Thomas Cresswell marriage to Ann Kidger

[Christine53]

. He was born in Graffham, Huntingdonshire.

Thomas Cresswell 7 Apr 1782 Graffham St Giles SUSSEX parents Thomas and Ann Cresswell

[Annette7]

I agree with trish1120 that it does indeed look as if Thomas was married twice if he was indeed born Graffham 1782.  There was just the one born this time.

Thomas and Martha appear to have had 2 children:

Elizabeth bp.5/4/1807 Broadwater, Sussex, dau. of Thomas and Martha
Thomas bp.10/7/1808 West Tarring, Sussex, son         ditto

A 'Mrs' Cresswell was indeed bur.Graffham 1810.

Then we have:

Thomas Criswell married to Sarah Varndell 19/1/1815 Lodsworth.

Children:

Mary Criswell bp.23/4/1815 Lodsworth
John Criswell bp.5/1/1817     "
Anthony Crisswell bp.3/2/1819 "

No more children to Thomas and Sarah but then we have 4 baptisms to Thomas and Ann:

Charles Cresswell bp.12/9/1820 Lodsworth
George Crosswell bp.13/5/1824     "
Cleophas Cresswell bp.14/5/1826   "
Edmund Cresswell bp.14/9/1828    "

I'm seriously wondering whether Sarah and Ann could be the same person (with T & A not naming any of the children after themselves)??

Cleophas' brother Charles named a son Anthony too.

A Sarah Criswell married James Boxall 31/1/1832 Lodsworth and she seems to be twice his age - this is who Cleophas' and siblings are with in 1841.   Is this Sarah (Ann?) actually their mother who'd remarried?

Lots to think about - only marriages for Thomas seem to be to Martha in 1806 and then to Sarah Varndell in 1815 (nothing to an Ann).   3 children to Thomas and Sarah in Lodsworth 1815-1819 and then 4 to Thomas and Ann in Lodsworth 1820-1828.  As already said, I think this must be the same person and a check of the marriage record for James Boxall and Sarah Criswell needs to be made to establish if she was indeed a widow.

Annette

[rosie99]

Familysearch transcript has Cleophas as  Cleophas Sarah Cresswell with parents Thomas & Ann - I wonder if the actual record would show that Sarah is not their middle name but that Ann is actually Sarah Ann 

[suziq]

Thank you for all this info, something to keep me busy tomorrow.
Many thanks
Suziq

[suziq]

Sarah is a widower of the parish according to the Sussex marriage records when she marries James Boxall.  Thomas was also a widower when he married Sarah, both said to be 21 on the license! So the plot thickens!!!
Suziq

[avm228]

Are you sure they claim to be aged 21 at the date of the licence? More usually one finds the parties are said to have attained the age of 21 - i.e. they are at least 21, not exactly 21.

[suziq]

Hi
It just said:
Thomas Criswell
widr 21 gent otsp

Sarah Varndel
sp. 21 Lodsworth

So not sure is the answer to your question
Thank you for looking
Suziq

[Stevekc]

Further to Annette7,s comprehensive analysis, which concurs with my own, I have a few more points

Are these the right Cresswells? The 1841 census mentioned does not name Cleophas, it clearly begins ‘Christo’, whilst it may well be Cleophas, that is not what it says.

Are the James Boxall and Sarah Boxall the subjects in the Boxall/Criswell marriage, if the ages are exact (and they only had to be to the nearest 5 years for the 1841 census) that has James aged 16 marrying Sarah aged 36. ( 19/33 and 13/39 are the extreme permutations using the 5 yr rule) if she was 21 in 1815 that makes her 47 in 1841 and 38 in 1832

Who is Mary Ann Boxhall? Is she James’ daughter or Thomas C’s,  conceived before his death ( we presume he is dead) and delivered after the marriage. If the Thomas C I have found is the correct one he was 82 when he died, perhaps that is what killed him.

Mary Ann is in the 1851 census with a 40yr old James, her uncle!

Is 1841 Sarah Boxall 1841 James Boxall’s sister-in-law, sister or mother.
To be sister in law there would have to be two brothers both named James, unlikely.
Sister-possible.
Mother-possible but then Mary Ann would be James sister not his niece.

However, since starting this rambling, I have just found Thomas Criswell’s will on ancestry.com and it clearly names Sarah as his 'present' wife and mother of Mary, Antony, George, Edmond, John, Charles and Cleophas. So there is only the question now, did Sarah marry a toyboy, and who was TC's first wife?

[Stevekc]

Link to Thomas Criswell will-

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=thomas+criswell+lodsworth

if anyone can read the name of his son on line 5 page 2 please let me know