« on: Friday 05 May 17 15:00 BST (UK) »
I may have made a breakthrough on my Helsdon line. As said, before 1800 it gets much harder to research ancestors and you often wonder if "Am I researching the right family?".
My ancestor was Henry Helsdon who wed Susan Riches in 1725 in Norwich. He was a widower. Not been able to trace his first marriage yet but his first wife was Elizabeth and their first child Henry was born in 1714. Henry had 3 sons call called Robert who died in infancy. With Susan he had 2 daughters called Elizabeth. He lived at All Saints, Norwich and the nearby St Peter Parmentergate. I descend from his son Dennis Helsdon born 1729.
Seems Henry liked the names Robert and Elizabeth a lot. Henry died in 1750 and left a will but only mentions wife and 3 surviving children.
Dennis married in 1752 and had children called Benjamin Helsdon, Mary, Rebecca, Robert, Dennis, Allen and Henry. St Peter Per Mountergate, Norwich.
Helsdon is a pretty rare surname and a Norfolk surname. It has some variants. In 1732 a Nicholas Helsdon wed Alice Linn and said he was of St Peter Per Mountergate, Norwich. He had children called Robert, Benjamin and Mary. Alice died in 1743 and Nicholas remarried in Horsham St Faith in 1744 I think. Horsham St Faith is just north of Norwich.
A Nicholas Helsdon was baptised in Horsham St Faith, Norfolk in 1707. Son of Robert and Elizabeth Helsdon. Not yet found a baptism earlier of a Henry yet to the same couple. An Elizabeth Helsdon was buried in St Peter Per Mountergate, Norwich in 1726.
The Henry Helsdon baptised in 1677 in North Walsham has been eliminated. He wed Elizabeth Morter in 1699 in North Walsham but I think died in 1706 and Elizabeth remarried. His children all wed in North Walsham.
A Robert Helsdon was baptised in 1685 in Stratton Strawless to Robert Helsdon. Also an Elizabeth Helsdon was baptised in Docking in 1697 to Robert and Elizabeth, and a son Robert buried that year son of Rob and Eliz. Docking though is in North west Norfolk.
I may be onto something here so will have to keep plugging away further.
Researching:
LONDON, Coombs, Roberts, Auber, Helsdon, Fradine, Morin, Goodacre
DORSET Coombs, Munday
NORFOLK Helsdon, Riches, Harbord, Budery
KENT Roberts, Goodacre
SUSSEX Walder, Boniface, Dinnage, Standen, Lee, Botten, Wickham, Jupp
SUFFOLK Titshall, Frost, Fairweather, Mayhew, Archer, Eade, Scarfe
DURHAM Stewart, Musgrave, Wilson, Forster
SCOTLAND Stewart in Selkirk
USA Musgrave, Saix
ESSEX Cornwell, Stock, Quilter, Lawrence, Whale, Clift
OXON Edgington, Smith, Inkpen, Snell, Batten, Brain