Apologies in advance for the length of this post – but I need to set out a certain amount of detail.
Basically, I obviously realise that times are strange at present, with the coronavirus lockdown – but I wonder if anyone has access to the Staveley (Derbyshire) Parish Records – or the BTs?
I ask because I’m re-visiting my problem (posted on here back in 2015), of trying to track down the baptisms of both my 6x great grandfather – Joseph Wildsmith – and his wife, Jane Norborne. They were married in Staveley on December 1st, 1713 (record available at FreeReg, but not on Familysearch, Ancestry or FindMyPast). Jane died in 1723 and Joseph re-married in 1724. His new wife was Barbara Saxton, with the marriage taking place at Chesterfield on 13th November. His marriage allegation for this second marriage – available on FindMyPast, indicates that in 1724 he was aged 34 – ie was born in 1690 or thereabouts.
Joseph had several children by both Jane and then Barbara – and a very helpful response by “spendlove” to my original post noted that the English Naming Pattern (if followed in this case), pointed to Joseph’s parents being Robert and Ann, with Jane’s parents being William and Mary.
There was, indeed, a Wildsmith family living in Staveley at the appropriate time – with parents Robert and Anne – and some 9 children, born between 1678 and 1698. But no sign of a Joseph. Mary was baptised 19th Feb 1688, with William baptised 22nd March 1691 – so there is a suitable "gap" where my Joseph could have been born/baptised – but no mention of him.
However, this brings me to the main reason for this current post. In the past I have examined microfilms of the Staveley Parish Records, at an LDS Family History Centre and the Derbyshire Records Office at Matlock – and have also examined the BTs at the old Lichfield Records Office. On none of these occasions was I able to find a baptism for Joseph or Jane – but I’m now wondering whether I might simply have overlooked them.
To explain why I’m saying this, I need to also explain that the typed transcripts of the Staveley Parish Registers which were compiled by Anthony and Sheila Smith in 2001 (which I saw at the Lichfield Records Office), and which also form the basis of the Baptism, Marriage and Burial information on the ``Staveley One Place Study” website, appear to have incorrectly recorded a baptism (illegitimate?) in 1670 of an “Alice” – where the father is recorded in the transcripts as “Robert Smith” – but where the actual Register entry seems to me to clearly read “Robert Wildsmith”. Please see attached photo.
I read this as saying “Alice Daughter (as said) of Robert Wildsmith & Anne Olay* bapt Oct 2”
[*or “Clay”, as the transcript says]
All of this is just to suggest that if there has been a transcription error in this case, might there also have been another error – such that I might find a baptism for Joseph Wildsmith, in the 1689-1691 period, if I’m able to check the original registers or the BTs again? I accept that this may well have to wait until the coronavirus lockdown ends – but just wondered if anyone out there – with time on their hands and access to the actual registers – might be able to assist.
Thanking you in anticipation