Trying to find the confirmation of Great grandparents back to 1700

[Louisejo]

Hi, I've tried to search everywhere but nothing is coming up... After spending what feels like a lifetime in just a few weeks doing the research I'm left so frustrated and don't know where to turn to.. I'm trying to find out more information on a
James Jones born 1731 (sometimes written as Joanes) and his Father Robart Joanes.. I believe born maybe in 1702.. trouble is James and the rest of the family thereafter were all born in Farnham Surrey but its saying Robart was possibly from Gloucestershire.. no records of either Mothers

[chempat]

Welcome to rootschat, Louisejo,

but its saying Robart was possibly from Gloucestershire..

What is 'it' that is saying Robert was possibly from Gloucestershire?

[Little Nell]

Welcome to RootsChat.

To help us help you, can you tell us what records you have so far found e.g. baptisms in Surrey.

I'm afraid that this family history lark requires patience and is never as easy (or quick!) as we might hope. 

Nell

[Louisejo]

so I've signed up to Ancestry and luckily I've been able to get most of the info off another 10 members trees...
I have a record of James Jones 22nd Oct 1754 Farnham, Surrey death 8th Oct 1831 Farnham, Surrey
His Father is another James it seems born on 17th May 1731 again in Farnham,
then possible his Father is Robart Joanes  possible born 26th March 1702.... a possible marriage match to an Olefe Briden in Marshfield, Gloucestershire, England on 15th Mar 1731

[Little Nell]

So you have confirmed the links via parish registers and other official records back to James who died in 1831?

Jones is a very common name and caution would be advised: check out the clues provided by other trees, but please don't take the information as gospel if it is not sourced.  It would be all too easy to follow a false lead. 

I'm a bit concerned about the marriage date that you give in March 1731 in Gloucestershire with a baptism date for the child in Surrey some 8 weeks later.  I would be very cautious about accepting that without some verification.

The age at death for James in 1831 is not a perfect match for the one baptised in 1754 - about 3 years out if he was baptised soon after birth, but people were notoriously inaccurate about ages back then.  Unfortunately the baptism record provides nothing by way of clues - no occupation of his father, no mother's name.  This is typical for the period.  So you may have to re-construct any Jones families who were living in Farnham at that time.  There is the added complication that Farnham is quite close to the border with Hampshire, so you may have to look there too.

Nell

[Maiden Stone]

so I've signed up to Ancestry and luckily I've been able to get most of the info off another 10 members trees...

Just because the information is on other people's trees, it doesn't mean it's correct. It depends on how thorough the research of each tree compiler is. Some people copy info from other trees including mistakes and thus incorrect trees multiply.
Take the adverts and the "hints" with a large helping of salt.
I agree with everything Nell said.

[arthurk]

His Father is another James it seems born on 17th May 1731 again in Farnham,
then possible his Father is Robart Joanes  possible born 26th March 1702.... a possible marriage match to an Olefe Briden in Marshfield, Gloucestershire, England on 15th Mar 1731

I'm a bit concerned about the marriage date that you give in March 1731 in Gloucestershire with a baptism date for the child in Surrey some 8 weeks later.  I would be very cautious about accepting that without some verification.

I'd be even more cautious than Little Nell. The Old Style calendar was still in use in 1731, under which New Years Day was 25 March, so if these are the dates from the original records, 15 March 1731 was actually about 10 months after 17 May 1731. The New Style calendar, with New Years Day on 1 January, was introduced in 1752.

Some transcribers translate Old Style dates to New Style but don't explain this, so there's plenty of scope for confusion. To avoid this, it's recommended that dates from 1 Jan to 24 Mar in Old Style should be written as eg 15 Mar 1731/32, meaning 1731 Old Style or 1732 New Style.

[Louisejo]

oh right... that's a very interesting fact... never know that at all

[Louisejo]

how do I check parish records? would it be the same information that I find on Ancestry?