Baptism - Metfield - TOVEL Harper 1805

[hiraeth]

Hi

My OH has a 3g grandfather, Tovel Harper, who I believe was baptised in Metfield Jun 23, 1805.  If possible I would like a lookup to confirm and to find the names of his parents.  I found a marriage on the IGI for a Samuel Harper & Elizabeth Todd July 11, 1798 in Metfield but it would be great to confirm if they are in fact Tovel's parents.

Tovel is such an unusual first name.  He moved to Blofield Norfolk after marrying in 1829 and lived there for 42 years.  He is listed on the censuses as Cordwainer/Shoemaker.

Hope someone can help.
Heather

[Alan b]

There is someone on the Suffolk Surnames website offering lookups from this parish:

http://www.ssldatabase.plus.com/parish_lookups/parishes_m_r.html

[hiraeth]

Thank you for the link Alan.  I will give it a go

Heather

[hiraeth]

Have just received a detailed and extremely helpful reply to my email from the volunteer for lookups at Metfield.

[researcher18]

Hello - my OH also is a descendant of Tovel Harper - would be interested to hear what the volunteer found out.

[hiraeth]

Hello researcher18

welcome to RC

This is what I was sent in June 2008

METFIELD  P R's
 
Tovel son of  Samuel HARPER and his wife Elizabeth (Late E. TODD sp )
was born May 29 1805 and publickly baptised June 23 1805.
 
I found no other Bapts for this couple up to 1812. However I Did find another TOVEL HARPER Baptism.
 
1781 Feb 24 TOVEL son of John HARPER and Ann his wife
So  was  he very Young when he got married?? if so it  would certainly explain why the first Child for this couple was not for another 6-7 years. or was this a baptism for a child rather than infant ?
 (This couple had a fair number of Other children ) was Ann a TOVEL??
So looked at MARRIAGES for Metfield for 1798 to see if it was by banns or licence
1798
Found
 Samuel HARPER  Single man of the PARISH OF LINSTEA MAGNA ( aka Upper Linstead) and Elizabeth TODD single woman In churdh By banns
11  day of July 1798  by John BANKS Curate He made mark  (X) and she signed her own name
Wits- James SMITH  X and John  ?Hurvel?
 
Looking at Banns for this Couple Samuel and Elizabeth Todd At LINSTEAD 
I found another clue.
Banns of Marriage for Samuel HARPER of This parish and Elizabeth TODD of the parish for METFIELD both single persons
First Published  On  Sunday 24 June 1798 at CRATFIELD church by me
Second Published  on Sunday 1st day of July 1798 by Anthony COLLET there of ( means at Chratfield Church)
Third Publishe on Sunday 8 day of July 1798. at Linstead,  1 impingement was alleged. Note underneath Vicar ? of CRATFIELD Register of Banns.
Any way looked at the Limited bapts I have for Linstead and found no HARPERS. However it was and still is a tiny littel place and most people were using the church/chapel at Lower linstead By this time ( linstead Parva.) so might be worth looking there or at Cratfield.

HTH

[researcher18]

Thanks for the speedy reply!  I am trying to sort out the Harper side.  My OH's GG Grandfather was James Henry Harper born 30 Sept 1833 according to the family bible.  On his marriage certificate his father is listed as John, a Shoemaker by profession.  Problem is, there is no record in Blofield of a James being born with John as his father.  There is, however, a James, son of Tovel who was a Shoemaker.  Too much of a coincidence?  Not sure if you have any info on this, but appreciate the earlier reply.

Shawna

[hiraeth]

Hi  Shawna

My OH's connection is through Harriet Ruth Harper c1832 Blofield who married a John Thatcher at Wandsworth in 1859.  The Wandsworth Thatchers are my personal FH nightmare   I am now not 100% sure which line my OH's G grandfather is descended from as there appears to have been at least one marriages of first cousins involved.   (Explains a lot about my OH but we won't go there!!)
 
I only know of Harriet's siblings from the census of Tovel & Ann's family.  One of them was a George Henry Harper born 1838.  None of the baptisms appear on the IGI that I can see.  Perhaps they became Non-conformist?

Tovel is buried at Blofield Dec 13, 1872
Anne Rushmore Harper Nov 7, 1886
I believe they were married at Lakenham Jan 26, 1829

Heather

[researcher18]

Hi Heather - thanks again for the info.  I believe that I can help you with Harriet as you noted c. 1832 for her birth.  She was baptized in Blofield on 6 Nov 1831.  The Norfolk Parish registers are available online free of charge at:
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=waypoint;s=waypointsOnly;c=1416598;w=0

They are just scanned copies of the original records but oh so lovely for researching siblings - if only the families stayed at the same Parish!  I also found the baptism records for Charles (4 Oct 1835), James (27 Oct. 1833), George (4 May 1838), and Elizabeth Anne (17 March 1844).  It is interesting to note that their mother's name is recorded as Marianne but that there is a correction alongside stating her name in fact to be Ann.

You are on your own with the Wandsworth Thatchers I'm afraid!  I have multiple first cousins marrying and a whack of illegitimate children just to make it fun.

Shawna