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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Hampshire & Isle of Wight => Topic started by: siobhank13 on Saturday 19 August 06 20:42 BST (UK)
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Hi,
I have an ancestor Ann Faulkner who appears on the 1851 as Falkner, and her place of birth is listed as Blackford Howe.
Can anyone confirm whether this is / was in Ringwood please?
Many thanks
Siobhán
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Hi
Could it be Blashford - 2 miles north of Ringwood?
Cheers
Ian
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Ian,
Could be, it looked like Blashford, but ancestry transcribed it as Blackford!
Cheers
Siobhán
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Hi all, Blashford is still sometimes misnamed as Blackford on letters etc. but I've never heard of the Howe bit. It was sometimes called Blashford Green in the 19th cent. but it was never more than a hamlet in the parish of Ellingham.I'll see if I can find any Faulkners on the Tithe maps, etc.
Fred
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Hi again, I had a look and it looks like "Blashford, Hants". The next entry has "Ashley ditto" ie "Ashley, Hants" which is also very close to Ringwood on the West side of the River Avon, and about 20 mins walk from Blashford. If it's of any help, we've got quite a few details and pics of this area.
Fred
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Fred,
Many thanks for the info. I am waiting for the birth certificate of Ann's son to come through to find out her maiden name. I have a feeling it is Witt, but have ordered the certificate to confirm this. Any information on the area you could send me would be much appreciated.
Siobhán
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There were Witts in Blashford up until the 1950s- there is still a Witts' Cottage and Witts' Meadow. Blashford Farm was run by the family for many years, certainly during the war. If they are the right folks, I'll see what we've got.
Fred
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Fred,
Yes, she's definately a Witt. Certificate arrived today. When looking for her birth would Blashford be included in Ringwood Ellingham parish registers?
Many thanks for all your help ;D ;D
Siobhán
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Most of Blashford is in Ellingham parish so I should start there.
I'll have a think about the Witts and see what comes up- I wonder if the parents were still living at Blashford in 1841?The Moyles Court manor records from the 1780s are very interesting as they give many of the day-to-day concerns of the locals . MC was the local Manor house where the Lisle family lived (Alice L was famously beheaded in 1685.)
Around 1828, the estate was sold off and bought by the 2nd Earl of Normanton from nearby Somerley House which led to great unrest amongst the locals- their fields were enclosed and in 1830, a mob tried to burn Somerley House, but were put down by the militia. There's lots to think about!
Ashley has been rather disturbed by the A31 trunk road, but there are still quite a few old cottages hidden away as well as Ashley Farm and the old Ringwood workhouse.
I'll see what I can find out.
Fred
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I called into Ellingham church this evening and had a look for any Witts. In the "old" section there were 2 obvious stones- one was to John Witt, died 1735 and the other had several names including Ambrose and Mary Witt, from the early 19th cent. It was getting a bit dark but I go by there 2 or 3 times a day!
Fred.
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Fred,
Had a check through the Ellingham parish registers, can't find Ann, but did find a James Witt, illegitimate son of John & Elizabeth Witt of Blashford (1823 I think). Perhaps a brother ?
Had a search through Ringwood, but could only find an Ann Witt in 1804, daughter of John Witt. No other info recorded.
Perhaps this is her and she got her age wrong on all of the census returns? Maybe she thought she was younger than she really was?
Siobhán
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Hi, she could have been born in Ringwood- the hamlet of Blashford is a straggle along the main Salisbury Road on the boundary of the 2 parishes. Ringwood town is only a mile down the road.
The Witts buried in Ellingham churchyard don't seem to help much at this point, but what I could see was as follows:
"To the memory of Mary, the wife of Ambrose Witt who departed this life in the year 1799 aged 55 years. And the above named Ambrose Witt who died August 1st, 1825 aged 83 years.Also Elsie Bessant who died May 7th 1836(?) aged 31(?) years. And of Mary Witt died June 25 1837 aged ?6yrs."
The next stone (ie surely related) said:" John Witt who died Dec the ?? 1755 (not 1735!) aged 5? years." I'll see if I can see anything in Ringwood church, either Witt or Faulkner- trouble is most ordinary folks didn't have stones. i'll put them on my list of things to think about.
Fred