Who is his father? I am STUCK!

[nicdigby]

Hi, still trying to find an answer and have hit a brick wall.

I know that Thomas DIGBY was baptised 29 Jan 1764 and on the church record (photographed by soneone else on Ancestry) it states posthumous son of Joseph and Sarah Digby. (St John the Baptist church, Finchingfield, Essex.)

So I know Thomas was Joseph's son and I have found a record of Joseph dying 10 Oct 1763.

BUT most peeps on Ancestry have Joseph born 1701 and I know that's not correct; that was a child baptised 18 May 1701 and buried the next day alongside his mother Ann. (Finchingfield church).

BUT I don't know how to find out who was the correct Joseph. How do I do this? I have been through the parish records. I know my Joseph married Sarah Suckling in 1759 and fathered Thomas in 1763/4. So his realistic birth year must be between 1690 and 1743. The family were all illiterate farm labourers who didn't move around much so I've kept the search just to Essex and there are now 7 possibilities for Joseph Digby born within those parameters.

NB: I have ruled out the following; most peeps on Ancestry have opted for #1 or 2 but none of them has any source or proof of this, it's just been copied from others I think...
1) Joseph Digby bap 18 May 1701 Finchingfield = he died the next day.
2) Joseph Digby bap about 1705 and buried 6 Mar 1785 Finchingfield = I know my Joseph died late 1763/early 1764 as his son Thomas was baptised Jan 1764 "posthumous' son of....
3) Joseph Digbe bap 5 aug 1744 = too late

How do I take it from here? I could just copy other people on Ancestry but I am trying not to as so many of them have copied an impossible date already.

[Bookbox]

Did you mean to post this in the Essex forum? If so, you can contact a Moderator and ask for it to be moved.

[nicdigby]

Did you mean to post this in the Essex forum? If so, you can contact a Moderator and ask for it to be moved.

Thank you, I'ver asked them to move it.

[spendlove]

Hi,

First do not use info from submitted trees as most are incorrect.

You say you have been through the parish records, do you mean by searching on the transcribed information on various paid sites?  If so none have all the registers and none have Images.  The only place to see all the original registers for Finchingfield Essex is on Essex Archive on Line.

The following is a connection to their images for Finchingfield

https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk/ParishRegisters.aspx?selAlphabet=F&selParish=2280&selChurch=6064

The images are very low resolution, you have to pay for good copy.

However if you have done this, you have a marriage for Joseph & Sarah what information does this give, I.e. Parish of residence, witnesses, was this marriage at Finchingfield?

This is info as to who holds various records
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Finchingfield,_Essex_Genealogy#Church_records

Spendlove

[jc26red]

Don’t necessarily dismiss the 1744 baptism, not all baptisms are within weeks of birth. The transcripts on Ancestry do not show adult births and you need to check if the parents baptised other children on the same day.

You also need to trace the other four possible Thomas Digbys

[amondg]

The posthumous word is after the name Thomas so it is the child Thomas who has died isn't it
otherwise
it would say Thomas son of Joseph Digby deceased and Sarah his wife

[spendlove]

Hi,

In this instance posthumous means “after the death of his father”, often used in baptism when a child’s birth, takes place after the death of the father.  It is giving clear indication that the child was not illegitimate.

Spendlove

[nicdigby]

Hi,

First do not use info from submitted trees as most are incorrect.

You say you have been through the parish records, do you mean by searching on the transcribed information on various paid sites?  If so none have all the registers and none have Images.  The only place to see all the original registers for Finchingfield Essex is on Essex Archive on Line.

The following is a connection to their images for Finchingfield

https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk/ParishRegisters.aspx?selAlphabet=F&selParish=2280&selChurch=6064

The images are very low resolution, you have to pay for good copy.

However if you have done this, you have a marriage for Joseph & Sarah what information does this give, I.e. Parish of residence, witnesses, was this marriage at Finchingfield?

This is info as to who holds various records
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Finchingfield,_Essex_Genealogy#Church_records

Spendlove

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond.
I have been through the parish records on ancestry but I see from one of your links that it is the ERO who hold the info I am most likely to need.

Another Ancestry member has posted on Ancestry what is entitled Essex Register Office copy of Joseph Digby and Sarah Suckling’s marriage xmas day 1759. I don’t think I am allowed to post the whole thing here? But it states the name of bride and groom, and the date and then here is a clip of it the bottom part of it. There is no section for father’s name: should I be looking for another document as well with his father’s name on it and if so where do I look for it?

Would it be worth me joining ERO so  I can look more other records, and if so, which ones should I look for pls?

[nicdigby]

Ps. The person who originally posted this marriage record from the ERO onto ancestry in 2009 has labelled it “ copy of parish register st john the baptist church finchingfield essex”