For 'Linmey' re Woodhams from Bedfordshire

[Jill123]

Hello Linmey, I happened to notice you were researching a Woodham family from Bedfordshire. My immediate ancestors were the Woodham family from Barton le Clay, Beds. William Woodham 1811-1849, a butcher, married Susan Smyth from Streatley. She died giving birth to William Woodham b 1838 Barton, a miller. He married Eliza Bonnet from Royston, and had William Woodham b 1863 Royston and d 1923 Shoreditch, London - he was my gt grandfather.
    I am not sure about the pre-1811 Woodham family, but there was the father of William b 1811 who was also a William Woodham b abt 1781. It is possible he came from either Gamlingay, Cambs or Scotland. There is a David Woodham also who I think  was William b abt 1781's son also.
       Hope this might be of some use to you and perhaps you might be able to give me more info on my Woodhams. Fingers crossed!
              Best wishes,
                           Jill

[linmey]

Hi Jill,
The Woodham`s I have located in my tree so far are from Melchbourne, Sharnbrook Pertenhall, Swineshead and Kimbolton, so a different area of Beds from your Woodhams it would seem, but you never know, we might have a match somewhere.

Best wishes,

Linda.

[Jill123]

Hi Linda,
    Thanks for replying.  Shame! - still I'll keep an eye out for your Woodhams.
If anyone out there has any info about the Barton, or Streatley, Beds.,  Woodhams please let me know.
                 Jill

[johnP-bedford]

Hello Jill,    Like Linda my Woodhams are from the North Beds area (in fact they are the same family group)..... however I've been looking into your Barton family.........

.... firstly there's a William Woodham, widower, butcher who married Elizabeth Smyth on 6th Apr 1841 at St Anne's Westminster, Middlesex. His father was William woodham farmer & her father was Thomas Smyth, farmer. It seems this Elizabeth is Sarah Smyth's sister, & William & Elizabeth produced son Thomas Smyth Woodham b 1844 Barton.

.... On 1851 census farming in Streatley is William Woodham, born 1786 Gamlingay & wife Sarah born March, Cambs along with grandson George b 1837 Barton... who turns out to be son of George Woodham & Louisa Allen who married 25 Mar 1836. On 1851 these couple are in Streatley with other children, Sarah, Gabriel, Ann & Elizabeth.  George is born 1813 at Gt Gransden, Hunts.

GamIingay is just down the road from Gt Gransden...perhaps that's where William came from.

Regards John

[Jill123]

Hello John,
     Many thanks for your reply. I know about the butcher William Woodham b 1811 who married the two Smyth sisters (Susan Smyth is my 3rd great grandma) - I have all this documented - but I can't find a definite link between the farmer William Woodham b 1786 Gamlingay and my William Woodham b 1811 in Barton.
   If only I could find some firm 'evidence' that the 1786 William really was the father of 1811 William. I have the Parish Register for Barton but the 1811 William's baptism isn't in there, nor in the Streatley Parish Register, both of which I've bought. And 'mother' Sarah's marriage to'father' William b Gamlingay isn't in either of the two Registers either.
    Have you any ideas where else I can look to find a connection? Do you know if the Gamlingay Parish records are online anywhere please? I've been up against this brick wall for over four years now and it's driving me round the bend!
     Many thanks again.
            Best wishes,
                        Jill

[johnP-bedford]

Baptisms & Marriages at Gamlingay have been extracted to the IGI

Also the Cambs FHS have some online databases
http://www.cfhs.org.uk/Search.html

They have a 1798 census of Gamlingay index that includes a Woodham, however you'll have to get the microfiche to see the details.
 
I've had a look but there isn't a William Woodham born c 1786
But ... he could from this scenario.....

John Woodham & Rebeckah had son William Woodham baptised 17 May 1756
He may be the William Woodham who married Mary Mead on 9 Sept 1776
There's an online tree that suggests they are parents of Samuel Woodham 1788, but I've not seen a baptism. They also could have had son William ? who knows.
Samuel Woodham married Susannah Careless on 30 Apr 1812
Female children of Samuel & Susannah are baptised at Gamlingay baptist church.
On 1851 census living in Biggleswade is Susannah b 1791 Gamlingay is widow, living with married daughter Mary Cocking b 1819

On Find my Past there are 2 wills in Cambridgeshire, of William Woodham 1785 & of John Woodham 1772  - might be worth the 5 credits (each) to see if they name children

[Orpheus]

The link below is for the will of a William WOODHAM, butcher of Barton, dated/proved 9 February 1853 and held at The National Archives.  I'm not sure whether this is the elder William or the one born in 1811 especially as there appears to be another will for a William WOODHAM, butcher of Barton, dated/proved in 1850 and held at Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Service.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=47325&queryType=1&resultcount=4

[Jill123]

Many thanks for your help, John P and Orpheus, I'll check up on all of your suggestions. One last thing, do you think these Woodhams could have been 'dissenters' ie Baptists or some such, and that's why they wouldn't be in parish records which were the records of the 'established' church? If so, do you happen to know if there are there any records of BDM s in the Baptist churches?
     Once again, thanks to you both for your help.
                   Regards,
                                Jill

[Orpheus]

One last thing, do you think these Woodhams could have been 'dissenters' ie Baptists or some such, and that's why they wouldn't be in parish records which were the records of the 'established' church?

Yes, I think it is highly likely they were Baptists.  One reason I have for thinking this is that I found the following births on FamilySearch:

26 Feb 1809 Gabriel WOODHAM, son of William WOODHAM
26 Feb 1809 William WOODHAM, son of William WOODHAM

Both were recorded at Old Meeting House Baptist and Independent, St Neots, Huntingdon.  It looks like they were twins and, because of this, they may not have survived to adulthood.  The reason they caught my eye is the use of the name Gabriel which was also used by George WOODHAM the son of the William born circa 1786. 

Incidentally, although the William born circa 1786 is listed as being born in Scotland in the 1841 census this is incorrect.  I believe that the tick placed in the column indicating that an individual was born in Scotland, Ireland or Foreign Parts was just a mark made by the enumerator when he was checking those not born in the county.  If an individual was born in Scotland it was usual to put an 'S' in this column.  Likewise if an individual was born in Ireland there would be an 'I' in the column and an 'F' for those born in Foreign Parts.

With regard to records kept by Baptist churches the short answer is that these varied.  Most Baptists only baptised adults and records of these are most likely to be found in the Church Minute Books.  Some churches, such as that mentioned above, kept records of births, and some kept records of deaths and burials too.  However, prior to 1837 all nonconformists other than Quakers and Jews had to marry in the Church of England so there should be a marriage for William and Sarah WOODHAM somewhere.