SAWARD

[findem]

Is anyone researching the Saward name?
I'm looking for Ann Saward born about 1730 and married William Smith 1755 at Felsted, the marriage entry stated that Ann was "of Thaxted".
I have a couple of contenders I found in Thaxted PRs:
Ann of Thomas & Ann Saward bap 3 Nov 1715.
Ann of Isaac & Sarah Saward bap 28 Jun 1719 (William & Ann Smith named a son Isaac).
In 1755 one Ann above would have been 40 the other 36 years of age, not bad but I would like to know if anyone has seen any Anns nearer 1730.  I have a few Sawards on my "spares" database if anyone is interested.   

[PeterSzewc]

Hi Findem, I am researching the Smith family and have quite a few born in Felsted... but not back to 1750's yet. I will keep an eye out for the Saward name as i go. If you have any downline on the Smith side, please let me know. Thank you.
Cheers, Peter.

[findem]

Hi Peter,
Nice to hear from you.

I would be grateful for any Saward info you might come across.

As for the Smiths of Felsted (and Gt Leighs if you have any), let me know ancestor names and dates (approx or known).  I will check my info and see if I have anything to help you or if our Smiths link up.  My Smith line goes to 1798 in Felsted and then from 1809 is in Gt Leighs.  I also have a "Spares" database with quite a few Smiths in it, so give me some names etc and I'll have a look.

If you should be searching Felsted burials I would be grateful for any Ann Smith buried after 1775 especially any info attached to the burial entry. 

By the way I will be over in Essex in October and of course will visit the ERO! I intend to do some more work on Smith and Saward.

No doubt by now you have found Felsted a great breeding ground for Smiths, talk about coming out of the woodwork! especially William Smiths.

Regards.

[PeterSzewc]

Hi Findem... you are right about breeding grounds... they go way back. I am only back to about 1814 with James so far, so it sounds like our smiths don't line up. Here is the earliest family from 1871...

 RG10/1703 ED 4 Folio 71 Page 14 Entry 84
(M)?ilch Hill
Felstead Essex

James Smith Head 57 b Felstaed Essex Ag Labourer
Martha Smith Wife 47 b Felstead Essex
John Smith son 18 b Felstead Essex Ag Labourer
Emma Smith dau 14 b Felstead Essex
Eliza Smith dau 11 b Felstead Essex
William Smith son 9 b Felstead Essex
Mary Ann Smith dau 7 b Felstead Essex

I will keep an eye out for Saward as I go. Cheers, Peter.

[findem]

Hi Peter,
As you say no link at the moment but once you've found the parents of your James Smith born circa 1814 it might be a different story.  At the time your James and Martha were having children at Felsted, my ancestors William and Rebecca were having children at Gt Leighs.  William was born at Felsted 1788 of William and Jane, so it is possible William and James were brothers.  Just to muddy the water, a William and Mary Smith were having children in Felstead at the same time as William and Jane. 

[PeterSzewc]

I knew this could get messy.

[findem]

Hi Peter,
Just a thought, have you checked the 1851 & 1861 censuses?  Looking at the age of the eldest son John, James & Martha would have been aged 39 and 29 respectively when he was born.  There may well have been older children who had probably left home by 1871.  One would expect there to perhaps have been at least children named James and Martha before John.

I found the Felsted Smith search very messy indeed, choosing between William of William & Jane born 1788 and William of William and Mary born 1786 was difficult.  I have settled on Will of Will & Jane and am 90% happy with that but I still intend to do further work at the ERO during October.  Whilst dithering over which William, I managed to go back two generations beyond that William.  Fortunately my Smith families before and after the two families above, named children Isaac, that helped, if only William & Jane or William & Mary had done the same.
I believe the name Isaac came from Ann Saward's father Isaac Saward.

Once you get back to the late 1700s get in touch, I may have info of help to you.
Good luck with your research.   

 

[PeterSzewc]

Hi Findem... thanks for the tip... I haven't spent much time on the Smith side yet, I have been concentrating on Marson. You are probably right about there being more kids, that would be great. Thank you for your offer to share your research, I'm sure I can use all the help I can get. I will let you know when I get back a few generations. Good luck to you also. Peter.

[PeterSzewc]

Findem... you will never believe what I found... here is a gedcom containing many Smiths from Felsted as far back as 1642... hope it contains something you can use.

Peter

http://www.bagpuss73.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/famhist/famhist.ged