Shelfords?

[Vasquez109]

Hi,

Just a quick question to see if anybody had access to Little Shelford parish registers. Im struggling to find a baptism for an Edward Shelford. Searching around on Ancestry, and some members have my Edward as being born 1699 in Little Shelford, Cambridgeshire.

Id just like to know how they have come to this conclusion, as ive searched the IGI and FreeREG but cant see anything. What I do know is that he married Ann Carter in Chrishall, Essex on 02 Feb 1725, which wouldnt be that far away.

Can anyone help please?

Thank you.

[bedfordshire boy]

I can see one tree on Ancestry that shows Edward as being born in 1699 in Little Shelford, the son of Richard and Susan with the comment against Susan "Married Richard Shelford (born approx. 1650) in Little Shelford, Cambridgeshire, England on 08/10/1682. Gave birth to son Edward Shelford in 1699." There's also the marriage of Richard Shelford to Amitia Pitches on 1 Sep 1700 in Lt Shelford, followed by the baptisms of eight children. Additionally there are baptisms on 8 Oct 1682 in Lt Shelford of Richard, Sarah 12 Apr 1684, and Maria on 1 Jan 1686, all children of Richard and Sarah and there's a burial in 1699 of Sarah Shelford.

There's no marriage as mentioned on the IGI in 1682, although there are other marriages in 1682, and as the date given is the same date as the baptism of a son to Richard and Sarah I take the information in that tree with a large helping of salt. And as the birth of Edward is just the year 1699 rather than a date it looks to me to be speculation. As Lt Shelford baptisms have been extracted onto the IGI and as there's no Edward in 1699 I don't think your answer's going to come from the parish register. There does seem to be a big gap from 1686 until the apparent death of Sarah in 1699, and I wonder if the 1700 marriage may have been Richard the widower rather than Richard his son.

A Richard Shelford was buried in Lt Shelford in 1712 which may have been the father rather than the son. I would check to see if he left a will naming his children.

Little Shelford is not yet included on Freereg

David

[Selina]

I agree with David that the information you have seen on the tree needs a sackful of salt!

I have had a look at the P.R. transcript and can confirm that there is no baptism for Edward in 1699 or any other year.  Nor is there a marriage of Richard in 1682.

What has thrown me a bit and I double checked with marriage index is that there is no 1700 marriage between Richard Shelford and Amitia Pitches.

I believe Cambs F.H.S. has transcribed all its parishes now and a handy tool is the Super Search on its web home page http://www.cfhs.org.uk/index.cfm?tag=1

If you enter a name, with or without a date, it will show all references to that name on its published parish record C.D's, with year and parish but not event, however it can be a great help.  For instance entering Richard Shelford shows an entry for him in 1682 but as David has pointed out this turns out to be a baptism not a marriage.

Selina

[bedfordshire boy]

You had me worried for a few moments there Selina. I eventually found the 1700 marriage again, but on the IGI extracted it's entered as Richardus, rather than Richard, in batch number M13830-1

David

[Selina]

Hi David,

Its OK you are not going doolalley!  Yes I looked on IGI and there it was but its not in the Little Shelford parish register transcript or on the Cambs. Marriage Index.

Possibly it was missed when the register was transcribed - only looking at the original would answer that. 

I checked under the brides name of Amitia Pitches to make sure - nothing.  A similar name was a baptism and burial of an Amida/Amidia Pitcher in 1693 but no marriage.  Pitches and Pitcher seem to be used for the same family.

Selina

[Vasquez109]

Thanks for all your efforts both! I think I might need a trip to the RO at some point in the near future. But thank you both so much for your help!

David.

[Stevegen]

Hi David

Did you ever find confirmation of Edward Shelford's birth and parents?

I have exactly the same blockage in my tree and solving it will give a complete link between my branch and the families in New Zealand.

Steve

[Vasquez109]

Sadly not! Still no further into this tree!

David.