Joseph BARKER of Stotford

[DeanneandTony]

Looking for any information on Joseph Barker and family of Stotford.  Joseph born c 1795 married Mary Ann or Ann Rowley 1819 in Stotford.
The family were living in Knebworth, Herts. in the mid 1840's
Thankyou
Deanne

[bedfordshire boy]

Virtually all of Beds parish registers (baptisms and marriages) pre 1812 have been extracted onto the IGI at www.familysearch.org. In 1851 Joseph gives his age as 48. There's a Joseph Barker baptised in Stotfold (not Stotford) on 30 May 1802, son of Joseph and Molly.

I can't see an 1819 marriage but there is one in Stotfold on 18 Oct 1820 to Mary Gurney - might this be the one?

David

[DeanneandTony]

I'll have a look at that David.  I have a date of marriage in 1819 but I will recheck that.
Thankyou
Deanne

[bedfordshire boy]

In 1851 living in Knebworth was Joseph Barker 48 b Stotfold, Ann Barker 50 b Caldecot Herts; and children Esther Auchant 26; Thomas 28 and Joseph 20 all b Stotfold.

The IGI has baptisms of Esther in 1824, Joseph in 1831 and a Martha Gurney Barker in 1821, all children of Joseph and Mary.

Did Mary (Gurney) die and Joseph remarry an Ann? There's a burial of Mary Barker aged 34 in Stotfold on 19 July 1831, but it needs reference to the parish register microfilm to see if she was described as wife of Joseph.

I can't find them in 1841 (yet!)

David

[DeanneandTony]

David, That's brilliant.  I think you may be right, I was just coming to that conclusion myself that Joseph might have remarried. Although I have an 1819 date for his marriage to Mary Ann Rowley (from IGI) which complicates it a bit. 
Esther Auchant (sic) was my gg grandmother having married William Hanchant.
Deanne

[DeanneandTony]

I've just found a birth for Thomas in 1823 in Houghton, Beds to Joseph and Mary Gurney (I had him but had his mother as Ann).
Deanne

[bedfordshire boy]

Finally found them in Knebworth in 1841 indexed as Barbier

Joseph 40 farmer; Ann 40; Thomas 15; Esther 15; Hannah 14; Mary 12; Joseph 10. None born in Herts

With apparently no children after 1831 it looks as though the 1831 burial may be Mary (Gurney)

I can't see a second marriage though

David

[bedfordshire boy]

Care re that 1823 Thomas entry on the IGI. It's a member submission, which are most unreliable, and the fact that there's no exact date and it doesn't specify which Houghton, Conquest or Regis (neither of which are close to Stotfold) makes me smell a rat! Odd though that Thomas seems to be the only child not baptised - but in 1851 his birthplace is shown as Houghton Beds, which is where presumably the member submission derived the information. Interestingly, there is a Mary Gurney born in 1796 in Houghton Conquest

I can't see your 1819 marriage on the IGI!

David

Later - found the 1819 marriage on the Pedigree Resource File - 11 Sept 1819. The IGI shows it as Parker, not Barker. It would need reference to the microfilm to see which is correct. I would always favour an extracted entry as opposed to a member tree! There's a Joseph Parker baptised in Stotfold in 1786, but I can't see any children of this couple. It's irrelevant though, as I'm certain that with the baptism of Martha Gurney Barker, your line comes from Joseph Barker and Mary Gurney

[DeanneandTony]

Yes I think it is this member stuff that has 'foxed' me as you say.
This is what I have found so far -
Thomas 1823   Houghton, , Bedford, England Joseph Barker/Mary Gurney - Submitted by member

Esther - two references IGI - 11 JUL 1824   Stotfold, Bedford, England -Joseph Barker/Mary AND one via Pedigree Resource File which gives parents as Joseph Barker and Mary Anne Rowley (with the 1819 marriage date) and a Christening date of 11 Aug 1824 rather than July

Joseph b 1831 has two references - IGI and PRF

Martha b 1824 has two references - IGI and PRF the second of which makes no sense to have her mother as Mary Ann Rowley when her middle name seems to clearly be Gurney

Anna b 1826 IGI/PRF

Mary b 1929 IGI/PRF

The same person also has Mary Anne Rowley born 1798, Stotford, Beds to Joseph Rowley and Elizabeth nee Smith and there is certainly a similar IGI reference.

There is a Mary Gurney b c 1797 Bedfordshire And Hertfordshire Quaker Quarterly Meeting, , Bedford, England to Thomas and Hannah which is I suppose a possibility given that Mary and Joseph have children with those names.
 
Oh dear, even more confusing.  Looks like I'll have to find some certificates for B,D and M's

Thankyou so much for your help.  I think we are on the right track with Gurney.
Deanne