How To Work Out Families With Most Popular Name in Village!?!

[laren]

Hi Everyone,

Having smashed through a long time brickwall, I've immediately run into another one in the following generation.

My problem is that I'm researching a family from a small village, normally not a problem, but in my case, the family has the most popular name in the village. This is compounded by the fact that they were by about 98% Agricultural Labourers and they all seemed to like naming their kids the same names.

The census' aren't much help as the kids have left home.

I've gotten to the stage where I've basically done family group sheets for every family of this name in the village, going back about 200 years. And I'm trying to work out the lineages for each line (both for my own study and for a one-place study I'm doing).

To break my original brickwall (where both bride and groom have the same last name!), it came down to looking at the witnesses at my direct ancestors marriage and comparing that to the three possible families I had identified. One family had a sister with the same name as the witness. I know it's thin but it was all I could think of. And it won't be of much use further back as no witnesses in the old registers.

I'm after any tips on how to sort the mess out!! I've found the odd bit of evidence in the parish registers (where spouse or parents names are mentioned or an occupation is commented on) but the rest is looking pretty daunting.

Cheers,
Michelle

[pinefamily]

Without not knowing what era you are referring to, I would start with looking at both the original PR and the BT's. Then see if there are any other parish records, eg poor law, bastardy, overseers accounts, etc. And even though they might have been ag labs, don't rule out wills. Basically, all and any record that  might exist for the village needs to be examined.
This sort of scenario is never easy unfortunately.

[laren]

Without not knowing what era you are referring to, I would start with looking at both the original PR and the BT's. Then see if there are any other parish records, eg poor law, bastardy, overseers accounts, etc. And even though they might have been ag labs, don't rule out wills. Basically, all and any record that  might exist for the village needs to be examined.
This sort of scenario is never easy unfortunately.

Just to clarify I'm dealing with Essex 1846 and back.

I've got all the PR's and am working my way through. I've extracted all BDM for the family name and put them on Family group sheets.

I've got all the wills as well for the surname. I don't have access to the other records as I'm in Australia but I will keep an eye out for them.

But thanks for the tips, I'll add them to the list to check.

Cheers,
Michelle

[pinefamily]

You might find some of the other records on familysearch, through their microfilm system.

[Billyblue]

Have you thought of enlisting the help of the people at the Essex FHS?

http://www.esfh.org.uk/

Dawn M