WILLIAM SEARLES born 1835 Great Leighs, Essex

[Pernod]

Hi, can anyone out there be able to check the Parish Registers for Great Leighs for my GGG Grandfather, William Searles.  I have his parents listed as John Searles b1786 and Elizabeth Searles b1791 - he is listed with them on the 1841 census, however, it does not show whether these are his parents.  If the above is correct his mother would have been 44 when she gave birth to him.  If anyone could check the Registers either for birth or Baptism to see whether his parents are listed that would be great.  Many thanks in advance for any help that anyone can give.   

[findem]

Hi Pernod,

The following may be of no help to you but just in case I thought I'd mention it.

In my tree there is an Ancestor sibling named John Searles baptised in 1786 in Felsted, by 1818 my Searles line had moved to Gt Leighs, further generations moved between Gt and Lt Leighs.

The parents of the above John were Thomas Serle and Sarah Willers (Willis), the surname for the first five children was spelt Serle and for the next five Searle, I haven't followed up on John so I have no idea who he married.

Regards 

[Pernod]

Hi Findem, Many thanks for your help - I guess I'll have to get William's marriage certificate (married Colchester 1855) to see whether this lists his parents

[findem]

Hi Pernod,

OK and good luck.

By the way, sorting through my notes late yesterday I have found a reference to the John I mentioned marrying a Rebecca Gray 7 Aug 1809.  There's no place for the marriage so it's obviously not a marriage I've found during my research, I may have picked it up from Genes Reunited so it's not necessarily true, could be that some other John Searles married Rebecca..

Regards.

[Pernod]

Hi Findem,

I've come across Rebecca Gray before, according to the family trees listed in Ancestry she married John Searles (son of Thomas & Sarah Willers) on 7th August 1809 in Felsted Essex. However, I have John's wife listed as Elizabeth as she is listed with John on the 1841 & 1861 census returns - maybe he remarried?. 

It is interesting that you also believe that John's parents were Thomas Searles & Sarah Willers as I also have this information - there are many trees on Ancestry with this family, however, only one lists John as a son & the majority list Thomas b.1787 as the first child.  You also mention that they had 10 children, I also agree with you:-

 - John b.1786
 - Thomas b.1787
 - William b.1789
 - Elizabeth b.1791
 - Samuel b.1794
 - Henry b.1797
 - Sarah b.1799
 - Mira b.1801
 - Mary b.1805
 - Phoebe b.1808

Regards

[findem]

Hi Pernod,

Sorry if I have caused any confusion but it's not a case of my believing that Thomas and Sarah are the parents of your John Searles 1786, I haven't seen anything to lead me to that conclusion.  However if the marriage of Rebecca Gray to John son of Thomas and Sarah proves to be incorrect, then there is a good chance that John son of Thomas and Sarah could be the one you are looking for.

William's birth cert will at least determine both the father's and mother's names, if you can follow up with finding the marriage of William's parents things will be clearer.

By the way Phoebe's christian name was spelt Febey in the PRs.

Regards

[Pernod]

Hi there, have just received the marriage certificate for William, however, it has a blank where his father's name should be  - as I said in my previous post if the people he was living with on the 1841 census were his parents (John & Elizabeth Searles), Elizabeth would have been 44 when she gave birth to him.

In view of this I am now feeling that maybe William was the illegitimate son of maybe one of John & Elizabeth's children who was possibly being brought up by his grandparents?

If anyone has access to the Essex Parish Registers I would be ever so grateful if someone could check the birth/baptism records for Great Leighs to see whether William's parents are listed - I was under the assumption that he was born in 1835, however, his marriage certificate lists him as being 21 when he married in December 1855 so I am more included to believe that he was actually born in 1834.

Many thanks for all your help, especially findem.