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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Suffolk => Topic started by: Potterer on Sunday 15 April 18 15:24 BST (UK)
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Hello Rootschatterers,
I am trying to trace my G-G Grandfathather's family in the Glemsford area of Suffolk.
We know from the 1851 Census that my ancestor Hezekiah Oakley was born in Glemsford about 1794.
He married Ann Looker in 1817 on the 6th April, at St. Leonard’s, Foster Lane, Christchurch parish, Newgate St., London.
Hezekiah appears in the 1851 Census aged 45, b. Glemsford, a Brewer's Servant, with his family at 10 Cradle Court, parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London.
I have little info so far, but I found a very interesting note on the Glemsford Local History Society site on a Register of Apprentices 1802 – 1818. The apprentices listed include:-
2nd Aug. 1806: Hezekiah Oakley, 13, to Sam. Cook, oyster-dredger, E. Donyland.
This Hezekiah would therefore be born about 1793 – the Census age indicated about 1794 – so this could well be "my" ancestor, apprenticed from the poorhouse to an Oyster dredger.
I would be very interested to hear if anyone has anything more about him or his Oakley family in Glemsford.
Thanks V much for any information or suggestions anyone has !
Potterer.
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The closest I can find is
Zedeciah Oakley bapt. Glemsford 9 March 1794 parents Samuel and Mary.
There seem to be a few Oakley families baptising children in Glemsford around that time.
Emeltom
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Thanks very much, Emeltom! Do you have a source for that?
- I wonder whether there are other unusual Old Testament Oakley names in Glemsford then - was it just a family "thing" at that time, or a local one, I wonder?
Does it suggest an unusual religious affiliation? Some sort of late 18th century Evangelism?
Has anyone constructed a local Oakley tree for that area? (- could be tricky though if there are several Oakley lines present, as you suggest ) Any help, sources, or pointers for constructing such a tree for "my" lot greatly appreciated!
Thanks again.
Potterer.
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It's on familysearch and also the Suffolk FHS Baptism Index.
Emeltom
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Thanks again , Emeltom.
I was wondering whether to buy the Suffolk FHS CD of birth registers, but if you haven't found Hezekiah Oakley there, I may hold off for now, pending other searches...
Your suggestion of Zedeciah Oakley, parents Samuel and Mary, is interesting, as I now see a couple of trees on Ancestry (Sewell, and Thatcher), who have Samuel b. 1767 and Mary b. 1769 as possible parents of Hezekiah - but they don't seem to mention Zedeciah - only siblings given are Samuel and William. ( It seems Zedekiah was a proper Old Testament name, so probably not just mistaken for Hezekiah - these names !!). Puzzling. I may need to get that CD after all!
Any thoughts? Anyone?
Thanks again., Potterer.
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Hello Potterer
In 1856 brewer's labourer Hezekiah Oakley of 10 Cradle Court ... Cripplegate (as in 1851) applied for the Freedom of the City of London (Ancestry / London Metropolitan Archives). His father was named in the application as "Samuel Oakley late of Glensford [sic] Suffolk Farmer".
A brief search for later records suggests that Hezekiah may well have changed his name back to Zedekiah by 1861. I see no obvious reason for that, but if you look into the stories of those two biblical characters, it's easy to understand why your ancestor would have preferred to identify himself with Hezekiah.
It may be worth buying a copy of Zedekiah Oakley's will (1865) for evidence of his connection, unless you can find him under that name in the census of 1851 or earlier.
David
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https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills
The results of the will (but not the Will itself) can be found on the Find a Will/Gov.uk site (link above)
Probate was granted to son Thomas and daughter Ann.
Emeltom
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Many thanks for your researches, Gobbitt and Emeltom !
You are certainly turning up interesting stuff - I still have a lot to learn obviously - and that's why I'm here, of course....
Well, that certainly sounds like the Hezekiah Oakley I have, at 10 Cradle Court, St. Giles in 1851, eldest children shown Thomas and Ann, as per the Will you mention .... BUT - Freedom of the City of London? I don't know very much about that, but I thought it was a special (and at one time expensive) privilege of the merchant and professional classes, and outstanding members of those, too (- privileges also including daft things, like a silk rope if they hung you, and the right to drive sheep over London bridge??!).
If so, it certainly doesn't look like the sort of thing that Hezekiah might have been expected to be involved in, he a "Brewer's Servant" in the Census (ie persumably a labourer in a brewery, or maybe barman?). Or have I got the Freeman thing wrong?
