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Hi.
I am trying to trace the parents of one of my predecessors called George James Morgan.
He was born 09 June 1828 at Aldringham Cum Thorpe, Suffolk; father Thomas Morgan, mother Sarah Ann.

I suspect his parents were Thomas Morgan and Sarah Ann Mathews, married 12 August 1827 at St Marys, Portsea, Hampshire.

I believe Thomas may have been a mariner turned excise agent, who moved about a bit, whereas Sarah was probably a local girl.
(I hope to find out more about Thomas from the records of excise officers in the National Archives).

I have found three local ladies who might possibly be 'the' Sarah:
  2 August 1802 Sarah Matthews baptised at Alverstoke, parents' first names Joseph and Mary [so aged 25 on 12 August 1827],
  3 May 1808 Sarah Mathews baptised at Portchester, parents' first names Thomas and Sarah [19 on 12 Aug 1827], and
 19 Feb 1806 Sarah Ann Matthews christened at St Helens, Isle Of Wight, parents' first names William and Judith [21 on 12 Aug 1827].

Of course, it may be none of these ladies; there were several more Sarah Matthews in Hampshire and many more throughout England.

Would someone please check the 1827 marriage entry in the parish register to see if Sarah's age or father's name is there? Or if the marriage was by license, in which I might find some more information?

Many thanks in anticipation.
Perthman.

In the 1841 census, Green families were tenant farmers at Crowhill Farm (177 acres), Greensbury Farm (300 acres) and Backnoe End (256 acres) while Mavorn Farm (180 acres) was run by the Hartop family which included an Anna Green aged 85.

My g.g.g.grandfather, John Green, was the tenant farmer at Crowhill Farm 1822-1841. I am trying to work out if some or all of the farming families were related, or if it was just coincidence.

The 1841 census shows the occupants of Crowhill Farm were (Y= born in Bedfordshire, N= not so)
* Green Ann      50, Farmer N
* Green William  22, Farmer Y
* Green Samuel   20,        Y
* Green Benjamin 19,        Y
* Green Anna     10,        Y
* Marritt Ann    84, Ind.   N

In 1839, John Green of Bolnhurst, of Crow Hill farm, was indicted as responsible for repair of highway from Thurleigh to Church lane, Bolhnurst, now in decay.
[Bedford Archives Reference WG2985 1839-40]. So Ann's husband was John Green.

A likely marriage is between John Green and Ann Marriott on 19 May 1818, in Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire. In the 1841 census an Ann Marritt aged 84 was staying at Crow Hill - one explanation is that she was the mother of Ann Green; they would have been 29-30 at the time; the ages of the children fit. Alas, no parents' names.

John Green's death certificate shows he died on 4 March 1841 at Bolnhurst, occupation farmer, aged 51 years.

A birth that fits with this is:
John Green, born 28 July 1789 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, christening 28 August 1789 at HOWARD CHAPEL MILL STREET FORMERLY THE NEW MEETING BEDFORD-INDEPENDENT,BEDFORD,ENGLAND
father William Green, mother Mary Green. Unfortunately no birth places or ages recorded for parents.

William Green marriage: 10 July 1788 at Saint Mary, Bedford, Bedford, England; spouse Mary Read.
This fits the time line nicely but it is perhaps odd that the marriage is in a church but JG is baptised in a chapel?

This is where the problems start.
Have I got the right William/Mary couple, even the right John Green?
And which William and Mary are they? There are 'eligible' Williams baptised in St Mary Bedford (1759 and 1762), Houghton Conquest (1762) and Hawnes (1765), not to mention Ampthill, Harrold and Turvey, and Marys from Bletsoe (1758), St Mary Bedford (1768) and other, more distant places.

So I have plenty of homework. I have posted this rather prematurely to stop it running on gwynd's thread titled: Greens, America Place S. Leighton Buzzard.
I suspect I will only be able to sort out my own tree by tracing all these farmers backwards (maybe to a common ancestor? That would be good!)

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Meanwhile, what I (think I) know so far about the other farms is as follows:

Greensbury 1841 census
* Chapman Elizth  40, Farmer N
* Green William   17, Farmer N
* Green Thomas    16,        Y

Bornhurst parish burials shows: 30 August 1840, CHAPMAN Thomas, Greensbury, age 39, so born about 1801. Can we assume this was Elizth's second marriage and William, Thomas by her first?

We have a Green/Chapman marriage on Ancestry.com.au: Elizabeth Green marriage: 4 July 1829 at Bolnhurst, Bedford, England, spouse: Thomas Chapman. But no little Chapmans!

and we have a William Green - Elizabeth Harris marriage on Ancestry.com.au: William Green marriage: 26 February 1824 at Bolnhurst, Bedford, England, spouse: Elizabeth Harris (which just about accommodates the William and Thomas births).

I haven't found a William Green burial 1825 - 1829 yet, or tried to move back into the 1700's.

Backnoe End Farm 1841 census (omitting servants)
* Green Samuel    40, Farmer Y
* Green Sophia    39,        N
* Green William   12,        Y
* Green Samuel     6,        Y
* Green Rebecca    1,        Y

work in progress.

Mavorn Farm
* Hartop Anna     55, Farmer Y
* Hartop Benjamin 30, Farmer Y
* Hartop Samuel   25,        Y
* Hartop John     25,        Y
* Hartop Thomas   15,        Y
* Hartop Josiah   15,        Y
* Howkins William  4,        Y
* Green Anna      85, Ind    N

16 September 1807, marriage at Bolnhurst, Bedford, England between Jn Hartop and Ann Green.

11 Jul 1808 William Hartop Birth, Birthplace: Keysoe Row, Keysoe, Bedfordshire, Father John Hartop, Mother Anna Hartop.

03 Feb 1810 Benjamin Hartop Birth, Birthplace: Keysoe Row, Keysoe, Bedfordshire, Father John Hartop, Mother Anna Hartop.

10 Apr 1812 Samuel Hartop Birth, Birthplace: Keysoe Row, Keysoe, Bedfordshire, Father John Hartop, Mother Anna Hartop.

10 Jul 1814 John Hartop Birth, Birthplace: Keysoe Row, Keysoe, Bedfordshire, Father John Hartop, Mother Anna Hartop.

09 Aug 1790 Ann Green birth, christened 24 Sep 1790 at HOWARD CHAPEL MILL STREET FORMERLY THE NEW MEETINBEDFORD-INDEPENDENT,BEDFORD,ENGLAND Father William Green, mother Mary. This doesn't match the census, means she married at 17 and doesn't match Anna Green 85 being her mother.

30 Jun 1786 Anne Green christened at CLOPHILL,BEDFORD,ENGLAND, mother Elizabeth Peacock Or Paycock.
This doesn't look right either so work in progress, and I haven't found John Hartop birth.