I'm wondering if anyone has access to (or can give me any help in locating) the christening records for Englefield in Berkshire?
In census returns in 1851 and 1861, John Harrington gave his place of birth variously as 'Burghfield' or 'Englefield' and - given his age - that would have been in the early-mid 1780s.
Hannah Hannington married John Ansted at St Mary's, Reading on 21 January 1788 and in 1794 a John Harrington was apprenticed to a John Ansted, tailor. What makes this even more intriguing is that a John Ansted married Hannah Wilkins on 6 Nov 1809 in Tilehurst. That fits exactly with the John and Hannah Harrington who then lived all their lives in Theale/ Tilehurst. A newspaper article after his death in 1868 refers to this John as being known as John Ansted or Harrington. Finding a christening record for a John Harrington/ Hannington/ Ansted would be enormously helpful.
One possible scenario could be that Hannah Hannington gave birth to a son, John, before she married John Ansted. It is possible then that he was adopted by John Ansted - whether or not he was his actual father and so used that surname when he married in 1809. Why he then reverted to being 'John Harrington' is a puzzle, but that seems the most straightforward answer - possibly! Did Hannah Hannington possibly also work on the Englefield estate?