Hezekiah Oakley's wife was Ann Looker - just possibly originally from the French "Lucas", and possibly originally Huguenot, so possibly from a silk weaving family ( a lot of Possiblies ! )- is that significant in this? That occupation is not mentioned in the Oakleys I have found though....
Thanks for the Will link too, I'll follow that up - it looks like him - but again, wouldn't it be unusual for a poor labourer to leave a Will, and with "Effects under £450" - pretty impressive for 1865 ? How did he manage that? We'll see...
More puzzles - that's why we do this stuff though!
Many thanks to both. If you find any more or have comments, I'd be very grateful.
Potterer
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It's always good to keep variant spellings in mind but unwise to give too much credence to unproven notions such as Huguenot origins. The safest way is to proceed step by step from the known into the unknown, especially when going backwards. ;)
A lot of myth-debunking information can be found in the LMA's leaflet, City Freedom Archives (https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/visitor-information/Documents/14-city-freedom-archives.pdf), and the other sources recommended there. Hezekiah applied on 24 Oct. 1856, perhaps shortly after he became eligible by virtue of being on the City Parliamentary Register of Electors. If you can access his application at Ancestry, follow the arrow to the right for the next document, his declaration.
David
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Hello Gobbit,
Yes you're right. I was flying a kite with the (irrelevant) Huguenot thing I must admit. I will investigate properly, of course! I had just wondered whether it might have something to do with him seeking the Freedom of the City, by way of trade or heritage connections.
Many thanks for the link to the LMA note on Freedoms - very interesting indeed, I (obviously) knew none of that, and it makes clear why he might want to apply. I will look up his Declaration.
I also see what you mean about him possibly preferring Hezekiah to Zedekiah, having looked it up! (His son wasn't even too fond of Hezekiah either - he seems to have dropped it in favour of William on its own pretty quickly).
I now need to have a look at that 1861 Census, and why he might have changed back to Zedekiah then - he appears as Hezekiah in 1841 and 1851 .... might he have decided to change name when applying for his Freedom in 1856 for some reason - eg did he need documentary proof of name? ie his parish Register or other record entries?
I may get the Suffolk FHS CD of Births to trace these Oakleys in Glemsford around the end of the 18th century, unless I find another source - IGI/Familysearch seems to have very little online for that.
Many thanks indeed for the very helpful leads and information. I have some very interesting stuff to chew on. If anything else occurs to you, please fire away!
Potterer.
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Just an update for anyone interested in this saga (and there seem to be quite a few), especially those who have provided such useful information following my query:-
I now have Zedekiah Oakley's Will of 1865, which is mercifully brief. But vitally it names his son Thomas and four daughters as beneficiaries, all of whose names tally, and one of whom is Elizabeth Rebecca Lebon, nee Oakley. I also have her marriage record to John Lebon in 1843, in which her father is named as HEZEKIAH Oakley - so this handily confirms that Hezekiah and Zedekiah are the same person - unless I'm missing something!
It doesn't explain why he decided to change back to his birth name late in life, but at least we can be fairly confident its the same family, back to the Zedekiah b. in Glemsford in 1794, and his probable parents Samuel and Mary. It also doesn't explain how a Brewer's Servant/Labourer managed to leave an estate of "value under £450" in 1865 according to Probate, ie maybe about £30,000 in today's money I believe...
For those interested, the Sewell / Arnall tree on Ancestry gives a lot of information on this family, which tallies well with my own findings so far, so I'm inclined to give it a good deal of cautious credence.
I anyone has anything to add, I'd be very interested to hear from them !
Potterer.
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Another question - there is also a death of a Zedekiah Oakley 1858 Sep St Luke 1b 339 - I wonder who this was? Does anyone have access to those Parish registers or other source who could find out for me, please?
Thanks!
Potterer.
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I don't know who the Zedehiah oakley was who died 1858 but according to the GRO site age was 0, therefore a baby.
His birth ref
Sep 1858 St Luke 1b 521 mmn Ayres
Emeltom
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Ah, thank you again, Emeltom.
There was a marriage in 1855 Dec 25th (!!) - Marriage of Thomas Oakley, shown on the register as son of Zedekiah Oakley, and Eliza Ayres (minor) - a shotgun marriage followed by a sad infant death - so presumably he was their son named after Thomas's father, whom he knew until then as Hezekiah. Mystery death solved.
Name change still a puzzle.
Potterer