Baptisms - MORRIS

[Adrianne]

Hi all,

Could someone look up some parish records for me please. I'm looking for the children of Henry MORRIS and Elizabeth BAILY/BAYLEY etc. between the years 1839 and 1851. Henry and Elizabeth were married in the district of Newport Pagnell  in 1st Q 1839 according to bmd and in the 1841 census I think I've found them in Stoke Hammond.

In particular, I'm hoping to find a Mary bn c1842 and an Isabella. I have found one Isabella on the IGI in Loughton. Is this close?

Adrianne

[Valda]

Three 'children' were baptised in Loughton at the same time. Loughton is in Newport Pagnell registration district.

ISABELLA MORRIS
Christening: 08 OCT 1848 Loughton, Buckingham
 
MARGARET MORRIS
Christening: 08 OCT 1848 Loughton, Buckingham
 
ELIZABETH MORRIS
Christening: 31 JAN 1848 Loughton, Buckingham

Possible births if they were born in the Loughton area.

Births Sep 1844
Morris  Isabella     Newport Pagnell  6 358

Births Dec 1845
Morris  Margarett     Newport Pagl  6 351

Births Mar 1848
MORRIS  Elizabeth     Newport P  6 591

Stoke Hammond I believe is in Leighton Buzzard Registration district.

Regards

Valda

[Adrianne]

Thankyou Valda!!

I had hoped that Loughton was in Newport Pagnell district

The Morris family emigrated to Australia c1850 and we don't have surviving censuses here so finding siblings is a bit of a hit and miss thing. My direct ancestor was Mary though. Isabella was a wild guess as she was a witness at Mary's wedding

Can anyone find my Mary

Adrianne

[Valda]

What information about her birthplace is given on her death certificate? You might not have censuses but you have far more informative BMD certificates.
Does her father's occupation on her marriage certificate correspond to Henry Morris' occupation on the 1841 census at Stoke Hammond?
My Phillimore Atlas and index of Parish registers (a bit out of date) states there is no coverage of Stoke Hammond parish registers on the IGI and none for the period you are interested in on the BVRI.

Regards

Valda

[Adrianne]

Hi Valda,
You're right, Australian bmd can be very informative, depending on which state you're in and how much info is known to begin with.
Mary was married in South Australia which has only very basic info. Her marriage cert says she was 19 on 20 Jun 1861 and her father was Henry Morris (occupations weren't recorded). A witness was Isabella Morris.
Her death was in Victoria, Australia. They have great certs. Her age was 60 on 22 June 1903. An approx birth year of 1842 is what I have been working with. The death cert also states she  was born in Kent, England, her parents were Henry Morris, contractor and Elizabeth Bayley and that they had been in Australia since about 1852.
Stating the obvious - there are lots of Mary Morris's. So I looked for the marriage of her parents. The only match was 1st Q 1839 in Newport Pagnell.
Regarding the census, I only thought the 1841 census might be the one. I couldn't find Henry's occupation readable. (I see now I misread the GENUKI page on Stoke Hammond, it's in the hundred of Newport, not district of Newport Pagnell )
I have checked the IGI. Mary doesn't come up with Henry and Elizabeth anywhere
What is the BVRI

Adrianne

[Valda]

Kent isn't Buckinghamshire.

Bayley is more ususally spelt Bailey so you need to look under both spellings and before the start of civil registration in July 1837 as well after (Kent however is relatively poorly covered by the IGI which is an incomplete index even in counties with much better coverage like Buckinghamshire).
The BVRI is an extension of the IGI and is a collection of more baptisms and a lesser number of marriages on CDs. This website gives information on coverage.

http://genoot.com/downloads/BVRI2/

No baptism for a Mary or Isabella Morris on the BVRI parents Henry and Elizabeth. No marriage of a Henry Morris to an Elizabeth Bailey/Bayley on the BVRI.

The Henry Morris in Stoke Hammond's occupation on the 1841 census could be a poorly spelt 'platelayer'. If so he worked for the railway he might well have moved around because of his occupation.

'Platelayers laid and maintained railway track. Once a railway was built by contractors, the railway company employed platelayers who worked in gangs under a ganger...Each gang was responsible for the maintenance of a particular length. Nowadays railways are usually closed for a period for relaying track over a substantial section but in the 19th Century it was common for rails to be replaced one at a time between trains....The term dates from pre-railway times. The predecessors of railways were plateways.

I think you need to go back to South Australia and see if you can pick up the family from immigration records to find out more about them.

Regards

Valda

[Adrianne]

Hi Valda,
I do know Kent isn't Buckinghamshire

Regarding the spelling of Bailey, I searched every phonetic spelling I could come up with, which was 12 ways. The match I found was Baily.

Thankyou for searching the BVRI

Thanks for the info on Platelayers.

I've tried finding their immigration records. They could have arrived at any port in Australia and unless the lists get put online, it's difficult to get to the records (South Australia is a 3 hr plane flight from my place ) ... that's if they've survived

Thanks for your help Valda. I guess I was wishful thinking, hoping the death cert was wrong and she was born where her parents married.

Best Regards
Adrianne

[Valda]

If her death certificate was correct then she was born in Kent which may or may not be the county her parents married in or came from. You have not proved the 1839 marriage in Buckinghamshire was her parents but it is a possibility.

Have you searched for Isabella marriages after Mary's. I know it is difficult searching for siblings with surnames like Morris and I know her marriage will yield little or no information in South Australia but again she has a death certificate somewhere.
Is it likely that Henry and Elizabeth had more children after their arrival in South Australia? Do the birth indexes for South Australia (are there any) have parents' names on them?

I have searched the National Burial Index for Stoke Hammond and Loughton both of which have coverage between 1813-1851. No Morris burials. I cannot find either the Stoke Hammond family or the Loughton baptised girls on the 1851 or 1861 censuses (if they are giving births for these places - 1851 I checked all Henry Morrises married to Eliz.)

If Henry was involved in building railways that may be the work he followed. What occupation did Mary's husband have?

Regards

Valda

[Adrianne]

Yes, I've searched the indexes for Isabella's marriage and death and have probably found them. The index didn't give a year or place for the marriage (bit odd but I noticed it wasn't the only one ) but the death seems to fit - died 16 Jan 1914 aged 69. Have checked what would be on the cert and parent's details are not included.
I also found the birth of an Ann Morris, parents Henry Morris and Elizabeth Bailley, 18 Apr 1851 and her death 3 May 1851 aged 16 days. This birth would include her father's occupation. It looks like I might need to order this.

If Henry was involved in building railways that may be the work he followed. What occupation did Mary's husband have?

It's funny you should ask that. I was looking over old notes today and most of the records I have say Mary's husband was either a labourer(1866), farm servant(1861) or farmer(1889-1911), but 1 directory in 1882-3 states that he was a platelayer! Hhmmmm

Adrianne