Mary JEFFS/GENTLE & Ann BURLEY in Stotfold

[StevenG]

I was wondering in someone could cast a fresh pair of eyes over this.  (Perhaps this might be better on the Huntingdonshire board, as it straddles the two counties.)

I have this 1851 census entry

1851 Census:  Stotfold, Bedfordshire
Piece: HO107/1753  Folio: 333  Page: 24
Dwelling:
James GENTLE M 59  M Stotfold, Bedfordshire
Rel: Head
Occ: Ag lab
Mary GENTLE M 57  F Eaton, Huntingdonshire
Rel: Wife
Ruth GENTLE U 22  F Stotfold, Huntingdonshire
Rel: Daughter
Ann BURLEY W 63  F Bushmead, Huntingdonshire
Rel: Sister in law
Elizabeth JEFFS U 3  F Stotfold, Bedfordshire
Rel: Granddaughter

Mary Gentle was originally Mary JEFFS from Abbotsley, Huntingdonshire, and was the second wife of James Gentle.  I am completely flummoxed by the Abbotsley Jeffs family, as I cannot find their origins at all.  I've been hoping that Ann Burley might be her sister, but I cannot find any reference to her anywhere else.

The Abbotsley registers give a 1781 marriage of John Jeffs of Eynesbury to Mary Beale, but no children of this marriage.  Mary was buried 1799, and John 1827.  There are no records of this pair having any children.  Also in Abbotsley was Joseph Jeffs, born c1797, died 1837.  I had assumed that Joseph and the younger Mary were siblings, children of these two, but the 1841 census suggests differently.

1841 Census:  Stotfold, Bedfordshire
Piece: HO107/3/16  Folio: 8  Page: 11
Dwelling:
James GENTLE  45  M Bedfordshire
Occ: Ag lab
Mary GENTLE  45  F Bedfordshire
Sarah GENTLE  15  F Bedfordshire
Ruth GENTLE  13  F Bedfordshire
Elizabeth JEFFS  85  F Outside Bedfordshire
John JEFFS  15  M Bedfordshire

I have no record of any Jeffs at all around Eaton Socon or Bushmead in the late 18th century.  Nor do I have an Elizabeth Jeffs in Huntingdonshire of anything like the correct age.  Does anyone have any ideas?

[bedfordshire boy]

I can understand your bewilderment Steven, as nothing seems to stack up!

Working backwards:

Elizabeth granddaughter 3 in 1851 was presumably the Betsey Jeff baptised 30 May 1847 Stotfold daughter of John & Maria Jeff who were married in Stotfold in 1846 and his father was said to be William Jeffs. But if Elizabeth was Mary's granddaughter then John 15 in 1841 was Mary's son. So was he an illegitimate son of Mary, born prior to her 1832 marriage to John Gentle at which she was described as spinster (and as an aside one of the witnesses in 1832 was Joseph Jeffs). Did he just invent a father William for appearances? In 1851 age 24 living in Stotfold his birthplace was Bedford St Peters, but I can't see a baptism on the IGI.

Ann Burley - I can't see a marriage of a Burley to an Ann on Hunts Marriage Index, nor can I find her in 1841

Elizabeth Jeffs born c1756 - there's no marriage of a Jeffs to an Elizabeth on Hunts Marriage Index. Nor can I see a burial for her after 1841.

There are no Jeffs marriages in Eynesbury/St Neots 1754-1837, and only one Jeffs (plus two Jephs) marriages in the whole of Hunts 1701-54 which were in Orton Longville and Stanground, up near Peterborough.

No answers I'm afraid, but I'm still looking!

David

[cathymcc]

Have a look at the GENTLEs Gaol records online @
Bedford Gaol

Also seeBedfordshire Archives online

cath