Sarah Eastaugh/Eastow formerly Turner nee Churchyard

[adamjack]

Hello

I am trying to find the baptism of my ancestor Sarah Churchyard who married firstly Robert Turner on 7 Feb 1775 in Yoxford. Robert Turner, married man, was buried at Middleton cum Fordley on 20 Jan 1778. Sarah later married Nathaniel Eastaugh on 5 Dec 1790 in Middleton cum Fordley, listed as widow Sarah Turner. They had sons Charles privately baptised 9 June 1791 in Middleton cum Fordley and Samuel born 25 June 1795, privately baptised 26 June 1795 in Yoxford (both sons were received into the church at Darsham on 7 Jul 1799).

On Charles's baptism in Middleton Sarah is listed as Sarah late Churchyard. On Samuel's baptism in Yoxford Sarah is listed as Sarah late Churchhill. I think Churchhill was incorrectly recorded as Sarah's maiden name on Samuel's baptism and that her maiden name was Churchyard, because that is the name listed on her marriage to Robert Turner. When Charles and Samuel were received into the church at Darsham she was listed as Sarah late Turner.

I thought I found Sarah's baptism on 21 Apr 1754 in Thorndon or Occold in Suffolk, daughter of Robert and Martha (nee Everson, married 29 Mar 1749 in Thorndon). However, there is a marriage of Sarah Churchyard and Samuel Bolton on 5 Dec 1776 in Occold, and I believe the bride is the Sarah Churchyard baptised in 1754 and whose parents Robert and Martha had children baptised in Occold up to 1770. So, this Sarah can't be the Sarah Churchyard who married Robert Turner.

It appears that Sarah Eastaugh nee Churchyard was buried on 14 Apr 1827 in Yoxford, as she is listed as the widow of Nathaniel Eastaugh and her age was recorded as 86, making a birth year around 1741. Nathaniel Eastow was buried on 23 Jun 1807 in Yoxford aged 63. As Nathaniel's surname is spelled Eastow on his burial record and Sarah's is spelled as Eastaugh, I thought maybe the burial of Sarah Eastow on 26 Jan 1806 in Yoxford aged 62 may be the correct burial instead of the 1827 burial, however the 1806 burial does not state that she was the wife of Nathaniel. Either way, both burials make Sarah's birth year circa 1740-1744, however the ages recorded could obviously have been very inaccurate and both Sarah's may have been much younger. I think Sarah must have been born much later than 1744 as she would have been too old to have a child in 1795.

Anyway, I hope someone is able to help, thank you for reading and appreciate any assistance. 

[emeltom]

FreeReg has a Sarah Churchyard baptised 20 April 1742 in Cretingham, parents Henry and Elizabeth.

Emeltom

[adamjack]

Thank you for that Emeltom, but I think Sarah must have been born much later, probably no earlier than 1749, as she had children in 1791 and 1795.

[gobbitt]

Having a few minutes to spare at the Suffolk Record Office today, I checked the images of some Yoxford parish registers.

Sarah, daughter of William and Sarah Churchyard, was baptized on 31 May 1752 (microfiche 3).

(A younger brother's baptism has been transcribed by the Suffolk FHS: John Churchyard, 15 May 1757.)

Regrettably, I had no time to search for other siblings but I did look at the burials on fiche 10 and confirmed that the age of Nathaniel Eastaugh's widow Sarah was recorded as 86 in 1827.

In 1775, when Sarah married Robert Turner of Theberton (fiche 14, page 27, entry 108), the witnesses were Joseph Turner (who signed the register, as did the bridegroom) and Elizabeth Richer?s (who made her mark, as did the bride).

Boyd's marriage index includes the wedding of William Churchill and Sarah Catchpole at Benhall (about 5 miles south of Yoxford) in 1744.

David

[adamjack]

Thank you so much David for generously giving of your time to search for Sarah's baptism at the Suffolk Record Office. It is wonderful that you appear to have found the correct baptism, as it took place in Yoxford where we know Sarah later lived and died (and where her second son was privately baptised).

It is interesting that the possible marriage you found for her parents lists her father's surname as Churchill instead of Churchyard, because the private baptism of Sarah's son Samuel in Yoxford in 1795 records Sarah's maiden name as Churchhill. However, her first son Charles' baptism lists her former name as Churchyard! And when she married Nathaniel Eastaugh she was Sarah Turner, widow, so she appears to have married Robert Turner as Sarah Churchyard. So, it is a bit confusing why there are two surnames here - Churchyard and Churchill/Churchhill.

I wonder if there is a possible alternate marriage for her parents William and Sarah that lists William's surname as Churchyard?

Thank you again
John