Rebecca Dickens -- Riseley

[linmey]

Hi,
Rebecca Dickens married James Dennis in Riseley in1803 but I think I have been barking up the wrong tree with identifying her parents. Looking at the names of her children it seems likely that her parents were Simon Dickens and Martha Harper, but I have been unable to find any confirmation of her existence outside the census and burial records. I am wondering if they were dissenters. Any ideas gratefully received.

Linda

[Bunnygirl]

Hi
Riseley PR shows the marriage as 21 July 1803 James Dennis to Rebecca Dickins.
I cannot see a baptism for her although some of the registers are missing. However there are Dickins children being baptized from 2 Dickins families. Any idea when Rebecca was born?

Bunnygirl 

[linmey]

Hi Bunnygirl,

Thank you for your reply. Rebecca was born in C.1782, and you are right there are baptisms from 2 families but I havnt been able to locate Rebecca among them.

Linda

[Bunnygirl]

Hi
No neither can I she was probably on the missing pages? The Parish Register shows no Dickens children baptized for 1782. William & Sarah baptized a son in November 1781. if that's any help? The BT's for 1783 are missing. The baptisms for 1783 are the BT's for 1782.
Think this one is going to be  very difficult to prove!!!

Bunnygirl 

[linmey]

I think you are spot on Bunnygirl, very difficult to prove. I have to take a stab at it by looking at the names of her children which on the surface are a bit of a giveaway, but of course not proof as such.

Many thanks for your help.

Best wishes,

Linda.

[johnP-bedford]

Both James & Rebecca are in my tree

I have her born c 1782. the baptisms are missing from Riseley PR from 1784 to 1789

On 1841 she is age age 60 with a 15 yr old daughter ? Rebecca

Cheers John

[linmey]

Hi John,
I am going on the fact that she named one of her sons Simon Dickens Dennis to guess at her fathers ID. I thought she was the daughter of Isaac Dickens and Mary Reynolds but I believe they only had the one child, a son, also called Isaac.

Linda

[johnP-bedford]

...... Rebecca was born in C.1782......

How have you determined this Linda? by her being aged at least 21 at the 1803 marriage.

The 1841 census at Riseley she is aged 60 (=1781) with 15 yr old daughter Rebecca.
I've found her in 1851 at Riseley (Anc* has her as Dinnis) widow, mother in law, age 72 (= born 1779) Riseley with daughter Rebecca 1823 who married Samuel Robins 1814 at Riseley on 12 Apr 1850; witnesses Samuel Woodham & Ann Woodham. Rebecca's father was James Dennis, Sawyer who was buried Riseley on 21 Feb 1826 age 47. There's a death index for Rebecca Dennis in Bedford RD in Sept 1860, she was buried Riseley on 2 Sept 1860 age 81 (=1779)

I didn't find daughter Rebecca's baptism (c 1823) but a previous Rebecca daughter of James & Rebecca Dennis was baptised aged 8 months on 12 Sept 1819 and was buried age 2 years on 22 Dec 1820.

So if Rebecca Dickins was born 1779 why is she not in the Riseley PR baptisms transcript which exists for 1778,1779,1780,1781,1782; although these are all sourced from the BT's as the baptism register vol III for 1747-1789 does not exist. While BTs have filled most of this void there are no BTs for 1777 & 1783 to 1789......

Which might explain why I cannot find baptism of James Dennis either?     

[Bunnygirl]

Hi
So who were the parents of this Rebekah Dickins?
Riseley Marriages
William Holden to Rebekah Dickins 26 April 1829 by banns
witnesses Mary Dickins & James Young

Bunnygirl