Cotherston, - Frances Dening

[Trunkybun1]

Could someone tell me if there is a baptism or birth recorded for Frances Dening c 1816? In later census records it says her birth place was Cotherston, Dorset.  I would dearly like to know who her parents were.

[AMBLY]

Hi Trunkybun1

Cotherston(e) is in Yorkshire.

Catherston(e) is in Dorset - full name Catherston Leweston
http://people.bath.ac.uk/lismd/dorset/churches/catherston.html

The 1881 Census for Frances (a schoolmistress & wife of a Schoolmaster)  def. says pob Catherstone, Dorset.  RG11 /  Piece: 1053 /  Folio: 46; Page /  23

The 1871 Census says Catherstone, Dorsetshire too, though I think it may be written as Cathenstone
1871: Uckfield Sussex RG10 / Piece: 1053 / Folio: 40 / Page: 10

The 1861 says "Charmouth, Dorset" , and I can't find them in 1851

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=13574
1870-1872:  CATHERSTON-LEWSTON, a parish in Bridport district, Dorset; on the river Char, 4 miles NE of LymeRegis, and 6½ WNW of Bridport r. station. Post Town, Whitchurch-Canonicorum, under Bridport. Acres, 248. Real property, with Marshwood, Griddleshay, SarumWells, Wild, Wootton-Abbas, and Wootton-Fitzpaine, £12,648. Pop., 34. Houses, 9. Catherston was the seat of Judge Jeffreys; and his judge's cap is preserved in the church. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Salisbury.

Very small place - 9 houses and 34 people.
So if we can find another DENING in the Census with the same pob, chances are.......

I also note, Marshwood, Dorset was where her 2 eldest (as per the 1861) were born .

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

Census Transcripts of Catherston Leweston 1841, 1861, 1871
http://www.opcdorset.org/CatherstoneLewistonFiles/1841-91CatherstonLewiston.htm
No DEN(NING)

http://www.opcdorset.org/WhCanonicorumFiles/WhitchurchCanonicorum.htm
"  Whitchurch Canonicorum lies in Marshwood Vale in the west of the County of Dorsetshire. To the west is Catherston Lewiston, Wootton Fitzpaine and Hawkchurch. To the north is Marshwood and to the east is Symondsbury and Chideock with Stanton St Gabriel. It is a very large parish* 5 miles west north west from Bridport......."

** It then later says, population in 1891 was 897 persons - so "very large" may refer to geographics rather than poulation.

http://www.opcdorset.org/WhCanonicorumFiles/1841W.Canonicorum.htm
Mary DENNING age 3  - Ann DENNING 50  - John DENNING 15  - Anstice DENNING 13 - all in seperate households.
In one household together: Richard DENNING 25, Jean DENNING 25, Richard DENNING 1 - address Marcomb

Cheers
AMBLY

[Trunkybun1]

Oooh thank you Ambly.  So close, yet so far...I will have to work on, this I guess. Presumably parish records are in Poole Records office?

[AMBLY]

Hi Trunkybun1

Poole - No, I don't think so, not from what I can work out.

FreeBMD: They married in Axminster in the Dec Qtr of 1840.
The district Axminster spans the boundaries of the counties of Devon and Dorset.

In 1841: Parish of Charmouth (District 9) , Dorset
HO107/  Piece 280 /  Book: 11 / Folio: 15/  Page: 25 /
Thomas RICHARDS 20, Schoolmaster - Y
Frances RICHARDS 20 - Y
*** Sarah DENING??  25, F.S. - Y

District 9 is described thus:
County of Dorset, Hundred of Whitchurch Canonicorum, Bridport Division
Parish of Charmouth
Superintendant Registrars Division Axminster, District 9
The whole of the Parish of Charmouth from the Bridge to Langmoor North and South.
[The census itself, numbers 13 pages - not very big!]

*** Sarah's name looks like DEMENY, or DOMINY - the writing however is a bit of a scrawl, overall. I truly think, it could be DENING or DENNING.

So I would hazard a quess - if they were conformist, that they married in the church at Whitchurch Canonicorum or St Andrews in Charmouth?

However, if they were non-conformist - perhaps the Independant Chapel at Charmouth.

So, refer back to this link:
http://www.opcdorset.org/WhCanonicorumFiles/WhitchurchCanonicorum.htm
(it does say however, there is no Dorset OPC for Whitchurch Canonicorum at present)

And:
http://www.opcdorset.org/CharmouthFiles/Charmouth.htm

And I believe Bridport is where the records are held.
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/bridport.html

I think you need to contact the Dorset History Center (formerly Dorset Record Office)
Contact details (it's in Bridport) are easily found here:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/locresult_details.asp?LR=31

If they are unable to locate or help you locate the Parish records, I do think the 1840 marriage cert will become a must. To confirm her father's name & occupation and the witness' names. And possibly, the religion they followed.

