Abraham Family Eaton Bray

[janetandroy]

I am trying to find some information about a Robert Abraham, born around 1800 possibly in Colmworth but not certain.  Living in Eaton Bray on 1841 census with wife Mary also born around 1800, children John born c 1826, George also born c 1826, Mary Ann born c 1830, Caroline born c 1834 and Emma born c 1837.  This information taken directly from the census record.  George was born in Colmworth according to a later census.  They were a family of agricultural labourers and lived in Moor End at the time.  It is George who is our direct link and can trace what happened to him later but am interested to know where his father and mother came from.

[Captain2]

Hello and a very warm welcome to Rootschat    I wonder whether Mary was a second wife for Robert Abraham as I have found the following baptism's in the registers at the Wesleyan Methodists Chapel at Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire
Maria Abraham. born 4 Oct 1821 & baptised 11 Oct 1821
Parents Robert & Sarah Abraham
Abode - Mentmore, Buckinghamshire
Registration Town /County - Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire
Robert Abraham is shown as Labourer
Mary Abraham. born 2 Feb 1826 & Baptised 19 March 1826
Parents - Robert & Mary Abraham
Abode - Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire
Mary Ann Abraham born 2 Aug 1830 & Baptised 26 Jan 1834
Parents - Robert & Mary Abraham
Abode - Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire
Caroline Abraham. born 27 Dec 1833 & Baptised 26 Jan 1834
Parents - Robert & Mary Abraham
Abode - Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire
On Caroline & Mary Ann's baptism her  maternal grandparents are shown as Joseph & Elizabeth Winsor.
I can't seem to find the elder two boys John & George at the moment, wil have a further look.

[janetandroy]

Thank you for this information.  I have located - on another site- the baptismal references for Mary ann and Caroline, parents Robert and Mary (nee Winsor).  Oddly enough the two boys, John and Joseph were baptised at the age of around 20, but no mention of George being baptised either as a baby, or when he was older.  We know that George married someone from Lincolnshire and moved there and from then on we can directly link him to our current family.  We can find nothing about Robert, no mention of his parents, where he came from etc. 

[bedfordshire boy]

Is it just coincidence that a Robert Abraham was baptised in Eaton Bray on 9 Oct 1796?

I don't believe in coincidences!

There's only one Abraham burial in Colmworth - James age 8 weeks on 23 Oct 1814. Who were his parents? I can't see a baptism.

David

[johnP-bedford]

James Abraham was son of James & Susanna according to Colmworth burials download  from .........

http://www.colmworthhistory.org.uk

.... & there are Abram, Abrams names listed

John

[bedfordshire boy]

There were no Abraham males between the ages of 17 and 55 living in Colmworth in the 1803 Muster List. Just James Abrams labourer age 40 with 3 children under 10. He looks to have been the James who with wife Jemima baptised children 1801-12 in Colmworth. ie it doesn't seem as though there was an Abraham family in Colmworth/

We did a lot of research on the Lugsden family of Colmworth on this board a couple of years ago. At some stage between 1803 and 1822 John Lugsden, wife and children all moved to Eaton Bray. They too appear to have been non-conformist. Emma Abraham born Eaton Bray c1837 married William Lugsden b c 1837, in Eaton Bray on 20 Dec 1856

Robert Abrams age 49 was buried at Eaton Bray on 21 Feb 1845

Robert Abraham married Sarah Varney on 21 Sept 1814 at Mentmore, Bucks

Don't forget that in 1841 ages over 15 were rounded down to the nearest 5 below so John and George both aged 15, could have been between 15 and 19.

The IGI shows George Abraham, son of Robert and Sarah, baptised at Mentmore on 26 Feb 1824 (plus Joseph on 6 Nov 1814 and Catherine on 3 Aug 1817). Although I can't find a burial of Sarah nor a marriage of Robert & Mary, these all fit with the births/baptisms found by the Captain. Unless the marriage of Robert Abraham and Mary Windsor on 31 Jan 1818 at Slapton Bucks (a mile from Mentmore) is also the same Robert, but the dates overlap and would imply two families. But there are birth/baptism entries on the IGI for children of Robert and Mary starting in 1819 (John) so there might well have been two families. Now I'm totally confused!

I'll tidy the breakfast things away and cogitate on it while I'm unloading the dishwasher

David

[bedfordshire boy]

In 1851 John Abraham 31 and his sister Caroline 17 both born Eaton Bray, were living in Aston Birmingham. Emma Abraham 14 was a visitor in the Lugsden family in Eaton Bray, which included her future husband, and they subsequently lived in Birmingham.

There's no indication that the family of Robert and Mary who lived in Eaton Bray lived at Colmworth - all their children seem to have been born/baptised at Eaton Bray, other than the elusive George. It's an assumption that the George who lived with Robert and Mary in 1851 and who presumably was their son, is the same George born Colmworth who was living in Lincs in 1851. What I find interesting is that in 1851 George had a daughter Jemima. James and Jemima Abrams baptised children in Colmworth 1801-12

Do you have George's Lincs marriage certificate? Does it name his father as Robert?

There are too many anomalies here!

[janetandroy]

That is absolutely correct about the George living in Lincolnshire, having married a Charlotte Stanhope who was born in Lincolnshire.  As they were a family of agricultural labourers, there would have been work in Lincolnshire.   I found it interesting that George had a daughter named Jemima as there was also a Jemima listed in Colmworth and I wondered if she was related.  Once George had moved to Lincolnshire, we have been able to trace him to the present day, he is our direct ancestor.  I have also found references to Robert having died in his 40's.  The only reason we are looking at the Colmworth link is that George has been shown on a later census as having been born in Colmworth.  Of course there is the possibility that Robert and his wife had family in Colmworth and his wife was there just around the time of the birth.  That may be the only link as we don't know and have not yet found out where Robert was born.  I am interested in the muster list, is this something that all villages had at the time?  Unfortunately there seems to be a dead end now about Robert's birthplace and his parents.  We may have to come and look at Parish registers although it would appear they were Wesleyan by religion - at least later on in the marriage according to the baptismals of their children (except George of course who appeared to be disinterested in getting baptised with his brothers!!!) 

[janetandroy]

As a follow up, we don't have a marriage certificate for George, but having searched many censuses and other documents, the family of Robert and Mary seem to be the only family that fit date and otherwise.  It  is possible of course that Robert could be the wrong track and we are going back to the records to re-check.  However, I think a visit to the area is now needed.