Sarah BATTEN, born around 1771, perhaps in Tetsworth / Thame?

[ndmhine]

I am looking for some trace of the origins of Sarah BATTEN, who appears to be my wife's ancestor. She married Sparks PHILP on 10 Feb 1803 at St Dunstan's, Stepney. I cannot find a corresponding baptism anywhere nearby at any time that would make her an appropriate age. She appears as Sarah PHILP, with Sparks PHILP, in the 1841 census, aged 70, hence born around 1771, but then dies in 1845 so does not appear on the 1851 census that would otherwise have shown her place of birth.

Looking for traces by the same surname, I find a Martha BATTEN marrying John Froggitt in 1809 at St Dunstan's. Perhaps she is a sister, or other relative, of Sarah? Martha and John Froggitt are still around in 1851, and she puts her place of birth as Tetsworth, Oxfordshire.

I am therefore wondering if anyone could check the baptisms in the Tetsworth / Thame area and see if there is any family in the 1760s-1780s by the name of BATTEN who have daughters named Sarah and Martha (and who might have later ended up in London).

It is a bit of a long shot, but judging by the number of instances of her in ancestry trees Sarah Batten appears to be a lot of people's ancestor and no one has worked out where she came from. Would be great to get some sort of lead.

[..claire..]

Hi

Can't really help much but it might be worth tracing this family. I have found a monumental Inscription of a Sparks Philp born 1791 ( a son from your Sparks's first marriage perhaps ?). The intersting thing is the headstone which reads

In affectionate remembrance of  ANNIE FLORENCE PHILP the beloved daughter of  JAMES BATTEN and LOUISA PHILP of this Parish who died January 11th 1870 aged 20 months.

The rest reads

SPARKS PHILP who died June 30th 1877 in his 87th year also of ELIZA MARY wife of the above  SPARKS PHILP who died November 22nd 1879 aged 79 years .

Maybe tracing back this James Batten could lead to Sarah

[..claire..]

Just realised James above was probably a James B Philp

There are a couple more Battens that marry in the area, possible siblings.

John Batten mar. Martha Wiggens 17 Aug 1794 St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney

Joseph Batten mar. Mary Hollamby 24 May 1795       "           "          "            "

[allisont]

Looking at Tetsworth baptisms on Oxfordshire FHS disc there isn't a Sarah or Martha.
Checked Thame and not there either.

[ndmhine]

Thanks allisont for checking that. I had a feeling that would be the case! She seems to be a total dead end, which is frustrating.

Thanks also for spotting that other marriage claire: John Batten marrying Martha Wiggens might mean that Martha Batten = Martha Wiggens, hence not a sibling of Sarah at all. I will see if that John Batten is traceable.

[..claire..]

John BATTEN and Martha WIGGENS ~ both were widowed at marriage 1794
Witnesses: Ro Vaughn and Sarah Bradleys

When Martha BATTEN married John FROGGITT married she was a SPINSTER, he a bachelor. Witnesses: George Hall and Mary Ann ? Batten

Witnesses to Sarah Battens marriage in case you haven't got them : Alice ? Hunt, Isabell Hunt, ? ? Hunt and A O Lambert.

[ndmhine]

Marking this resolved as there's not enough evidence that she was from Oxfordshire to merit leaving it open.

[bucksboy]

Before you give up totally, why did you think she was from Oxfordshire. ?

I just had a quick look at the OxFHS marriage index(1538-1837) for possible parents.

Crowell - James Batten to Sarah Wise. 10 Oct 1772.
Oxford St Michael - John Batten to Elizabeth Wooten. 14 April 1763.
Rotherfield Peppard - Thomas Batten(widower of Enbourne,Berks) to Sarah Wise 24 Oct 1768.
Dorchester - John BATTIN(of Brightwell, Berks) to Mary Betterridge. 3 May 1774.
Stokenchurch - Richard BATTIN(of Cuddesden) to Sarah Hunt. 24 Aug 1767.
Shirburn - Robert BATTIN to Rebecca Austin. 3 Nov 1771.


All reasonably local to Thame and Tetsworth.

I've checked the relevant OxFHS PR's CD's for Stokenchurch, Cuddesden, Crowell & Shirburn.  Although there are baptisms to the couples mentioned, no Sarah Batten/Battin.

Perhaps others have the PR's that I haven't got, so they could check those, if possible.

For a very small fee, OxFHS could do a baptism search for you.  If nothing found, then it maybe time to call it a day, but don't give up yet.


Steve.

[ndmhine]

For the Tetsworth connection, see the original message - it was always a little tenuous:

"Looking for traces by the same surname, I find a Martha BATTEN marrying John Froggitt in 1809 at St Dunstan's. Perhaps she is a sister, or other relative, of Sarah? Martha and John Froggitt are still around in 1851, and she puts her place of birth as Tetsworth, Oxfordshire."

Without a smoking gun of a Sarah Batten baptism in the right place, it doesn't seem worth pursuing. People who died in the 1840s are very frustrating if they married away from their birthplace, in that they appear on the 1841 census but not 1851, so you never see a place of birth.

I did eventually find a Sarah Batten baptised at an independent presbyterian chapel in Blackfriars in 1770: could well be her, but unfortunately it recorded nothing other than that her father was called "Mr Batten"! If that's her she had a brother called Nathanael.