RootsChat.Com

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can give me some ideas about how to find the right parents of Hugh Paton born in Stewarton 1806

His birth and death records show them as being John Paton (Wright) and Margaret Dickie John and Margaret were married in Stewarton in 1805.

There are records of a John Paton of about the right age born in Stewarton to  John Paton and Janet Jope/Japp/Jope BUT I have dug around and this John Paton was a shoemaker.

A will document (that I can't read) has a John Paton (wright) having died in 1829 - so no hope of him making it to the census.

A wider search shows up an incredible number of John Paton's born around Stewarton, and Ayrshire in general, and none seem to be born into a family from a similar profession.

I have found an apprentice record for a John Paton to a Wright at Haugh, but it does not show who is parents are or where he came from. It may even be the wrong type of 'wright'.

Any ideas would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Hello Everyone,

Phillis (various spellings) married name Ward, is recorded in the 1851 census for Pockthorpe in Norfolk as born in Salisbury Wiltshire around 1772. Her death record also says she was born in 1772, so I think this is reasonably accurate.

I have a record of John Ward marrying Phillis Bly or Blyth, 1790 in Pockthorpe. The 1851 census states she was born in Salisbury Wiltshire, but I can't find any record of her. I have checked birth records in Norfolk in case this was a mistake, and there are 2 Phillis Blythe/Bly's, one born in Beeston Regis, and the other in Marsham.

From what I can tell though, one died in 1795 and the other married a William Bishop in 1799.

To make things more complicated, the death record of one of her children states her maiden name as Duffield!

I'd be grateful if anyone could find out if there was a Phillis Bly / Bligh / Blithe or Duffield born in Wiltshire around 1772.

Thanks so much.

Lindsey

Hello,

I have been contacted by someone with whom I share a common ancestor - Abraham Seaman - and together we have found that he died in 1862 but the probate calendar date is 1904. The probate states that Abraham left his daughter Emma Larkin almost £600.00, but it seems no one else in his family benefited.

Abraham was according to Census records born around 1785 in Heybridge near Maldon, then moved to West Ham at some point. While he did marry Emma's mother in Heybridge, we can't find a convincing birth record for him.

We have 2 questions -

Why would probate take so long from the date of his death?

How could a carpenter in East London end up with the best part of £600.00?

Any help with answering the above, or any other information that could be useful would be very much appreciated.

I would note that if anyone looks up the Census records, you will find it states his birth place as Abridge, but this is in a different part of Essex to Maldon where his wife and children were born, whereas Heybridge is now part of Maldon. We both think it was a case of Abraham dropping his "H's" when the census was taken.

Thanks very much,

Lindsey

On another thread altogether one or two experienced Rootschatters said they liked a mystery, so here's my biggest one!

Its focused around my Great-grandmother Lily.

I have reason to believe Lily was born either Eliza or Ellen Rayner to David and Hannah Rayner in West Ham about 1865.

Lily married John Charles Abbott at St James the Great in Bethnal Green, in 1887. Lily's age is stated as 21 (making her born about 1866, and John Charles age is 22, making him born about 1865). The record also states her father's name as David Rayner - occupation Carman - which is how he appears on the census records I have for the family.

Then Lily disappears, but John doesn't!
He turns up in court records, and ends up in out of jail - under the name Abbott, and an alias - Gayner, for breaking and entering, assaulting a police officer etc. etc.

But I can't find Lily anywhere, under 'Lily' 'Eliza' or 'Ellen'. Nor can I find her parents David & Hannah Rayner. David's death is registered in West Ham 1895, but Hannah is still a mystery.

Jump to 1901 and Lily is living with 'husband' Alfred Williams with their children,
Alfred 5, Albert 3, & George 1. they have a further 2 sons, William Henry, and Arthur George. (They  had another child in 1894 - Arthur - who died in infancy).

Alfred is the registered father to all these children, with Lily's maiden name stated as Rayner - no mention of previously being an 'Abbott'.

I also can't find a divorce or annulment record for Lily and John Abbott, or a marriage record between her and Alfred Williams.

Jump to 1911 Lily is living with the above children, and listed as 'widowed'. But also living with a 'Boarder' 'Jack' Abbott, who is about the right age to be her husband John Charles!

I've yet to find Alfred's death record, there were a quite a lot of Alfred Williams's in the area at the time, and have yet to find the right one.

There's a lot of questions here, but my big main question is where were Lily Rayner/Abbott, David Rayner (born abt 1833 in Norfolk) and Hannah Rayner (b abt 1843 in Maldon) in 1891?

There are various Lily Rayners, Hannah Rayners, and Ellen Rayners around Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk where the family originally came from, but either they appear to be different people, or I can't categorically determine whether they are the right people.

Any ideas would be very much appreciated!