Author Topic: Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)  (Read 9091 times)

Offline Lexi73

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Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)
« on: Friday 15 April 16 09:44 BST (UK) »
Dear All,
Sorry, it's me again. I recently posted a couple of threads to find out more about my Bedfordshire Lightfoot ancestors, and some of the answers have raised a couple of doubts as to the origins of one of them, James Lightfoot.

I had always thought he was born/baptised in Luton in 1762, to William Lightfoot and Sarah Heydon. But then James marries Sharnbrook-born Jenny Crutchley in Goldington in 1790, has at least one daughter in Oakley in 1791 and has more children (John, Elizabeth, Alice, Joseph Crutchley and Thomas) in Clapham between 1801 and 1811. So the Luton link becomes a bit iffy - though still not impossible. Who knows where work was to be found in those days, right?

He marries in 1790 so I guess he would have been born some time in the (possibly late) 1760s, right? Or was he married before?

Is there anyone with access to information yet unknown to me that could help me figure out who James's parents (and siblings) were? One clue as to what his parents' names could be would be to find out if there were any more children between 1791 (Mary, named after Jenny's mother) and 1801 (John, no clue who he was named after, but there is space between 1791 and 1801 for 3-4 more children named after James's parents and Jenny's dad Henry). I would assume either in Oakley or Clapham, if they didn't move any more.

Any help is welcome, since I can't hop on a plane to check out records in Clapham and surrounding areas as I live too far away.

THANKS HEAPS in advance!
Regards,
Lexi.

Offline johnP-bedford

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Re: Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)
« Reply #1 on: Friday 15 April 16 14:49 BST (UK) »
Interestingly in 1851 census living in Great Raveley, Hunts is a John Lightfoot aged 74 born Clapham with wife Elizabeth aged 72 born Bromham, along with 13 year olf grandson James. This pair married 17 Oct 1803 in Bromham, she was Elizabeth West & the transcript says he's from Gt.Raveley. They are there in 1841 & next door is Thomas & Mary Lightfoot both aged 20 & children James 3 & Frederick age 1. John dies 1855 age 80 in GR after Elizabeth dies there in 1853 age 76.
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Partridge - North Beds; Northants & Peterborough
Bishop - Bedford; Hunts, Hemingford Grey
Allen - Hunts, Hemingford Abbotts
Clement - Croydon
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Offline bedfordshire boy

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Re: Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)
« Reply #2 on: Friday 15 April 16 15:26 BST (UK) »
This will involve a lot of spadework.

As Lightfoot is not a common name, I'd try to fit Lightfoots on the IGI into family groups, parish by parish, which shouldn't be too onerous a task. You can use the free index on FindMyPast to access burials on the NBI at http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-united-kingdom-records-in-birth-marriage-death-and-parish-records/and_deaths-and-burials?_ga=1.20580016.986418603.1377269437.

The first Lightfoot in Clapham on the IGI is the marriage of Elizabeth in 1795. Might she have been a sister of James? Sometimes the only way to move backwards  is by researching laterally.

I'd also go through all Lightfoots on the BARS online catalogue at http://bedsarchivescat.bedford.gov.uk/search/advanced . Whilst there are 221 hits, you can sort them by date, and skip through those before 1700.

I share your misgivings about the 10 year gap between 1791 and 1801, particularly given the Muster List entry.
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Beds:   Cople: Luke/Spencer
            Everton: Hale
            Henlow: Cooper/Watts/Sabey/Rook
            Potton:  Merrill
            Southill: Faulkner/Litchfield/Sabey/Rook
            Woburn/Husborne Crawley: Surkitt
Hunts:   Gt Gransden: Merrill/Chandler/Medlock
            Toseland: Surkitt/Hedge/Corn         
Cambs: Bourn: Bowd
            Eltisley: Medlock
            Graveley: Ford/Revell

Offline Lexi73

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Re: Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)
« Reply #3 on: Friday 15 April 16 15:29 BST (UK) »
Interestingly in 1851 census living in Great Raveley, Hunts is a John Lightfoot aged 74 born Clapham with wife Elizabeth aged 72 born Bromham, along with 13 year olf grandson James. This pair married 17 Oct 1803 in Bromham, she was Elizabeth West & the transcript says he's from Gt.Raveley. They are there in 1841 & next door is Thomas & Mary Lightfoot both aged 20 & children James 3 & Frederick age 1. John dies 1855 age 80 in GR after Elizabeth dies there in 1853 age 76.

