How do I find which is the right John?

[Old Bristolian]

The baptisms of Charles and John Henry (23.12.1827) and Mary Ann (18.5.1834) all took place at St Philip and St Jacobs church and in each case the father's occupation is given as "Seaman" which is what your John is in 1841. In confirmation the abode is given as Temple parish in the earlier ones and St Nicholas in Mary Ann's. It looks as if one or other parent had a (family ?) connection to St P & J's although they are all quite close to each other.
The 1823 marriage was at St Pauls, Portland Square. I've checked the BAFHS CDs for all three mentioned marriages, but no occupations are given for the father (they rarely are of course)

Steve (also in Devon)

[Old Bristolian]

There is a death recorded in the Bristol registration district for John Henry Brown, aged 10 in March qr. 1838

Steve

[LizzieL]

Charles and John Henry aren't necessarily twins, From J H's age at death, it looks like he was baptised soon after birth, but Charles could have been a couple of year's older.
Are any witnesses mentioned on the marriages?

[Margaretindevon]

I cannot thank you all enough, especially you Steve (also in Devon!) for your help. that is a flying start to my resumption of this absorbing hobby. I started when my youngest child was born and she is 49 now, so things have gone on a bit since those days.

I think it would be well for me to buy some of the BAFHS CD's in order to try and get back further. I will purchase the two death certificates, that for John and that for John Henry. I will also obtain copies of the marriages entries from the parish registers, in case witnesses help throw some light on the families. Is there anything else which you think it might be a good idea to get? As I have said previously I am a tad rusty.

Where in Devon are you Steve? We were at Shaldon, opposite side of the river to Teignmouth. We moved up to Northampton nine years ago when my husband began to show signs of dementia. All the children live in the Midlands, and as things turned out it was a good thing we moved when we did as Trevor died nearly six years ago after two and a half years coping with Lewy Body Dementia. According to him the Mafia moved in with us and we had a resident bat colony in the bathroom. A very hard and trying period of my life. So Strictly speaking I should be MargaretinNorthants now!!

Thank you all once again. Now to look for John and Ann!
Margaret.

[josey]

Just bookmarking this thread so I get updates!! Will be interested to here details of the certificates in due course, Margaret.

Josey

[Old Bristolian]

Best of luck with your renewed search. As far as Bristol records go, they are thin on the ground online and it is always best to go to Bristol and research in the Record Office. The staff there are extremely helpful. If you identify records and cannot make the trip, they will often copy them and send them on, although it does cost. I spoke last year to a member of staff regarding the registers and if they were likely to appear online any time in the near future, and it seems there was a project mooted in conjunction with the LDS but that seems to have stalled. The Bristol & Avon FHS were going to attempt further transcriptions (the CDs I mentioned only cover 1754-1837 and are quite expensive) but that has lapsed owing to lack of funding. I can always check anything for you on my CDs, but of course all you get is the bare transcription - no witnesses at marriages for instance. I have several lines in Bristol (as you may have guessed from my user name I'm originally from there) and I try at least once a year to make the trip and spend as long as possible in the RO, having prepared a list of things to do.

I do have a copy of the transcriptions of the Burgess Books for Bristol, and there is an intriguing entry there, dated 13 June 1826. It records the admission to the rank of Burgess (i.e.. a Freeman of Bristol, having the right to vote etc.) of John Brown, mariner, after apprenticeship to Richard Shaw. If you get to Bristol it may be worth checking the apprenticeship records for 1817/9 to see if it gives any more information - usually a father of the apprentice is named at least.

And bingo! After my comments above I checked the Poll Books on Ancestry and in the 1830 election there is a John Brown, mariner living in Water Lane, Temple. Looks like a good fit,

Steve

[Old Bristolian]

I am sorry, Margaret, but I forgot to reply to your query as to my whereabouts - I live in Barnstaple, the other end of the county from where you were previously,

Steve

[Margaretindevon]

Hello,
just reporting back.
I have sent off for copies of the marriages, and for the 2 death certificates. isn't it marvellous what you can do online?

I have looked for a baptism in 1897 plus or minus a year, for an Ann James and Ann Lippiatt.

For the former there is
Ann of William and Ann 24 June 1805 at Temple
Ann of William and Hester 18 August 1807 at St Nicholas
Ann of Jonah and Sarah 22 March 1805 Bristol no parish
Ann of John and Sarah 10 May 1803 at St Nicholas
Ann of William and Hester 10 August 1807 at St Nicholas.

Thus it looks as if  the one at St Nicholas may be "mine", though they seem to have had trouble reading the date. Though the one at Temple could be in the running.

For Lippiatt I could find nothing near the year in Bristol.

Steve

I downloaded the Apprenticeship register books from 1724 to 2009 but there was no entry for a John Brown being apprenticed to a Richard Shaw, more is the pity. There was one  dated 7 November 1780 of John, son of John Brown sail cloth weaver of Bristol, who was bound to Henry Webb, Mariner, and wife Martha.

My father was a Bristolian, but I am Cornish born and bred! Actually born in the village in which Doc Martin is filmed. I am not familiar with Bristol at all.

Now have to wait patiently for the copies of the marriages and the death certificates to arrive.
Margaret

[Old Bristolian]

It will be interesting to see if the records you've ordered come up with anything. It's a shame there is no apprenticeship record, although the one you found could be a previous generation. Sketchley's Bristol Directory of 1775 has a John Brown, sail cloth weaver, living at 3 Rose Street, Temple, so it's the right area.

I take it you were born in Port Isaac then - we used to holiday there every year in the late 60s, up to 1971, staying at the Golden Lion with Muriel ?

Steve