Author Topic: Those pesky Deacons!  (Read 2129 times)

Offline Westfield

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Those pesky Deacons!
« on: Monday 13 January 20 16:50 GMT (UK) »
I have just been rechecking some dates and trying to fill some gaps in the Deacons (of East Ilsley) line. I am fine back to Crispin Deacon (1729-1805) and his parents , William Deacon (Deakon) and Joane. But I have come unstuck with relying on other people's trees. They have William's parents as Francis Deacon and Jane Hassett - I can't find such a couple that actually fit with the dates and local area. I am always wary of 'family' turning up from another county, just like that. Also, the trees say Joane Deakon was the daughter of a Thomas Whitaker and an Elizabeth Hornblower. On closer inspection, that couple had a SON, John not a daughter, Joane.
As Deacon is THE family name, I would like to get this as accurate as possible. Is there anyone out there who can confirm the Ancestry and LDS family trees or knows ANYTHING about this branch of the East Ilsley, Compton, Chieveley Deacons, please?
Cashmore, Ward, Durham of Stone, Staffs
Wood (Hanley, Shelton) Bedson (Stoke)
Deacon (Stoke, Reading, Swindon) Freeman/Powis (Stoke, Shropshire, Cheshire)
Leigh (Stoke)

Offline Sloe Gin

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Re: Those pesky Deacons!
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 14 January 20 15:27 GMT (UK) »
Crispin Deacon's parents were Francis Deacon and Elizabeth Giles.
Here's his baptism from East Ilsley PR.

1728 Nov 10 Crispin son of Francis & Elizabeth DEACON

Their marriage
1727 Jan 5 Francis DEACON & Elizabeth GILES, botp

Francis was the son of William and Joane, baptised 22 Oct 1701, so you've skipped a generation.  Their first child recorded in East Ilsley PRs was William baptised in 1692. 

Unfortunately there's no record of William senior's baptism or marriage, but if we assume he was born around 1670 (he died in 1744) he is of an age with the children of Richard & Christian Deacon, who were baptising children in East Ilsley between 1653 and 1669.  (NB the mother's name is only recorded for the two youngest, so there may be some confusion here)   

Sorry, no baptism recorded in East Ilsley for Elizabeth Giles, so we will have to look elsewhere for her.
ETA
Elizabeth d/o Roger & Jane GILES bpt 1 Jan 1706 in West Ilsley looks a likely candidate. There are no other entries for her in West Ilsley PR.

East Ilsley PRs proper begin in 1653.  There are a few earlier records up to 1637 from BTs, but they are patchy. 
There is a marriage in 1636 23 Nov Richard DEACON & Elizabeth HOPKINS
who baptise a son Francis on 1 Oct 1637
But there is a frustrating gap after 1637/8, and we don't start to get mothers' names again until 1664.  But this Francis could be William's father.

Bear in mind that many parishes have gaps in the registers around the time of the Civil War, so it may not be easy to find the links.
UK census content is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk  Transcriptions are my own.

Offline Westfield

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Re: Those pesky Deacons!
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 14 January 20 20:09 GMT (UK) »
Oops, I DO actually have Francis and Elizabeth as the parents of Crispin. I don't know what I was thinking!😳
I also think Elizabeth Giles' mother was a Jane Smith?
You seem to be confirming The information I have, so perhaps it is correct! But the Richard Francis Deacon that I have comes from Leicester!?
I had not considered the effects of the Civil War. I suppose people could have moved around then.
Also I have a baptism for Crispin on 10 May 1729, but as Crispianas, just as Jane Smith's father is William or Gulielmi. I have found this before with other families - two baptisms, one C of E, one Catholic.
Thank you very much for your input, it is good to have a fresh pair of eyes on the subject.
Cashmore, Ward, Durham of Stone, Staffs
Wood (Hanley, Shelton) Bedson (Stoke)
Deacon (Stoke, Reading, Swindon) Freeman/Powis (Stoke, Shropshire, Cheshire)
Leigh (Stoke)

Offline Sloe Gin

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Re: Those pesky Deacons!
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 14 January 20 20:35 GMT (UK) »
I had not considered the effects of the Civil War. I suppose people could have moved around then.
No, it's just that during the Commonwealth BMD events were supposed to be recorded by the civil authorities instead of the church, and most records were lost.  So there were no Bishop's Transcripts, and although some churches continued to keep records, many did not.

This means that many records just don't exist, so unfortunately there will be people thinking along the lines of "Well, there's nobody else of that name so this must be him/her."  Personally I would not be tempted to include somebody from Leicester at this period.
UK census content is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk  Transcriptions are my own.


Offline Sloe Gin

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Re: Those pesky Deacons!
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 14 January 20 20:49 GMT (UK) »
I also think Elizabeth Giles' mother was a Jane Smith?

Very possibly.  There is a marriage on 15 Jan 1702/3 at Hampstead Norris between Roger GILES and Jane SMITH.  I don't have access to the full PRs though, just this from the Berks Marriage Index, so can't see if there are any baptisms to this couple at HN.
UK census content is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk  Transcriptions are my own.

