RootsChat.Com

Thank you again for your guidance. I accessed the Marston Mortain records using the link which included 44 and in couple of happy hours I traced back the Flutes who came to Astwood and Astwood Bury. I knew the early family came from Marston Mortain and it was interesting to see the variations in spelling: Floud, Flude, Fleud over the course of the records.

I have one more question since I'm looking into the Bitcheners who originated in North Crawley when records began in the mid 1500's. I have a hard copy of a search completed in the Buckinghamshire archives by a friend that surfaced births, marriages and deaths for anyone with a similar sounding last name. There are lots of variations but that family is definitely my root family. This is my question. In all the pages and pages of Bychenoe variations there is only one entry where the word 'alias' appears. Do you know what that signifies when it appears in the record? The entry reads in Burials for the village in February of 1619. "Robert Bichenoe alias BAKER son of Robert." In all the entries for North Crawley there are no references to occupation at all. So I don't want to jump to the conclusion that he was a baker by trade. Thoughts?

I'm wondering if anyone on the Bedfordshire Board has the Kempston Parish records for Kempston from 1680 through to 1780. (All records would be for Kempston.)

I know there is sometimes a notation in the record of the occupation of an individual and that's what I'm seeking. I'm satisfied that I have accurate information for births and deaths for the following individuals. With the exception of the William named as 2, I don't have any idea of what they did for a living before the family moved to Cranfield in the late 1700's and became agricultural laborers.
1. Richard Bicheno married Anne Church at Hardmead. He was born in 1670. Probably died K.
2. Son William Bitchenor, born Kempston 1695 (a tailor) married Constance Houghton died 1746 K
3. William Bichener their son born in 1720 at Kempston married Elizabeth Ingram died 1759 K
4. William Bichener their son born in 1748 at Kempston married Sarah Ambridge died 1836 K
5. John Bichener their son born in 1788 at Kempston married Mary Bennett died 1858 Cranfield .
Any help with occupations of any of the above would be much appreciated. 

Just some feedback from me regarding the value if wills which is why I'd recommend looking at the will of the weaver. In another branch of my family (no, not our friend Harriet Flute!) I've been aided by someone who turns out to be descended from a Bitchener blacksmith born in early 1700's while I'm descended from the brother, a tailor. I'd assumed that because their descendants  were agricultural workers that the family had always been ag labs, however thanks to her we have traced wills from that core family back into the 1500's in North Crawley.  We feel satisfied that after all the research we've found the core group. Various wills show up with all kind of spelling variations on the basic name, from North Crawley and one from Turvey.

What you gain in looking is a general picture of who they were and what made them tick, assuming you feel as if you've found 'your original lot' around Stoke Goldington. Whether in our case, again with variations on spelling, it's a man dying, willing money to repair the North Crawley bells, or a man insisting a certain son gets the 'shood cart' (cart with metal rims), another man who has little to leave than his dead wife's best kerchief and a kettle, or yet another who wishes to leave his half grown son 'his best horse' but is adamant that his wife shouldn't be the one to choose it, it's all fascinating even though the translation can be challenging. As long as you have found the correct root name, place or relatively small geographic area it has it's own different kind of value.

I reread the long thread from 2013 you shared mostly with John where you successfully and painstakingly traced the Wrights to the point where you are now.

Just my thoughts on the subject of old wills from the 1500's and 1600's even if in actual fact they might be a cousin or uncle's will as it relates to your actual ancestor. Some things you might never know and no amount of digging may provide your complete tree, but the time snapshot and the proximity to where they lived side by side or a walk across the fields has its own merit.   

 

I don't think the Flutes are as confusing as your Wrights! What a job to get them sorted.

Children of James Flute and Sarah (Walker) Flute daughter of a victualler of Astwood.

Lucy Flute 1799
William Walker Flute 1801
John Flute  1805
Thomas Walker Flute 1808
Jonas Walker Flute 1810

Any thoughts on the location of those cottages when Charles Flute lived next door to Reuben in Astwood Bury?

Hi again.

No, not his surname, Robert Hart worked with her father and was the same age as her father, William Walker Flute in Astwood growing up. He may have been her godfather or a witness at her christening in Astwood in 1826. 

The family story handed down was that she went into service aged 19 in 'a big house' but 'the sons of the house ran wild with no supervision' and she became pregnant. When the parents found out 'she was turned out into the street.' It's the 1849- 1854 period I'd love to know about. When she shows up living in Astwood Bury for the census in 1861 she is living with her children right next door to the widowed Robert Hart and all her extended family. Son William Hart Flute is aged 12 and an agricultural laborer.

You said you looked at some records last night, just wondering what those are? How could you tell she entered the workhouse in 1853 and was pregnant? Am I missing something? I'm outside England so I can't go into a records office which is why I was hoping there was something on line.

Thanks again for taking an interest.