COMPLETED Biggleswade baptisms - GAR[D]NER

[Suzanne_D]

Hi all,

I have traced my 5-g-grandfather John GARNER or GARDNER back to his birth in about 1749 in Biggleswade. He later moved to Cople where he was married in 1774 and 1784, and died in 1824.

Could some kind soul please check the Biggleswade parish records for any likely candidates?

I found his birth date and place thanks to him being nicked for poaching (and spawning a dynasty of petty criminals), which I found out from the fantastic Bedfordshire Gaol Registers (http://apps.bedfordshire.gov.uk/grd/search.aspx).

Thanks in advance,

Suzanne

[bedfordshire boy]

Virtually all Beds parish registers, baptisms and marriages, pre 1813 have been extracted onto the IGI at www.familysearch.org  There's a baptism in 1755 which might be him, but it doesn't match up with his age of 75 at burial in Cople on 16 Apr 1824, nor 72 on committal in 1821. I can't see a marriage or burial for a John Garner in Biggleswade, so possibly this is the right one, but proving it with an age difference of 6 years is another matter

David

[Suzanne_D]

Thanks David for your help, and sorry for not realising the IGI coverage was so comprehensive.

Looks like I have two choices of ancestor - the one you list below, and another John Garner born in 1749 in Kempston.

Cheers,

Suzanne

[bedfordshire boy]

I can reduce the choices - John Gardner born and baptised 4 Oct 1749 at Kempston, son of John & Ann. There's a burial at Kempston on 6 Oct 1749 of John Gardner infant son of John Gardner, farmer.

Still not convinced about the Biggleswade one either!

David

[Suzanne_D]

Thanks again David!

I'm still not convinced either - but do you or others know of reasons why someone might round their age *up* while still in their 60s - would they be more likely to get parish relief, etc.?

I ask not only because the only apparent contender for John Gar[d]ner in the IGI is 6 years younger than expected - but also because there is stronger evidence that his wife Susan Cutler exaggerated her age by a similar margin.

Susan was buried in Cople in early 1820 with a stated age of 64, which would mean she was born in 1755 and aged 51 when her youngest son Thomas was born in mid 1806 (the baptism record gives his age at baptism). It seems much more probable that she is the Susan Cutler baptised in 1762 in Renhold - I can't see a corresponding burial for her under the name Cutler.

Cheers,

Suzanne