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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wiltshire => England => Wiltshire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: lynzdee on Sunday 21 January 07 20:11 GMT (UK)
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I am interested in finding birth records for Samuel HARRIS born 1788 in Wiltshire, Westbury, England.
I am working with a family tree supplied by a cousin, but he has no references cited for his information so that I may check his dates.
According to this tree,
Samuel HARRIS married
(1) SOHIA ?Sophia? ORCHARD.
(2) JESSE ??
(3) ANN NIGHTINGALE February 20, 1803 in Parish of Westbury, Wiltshire England.
The marriage to Ann NIGHTINGALE is the only one I can confirm on IGI.
His youngest son is my gg grandfather Joshua HARRIS born 1822 Wiltshire. I have no idea who Joshua's mother is of the three women named above.
This family emigrated to Canada mid 1830. I found an entry for a Samuel Harris, a wife and several children all from Wiltshire as being transported with assistance from a Montreal Immigrant Society to Upper Canada, July 1835. But records are sketchy and there is no way of confirming passenger lists and no record of the vessel they sailed on.
Some other children of Samuel are:
THOMAS HARRIS, b. March 01, 1810, Wiltshire
ELIZABETH HARRIS, b. 1803
JOHN HARRIS, b. 1805
MARY ANN HARRIS, b. 1814.
JOSEPH HARRIS, b. 1816.
JOHN HARRIS, b. 1817
JAMES HARRIS, b. July 14, 1818
I would appreciate any lookups of OPR to find these marriages, or any of the births of Samuel OR his children.
Thank you.
regards
Lindsay
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Hi Lindsay
Have you any idea of the name of the wife who travelled to Canada with Samuel?
Sheila
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not sure Sheila. Nothing is mentioned of her in the family tree I had other than the three names of women to whom Samuel was supposedly married.
I found the marriage entry of Samuel to Ann NIGHTINGALE on IGI as well, so more than likely that is where my cousin or his daughter found this info. He is much more interested in current family, rather than tracing backward in time.
If I could find the birth entries for the children I would likely be able to determine which of the wives came to Canada, but no luck there...
I will try a lookup in Upper Canada files to see if there is a death of Mrs. S. Harris but I am not sure how many records exist.
Sorry I can't add anything.
Lindsay
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I've found some baptism entries which could be some of the children. I will gather my info and post them.
I notice you have Samuel's birth as 1788 and his marriage to Ann Nightingale as 1803. Are these definite dates as that would have made him 15 when he married.
Sheila
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Ah. Obviously something I had failed to record. I had found inconsistencies in other areas of the family tree and edited with notes to self, but that one I seem to have missed.
I
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I found these baptisms:
15 May 1808 Elizabeth, parents Samuel Harris and Ann at Westbury. Age 4 years 6 months at baptism. This would fit with your 1803 birth.
9 December 1810 Thomas, parents Samuel Harris and Ann at Dilton. There are several living Westbury, baptised Dilton.
28 July 1816 Joseph, parents Samuel Harris and Ann. Living Leigh baptised Westbury. Some say living Westbury Leigh.
There are big gaps between Elizabeth 1803, Thomas 1810 and Mary Ann 1814 but if the Joseph baptism is yours this discounts a re-marriage between those dates.
There are 2 baptisms for Samuel Harris both have parents Samuel and Mary.
2 February 1766, Westbury
27 October 1771, Westbury
Doesn't solve your problem but if these baptisms are yours it looks as though he was married to Ann until 1817/1818 and then there is a 4 year gap to Joshua which is the one you really need.
Hope this helps a little, I will keep looking.
Sheila
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I have checked the Canadian 1881 Census and found Joshua HARRIS with an age of 56 making his approx. dob 1825 in Wiltshire.
I found Joshua as well as head of household in the 1871 age 48. So that could make his dob circa 1823.
According to the family tree I obtained, Samuel HARRIS died June 19, 1864 in Adelaide Township, Ontario, Canada. But I have no age indicated here. That would have helped. I must enquire as to how/where to obtain that information here in Canada.
I found Samuel widowed in the Canada 1851 Census. His age is 60. That would make his dob circa 1791.
Above him in this census is listed Thomas HARRIS. Age 39. Born England. I have in the family tree a Thomas born 1810 Wiltshire. That could likely be him. I am unsure as to what the month the census was carried out. But often the ages were roughly estimated.
In the tree are listed 2 Samuel -son of Samuel- with no dob born Wiltshire --one to mother Jesse ??? and the other to Ann Nightingale, both with no other info. I wonder if one of these is the Samuel in the Canadian census and not the father Samuel. Too confusing and I am looking at the word document!
So, I have convoluted this information even more. Yikes!
If you can find ANY birth records with these names I would appreciate so I can begin to sort this mess... ???
Thanks for your help.
Lindsay
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Baptism(s)
28th Jul 1816
Mary Anne HARRIS
Dau of Samuel (occupation shearman) and Ann
Living at Leigh was baptised at Westbury, WIL
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28th Jul 1816
Jane HARRIS
Dau of Samuel (occupation shearman) and Ann
Living at Leigh was baptised at Westbury, WIL
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28th Jul 1816
John HARRIS
Son of Samuel (occupation shearman) and Ann
Living at Leigh was baptised at Westbury, WIL
Same date Bapt as Joseph
Brian
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Extra and additional info
9th Dec 1810
John HARRIS son of Samuel and Ann
Was baptised at Dilton, WIL age 5
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9th Dec 1810 (born 9 Nov 1810)
Thomas HARRIS
Son of Samuel and Ann
Baptised at Dilton, WIL
Brian
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Thank you!
