Moving to Bedfordshire

[Hank Williams]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this and are hoping to move to Beds in the next month or so!

Is this the right place to get info and stuff?!!!

[bedfordshire boy]

Hi Hank

Welcome to Rootschat

If the information and stuff you're looking for is connected with your ancestors then yes, this is the right place. Just post a specific query.

But if you're looking for information in connection with moving house to Beds, then no, it's the wrong place.

If you read some of the recent threads on this board you'll see the sort of stuff that is asked

David

[Hank Williams]

Thanks David...

Well, I'm trying to find out if I have any connections in and around the Potton area.  I am also very interested in the life of Sarah DAZELY, who was from Potton / Wrestlingworth...

[bedfordshire boy]

Have you got any dates for her, or any other details? Marriage, husband etc

David

[Hank Williams]

Guessing around 1843... married to Simeon Mead I think and William Dazely.

I think her maiden name was REYNOLDS.

Pierre

[bedfordshire boy]

Sarah Reynolds married Simon Mead on 22 Nov 1835 at Potton – this is on the IGI at www.familysearch.org

I cannot see a burial of Simon Mead, although there two deaths on Freebmd in 1840 and 1843 in Biggleswade registration district. There's a marriage on http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl of Sarah Mead and William Dazeby in Biggleswade reg district in the Dec quarter 1840, so presumably it was the 1840 death.

I can see  the baptism of Jonah Mead son of Simeon and Sarah in Wrestlingworth in 1840, but I can’t see him in any census.

1841 census
HO107/2/26 folio 13A
Wrestlingworth
William Dazely 20 ag lab
Sarah Dazely 25
both born in Beds
Ages over in 1841 were rounded down to the nearest 5 below so 25 covered an age range of 25-29.

Can't see them yet in any subsequent census

You must know more than you’ve given so far. It’s always better to give too much information than adopting the minimalist approach.

David

[janan]

Hi Hank
Welcome to Rootschat

Do you already know about Sarah being tried and found guilty of poisining her second husband William? She was the last woman to be publicly hanged outside Bedford Gaol. There is a lot online about the case including

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/bbals_02.htm

http://gallery.e2bn.org/viewer/index.php?cid=790

There are several Times articles that can be viewed online if you join the Bedfordshire virtual library

http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/

My ggg grandfather John Handley lived next door to her and gave evidence at the trial of an argument Sarah and William had the week prior to William's death.

Jan

[bedfordshire boy]

As I said, Pierre knows more than he is letting on!

I have an account of the trial and background in a book, "Bedfordshire Casebook" by Paul Heslop 2004 published by the Book Castle ISBN 1 903747 57 0

Simeon the first husband died suddenly in June 1840 and was buried at Tadlow Cambs (which is why I couldn't find his burial) and son Jonah or Jonas died in Nov 1840 and was also buried at Tadlow.

Jonas had also died from arsenic poisoning and it was suspected that Simeon had died the same way

David

[janan]

"As I said, Pierre knows more than he is letting on!"

I'm sure you are right David. No harm in flagging up Wrestlingworth's only (rather grizzly) claim to fame though

Jan