John EDWARDS born Falmouth?

[Ebelvi]

Hi everybody,

I'm looking for more informaton about John Edwards.
I don't know his parents names, nor whether he had any brother or sisters.
At death he was married to Catharina, (born Amsterdam 1823, but have no marriage record)
He was a sea captain, died 64 years old in Antwerp/Belgium in 1858. The death certificate (in Durch/Flemisch language) states he lived in America but was born in Falmouth/England.

I could not find my John Edwards in the Falmouth baptism record:
- There is a John Edwards baptised in 1786, which makes him too old in 1858 to be the correct Edwards.
- The John Edwards baptized 1810 cannot be the correct one either (much too young in 1858).
Is it possible my John was born around 1795 but baptized in 1810?
Or perhaps he is born in Falmouth, but baptised in another parish, even somewhere in sussex for example?
Or maybe he is not baptised at all? And/or he moved with his parents to America at a very early age?

Being 64 years old at death means he must be born around 1794. But can we trust the 64 years old mentioned on the death certificate? I don't know where the age info written on the death certificate comes from. Did people those days carry identity papers with birth year?

[lizdb]

Have you checked neighbouring parishes?  He may have come from a small village near Falmouth, but when abroad just gave the name of the nearest big place as his birthplace.

[Ebelvi]

A quick John Edwards birth/Christening search on Familysearch for Cornwall:

1792 one in Rame by Plymouth, one in Sithney, one in Scilly Islands, one in Sancreed, one in St-Just in Roseland,
1793 one in Madron
1794 or 1795: no John Edwards
1796: one in Penzance, and a John Thomas Edwards in St-Gluvias.

Parents names are added (father, sometimes no mother).
We don't know his parents names, so I guess there is no reason to go for one of those options above...?

[osprey]

St Gluvias is very close to Falmouth, it covered part of Penryn.

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CON/StGluvias

St Just in Roseland is the other side of Carrick Roads from Falmouth and just a ferry ride away. Both parishes are a likely place of birth for someone who went to sea.

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CON/StJustinRoseland

http://www.opc-cornwall.org/MAPS/parish_map.pdf

If you're looking for records from Cornwall, the opc database has good coverage

http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/search-database/person-search/

[Ebelvi]

Thanks for info.

Yes, there's of course more than one John Edwards born/baptised between say 1791 and 1796...
But how can I lnow which one is the correct one?

He probably was a sailor from an early age on. Perhaps there is more info about him in a directory of seamen/captains early 19th century? 

 

[Ebelvi]

Hi everybody,
just to mention that after one more year of extensive and exhausting research (and a bit of luck) I finally found the correct birth and burial date and place I was looking for. And a lot more that I might publish one day if time allows me.