James BOSS (born c.1776)

[mickwick]

I would appreciate help in finding the baptism record and parents of James BOSS, who became a boatswain in the Royal Navy. His service record shows him joining up in 1798, aged 21, born in Lynn. He married Mary Philips Rickard in 1809 at Stoke Damerel, Devonport, and died there in 1857, aged 81. The 1841 & 1851 censuses show him living in Stoke Damerel, aged 60 & 73 respectively, and according to the 1851 census he was born in Lynn (King's Lynn), Norfolk. I've hit a brick wall with his birth.

[whiteout7]

Interesting, I can not find him even or any Boss baptism though his birth should be covered by the IGI (Family Search)

Kings Lynn
   (Broad Street Independent
    Formerly Presbyterian)   C075001     1778-1837           
                                    C075002     1745-1777 <------------!!!

Could the surname orginally been Bos, Bass, Bose, or even Bois?   

[mickwick]

Thanks for your input. I've looked again at the two IGI batch numbers and agree that the surname could have been different originally.

I visited the research room at Trues Yard in King's Lynn a couple of years ago when in that area and the researcher (who had worked there for 15 years) said the name Boss was not familiar with her. The answer is out there somewhere!

[Annette7]

There was indeed just one family named Boss with baptisms during this period at St. Margaret's, Kings Lynn:

Thomas Boss, son of Thomas, bur.8/4/1757
Susanna Boss bp.21/3/1756 (bur.7/7/1757), dau. of Thomas and Susanna
Susanna Boss bp.8/7/1769, bur.6/8/1769, dau.      ditto
Anne Foss bp.26/3/1770, bur.26/3/1770 as Boss,    ditto
John Foss bp.20/1/1772                                         ditto
Robert Foss bp.11/9/1774, bur.10/1/1775               ditto

Surely this must be his parents and siblings - cannot see a likely baptism for a James but this must be his family.   Cannot see likely burial entries - even allowing for dodgy spelling - for his parents so he could have been the youngest born around the time family left Kings Lynn for pastures new.

Annette

[Annette7]

Thomas Boss married Susanna Bacon May 1755 Gaywood, St. Faith, Norfolk (Archdeacons transcripts).

All the events I've referred to can be found on FreeReg.

Annette

[mickwick]

Many thanks for that info Annette. The family of Boss/Foss certainly looks a good contender. I have found another three possible siblings on FreeReg that slot in nicely between the others:

William Foss bp.13/7/1760 son of Thomas and Susanna
James Foss bp.7/12/1762 son of              ditto
Mary Foss bp.30/11/1763 dau of              ditto

I couldn't find an early death for the above James which might complicate matters! I shall now see if I can find deaths in other parts of England for parents Thomas and Susanna.

mickwick