Henry HILL AND Mary GOODCHILD - can you help me to get any further back pls?

[nicdigby]

Hello, am tracing the Hills of Brampton, Hunts. I had another thread a couple of weeks ago on the London board (because that's where the family up) but I've now got back another 100 years and would appreciate your help to see if I can go back a further generation. I am stuck.

I have:

Henry Hill 7 Oct 1759 - 9 Feb 1844 (from other Ancestry trees, I have not found any birth, baptism or burial records to confirm these dates though).

I did find on FindMyPast that he married Mary Goodchild in Blunham, Bedfordshire in Mar 1789. It was just a transcript: no image available and no other names on the transcript.

I think Mary died ten years after the marriage but they did have several children, the oldest of whom was Thomas Hill in 1789 (bap 14 Feb 1790).

Can you pls help me to find out anything more about the couple? Was she born in Blunham? Who were her parents? Who were his?

Many thanks


Thread about the later Hills: https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=841557.0

[CaroleW]

Did you check freebmd?  If he died 9.2.1844 his death would appear in the March qtr 1844.  3 x Henry Hill deaths in that qtr - ages 2, 5 & 19

[nicdigby]

Did you check freebmd?  If he died 9.2.1844 his death would appear in the March qtr 1844.  3 x Henry Hill deaths in that qtr - ages 2, 5 & 19

Thanks for this Carole. Someone on Ancestry has shared a photo of his death cert: 6 Feb 1844 in Beds. Under the name Henry Hills. He was 84 which ties in with the other info I have. But I don't know how to find out who his parents are.

[CaroleW]

The 1841 has him transcribed as Hill but he is living with William (45) & Mary (35) HillS & family & is dittoed as Hills & death registered as Hills

He is shown as born in county - Bedfordshire.  1851 shows William b Blunham 1797

If Henry was definitely  “born in county” - are you sure he is the right Henry Hill if you are looking for one born Huntingdonshire?

See this entry on FS

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NPD7-YL3

[nicdigby]

The 1841 has him transcribed as Hill but he is living with William (45) & Mary (35) HillS & family & is dittoed as Hills & death registered as Hills

He is shown as born in county - Bedfordshire.  1851 shows William b Blunham 1797

If Henry was definitely  “born in county” - are you sure he is the right Henry Hill if you are looking for one born Huntingdonshire?

See this entry on FS

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NPD7-YL3

Thank you very much for the FS link, this is very helpful as it has the same date as the ancestry other trees BUT a different location which makes more sense: Blunham, Beds...

It looks like the family moved to Brampton (it's only 14 miles from Blunham to Brampton) because for example I think that Henry and Mary Goodchild had a son called Thomas. When you look at the 1851 census, Thomas is living in Brampton with his own family, but it says he was born in Blunham. His wife and children are all born in Brampton.

So it looks like Henry Hills' parents names were Henry and Ann. I will look them up in due course.

Are you able to find the parents of Mary Goodchild pls?

What is the secret to finding the parents please once we get back to before the census records started?

[nicdigby]

I have found that Mary Goodchild was buried 22 Mar 1799 in Blunham which would have left her husband with five young children. I found a second marriage for him, to Mary Reed, Jan 1801, Blunham.

[nicdigby]

The 1841 has him transcribed as Hill but he is living with William (45) & Mary (35) HillS & family & is dittoed as Hills & death registered as Hills

He is shown as born in county - Bedfordshire.  1851 shows William b Blunham 1797

If Henry was definitely  “born in county” - are you sure he is the right Henry Hill if you are looking for one born Huntingdonshire?

See this entry on FS

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NPD7-YL3

I've just stumbled across this burial record for this Henry Hills on the same day he was baptised in 1759 also at Blunham. Would I be correct in thinking that Henry Hills who was baptised 7 Oct 1759 was buried the same day??

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPH6-WN97

So there is another Henry Hills in Blunham at the same sort of time who marries Mary Goodchild in Brampton in 1789???

I am confused because the son of Henry and Mary defo states on all the censuses that he was born in Blunham and living in Brampton. I cannot make head nor tail; can you help me further please?

[johnP-bedford]

Good Morning....  From the Blunham with Mogerhanger parish register transcript...

There wasn't a marriage at Blunham for them, but there is an entry for Banns there on 29 Mar 1789 for Henry Hills to Mary Goodchilds of St.Mary's Bedford

The marriage was at Bedford St.Mary's on 13 April 1789 where Henry Hills from Blunham to Mary Goodchild. However that is the only Goodchild/s name in that register.

There is a burial of Mary wife of Henry Hills at Blunham on 22 Mar 1799.
The subsequent marriage of Henry Hills to Mary Reed on 6 Jan 1801 doesn't say he's a widower.
This could be him? or it could be the Henry Hills baptised 2 Apr 1775, son of John & Mary Hills ? probably not as he was buried at Blunham on 16 Feb 1778.

The Henry Hills baptised 7 Oct 1759 was the posthumous son of Henry Hills & Ann his wife. There is a note that says 'Register does not state whether baptised or buried' however BT gives baptised. On the same date there is a burial entry for Henry posthumous son of Henry Hills & Ann his wife.

I wonder... that as the register wasn't sure it was a baptism or a burial that they recorded it in both places when they did the transcript? However if it was a 'posthumous son' then does this suggest that one of the parents Henry or Ann had died beforehand, I cannot find a burial but there were no further baptisms of their children in Blunham after then.   

There is a Henry Hills married to Ann Luke at nearby Roxton on 22 June 1752

Regards John

[nicdigby]

Good Morning....  From the Blunham with Mogerhanger parish register transcript...

There wasn't a marriage at Blunham for them, but there is an entry for Banns there on 29 Mar 1789 for Henry Hills to Mary Goodchilds of St.Mary's Bedford

The marriage was at Bedford St.Mary's on 13 April 1789 where Henry Hills from Blunham to Mary Goodchild. However that is the only Goodchild/s name in that register.

There is a burial of Mary wife of Henry Hills at Blunham on 22 Mar 1799.
The subsequent marriage of Henry Hills to Mary Reed on 6 Jan 1801 doesn't say he's a widower.
This could be him? or it could be the Henry Hills baptised 2 Apr 1775, son of John & Mary Hills ? probably not as he was buried at Blunham on 16 Feb 1778.

The Henry Hills baptised 7 Oct 1759 was the posthumous son of Henry Hills & Ann his wife. There is a note that says 'Register does not state whether baptised or buried' however BT gives baptised. On the same date there is a burial entry for Henry posthumous son of Henry Hills & Ann his wife.

I wonder... that as the register wasn't sure it was a baptism or a burial that they recorded it in both places when they did the transcript? However if it was a 'posthumous son' then does this suggest that one of the parents Henry or Ann had died beforehand, I cannot find a burial but there were no further baptisms of their children in Blunham after then.   

There is a Henry Hills married to Ann Luke at nearby Roxton on 22 June 1752

Regards John

John, this is really very helpful and I'm really grateful, thank you.

Your findings would suggest the folllowing - do you agree?

22 Jun 1752. Henry Hills marries Ann Luke, Roxton.
1753-1759 - the couple may have had some children
1759 - Henry Hills senior dies
7 Oct 1759 - Henry Hills junior baptised at Blunham
29 Mar 1789 - Banns read in Henry's local church in Blunham
13 Apr 1789 - Henry marries Mary Goodchild at her local church in Bedford.