Baptism-Sawston/Whittlesford- SIMMONDS

[dedted29]

I am trying to find a baptismal record for Elizabeth SIMMONDS/SYMMONDS or siblings c. 1796.  I believe my GGG-Grandmother was a SIMMONDS/SYMMONDS, married Jacob PARKER in 1815, and the 1851 & 1861 censuses both cite her birthplace as Sawston, Cambridgeshire.  I've found only one record that is close in year and place but can't find another SIMMONDS/SYMMONDS with a birthplace of Sawston or Whittlesford during the approximate dates of Elizabeth.  Does someone have access to these parishes and could check for SIMMONDS/SYMMONDS around 1796 please.  Thank you very much for your assistance!  I'm beginning to doubt Elizabeth was really from Cambridgeshire!

[bedfordshire boy]

I don't doubt that she was from Cambridgeshire, as two censuses show that she was from Sawston. I have reservations that her name was Simmonds though, if you are basing your belief solely on the existence of the niece Maria Simmonds age 5 in 1851. In the absence of any supporting evidence, it's only a one in three chance that Elizabeth was also a Simmonds. Maria could equally have been the daughter of a married sister of either Jacob or Elizabeth, as opposed to the daughter of Elizabeth's brother.  Do you have any other evidence to support your belief that Elizabeth was a Simmonds?

The Cambs FHS website at http://www.cfhs.org.uk/Search.html has baptism and burial indexes 1801-37, but there's only one Symonds entry in Sawston - burial of Cowell of Lothbury, London age 27 in 1815, so Simmonds doesn't appear to be a Sawston name.

As she gave her ages as 57 and 67 I think you should be looking for an Elizabeth in Sawston 1793/4, but even if you find just one you're going to need the marriage entry to prove that you have the right one. If there's more than one Elizabeth baptised in Sawston in 1793/4 the marriage entry becomes even more essential.

David

[dedted29]

Thank you so much for replying!  Besides the niece, Maria Simmonds, with the Parkers in 1851, I've found an IGI for a marriage for Jacob Parker and Elizabeth Simmonds in 1815.  While Parker and Simmonds are common the Jacob is not a common given name for Parker.  I did find 4 burials for Simonds/Symonds in Sawston/Whittleford parishes but the niece, marriage and these few burial mentions are all I have at the moment.  Again thank you for replying!

[tempsford]

Hi,
I don't know whether this may help but in Sawston registers I found a marriage between John Simmons of Watford and Sarah Hills 20 March 1794 by licence at Sawston. Witnesses Thomas Woodley and Martin Newman
They had two children in Sawston Sarah Simmons bap 28 March 1796 and Susannah bap 8 April 1798.
The family then disappear from Sawston, maybe they moved to Whittlesford.

Tempsford.

[dedted29]

Thank you Tempsford for your reply!  This might be just the family I'm looking for.  Elizabeth Simmonds Parker's birthplace in both 1851 & 1861 cite Sawston and her first daughter was named Sarah.  Thank you again! Dawn