Edgar family cumberland

[morgany]

Hi,  I am in desperate need of help with my family history - I have been at it since 2008 and have now got back to an ancestor called Taffetie Edger who married a Jena Brag in St. Bees 13/6/1642.  I think Jena is actually Jeneta Brage - I can cope with that but I cannot find any birth or any other information for Taffetie Edger other than the marriage and him being the father of a number of children after the marriage.  I appreciate that St. Bees is a wide area and includes Whitehaven but I just can't find any information about Taffetie anywhere.  Can anyone help me please? 
Tricia

[garstonite]

a strange set of records - could it be because of the English Civil War august 1642 - 1651
marriage 13th June 1642 - then Civil War starts 8 weeks later
John 1647
Robert 1651
William 1655
Annie 1656
Jane 1658
5 years from 1642 - 1647 - so probably at least one other child born in 1643/4/5/6 ?
is it possible that he changed his christian name to avoid detection if he was wanted by Cromwells forces ?...
Cockermouth Castle and Carlisle Castle were both sacked by Cromwell in Cumberland
St Bees to Cockermouth is 18 miles - so - was Taffetie involved in that battle ??

it is all supposition I know - but if you are looking for possible reasons you can't find him , maybe it is because of the war .
maybe another member can advise ??

[morgany]

Well I never ......... thank you so much for that very very interesting reply to my question.  You could have a point there ..... I didn't think of the war and yours sounds a very interesting theory.  I have been thinking "who in their right mind would call a child Taffetie?" and was beginning (or actually quite a way down the road in thinking this could be a nickname but then I thought that on official documents he would probably use his real name - but when he kept appearing as Taffetie I thought it rather strange.  Do you know if there is any way I could find out more please. 

Tricia

[jim1]

Apparently Taffetie was a strong material used for reinforcing sails, so perhaps his father was a sailor & he was one as well.
Doesn't help does it.

[morgany]

Hi, thanks for that - yes it does sort of help ..... given the area ..... whitehaven etc. there were a lot of sailors (mariners) around - I am thinking on the lines of him changing his name in about 1640 (revol  ution) and that perhaps he was born in Ireland or Scotland so I am now going to do a bit more lateral thinking and see if there was an Edger born around 1622 and became a mariner or, as you say, his father was a mariner.  I still think Taffetie wasn't his given name but hey I'm open to any suggestions so please keep 'em coming.
many thanks to all
Tricia

[jim1]

If the King's men or the Parliamentarians wanted you in their army they'd just take you....they wouldn't ask you your name.

[morgany]

I was wondering however, if (like in World War 2) anyone employed in an industry that was supportive of the country and the army etc. (like farming or shipbuilding) they were not 'conscripted' ..... I am now on the track of looking for a sailmaker with surname Edgar in the St. Bees area around that time - hopefully that might help
Tricia