Sarah Pronger

[MattD30]

I am hoping someone here might be able to clear up some confusion I have uncovered concerning my ancestor Sarah Pronger.

Sarah married Samuel Matthews [or Mathews - sometimes without the "s"] in Nuthurst, Sussex on 24 June 1739. Their first child - Anne Matthews - was christened on 29 July 1739 in Nuthurst.

Originally I thought Sarah was christened on 23 June 1710 and was the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Pronger.

However recently I discovered that there is a christening on 14 June 1724 for another Sarah Pronger daughter of Thomas and Sarah - also in Nuthurst.

Is anyone able to check if the Sarah christened in 1710 died? If the Thomas and Sarah mentioned in both cases are the same parents then it looks like the first Sarah died. If that's the case then they surely can't be my ancestors - unless my Sarah had her first child when she was 15. Possible I guess.

Does anyone have any ideas which might help clear this puzzle up? I look forward to any suggestions and ideas or help.

Thanks in advance

Matt

[ColC]

I note on family search and Freereg Thomas Pronger of Nuthurst married Sarah Halloway
OTP of Itchingfield, Sussex, married 3 Oct 1706. No other Thomas marriage before 1725.

On FS There are two baptisms on 23 June 1710 Thomas and Sarah. Maybe Twins or just baptised together.There is another Thomas 15 Apr 1722 and as you say Sarah 14 Jan 1724/25.

Other children John 1707 and Elizabeth 1716. There is also Ann on Freereg 1714 but mother noted as Mary?

There are burials in the parish but none for Thomas or Sarah between 1710 and 1722/25 but my guess would be they did not survive. Although the second Sarah would only be about 15 in 1739 it was legal in the day.

Colin

[jonw65]

It seems that there was only one baptism in Nuthurst on 23 June 1710
In the parish register it says
Sarah, Daughter of Thomas and Sarah Pronger
Image here
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6RQ9-WDF?i=280

But the BT says
Thomas, Son of Tho + Sarah Pronger
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYQY-N8?i=779&cat=581076

The indexing of Thomas on FamilySearch is via another film, Nuthurst parish register transcripts, this modern work includes variations found in the BTs
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D1QW-818?i=912&cat=478030

The entry before Sarah in the parish register is a baptism on 24 Feb, which is out of order from the other entries in 1710 (see also previous image), and I am not sure if it is in the BTs!
The entry after is Samuel Mathew (also indexed on FS as Samuel Mathen, from the modern TS)
Another Samuel Mathew baptized in 1717. Is one of them Sarah's husband to be!

There is also a baptism in Nuthurst, 16 Dec 1714, Ann, daughter of Tho & Mary Pronger. Is Mary a mistake? The BT omits the mother's name.

Are there any more children of Samuel and Sarah Matthew(s) after Sarah baptized in 1751 in Nuthurst? A Sarah born circa 1810 would then be 40+, a younger Sarah might perhaps have gone on to have more children (presuming her husband was still alive!)
John

[MattD30]

I note on family search and Freereg Thomas Pronger of Nuthurst married Sarah Halloway
OTP of Itchingfield, Sussex, married 3 Oct 1706. No other Thomas marriage before 1725.

On FS There are two baptisms on 23 June 1710 Thomas and Sarah. Maybe Twins or just baptised together.There is another Thomas 15 Apr 1722 and as you say Sarah 14 Jan 1724/25.

Other children John 1707 and Elizabeth 1716. There is also Ann on Freereg 1714 but mother noted as Mary?

There are burials in the parish but none for Thomas or Sarah between 1710 and 1722/25 but my guess would be they did not survive. Although the second Sarah would only be about 15 in 1739 it was legal in the day.

Colin

Hi Colin

Thanks for that info. I have the marriage of Thomas Pronger and Sarah which you mentioned as well as the christenings of Sarah and Thomas who I suspect were twins like you said.

There are also two other children: John christened on 5 November 170, and Elizabeth christened on 5 March 1715/16 (both christened in Nuthurst).

After the christening of Sarah Pronger in 1724 I can't see any other possible children.

Thomas Pronger himself appears to have been born in Horsham in 1681 whilst Sarah was born in Billingshurst in 1685. She was christened there on 22 May 1685 as Sarah Holloway (daughter of James).

If the Sarah who was born in 1724 is my Sarah, then the question is what happened to the earlier Sarah? Did Thomas and Sarah name two daughters Sarah? Samuel Matthews himself was born in 1717.

More to think about at least.
Thanks again
Matt

[MattD30]

It seems that there was only one baptism in Nuthurst on 23 June 1710
In the parish register it says
Sarah, Daughter of Thomas and Sarah Pronger
Image here
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6RQ9-WDF?i=280

But the BT says
Thomas, Son of Tho + Sarah Pronger
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYQY-N8?i=779&cat=581076

FamilySearch has indexed Thomas via another film, Nuthurst parish register transcripts, this modern work includes variations found in the BTs
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D1QW-818?i=912&cat=478030

The entry before Sarah in the parish register is a baptism on 24 Feb, which is out of order from the other entries in 1710 (see also previous image), and I am not sure if it is in the BTs!
The entry after is Samuel Mathew (also indexed on FS as Samuel Mathen, from the modern TS)
Another Samuel Mathew baptized in 1717. Is one of them Sarah's husband to be!

There is also a baptism in Nuthurst, 16 Dec 1714, Ann, daughter of Tho & Mary Pronger. Is Mary a mistake? The BT omits the mother's name.

Are there any more children of Samuel and Sarah Matthew(s) after Sarah baptized in 1751 in Nuthurst? A Sarah born circa 1810 would then be 40+, a younger Sarah might perhaps have gone on to have more children (presuming her husband was still alive!)
John

Hi John

Thanks for that info. I must admit I am still a bit confused however. The Sarah christened in 1710 would certainly closer in age to Samuel when they married in 1739 than one born in 1724.

The PR entry for 1710 clearly states "June 23 Sarah daughter of Thomas and Sarah Pronger" and below it is the christening of a "Samuel Matthews" who was the son of "Samuel and Jane Matthews".

This Samuel is clearly a different one to the Samuel who was christened in 1717, unless this was a previous marriage.

I'm not sure when Samuel's wife Sarah died but he appears to have married a woman named Rebecca Carter in 1723 and had three children with her.

The modern transcript you sent says:

"1724 Jan 14 PRONGER - Sarah daughter of Thomas and Sarah"

The 1724 christening also appears on the BTs and PRs however I have also found another christening on the BTs for a child a was previously unaware of:

1722/23

"April 15 Thomas son of Thomas Pronger"

If neither the Sarah nor the Thomas who were christened in 1710 died then it makes me think that these are more likely to be different families. Perhaps the two fathers were cousin?

More thought is needed on this I think.

Thanks again

Matt