The mystery of John Morris

[joken]

Hi, I am looking for a John Morris possibly born abt 1750.  I thought he was born Stanwick with father James and Mother Sarah.  I was also under the assumption that James was born Bedford.  All of John's children were Christened in Stanwick.  George 1778, Charles 1780, Daniel 1780, John 1782, Job 1786, Jesse (my 4Greatgrandfather), Ann 1803 and heaven knows how many more.  The Rootschat (Northampton) site said John was not Christened there so I do I go from there???
Joanne

[bedfordshire boy]

What was his parish of residence when he married in 1776? Who were the witnesses?

Why do you assume he was born in Beds (particularly when you also thought he was born in Stanwick, Northants)?

There is someone on Rootschat who knows a lot about the Morris' of Pavenham. If I can trace her I'll post her handle - see thread at http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,26987.15.html

David

[StevenG]

The marriage is on FreeREG.

County   Northamptonshire
Place   Stanwick
Church   St Lawrence
MarriageDate   25 Nov 1776
GroomForename   John
GroomSurname   MORRIS
GroomParish   Stanwick
BrideForename   Hannah
BrideSurname   HARRIS
BrideParish   Stanwick
BrideCondition   Spinster
WitnessOneForename   Jn
WitnessOneSurname   FULLER
WitnessTwoForename   Wm
WitnessTwoSurname   AUGUSTIN

The registers also contain the marriage of a Thomas MORRIS in 1774.

[joken]

Many thanks for this.  I received by 3Greatgrandfather's (Charles born 1816)  marriage certificate and it said his father's rank or profession was Jesse Morris - schoolmaster.  I went to the IGI and found that someone else had done this line but on Caroline (Jesse's daughter born 1820 Chelveston Caldicott) - Charles' sister.  This submitter had John Morris born abt 1751 Stanwick with parents James Morris and Sarah.  James being born in Pavenham Beds.  All this is under Abel Morris on the familysearch.org site.  The only catch was that Sarah was born abt 1729 and she had James being born 1788 which puts a 60yr gap between the two. 
I cann't find a birth for John (Stanwick) so I posted a request on the Northampton chat site and the reply was that there was no registration/parish record for John but there was for his children.  I thought that if John wasn't born there he may have been born where his father was born (by the submitter).  I have now found a James Morris birth 7 Dec 1713 Pavenham Bedford - parents Robert Morris and Elizabeth and a Robert Morris born 1687 Pavenham Bedford (on familysearch)  Could this be my James??  I have also found a James Morris marrying a Sarah Pratt 18 Nov 1753 Halifax Yorkshire and a James Morris marrying a Sarah Pratt 9 Jul 1752 Wimbleton Surrey.

[StevenG]

I think you should be concentrating on John Morris for now, certainly not relying on other people's guesses about where to look.  If I were you, I would be checking the Stanwick parish registers for all the Morris entries - especially the burials.  If you can find a burial record for John, you might have an age at death, then you have an approximate year of birth.  Similarly for the Thomas Morris who married in 1774 and is probably a brother.

It's far more likely that that the Morris family came from a nearby town or village, Raunds, say, or Chelveston/Chellington, than that they came from some distance away (Pavenham).  If the IGI entries you found are speculation, rather than solid research, it would not be surprising for them to suggest Bedfordshire - after all Bedfordshire is almost fully documented on the IGI, whereas Northamptonshire records are almost completely absent.

Unfortunately Northamptonshire is hellish to research from a distance.

[joken]

Thanks for that.  Will I try the Northampton records and see if some-one can come up with something.  I'm in Oz.
Joanne

[seahall]

HI Joanne.

I have only just come on so didn't see your further request on our
Northants Board.

The Parish Records were not allowed to be given to the Mormon Church
years ago.

Alan Clarke and Marilyn Ponting and the Northants Family History Society
have indexed many records for the County and now besides many other
transcribers Freereg is helping also.

I have lots of resources for Northants, here are some of the Morris
families from Stanwick Parish Church Marriages in the village.

1. 21 Dec 1723
William Morris & Eliz Castledine

2. 7 Jun 1759
William Morris otp Singleman & Mary Cook
Witnesses: Nathaniel Norman & John Marchant

3. 22 Jan 1774 By License
Thomas Morris (x) otp & Mary Warrington (x)
Witnesses: William Bluff & ? Edmunds

4. 25 Nov 1776
John Morris otp & Hannah Harris
Witnesses: William Augustin & John Fuller

The (X) meant they signed with their marks.

Sandy

[seahall]

Some more

Stanwick Parish Church.

5. 5 Oct 1799 BY License
Elizabeth Morris (x) otp Widow & John Mitchener (x)
Witnesses: John Bailey & William Poole

6. 23 Dec 1811
Sarah Morris (x) otp & William Castledine (x)
Witnesses: Thomas Smith (x) & John Brawn

7. 7 Dec 1812
Daniel Morris (x)  otp & Mary Cannel (x)
Witnesses: Jesse Morris & John Brawn

8. 13 May 1813
Hannah Morris (x) otp & William Smith
Witnesses: John Brown (x) & John Brawn

Sandy

[seahall]

I think this will take you above your timescale Joanne.

Stanwick Parish Church.

9. 12 Aug 1822
Susanna Morris (x) otp Spinster & John Knowles (x)
Witnesses: Eleanor Meadows & John Brawn

10. 25 Dec 1833
Eliza Morris (x) otp & Thomas Brayfield (x)
Witnesses: John Morris & Anne Brayfield (x)

Sandy