Mason Family

[KateB_2007]

Hello,

I don't suppose anyone has every come across Joseph Mason, born C1812 in Felmersham, Bedford? I have found him on various censuses with his wife Hannah (nee page) and their 12 children, but I have never been able to find a concrete birth date for him or his parents names.

Can anyone help?

Thanks, Kate x

[tazzie]

  Hi Kate......

   There are also marriages for Samuel Mason showing as Felmersham in 1803 & 1815. On IGI there are no Felmersham birth for a Samuel showing and as you probably know none for a Joseph prior to his own son in 1843.

 There are births however for the right period in time of a Joseph Mason in Olney Bucks about 10 miles as the crow flies.

   Joseph Mason b 1807 bapt 1810 father Thomas Mason
                                                       mother Elizabeth.

   Could be a possible if not showing in Bedfordshire.

                           Tazzie

[johnP-bedford]

Hello Kate,

A baptism  for Joseph Mason is not in the Fembersham parish records up to 1812. There is a baptism of a William Mason son of Joseph & Abigail Mason on Oct 28 1804 but nothing afterwards. The IGI has baptism of John Mason son of this couple on 19 Sept 1818.

Joseph Mason & Abigail Neal were married at Wilhamstead on 25 Dec 1800. Their marriage is noted by Edward Arpin's diary (extracts are in the Felmersham book by Kenneth Shrimpton)  In the year 1800.... on christmas day the bird that is called Cuckoo was seen & heard to sing by many folks at Willsead. It says Arpin was a witness to the marriage.

The IGI has a adult baptism of Mary Mason, daughter of Joseph & Abigail Mason on 16 August 1830 at Felmersham, plus another daughter Elizabeth adult baptism at age 16 on 5 June 1831.

John

[johnP-bedford]

On the 1803 muster list

for Radwell includes Joseph Mason, labourer age 25 class 3 volunteer

class 3 is  17-30, married, or 2 children under 10 years 

for Felmersham has Samuel Mason, servant, single, class 1 volunteer   

[janan]

Hi

Joseph Mason born c 1777 is still in Felmersham cum Radwell in 1841/1851 with his second wife Rebecca (Hulett,  marriage in Felmersham 5th Jul 1840)- in 41 Mary, Elizabeth and John are living with them. Mary age 45 is still there in 51. His birthplace in 1851 is Hargrave, Northants. By 61 widowed Rebecca is living nextdoor to Joseph the younger.

Jan

[johnP-bedford]

Hello Jan.  Are you suggesting that because they are living next door to each other makes them in the same family ?

Abigail Mason, death index Bedford RD vol 6 page 28, Oct-Dec qtr 1839

Also as Abigail Neal was from a local Felmersham family, why did they get married in Wilstead ?

Also if no PR baptism, could they be non-conformists, seeing as Radwell had its own methodist chapel

John

[KateB_2007]

Hi all,

Thanks for your help and replies. I've been stuck on this branch of my tree for a while now so any help is very gratefully received!

John - Yes they could have been non-conformist.  I will have to dig a bit deeper.


Thanks for all your help everyone.

Kate x

[janan]

Hi John and Kate

I wasn't really suggesting anything really by saying Rebecca was nextdoor in 1861, I just noticed her - may or equally may not be significant

I would agree it is a good plan to look for non-conformist baptism for Joseph. However if he is son of Joseph and Abigail he may not have been baptised at all, given the adult baptisms for Mary and Elizabeth.

Re marriage in Wilstead, maybe Abigail's family moved there?? Or is that unlikely from records you have John?

Jan

[johnP-bedford]

Jan,  I've just looked at 1861 Rebecca Mason is with Hannah Page age 70 widow, next door to Joseph & wife Hannah (ne Page). Back to 1851 Joseph Mason & family is next door to Joseph Page & wife Hannah. So Hannah is next door to her mother ? in 1851/1861 & Joseph next door to his mother in 1861 ? That's just a speculative guess.

BUT I've not found a baptism of Hannah Page to Joseph & Hannah. Kate do you have that ?

On IGI is baptism of a Jane Abigail Mason on 6 Sep 1835  to Joseph & Hannah Mason. Another pointer to Joseph's mother ?.

As to the marriage at Wilstead, on Ancestry parish records it says Joseph Mason of Felmersham to Abigail Neal, Spin.  It does not say she's from elsewhere so assume she was of Wilstead. So perhaps as you say she moved there, but cannot find any other Neals in Wilstead.