This is also of interest:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/A2A/records.aspx?cat=031-pewfp&cid=-1&Gsm=2008-06-18#-1
Church of England, Wotton Fitzpaine Parish, Dorset
"Items PE/WFP/RE/2/1 and PE/WFP/RE/3/2 below include entries for Catherston Leweston which were made by the Revd Andrew Tucker, who was Rector of both parishes 1817-1858. It appears that before and after these dates Catherston Leweston was administered with Charmouth"

And as an aside - for topical interest - use your browser FIND function to find the segment on Catherston Leweston in this transcribed 1911 publication - kind of puts the place in perspective!
http://www.archive.org/stream/wheredorsetmeets00bick/wheredorsetmeets00bick_djvu.txt
Where Dorset meets Devon

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

http://www.british-towns.net/en/level_4_display.asp?GetL3=8872
Map, showing Catherton Leweston

DOREST OPC [ I'm guessing you'll already have these, but posting it here to help illustrate a point] 
http://www.opcdorset.org/index.htm
MARSHWOOD Baptisms
http://www.opcdorset.org/MarshwoodFiles/MarshwoodBaps.htm
Martha son of  Thomas & Frances RICHARDS 24 September 1843 Master of the National School
Thomas son of  Thomas & Frances RICHARDS 26 January 1845 Master of National School
Frances daughter of  Thomas & Frances RICHARDS 29 November 1846 Master of National School
Martha as a son? maybe a typo?
Looking at FreeBMD, it appears these births come under Beaminster
The district Beaminster spans the boundaries of the counties of Dorset and Somerset
And in modern day, the Registrar Office is Bridport.
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/beaminster.html

The reason I wonder if they may have been married Non-Conformist - even if they later weren't....

They married Dec Qtr 1840 and no apparent children by Census 1841.
1851: Can't find
1861 - 1891: Uckfield Sussex - their Children per 1861:  Thomas 16, Frances 14 both born Marshwood Dorset;
John Williams 11, Frederick 9, George 7, Martha 5, Mary Ann 3, Hannah Maria 8mths, all born Uckfield Sussex.
(In case she later proves significant: They also have a servant in , Jemima PAUL age 27, b Marshwood Dorset 1834 - who is with them in 1871 also, age 39 and then she marries a George HILLS. Frances is visiting them in in the 1891 Census where Jemima is 57. From 1841 Census, Jemima is the daughter of William PAUL and Betty/Elizabeth. She had a sister named Jerusha.)

Thomas & Frances'  son John William died in 1869, age 20 registered Uckfield -which would put his birth at abt 1849. And there is a birth registration for fit, Dec Qtr 1849 Uckfield. So they 'should' be in Uckfield 1851 but I can't find them at all? I suspect that for one reason or another they were living or visiting in the environs of  Whitchurch Canonicorum - which appears missing from the 1851 Census (Google & various other sources).

I see, the Marshwood Baptisms have Martha christened in Sep 1843 to Thomas & Frances . This Martha must have died? And later they give a daughter born 1856 Uckfield the name Martha Mary (the 5 yr old in 1861). 
In 1861 also, is a daughter Mary Ann age 3 b Uckfield.   

I think there is 'room' in the children for one born between Jun 1841 and Sep 1843 who may also have died....and this extracted record on the IGI is interesting, in view of it already seeming clear your Thomas & Francis were not adverse to naming children after earlier born children who had died:

Mary Anne RICHARDS - chr 13 Mar 1842, Independent, Charmouth, Dorset
Parents: Thomas RICHARDS and Francis - Batch: C028935

Maybe it's a different couple altogether. Maybe not. It's the only one to those parents in that Batch.

Cheers
AMBLY

[Trunkybun1]

Ambly

I am overwhelmed by all the information you have noted! Thank you! The bit about the servant Jemima Paul marrying George Hills may be very significant as Martha second daughter called Martha (child of Thomas and Frances) marries a William JS Hills in Brighton in 1888 who are part of our tree. I am having difficulty finding information on William pre the 1891 census apart from his b, m d on Freebmd. Perhaps George is a route I can look at.

Cheers!

[AMBLY]

http://www.opcdorset.org/WhCanonicorumFiles/1841W.Canonicorum.htm
Mary DENNING age 3  - Ann DENNING 50  - John DENNING 15  - Anstice DENNING 13 - all in seperate households.
In one household together: Richard DENNING 25, Jean DENNING 25, Richard DENNING 1 - address Marcomb

I had all Richard DENNING of above,  Census typed up ...and lost it earlier today, when computer got turned off by accident....
I'll summarise for now - can type up later again for you if you like  - but maybe tomorrow as it's a bit past my bedtime here now 

Richard DENNING in the census up to 1891 at Marcombe  in Whitchurch Canonicorum, states he's born Catherston.
His wife is Jean/Ann ROBERTS (sometimes Jean, sometimes Ann), dau of a John ROBERTS who is with them in one later census.
The 3 year old Mary DENNING  in 1841 is their daughter, who's with her ROBERTS grandparents in 1841.
The 50 yr old Ann DENNING is I think, nee MILLS, visiting a MILLS  (probably a brother) - her husband Henry DENNING is in Chard Somerset with their family (which includes a 20 yr old Sarah).

I think Richard might be Ann's son?..... The names of his children suggest he could be.
Is Frances a sister of Richard - I'm not quite as sure as  the names of her children don't echo so well to Henry & Ann - but I'll bet she's a close relative of Richard at the very least.   Especially since Henry's father apparently, is a Francis DENNING.

Some info googled up:
http://genforum.genealogy.com/denning/messages/915.html

ROOTSWEB TREE
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=denninglavin&id=P2533777970

Cheers
AMBLY