Ayres in Southleigh and Cogges

[smudwhisk]

Does anyone have access to the Southleigh and Cogges parish registers please?  I'm trying to help my Aunt and also a friend with their research and unfortunately the transcripts I have for Oxon don't go far enough south to cover this area.

James Ayers has his birthplace down as Southleigh on the census, born c1785.  Wondering who his parents were please?  He married in Eynsham in 1806 and lived there until his death in 1859.  I know he had at least one son named Job born c1810 in Southleigh who moved to London.

Elizabeth Aris/Ayers married William Carpenter in Cogges in 1764.  Found a previous RC post which listed the marriage details, which admittedly my friend has for her OH's tree but she doesn't know who her parents were.  Elizabeth's burial in Southleigh in 1820 puts her birthdate around 1739/40.  I believe there is an Elizabeth Ayers baptised in Southleigh in 1730 (from the previous RC post, but she may well have married in Southleigh), but I would assume that Elizabeth Carpenter nee Ayers was probably born in Cogges as she married there.  Can anyone help please?

It would be funny if my Aunt's ancestor and my friend's OH's ancestor were related but its always possible.

[Kimbrey]

I have the Southleigh and Cogges transcrpts on fiche-not easy to read

There are a lot of Aris/Ayres in Southleigh from 1691 but I cannot see a baptism for a James-there are three Aris families baptising  in 1786-John & Hannah/William & Elizabeth and James & Mary

The marriage in 1764 of William Carpenter & Elizabeth Aris gives William as a sojourner nnd Elizabeth otp-but there is not a baptism for an Elizabeth Aris in Cogges so maybe you have found some new relatives

Kim

[smudwhisk]

Thanks Kim for looking.  Not my relatives, other than by marriage.   I shall have to try and encourage them to purchase some transcripts for the surrounding area or get a baptism search done to see if the elusive baptisms can be found.

[NDRFT]

Hi
I have just looked at the PR's for St James Church, South Leigh. In fact I think it was me who did some look ups on this family before for someone on here.

But as Kim says - caution- they are not very easy to read but I am looking at them from a CD so I can play around with the presentation and I am 100% certain that what I am reading is correct so you have to see if it fits - it does look very promising though.

I can see a baptism for James AYRIS on 13 April 1788 he was born 5 April 1788 s o William and Mary

There is also a baptism for Elizabeth born 9 May 1786 bapt 14 May 1786 same parents.

I could not find any more children for the same parents back to c 1760 and forward to c 1810 

NDRFT

[NDRFT]

and...........


Marriage after Banns at St Marys Church, Witney on 30 July 1785 of William AYERS of Southleigh to Mary Buckingham. He signed,  she used a X
Wits; John Brown and William French (note William French did lots of witnessing)

So that looks good. There are no other marriages that anyway!

NDRFT

 

[smudwhisk]

Thanks NDRFT, I'm familiar with the issues with some of the Oxon transcripts as I have a number on microfiche from the Chipping Norton/Banbury area plus those from North Berkshire on CD.

James Ayres is listed as born c1785 on the 1851 Census but his wife on that census was 10 years older than him so its quite possible he added a few years to his age to make him seem closer to her in age.  I've several female ancestors who were older than their husbands but they just lopped years off their age each census.   I think its quite likely that is the correct James, although he died in 1854 so there is on the 1851 Census to go on.  He married in Eynsham in 1806 to Mary Martin so its possible the family went into Eynsham after he was born but he knew where he was born, unlike a lot of people.  It would admittedly have made him 18 when he married and Mary 32.

Thanks also for the marriage. I could do with trying to encourage my Aunt again to purchase some transcripts but she has bad eyesight so I suspect I will end up having to look at them for her if I can get her to purchase them.  The Witney area is outside my areas of interest in the county.

Thanks again.

Nicola

[NDRFT]

Hi Nicola

Yes I know what you mean about the anomalies of ages and census entries. So often the individual themselves did not have a clue how old they really were and of course the census info is only as good as the person providing the information of the recorder writing it - never mind the errors made during transcription- so frustrating for us today!!!
Then there was this;
1841 census
The ages of people over 15 years old were usually rounded down to the nearest 5 years. For example, someone who was actually 24 years would have their age listed as 20, and someone who was actually 27 years old would have their age listed as 25.

I have all the PR's for all the areas you are on about so if you decide you want more look ups then let me know. Its no problem

Nigel

[smudwhisk]

Thanks Nigel.  Yes the 1841 Census isn't particularly reliable, even the ages of children below 15 years can be out on it.  I've an example in London where the children's ages are well out, some are listed as below 10 years when they were actually in their teens.   This was an error on the part of the enumerator when they record was actually written up at the time.

Do you have access to the Shifford registers please?  James Ayres' wife Mary Martin is listed as born c1774 in Shifford on the 1851 Census.  There is no marital status on their 1806 marriage entry in Eynsham (my Aunt some how managed to get a copy of it) but I am wondering whether she may have been a widow because there is a 14 year age difference between the two of them.  One of my Oxfordshire ancestor married a widow who was 14 years older than him.  If you are able to check to see if there is any sign of a Mary Martin born c1774 in Shifford that would be very helpful please.

Thanks

Nicola

[NDRFT]

Nicola

Cant find a Mary Martin in the Shifford PR's. Just looking for a marriage there of a Martin to a Mary