Looking 4 marriage etc - William Alexander & Grace Farthing about 1690 - 1700

[Westy11]

The following is a very difficult one I fear as I have only minimal records to provide direction so any movement will be fantastic!

It is said that William Alexander of Suffolk & Grace Farthing married, however I have not seen any records to support that belief.

William and Grace did have one son Samuel b abt 1700 [Samuel the first] but unable so far to locate a birth/baptism. It is said that William died in 1706 but once again no records to substantiate unfortunately.

Samuel [the first] died in Needham Markets in 1732 and to date I have not located a Will.  Samuel [the first] has 2 sons Samuel [the second] and Dykes both stayed in the Needham Markets area so it is possible the family had a long association with Needham Markets.

It is possible that Samuel [the second] married Martha Dykes but I only surmise this given he named his second son as Dykes.

So as you can see a very tall order and one based on assumptions in the main.   

Westy

[hookleg]

There is a record of a William Alexander being buried 1714 at Barking, Suffolk. The reason I mention this is because Barking was the Parish Church which served Needham Market. Needham Market only had a chapel of ease. Hearses were taken along a lane to Barking from Needham Market, Corpse Way (Now called the Causeway) Barking was at that time the main village and Needham, with its market, just an outlying hamlet on the main road. The roles are now reversed and Needham Market is much larger than Barking. However, even today, some burials from Needham Market are still carried out at Barking although Needham now has a graveyard, but not attached to the church.
 http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/barking.htm
This website explains the connection.

[hookleg]

Were the family possibly Quakers? There is a burial of a Samuel Alexander in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. 1732. England & Wales, Society of Friends (Quaker) Burials 1578-1841
If this is the case it may be why you are having difficulty in finding a parish record for the marriage.

[Westy11]

Hello Hookleg,

Apologies for my delay in responding.  Life has been rather hectic.

Yes the Alexanders did join the Quakers but as to when is the question.

Regards,

Westy

[CDy]

I also can't find a marriage record on line for this couple. However, I think I can be of some assistance and partially answer your query. William Alexander's will can be found in the Suffolk Archives on line collection - it costs a little to access. This, at least, confirms that William's wife was called Grace, as was one of his daughters. It confirms that he must have died in 1706. It also confirms that William had a son called Samuel but there is no birth record available as of yet - you may need to visit or pay for research at the Suffolk archive?

From another set of Dikes wills from Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk Archives), it is not difficult to deduce that Martha Dikes married Samuel Alexander - there are references to Samuel being a son-in-law and a brother-in-law (the name was changed to Dykes at various stages in different branches of the family.) So far, I have been unable to find an official marriage record. Martha Alexander left a will confirming that she had two sons called Samuel and Dykes (Suffolk Archives).

The Dikes and the Alexanders were Quakers (the first Dikes to become a Quaker was Edward Dikes who died in 1664 in Bury St Edmunds). As far as can be determined, it seems that the first Alexander Quaker was the William who was married to Grace. Both Samuel and Martha's burial record can be found in Quaker records - this is also true of some of the records of their sons Alexander and Dykes and their descendants.