Heat/Heath Puzzle

[MattD30]

I am hoping someone here can help me solve a puzzle surrounding the dates of a possible ancestor.

Henry Heath/Heeth [also spelt Heat/Hait] married Ann Ovenden in Withyham, Sussex in December 1752. I have now come across two possible christenings for Henry, both in Hawkhurst, and both with the same parents:

2 January 1733 Henry son of John and Sarah
1 January 1734 Henry son of John and Sarah

These details are from FamilySearch and given the dates are so close I am wondering if this is one christening and it has been transcribed as two. In other words is there one Henry christened in January 1733/34 or two [one in 1733 and one in 1734]?

If there are two, when did the first die?

The father of these was probably John Heat/Heath who was christened in Hawkhurst in 1703 and was the son of Richard and Ann. This John had a brother named Henry who was christened in Hawkhurst in 1716 and I initially thought it was him who married Ann Ovenden but now I've found those two in the 1730s I'm not sure. This Henry would be 36 when he married in 1752 and 57 when his last child [Sarah] was christened in 1773 in the parish of Withyham in Sussex. On the other hand either of the Henrys listed in the 1730s would only be about 20 when married and 40 when Sarah which seems more likely.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Matt

[..claire..]

Hi Matt

Hawkhurst registers are online and there is only one baptism - Henry was baptised 2 Jan 1733.

Claire

[MattD30]

Hi Matt

Hawkhurst registers are online and there is only one baptism - Henry was baptised 2 Jan 1733.

Claire

Thanks for that Claire. Where are they online? Can they be seen on FamilySearch or Findmypast?

Do you think this is more likely to be the Henry who married in 1752 and having children between the 1750s and 1770s than the other Henry [1716]? That Henry may be his uncle given that John was born in 1703.

Let us know your thoughts and thanks again

Matt

[ciderdrinker]

Hi again Matt
The burial for Henry Heath at Withyam does give an age
Henry Heath  buried 6.6.1778 age 62 .
So he is the uncle born 1716.

widow Anne buried 25.6.1810 at Withyam

Ciderdrinker

[MattD30]

Hi again Matt
The burial for Henry Heath at Withyam does give an age
Henry Heath  buried 6.6.1778 age 62 .
So he is the uncle born 1716.

widow Anne buried 25.6.1810 at Withyam

Ciderdrinker

Hi

Thanks for those details. Does it indicate if Henry was married or widowed when he died?

Henry Heath christened in Hawkhurst in 1716 was the third of seven children born to Richard and Ann Heath. The oldest of these was John, born in 1703, and the youngest, Charles, was born in 1727.

John [born 1703] appears to have had six children between 1731 and 1744. The second of these was Henry Heath christened on 2 January 1733 in Hawkhurst.

I know that a "Henry Heath" married Ann Ovenden in Withyham, Sussex, in December 1752. Henry and Ann had five children starting with Henry christened in 1753 and ending with Sarah in 1773.

The puzzle is which of the two Henrys above [the one in 1716 and the one in 1733] is more likely to be the one who married Ann?

Henry christened in 1716 would be 57 when Sarah was christened in 1773. On the other hand Henry christened in 1733 would be about 40 when Sarah was christened.

If Sarah was the daughter of the Henry christened in 1733 then the other Henry would be the uncle of this Henry [I hope I'm not confusing this].

Is there a burial for the Henry christened in 1733 at all? I am more inclined to think that this is the Henry who married Ann, with the one born in 1716 simply being his uncle rather than being Sarah's father.

I will end there as this is probably confusing. Any ideas which Henry is more likely to be the one who married Ann in 1752?

I hope that makes sense. Sorry if it confuses anyone.

Matt

[..claire..]

Hi Matt

The registers are online on F M P.

There is a marriage in Hawkhurst after Banns 18 April 1759

Henry Heath & Mary Buckland
Both left their mark in the register
Witnesses: Church official - Wm Exeter and Thomas Buckland

****
Children born to the couple

John bpt. 15 Mar 1760     - buried 22 March 1760
Mary bpt. 25 Jul 1761
Eleanor bpt. 1 Jul 1763
Elizabeth bpt. 1 Jul 1766
Hannah bpt. 17 Dec 1767
Thomas bpt. 10 Aug 1770
Sally bpt 10 Oct 1774

BURIALS: No ages given, or if Mary was wife of Henry.

Henry Heath buried 12 Sep 1798
Mary Heath buried 25 March 1787

Given the couple had a son John and daughter Sally (variant/pet name for Sarah) I'm leaning towards this Henry being the one baptised in 1733.

Claire   

[MattD30]

Hi Matt

The registers are online on F M P.

There is a marriage in Hawkhurst after Banns 18 April 1759

Henry Heath & Mary Buckland
Both left their mark in the register
Witnesses: Church official - Wm Exeter and Thomas Buckland

****
Children born to the couple

John bpt. 15 Mar 1760     - buried 22 March 1760
Mary bpt. 25 Jul 1761
Eleanor bpt. 1 Jul 1763
Elizabeth bpt. 1 Jul 1766
Hannah bpt. 17 Dec 1767
Thomas bpt. 10 Aug 1770
Sally bpt 10 Oct 1774

BURIALS: No ages given, or if Mary was wife of Henry.

Henry Heath buried 12 Sep 1798
Mary Heath buried 25 March 1787

Given the couple had a son John and daughter Sally (variant/pet name for Sarah) I'm leaning towards this Henry being the one baptised in 1733.

Claire

Hi Claire

Well that's interesting, and definitely added to the puzzle. Henry Heath and Ann Ovenden married in Withyham on 19 December 1752.

They had the following children:

Henry - christened 15 April 1753 in Cowden [he died before March 1767]
Mary - christened 2 March 1755 in Cowden
Hannah - christened April 1762 in Cowden [I don't have her date to hand]
Henry - christened March 1767 in Cowden [again I don't have the date to hand]
Sarah - christened May 1773

Sarah married Joseph Turner in Hartfield on 20 January 1796.

Ann Ovenden was born in Withyham in May 1735 so I suspect it is the Henry who was christened in 1733 who she married. This Henry was the son of John and Sarah. It is possible he had a cousin named Henry who is the one who married the Mary you found.

Too many Henrys lol! Well at least they are not called John Smith.

Matt