of the Bishop of Ford, Northumberland. 
I have found a British Newspaper archive and might subscribe for one month to get articles, they are very searchable-- and I have found one on the death of Andrew Brown of Lintaugh, so I will read that in full when I pay.  My dad has done a DNA test (he's a Brown) and I hope to find a descendent of the linthaugh family to compare.  That would prove the family, too.  Thanks for the help, Dad has cousins in Snodland (Kent) and may visit this year, but Ford is quite a ways from there. 

Deanna

[c-side]

Pleased you found the Bishops Transcripts - they could be very useful to you.  The history behind them is that all Church of England vicars had to submit a copy of their parish records to their bishop annually.  For Northumberland parishes it was the Bishop of Durham.

Don’t forget, though, that if there’s anything you need to have looked up (or verified) you just need to ask the question on here. 

You’re right about Kent being a bit distant from Ford - there are places in Scotland further south than Ford but it is the most beautiful area.  Search for ‘Ford and Etal Estate’ and have a look.

Christine

[2zpool]

Ford is near Crookham.  There is a baptism of a John Brown in Crookham Presbyterian born 18 Aug 1820 and baptised 27 Aug 1820 son of William Brown, Hind, Mindrim, by his wife Jane daughter of Robert Carr.

Janis

[c-side]

Good call, Janis 

I had thought of looking in Crookham when next at Woodhorn because the farm Deanna mentions is in the Heatherslaw area and could be closer to Crookham than Etal.

Trouble is a name like John Brown - there could be many 

[Tickettyboo]

There appears to be more John Browns in Northumberland than you can shake a cartful of sticks at (I know, I have spent years trying to find the right one to fir in with my particular scenario)

From Deanna's original post, I would be 'very wary' of the assumption she is making that because there is only one Brown family in the directory and voters' roll that they will be the correct family. Way back then, very few folk made it into the directory and even fewer were entitled to a vote. There may have been lots of other Brown families in the immediate area who didn't make the grade.

Which is a real pain as my comments are no practical help at all, just raining on the parade, but I thought I would mention it :-)

Boo