One would almost be inclined to think that this John is a relation of my James, a brother or a cousin perhaps. My James seems to have died in Clapham in 1841, unfortunately before the census...


Offline Lexi73

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Re: Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)
« Reply #4 on: Friday 15 April 16 15:41 BST (UK) »
This will involve a lot of spadework.

As Lightfoot is not a common name, I'd try to fit Lightfoots on the IGI into family groups, parish by parish, which shouldn't be too onerous a task. You can use the free index on FindMyPast to access burials on the NBI at http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-united-kingdom-records-in-birth-marriage-death-and-parish-records/and_deaths-and-burials?_ga=1.20580016.986418603.1377269437.

The first Lightfoot in Clapham on the IGI is the marriage of Elizabeth in 1795. Might she have been a sister of James? Sometimes the only way to move backwards  is by researching laterally.

I'd also go through all Lightfoots on the BARS online catalogue at http://bedsarchivescat.bedford.gov.uk/search/advanced . Whilst there are 221 hits, you can sort them by date, and skip through those before 1700.

I share your misgivings about the 10 year gap between 1791 and 1801, particularly given the Muster List entry.

Thanks for those tips, John, will try them once I am back home at my computer!

I am more than glad I'm researching the Lightfoots and not the Smiths, I can tell you that! Thank heavens for uncommon names!

Offline bedfordshire boy

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Re: Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)
« Reply #5 on: Friday 15 April 16 15:53 BST (UK) »
Jane Lightfoot married Thomas Matthews on 13 Oct 1815 in Clapham (needs checking - an IGI member submission). In 1851 they're still living in Clapham, Jane age 53 born Ireland.

Might explain where James was between 1791 and 1801.

Are there any other Lightfoots in Beds in 1851 with a birthplace of Ireland?




David

Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Beds:   Cople: Luke/Spencer
            Everton: Hale
            Henlow: Cooper/Watts/Sabey/Rook
            Potton:  Merrill
            Southill: Faulkner/Litchfield/Sabey/Rook
            Woburn/Husborne Crawley: Surkitt
Hunts:   Gt Gransden: Merrill/Chandler/Medlock
            Toseland: Surkitt/Hedge/Corn         
Cambs: Bourn: Bowd
            Eltisley: Medlock
            Graveley: Ford/Revell

Offline Lexi73

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Re: Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)
« Reply #6 on: Friday 15 April 16 15:56 BST (UK) »
Jane Lightfoot married Thomas Matthews on 13 Oct 1815 in Clapham (needs checking - an IGI member submission). In 1851 they're still living in Clapham, Jane age 53 born Ireland.

Might explain where James was between 1791 and 1801.

Are there any other Lightfoots in Beds in 1851 with a birthplace of Ireland?

Wow John, that's opening a whole new can of worms! Ireland?!

Offline Lexi73

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Re: Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)
« Reply #7 on: Friday 15 April 16 16:03 BST (UK) »
This will involve a lot of spadework.

As Lightfoot is not a common name, I'd try to fit Lightfoots on the IGI into family groups, parish by parish, which shouldn't be too onerous a task. You can use the free index on FindMyPast to access burials on the NBI at http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-united-kingdom-records-in-birth-marriage-death-and-parish-records/and_deaths-and-burials?_ga=1.20580016.986418603.1377269437.

The first Lightfoot in Clapham on the IGI is the marriage of Elizabeth in 1795. Might she have been a sister of James? Sometimes the only way to move backwards  is by researching laterally.

I'd also go through all Lightfoots on the BARS online catalogue at http://bedsarchivescat.bedford.gov.uk/search/advanced . Whilst there are 221 hits, you can sort them by date, and skip through those before 1700.

I share your misgivings about the 10 year gap between 1791 and 1801, particularly given the Muster List entry.

Didn't have the patience to wait until I got home so checked out those IGIs for Clapham. Found three possible siblings for James there: Mary who marries 1788, Jane who marries 1802 and John who marries 1803. He's the one that lives in Hunts in the 1851 census. Somehow the Elizabeth marrying in 1795 doesn't come up in my results, will try tweaking my search parameters.

The 1815 marriage for Jane could be for a daughter of James, his daughter Mary marries in 1818 so that would make sense.

Offline Lexi73

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Re: Parents of James Lightfoot (Goldington/Oakley/Clapham)
« Reply #8 on: Friday 15 April 16 16:07 BST (UK) »
Incidentally, on checking my family tree, it turns out that James's son Joseph had his first child in Clapham too. Maybe the others too (there were seven before first his wife died), but they ended up in Milton Ernest in the 1840s.