CLARK - St Cuthbert, Bedford - Marriage/Workhouse

[ATGoldsmith]

Hello!

Would someone be able to look at the original marriage register for St Cuthbert parish, Bedford for John CLARK and Freelove BERWICK on 17th January 1803 as I would like to know if it could hold some more information about their origins and the witnesses?  I suspect that BERWICK is not Freelove's maiden name as she was ~40 years old when she married.

Also, I know that Freelove died in the Bedford workhouse in June 1839 - would someone be able to look at some records for me for similar information that could be of use?

Thank you!

ATG

[bedfordshire boy]

She was buried at Bedford St Cuthbert aged 78 on 9 Jun 1839, abode Bedford St Peter

[ATGoldsmith]

Thanks bedfordshireboy,  however I noticed there is another burial for the same person in 'the workhouse' two days earlier which confused me!

ATG

[johnP-bedford]

St Cuthberts marriage transcript from the PR.....

17 Jan 1803 John Clark to Freelove Berwick

This just has the names & no other info... other entries do state a different parish so we assume that both were from St Cuthberts.  I might pop into Beds Archives to see original entry for witnesses.

John & Freelove Clark baptised son William there on on 20 Mar 1803

The two burials are from the NBI...
(1) 7 June 1839 FreeLove Clarke age 76 Bedford Workhouse
(2) 9 June 1839 Freelove Clarke age 78 Bedford St Cuthberts

The 2nd entry is as what Beds Boy gave you from transcribed burial records.. Abode of St Peters refers to the workhouse as that's the parish it was in.
The 1st entry most likely comes from the Bedford Union Workhouse register of deaths
 

[ATGoldsmith]

Thanks John!

That would be brilliant if you could find the original - thanks!

Yes I remember looking at the time between their marriage and baptism - surely this means William was illegitimate?  Maybe this had something to do with the strange marriage age of the woman?  I was thinking about the recent episode of WDYTYA? with Frances de la Tour and she found that one of her ancestors made up a name for the father - maybe the name Freelove was an attempt to hide the illegitimacy or that John Clark never existed?  I couldn't find a compelling burial for John...

Some things to wonder about...!  Thanks again!

ATG 

[johnP-bedford]

The St Cuthberts marriage entry has it that both parties were of this parish and shows no status. Witnesses were William Willis and William Wootton. However it was done by licence. The marriage licence transcript gives some more info. John Clark was a widower & a labourer aged 21+; Freelove Berwick was aged 21+. Surety was given by William Willis, gentleman of Elstow.

There is a Eureka publication 'Bedford Union Workhouse births & deaths 1837 - 1857'. it contains the death of Freelove Clarke, died on 5 June 1839 age 76 in parish of St Peters, of apoplexy, buried on 8 June 1839 at St Cuthberts, burial paid for by St Peter's parish & her friends.

Interestingly there's a death & burial on 31 Jan 1839 of Emma Clark aged 1 hour of St Johns due to an untimely birth. Could this be daughter of Freelove ? No workhouse birth is mentioned.
There's a BMD birth index for Emma Clark in March 1839 in Bedford RD ref 6/22 and a death index for Emma Clarke in March 1839 in Bedford Rd ref 6/25.

Cheers John     

[ATGoldsmith]

Hi John,

Thanks so much for all this information!

That's annoying about the lack of status for Freelove - was she hiding something...?!  The witnesses are interesting though could be completely unrelated - will look into them though   But that's really good that we now know John was a widower - i may be able to find out more about his past now!

That publication looks useful.  The date of death and burial can now be confirmed and the cause of death is always interesting to know.  Even more interestingly, the burial was funded by her friends!  For a workhouse burial that is good!  I presume there still won't be a headstone though...

The Emma Clark cannot be Freelove's daughter - she would have been 76 when she gave birth!  But I reckon she was her granddaughter because William, Freelove's son, had two other Emmas after 1829.  thank you for this extra research!

Thanks again, I think we call this a completed request - though I'll update it with further information should I find any!

ATG

[johnP-bedford]

Don't close the case yet ATG....

I was intrigued to find out why the BERWICK name was not in the index of the St Cuthberts PR as it's clearly there for the 1803 marriage. Seems it was grouped in with BARRACK, BARRICK, BARWICK, BARWICKE & similarly so in the Beds Probate Records.

Thus I found a marriage at St Cuthberts on 6th Apr 1763 of George Barwick to Elizabeth Wootton. Seems they baptised a daughter LOVEY Barrack there on 21 Oct 1764..... plus another baptism on 21 Mar 1772 for William Wootton, son of Elizabeth Barwick aged 3 years. Also found a later marriage on 28 Jan 1785 of James Smith junior, widower to Elizabeth Berwick, widow. But I've not found a burial for husband George.   

Cheers John

[bedfordshire boy]

JP, you're a star!