Joseph ELEMENT

[alimag]

hi i'm trying to prove that joseph element b1757 bovingdon herts, parents john element & susan aston,is the same joseph that married elizabeth ann churchward in gaspe quebec canada 1779. any help much appreciated .

regards alan

[rosie99]

Hi

Not much positive help I'm afraid but there is a Joseph Element who died 4th November 1834 at Kings Langley age 76 who could also be the Joseph born in Bovingdon c 1757.

Rosie

[Jaquot]

He is believed to have arrived in Canada as a British soldier in 1776 at the onset of the New-England Revolution.

Twin sons are baptized in 1780 at the Quebec City Holy Trinity (anglican) Church while the father is away at Carleton Island (Gaspé peninsula, Chaleur Bay) hired by the British Army as a carpenter.

In 1785 he's on a list of setlers established in Douglastown (near the city of Gaspé) composed mainly of Loyalists and ex (British) soldiers and sailors. (British Muster Roll No. 20 for 1785).

His burial record was never found however, a woman bearing the same name as his ex-wife (Ann Churchward) bore legitimate children to a John Flynn of the same area in 1792, 94 and 97. There is no concrete evidence that it's the same person but the odds that an english person bearing the same "not so common" name in this (isolated) area is highly unlikely.

All those bearing the Element surname in the Gaspé area can be traced back to Joseph and Ann Churchward.

Hope this has shed a bit of light on the subject of your quest. I have gathered this information for research on a family that has Joseph Element in its family tree.

Regards,

[alimag]

Hi Thanks  still a bit of doubt as he would only be 19 at time of arrival ,& bovinngdon was a small village in hertfordshire not a lot there apart from ag labs & farm related work.but will keep a open mind & hope more info turns up .

regards alan

[rosie99]

There is this possible marriage in Hemel Hempstead 22nd October 1785 on the IGI
Joseph Ellement and Mary Chapel.

It looks as though Joseph and Mary had at least two children christened in Hemel Hempstead (Familysearch) John in 1786 and Susannah in 1788. (Naming patterns could tie this family in with Joseph's parents John and Susan)

There is a burial for a Mary Element at Kings Langley age 76 in 1828 as well as the one for Joseph I found earlier
 
Personally I would not be considering the Canadian link without absolute evidence of their place of birth and not supposition.  Bovingdon, Hemel Hempstead and Kings Langley are neighbouring places and it is the area that you would expect this family to be living.

Rosie

[Jaquot]

I do not pretend there is a link between "your" Joseph Element and the one that ended-up in Canada as a British soldier.

Perhaps his military enrolment record could help clarify his place of origin, date of bith and marital status.

Regards,