I appreciate your help.
Lindsay
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There is also this Bapt
Samuel HARRIS
Son of William and Mary
baptised at Urchfont, WIL
6th Jun 1784
Urchfont is about 12 miles from Westbury
Brian
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Thank you Brian. :D
You are obviously very knowledgeable about this area.
I appreciate your help with this.
Lindsay
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I found another member of the HARRIS family with the following information about the parents of Samuel HARRIS.
If someone has access to the OPR for Westbury in the mid 1700's I would appreciate a lookup to see if any other information is available on this couple and their children.
I am also interested in any information you might have about the Upper Meeting Independent, which I assume is a Methodist church, although we all know what assuming does! ;)
MARRIAGE: James HARRIS and Ruth BORTLETT (Bartlett) Nov 13, 1763 Westbury
Their children:
1. SAMUEL HARRIS - Birth: 24 OCT 1784
Christening: 27 DEC 1785 Upper Meeting Independent, Westbury, Wiltshire,
2. JAMES HARRIS Birth: 21 SEP 1780
Christening: 27 DEC 1785 Upper Meeting Independent, Westbury
3 JOHN HARRIS - Christening: 19 FEB 1766 Westbury
4. RICHARD HARRIS – Christening: 19 FEB 1766 Westbury
5. LUCY HARRIS - Christening: 19 JAN 1777 Westbury
6. MARY HARRIS - Christening: 19 JAN 1777 Westbury
7. SARAH HARRIS - Christening: 19 JAN 1777 Westbury
8. LEAH HARRIS- Christening: 19 JAN 1777 Westbury
Thanks for any assistance you can offer.
Lindsay
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i too come from the samuel harris line 2nd marriage to sophia orchard who apparently died in england, and he emigrated in 1832 with 4 sons. joshua born 1822 england, died 1 april 1906 is their child and i come from the line of joshua's son sidney. i have some information and found in todays search in lambton county ont marriage of joshua harris on 31 january 1845 to grecian elliott. they are buried in london ontario canada , mount pleasant cemetery, london ont, 3 april 1906 near old age cove (i viewed this stone, small flat on ground). confirmed. joshuas wife grace gretchen elliott born 1823 england, baptised 5 july 1848 adelaide twp, middlesex,ont canada died march 14, 1900. parents james elliott and mary ?. from 1896 til 1900 gretchen lived with daughter mary morris. Joshua and Gretchen had 10 children:william,jane,elliott,mary,robert,henry,albert,sidney,fred,thomas and joseph.
hope the relatives can link up with me.
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Then we are cousins. Robert is my great grandfather. My grandfather is Henry Alfred Beaton, and Robert Rae is my dad! We live in Manitoba, where Robert emigrated with his family when my grandad was just a couple years old. My husband and I are headed to Moncton NB tomorrow and to west of Toronto on the 20th. I will be in the area until the 30th. I have information to share, gathered by my dad's cousin and his girls. Lynz
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I am also a descendant of Samuel Harris (b. 24 Oct 1784) & Ann Nightingale b. 20 Feb 1803). I have fairly detailed records of his descendants when he emigrated to Canada in 1832 with four sons, Thomas, John, James and Joshua.
Please contact me if you need help filling in "gaps".
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Yes, of course! I will send you a PM shortly with my email. Lynz
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You need to post before I can send you a PM with my email, so we can exchange info!
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I guess I need to post two more times to read your message.
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Not sure why there is a restriction but I am new to this.
:)
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Wiltshire Council History On-Line
history.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getchurch
This will tell you all about the Upper Meeting Chapel which is now the United Reformed Church in Westbury - it is still there.
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Hey Lynzdee, My name is Perry Harris and I am also a descendant of Joshua Harris, born 1822, Wilford Wiltshire England. Here is my family tree, my father, Melville Harris (b.1927), my grandfather, John Burley Harris (b1883), my g-grandfather, Sidney Harris (b 1858) and my gg grandfather Joshua Harris (b.1823).
I live in Parry Sound, Ontario Canada and have just started searching out our roots. I believe that Samual (b.1792) is my ggg-grandfather and have found records of him, his wife Margaret I believe, and 6 of their children departing England and arriving in Canada in 1832. They landed in Montreal, Quebec and then the Montreal Emigrant Society who assisted them in settling in Prescott Ontario. In the 1852 census, it shows them residing in Middlesex County, Ontario. The 1881 census shows both Joshua and Samual living in the Parry Sound district Ontario.
I'm trying to confirm that Samual was Joshua's father and also who were his parents. Any assistance would be valued. Perry
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Im also showing records indicating that Samual's wife's name was Margaret Ann Nightingale, born 1803 in the parish of Westbury, Wiltshire England. The most confusing is when this family reached Canada because in a lot of cases, my grandfather for instance, his given name was "John Burley" however went by "Burley". Had to really watch this in census reporting.
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Good day!
We are cousins. I have a load of info I can send you of the family of ROBERT Harris, my gg grandfather who came to Manitoba to farm and still live here.
Interestingly enough my grandad Alf had an older brother also called Melville.
I will PM you with my personal email.
Lynz
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Hello, my gg grandfather was Sidney's younger brother, Thomas Frederick. He was a butcher in London, Ontario before moving with his family to Manitoba then Climax, Saskatchewan. One of his sons were killed in WW1.