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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Sussex => England => Sussex Lookup Requests => Topic started by: andytim1967 on Monday 11 January 10 12:39 GMT (UK)

Title: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: andytim1967 on Monday 11 January 10 12:39 GMT (UK)
I am looking to verify the parents of Thomas Mepham born 1791 in Battle, Sussex (according to the 1861 census). Several people on Ancestry have his parents as Thomas Mepham and Mary Quaife but I have not been able to verify this. I don't want to go down the wrong path.

Could anyone look up this birth for me please.
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: Jane Masri on Monday 11 January 10 16:44 GMT (UK)
A marriage did take place between Thomas & Mary;

 Battle, East Sussex,  14 Oct 1784:
 Thomas MEPHAM, bach
 Mary QUAIFE, sp botp (lic)

Family search has this extracted record which is fairly reliable.

THOMAS MEPHAM 
    Birth:  19 JUN 1790   Great Meeting-Presbyterian Or Unitarian, Battle, Sussex,
  Father:  THOMAS MEPHAM
  Mother:  MARY 

jane

 
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: andytim1967 on Monday 11 January 10 17:00 GMT (UK)
Thanks for that Jane. I had found those entries in Family Search. My concern is that there are 2 children (Ruth and William) born to Thomas Mepham and Mary Quaife but not baptised at the Presbyterian Church. Thomas would have been born between these 2 children so I was a bit suspect.
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: Jane Masri on Tuesday 12 January 10 15:46 GMT (UK)
The marriage information was from the Sussex Marriage Index & I didn't spot another marriage between a Thomas Mepham & a Mary in the right time-frame.  I know that's not conclusive as he could have married outside of Sussex.  Try the Sussex Online Parish Clerks site (OPC) Google & ye shall find  :)  I had a look myself but the person covering Battle didn't seem to have any parish registers but have a look around as they now have much of their information online & you might spot something.  Looking for a will of Thomas snr.  might also confirm that he was your Thomas's father.  East Sussex RO have their catalogue at Access to Archives (A2A) which can be found on the National Archives site.  Doing a search on there with the name of Mepham might reveal something,

jane
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: andytim1967 on Tuesday 12 January 10 18:18 GMT (UK)
Thank you for the advice. I guess if he is the only Thomas Mepham to have married in the area it has to be right. I struggled with A2A and the only Mary Quaife I found married John Hollands on Sussex OPC. I'll stick with Family Search findings and go with the flo. Thanks so much for your help. It is much appreciated.
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: daveymax on Sunday 08 May 11 14:00 BST (UK)
Hi...I have just chanced upon your Rootschat entry. I am a direct descendant of Thomas Mepham b 1790. I too had the same predicament as you, not being certain that his parents were Thomas Mepham who married Mary Quaife on 14th October 1784 in Battle, Sussex.
Thomas b 1790 married Susannah Avis (from Withyham, Sussex) on 8th June 1820 in Withyham. His son William Mepham who married Ellen Harrigan had a son Henry Mepham b 1866 who was my great grandfather.
Thomas and Susannah moved from Sussex to Poplar East London fairly soon after their marriage and had a large family.
It is possible to find the family of Thomas Mepham b 1790 in both 1841 and 1851 censuses, but poor transcriptions do not help.... transcribed as "Thos Mephin" in the 1841 census and "Thos Nepham" in the 1851 census.
Thomas died on 19th January 1866 in Poplar of "violent suffocation by drowning how not proven" aged 75).
Wife Susannah died in 1863.
Good Luck with your research.
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: andytim1967 on Sunday 08 May 11 15:00 BST (UK)
Thanks for your post and for the intersesting information. My elderly aunt is the granddaughter of Richard Mepham, Henry's brother so also descended through William and Ellen Harrigan. She has the family bible with lots of entries in it. I can't remember how far it goes back.I had found most of what you had told me except the interesting facts on Thomas's death. I wonder if there is a newspaper article somewhere. Have you ever searched British newspapers? I have but you have access for such a short time and some times no results which can prove expensive.My family tree is on Ancestry and I have the same user name.

Thanks for the interest
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: daveymax on Monday 09 May 11 19:36 BST (UK)
Thanks for this. I will checkout your family tree at the weekend.
Do you by any chance have connections with South Wales, Gavin&Stacey Land?
Because I do!
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: andytim1967 on Monday 09 May 11 22:38 BST (UK)
Yes. Pontypridd and Barry. Mephams lived in Barry.
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: daveymax on Thursday 12 May 11 20:16 BST (UK)
Hi.............well I was born and bred in Barry. I'll be there over the May b/hol. My maternal grandmother was Edith Maud Mepham b 1894. She was one of approx 16 children of Henry Mepham and Sarah Jane Knight. I have a house in Barry, though live in Sussex. I have a family tree found at http://www.tribalpages.com/tribes/daveymax. Take a look and ask me for the password and you will then see lots of Mepham names. Most Mephams came originally from Sussex & Kent. The ancestry of Thomas b 1790 was obtained from "Tibbymay" who lives in Ontario. Good Luck, D
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: andytim1967 on Friday 13 May 11 11:37 BST (UK)
My mum was born in Woodland Road, Barry and the Mephams lived opposite. My mum's brother married into the Mepham family. My gt grandfather was the Pier master at Barry Docks.I will look at your tree but I am away this weekend in Torquay so will look whwn I come back.
Many thanks
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: daveymax on Saturday 14 May 11 19:57 BST (UK)
I have copies of the original birth details of Thomas b 19/06/1790, and his marriage to Susannah Avis in 08/06/1820 in Withyham Sussex, and also his parents marriage in 14/10/1784 which I could send you. There seems to be only one Susannah Avis in the records from Chiddingstone near Withyham, christened on 29/07/1798 who is probably our ancestor.
I still have no absolute proof that Mary Quaife was the mother of Thomas b 1790. Nor that his grandparents were another Thomas b circa 1710 who married Mary Crouch on 01/10/1735 in Wartling Sussex, not far from Battle.
I would also like to have a copy of the exact birth details of William b circa 1828 in Poplar?
Speak soon, D
Title: Re: Thomas Mepham abt 1791
Post by: andytim1967 on Sunday 15 May 11 22:56 BST (UK)
yes please. My email is *

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