verifying ancestor links

[Rozz]

Still kind of a newbie to family history.
My GGgrandfather Joseph Bell was born 15 March 1810, he was a stained glass artist.
I am trying to trace back further. His father was George Bell and according to a relative (now deceased) George was married to Ann.
I have found Joseph's birth on the Staffordshire extracted parish records. Along with what I think are other siblings: Mary (1796), George(1799), John (1802) and Ellen (1803)..........all having George Bell and Ann as parents.
I then  found a marriage on the Staffordshire parish records: George Bell & Ann Lawton 16/8/1795. Other names mentioned here are Saml. Poulson, Edward Lawton (not sure who these people are, if someone can help) The transcription also says George was a printer, buy my relative says he was a painter, could this be a transcription error?

The dates work out well.....married 1795, 1st born 1796, 2nd 1799 etc.
How do I know for sure that this marriage is the one for George Bell, the father of my Joseph Bell.
Highly likely, but how do you verify this???

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Roz

[suttontrust]

When you say, "Other names mentioned here" what do you mean?  Were they witnesses?
Are these marriages in the same parish?  Staffordshire is a big county, and it would be sensible to go with the parish nearest to where you can pin down Joseph.
But you may well have arrived at the familiar situation of "can't prove it". 

[trish1120]

The IGI has these Extracted Christenings;
BELL
Parents, GEORGE and ANN
All Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire

MARY, 11 August 1796
GEORGE, 17 November 1799
JOHN, 06 June 1802
ELLEN, 15 May 1803
ANN, 08 August 1805
EDWARD, 08 August 1805 ( Twins , same birth date 06 August 1805) )
ELIZABETH, 13 June 1807
JOSEPH, 18 March 1810

Marriage;
George BELL/Ann LAWTON Marriage 1795 in Stoke looks good to me.

Samuel Poulsen and Edward Lawton may be related.

Have you tried to find Anns christening? Edward may be a Brother or her Father.
Try searching 1841 Census maybe for them.

I would not worry too much about the printer/painter bit as they could be interchangable and/or similar.
Joseph is described in one census as a artist on glass and in others differently.

George is very specific on all census that he was born 1810 Stoke on Trent

Trish

[trish1120]

Maybe just a coincidence of names but??

Submitted Record;
Ann LAWTON, Christened 07 August 1774, Stoke upon Trent, Stafford, England
Parents, EDWARD Lawton and  ELLEN  Macclesfield Lawton
Another has her as Ellen Macclesfield.

George and Ann name children Edward and Ellen

OOPs there is an Extracted Record;
Ann LAWTON, Same date, Parents, EDW and ELLEN
Other child on Batch;
MARGT, 19 July 1776

[Rozz]

Thanks for your help trish1120 I'm still learning.
You have found three other sibling to Joseph Bell that I did not know about. Wonderful!
So these records are good enough indication to prove George Bell & Ann Lawton are Josephs parents you think?
I think it points that way.........especially since one of Joseph Bell's sons is named Gilbert Lawton Bell.

Havent had a chance to check out Ann Lawtons christening, but that looks promising. Her parents names match the names of two of George Bell's children. So could be the one.

I actually did not really know much about IGI records.
George Bell is supposedly originating from Berwick upon Tweed, but I can't seem to find a county for that on IGI.
Whether this information is accurate.....not sure, perhaps he was born in Stoke on Trent too.

Thanks again

[Vasquez109]

Hi Rozz,

Can sympathise with your predicament, as the same thing happened to me with my folks using the Northants parish records. Got to a stage of, 'well it looks good enough, but still not watertight!'.

David.

[trish1120]

Hi Roz,
When looking that far back it is very difficult. But by the submitted record someone has been searching Parish Records in the past and come to the same conclusions.
Then the extracted record at least clinches the Marriage.
It appears pretty accurate to me as the Marriage occurs just before the birth of the first child.

Best of luck,
Trish