COMPLETED - Hartburn - Potter family

[DaveM888]

Wow, that is great, Thank you both very very much. It is interesting in that they marry and start a family in Hartburn but then return to Edlingham parish
That now triggers  a few new questions and one old.
George and Eleanor were in Hartburn until at least 1790 for which I have traced Births of Joseph bap 2/4/1786 and Mary Bap 28/3/1790 then they show up in Edlingham parish with a son Richard bap 28 Mar 1802 abode N. Bewick and then Alice Bap 19 Feb 1804 abode N.Bewick. Unfortunately the key to my ancestral line is a son Thomas whose baptism I cannot trace.  Thomas surfaces in Edlingham parish when married to Alice Moffat in 7/5/1817 I know he is brother of Alice Potter as after his death in 1831 aged 44 his children live with Aunt Alice Potter (unmarried with a daughter Eleanor(his wife Alice Potter nee Moffat dies in 1824. So the question is why is his baptism missing in Hartburn circa 1787.
Second question who are the twins born in 1799?
I wasn't able to trace an Eleanor Whinham on IGI, I looked at the general spread of the Whinham family but could not glean any clues?
Again Many Thanks
Dave

[c-side]

You didn't mention Thomas b c 1787 Hartburn in your reply #2 so I didn't look for him 

How do you know he's missing?  There is a section from early 1788 to 1792 missing from the online BTs so could he be there?

Janet says Eleanor was baptised Edlingham 1863 but alas that's another year missing from the BTs.  Do you have an exact date for that, Janet?

Christine

[janwhin]

Now you are going to have to suffer an explanation about Whinhams in Northumberland!

The name started as Hounam, presumably from the village in Scotland just over the Cheviots. In Northumberland it gradually morphed into Whonnam and Whinham. Sometimes it changed in the parish registers for the same family or even the same person. Something to do with the accent. In some families further into Newcastle and Durham it didn't evolve at all.
Eleanor is in IGI but as Hownam so you will find her there, baptised 19 June 1763, daughter of Joseph.
Dave, if you look at the BTs for Felton you will find the twins, Ann and Dinah, baptised 10 August 1799, the 2nd and 3rd daughters of George and Eleanor. The key to Thomas may be if there was a BT for Richard in Edlingham or if someone can look at the Edlingham registers. He is still in that period when the full genealogy was given. It should tell you what number son he is. I have a CD of Edlingham transcripts but it doesn't provide the full detail.
The frustration with many Northumbrian families is that they moved round so much for work, mainly agricultural. Hartburn, Rothbury, Felton and Edlingham parishes cover big areas. Felton and Edlingham have common boundaries as do Hartburn and Rothbury. 
I can give you quite a bit on Eleanor and her family/ancestors if that is your line and I'll have a look for Thomas.
The Northumberland and Durham Family History Society sell a number of parish register transcripts on CD, that is where I got my Edlingham ones.
Best wishes, Janet

[c-side]

Ag. Labs. are a pain aren't they - a child in every parish, depending on the season.  Playing 'guess where they went next' can be a lifetime's work but much better now there's a lot of indexes online.

If you don't find Thomas by Wednesday I'll have a look for him when I'm at the records office - as you'll have no doubt guessed I actually live in the beautiful county 

Christine

[janwhin]

From what I can work out of the birth sequence, we have Joseph (1786), Mary (1790) in Hartburn, I have found a Ralph (May 1797), Felton, Ann and Dinah (1799), Felton, Richard (1802) and Alice (1804), Edlingham.
There is also a marriage of Joseph in 1812 in Edlingham, a witness being the elusive Thomas. Thomas isn't on IGI, so, a parish without good coverage is Longframlington, which sometimes has entries included in the mother church of Felton but sometimes not. Glantlees where George was working, is, if I remember correctly, in the Longframlington bit and there is a nice gap between Mary and Ralph.
Christine, if you do get to Woodhorn, then maybe it might be a good place to look.
Janet 

[DaveM888]

I am sorry to slightly mislead, Richard Potter and Alice Potter  were baptised in Eglingham parish , abode was N. Bewick. Unfortunately Eglingham is not on Bishops Transcripts site.
I don't know if you are aware but Edlinghamd and Eglingham (and Bolam) parish registers are available free on Google Books, if you read online they are easily searchable, if you download you have to rely on the indexes.
http://www.archive.org/details/registersedling00pargoog
If you search for parish registers Northumberland when you get there you will see the other parishes available.
Yes I would like you to see if you can find Thomas, everything I have tried has failed. The key evidence is his burial showing aged 44 in 1831 which suggest birth year 1787, i.e in between Joseph and Mary. I have enough evidence to link him to Alice Potter daughter of George and Eleanor.
The final set of children for George and Eleanor

• Joseph bap 2/4/1786 Hartburn
  Thomas ?1787 probably Hartburn
  Mary Bap 28/3/1790 Hartburn
  Ralph Bap 15/5/1797 Felton
  Ann   Bap 10/9/1799 Felton
  Dinah  Bap 10/9/1799 Felton
  Richard Bap 28/3/1802 Eglingham (living at N. Bewick)
  Alice Bap 19/2/1804  Eglingham (living at N. Bewick)
  William Bap 20/4/1806  Eglingham (living at N. Bewick)

Janet - thanks for the potted history, that really helps to clarify the evolution of the family name.
Again many thanks
Dave

[c-side]

I suspect that if Thomas was born in 1787 then he would be showing up in Hartburn parish.  As he's not there then perhaps his age at death is incorrect.  Age at death is the most suspect information of all as it's given by someone who may not be sure of the correct date.  In the 18th C it was quite common for people not to know exactly when they were born and all ages have to be given a bit of lea-way.

If Longframlington isn't well covered online as you say, Janet, then it's worth having a quick look on Wednesday.  Any other possible parishes not already checked?

Christine

[DaveM888]

Timeline for Thomas Potter
George & Eleanor married 30 Jan 1785 Hartburn
Joseph baptised 2 Apr 1786 Hartburn
Thomas Baptism estimated 1787 due to age 44 at burial
Mary baptism 28 Mar 1790 Hartburn
Ralph baptism 15 May 1797 Felton (abode Glanston)
Dinah & Ann baptism 10 Aug 1799 Felton (abode Glanston)
Richard baptism 28 Mar 1802 Eglingham (abode N Bewick)
Alice baptism 19 Feb 1804 Eglingham (abode N Bewick)
William baptism 20 Apr 1806 Eglingham  (abode N Bewick)
Thomas Marriage 7 May 1815 Edlingham
Thomas Burial 5 March 1831 aged 44 Edlingham
My thoughts are that Thomas would not have been born any earlier and Joseph was born 14 months after the marriage, the 1787/8 window appears possible and these years are missing on BT. That then leaves the possibility during the 1791-1796 window. IGI only offers two possible Thomas Potters during this period, one was a son of a John potter, the other was baptised March 12 1786 son of George Potter in Stamfordham , this one would conflict with Joseph.
Christine hope another look at Hartburn reveals something. A big favour while you are Woodhorn, can you look at baptisms for the following to see if they reveal anything further about parents
Sarah Potter baptised 22 Jul 1751  Rothbury son of Thomas
George Potter Baptised 14 Jun 1754 Rothbury son of Thomas
Edward Potter baptised 3 May 1758  Rothbury son of Thomas

Janice I woudl appreciate any birth/marriage details you can give me for Eleanors parents.
Again many many thanks

[c-side]

Yes, Dave, I can do that.

As for not finding the right Thomas on IGI - not all parishes are covered so he could still be lurking undetected.

Christine