Offline Westfield

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Re: Those pesky Deacons!
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 14 January 20 21:25 GMT (UK) »
In cases like this I tend to pencil someone in until something better comes along. I did that with one branch of my family - well two branches! Two families living very close to each other with children having the same names and close birth dates. I followed both until one emigrated, managed to get in touch with one of their descendants - definitely NOT my family but helped him clear up some problems he had!
You never know what you might find!
Cashmore, Ward, Durham of Stone, Staffs
Wood (Hanley, Shelton) Bedson (Stoke)
Deacon (Stoke, Reading, Swindon) Freeman/Powis (Stoke, Shropshire, Cheshire)
Leigh (Stoke)

Offline Sloe Gin

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Re: Those pesky Deacons!
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 14 January 20 21:39 GMT (UK) »
But I have come unstuck with relying on other people's trees. They have William's parents as Francis Deacon and Jane Hassett - I can't find such a couple that actually fit with the dates and local
area.
I think people have been using the Berks Marriage Index.  I don't think it's complete yet (insofar as it ever can be) and I don't think I have the most up-to date version, but here goes.

There's a marriage at Brimpton between Francis DEACON and Jane HASSELL 27 Nov 1649, so that's where that's come from. (I very much doubt it is the Francis I mentioned as he would only be 12 at the time.)  However, there's another Brimpton marriage for a Francis DEACON in 1607, so it looks as though they are a Brimpton family, and I would want to look at the Brimpton PRs before adding any of these. 
 
Quote
Also, the trees say Joane Deakon was the daughter of a Thomas Whitaker and an Elizabeth Hornblower. On closer inspection, that couple had a SON, John not a daughter, Joane.

And this one is a marriage at St Nicolas, Newbury, between William DEACON and Joan WHITECAR on 13 Sep 1691, which does look spot on for that baptism of William jr in July 1692.  Again I would want to look at St Nicolas PRs to make sure that this couple weren't baptising children there, but this marriage looks worth pencilling in at least.  I'd do that before worrying about who her parents are.
UK census content is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk  Transcriptions are my own.

Offline Westfield

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Re: Those pesky Deacons!
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 14 January 20 21:55 GMT (UK) »
That sounds promising, thank you.
Cashmore, Ward, Durham of Stone, Staffs
Wood (Hanley, Shelton) Bedson (Stoke)
Deacon (Stoke, Reading, Swindon) Freeman/Powis (Stoke, Shropshire, Cheshire)
Leigh (Stoke)

Offline smudwhisk

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Re: Those pesky Deacons!
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 14 January 20 23:02 GMT (UK) »
I think people have been using the Berks Marriage Index.  I don't think it's complete yet (insofar as it ever can be) and I don't think I have the most up-to date version, but here goes.

There's a marriage at Brimpton between Francis DEACON and Jane HASSELL 27 Nov 1649, so that's where that's come from. (I very much doubt it is the Francis I mentioned as he would only be 12 at the time.)  However, there's another Brimpton marriage for a Francis DEACON in 1607, so it looks as though they are a Brimpton family, and I would want to look at the Brimpton PRs before adding any of these. 

Brimpton PRs don't start until 1678, earlier entries are from what is available from the BTs.

There is a Francis and Jane Deacon baptising children in Lambourn between 1650 and 1672, with burials for a Francis in 1706 and Jane in 1681.  The burial for Jane does say wife of Francis of Lambourn so is obviously her.  Their two sons named Francis (a third was apparently a daughter) were buried as infants in the parish, both entries say son of Francis. 

The Lambourn baptisms do say Francis and Jane and the first is Jan 1649/50 suggesting possibly if the Brimpton marriage is correct it was a shotgun wedding.  That said Brimpton is a bit of distance from Lambourn but not impossible. 

I don't know though where Francis came from originally, could be Brimpton but I'm not sure if I've looked at the available BTs yet.  Familysearch have digitised them so when I can get to one of the FHCs at some point I need to have a look.  I've been researching the Lambourn family for about 10 years but not got much further due to lack of access to the Berkshire records. :-\

As Sloe Gin says, the Berkshire Marriage Index is far from complete, I think it is up to v4 at the moment.
(KENT) Lingwell, Rayment (BUCKS) Read, Hutchins (SRY) Costin, Westbrook (DOR) Gibbs, Goreing (DUR) Green (ESX) Rudland, Malden, Rouse, Boosey (FIFE) Foulis, Russell (NFK) Johnson, Farthing, Purdy, Barsham (GLOS) Collett, Morris, Freebury, May, Kirkman (HERTS) Winchester, Linford (NORTHANTS) Bird, Brimley, Chater, Wilford, Read, Chapman, Jeys, Marston, Lumley (WILTS) Arden, Whatley, Batson, Gleed, Greenhill (SOM) Coombs, Watkins (RUT) Stafford (BERKS) Sansom, Angel, Young, Stratton, Weeks, Day