Birth record/baptism of William Heap

[annie1515]

Hi,

I'm trying to find a birth record/baptism for a William Heap between 1837-1840 supposedly in Ovenden, Halifax (his birth place on the censuses.)

On his marriage certificate he states that his father is 'Samuel Heap' a labourer. He is stated as being a minor, and this marriage was in 1857 to Ann Veasey in Liverpool.

The most likely William on the census is one who appears to have been probably illegitimate and living with his grandparents James and Mary Heap in Ovenden in 1841/51. Potentially his mother was their daughter Harriet (he named his own first daughter Harriet.)

I've gone through all the William Heaps on the GRO index for this period but have already matched them to a family, and cannot find a baptism at all for a William Heap. Before I contact the Archives in Yorkshire for help, I wondered if anyone on here could help me?

Thanks

[PaulineJ]

There's little in the Archives that isn't available from FindMyPast/ Ancestry/ Familysearch.

Did you limit the baptisms to Ovenden alone?
Include Halifax, Thornton ( nonconformist  too) before saying that you have found nothing.

Pauline

[heywood]

Where is he in 1851?

[osprey]

1851 for William

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPMC-HJ3

[BumbleB]

Only a thought - my Appleyard family was based in Wheatley/Ovenden area and yet a lot of their baptisms were at South Parade Methodists in Halifax.

[heywood]

1851 for William

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPMC-HJ3

I was looking for James and Mary, the grandparents - wrong ones.

[annie1515]

1851 for William

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPMC-HJ3

yes, this is the correct William.

I managed to find baptisms of all the Heap children of James and Mary that are mentioned on the census. It's complicated by the fact there is actually another family with parents James and Mary Heap at the same time in Sowerby and this James is also a weaver.

Potentially twins Elizabeth and James 1814 Sowerby
John 1816 Sowerby residence Salterhebble
Harriet 1822 Sowerby residence Thornton (who I think is potentially William's mother)
and William 1823 Sowerby residence Thornton

I've got Mary dying in 1856 (widow on 1851 census) and James in 1846.
James' occupation is weaver, then later farmer.

[annie1515]

Only a thought - my Appleyard family was based in Wheatley/Ovenden area and yet a lot of their baptisms were at South Parade Methodists in Halifax.

I had a look for the South Parade Methodists on the familysearch wiki, and it isn't coming up with a link to search through the records, only a microfilm?

[annie1515]

There's little in the Archives that isn't available from FindMyPast/ Ancestry/ Familysearch.

Did you limit the baptisms to Ovenden alone?
Include Halifax, Thornton ( nonconformist  too) before saying that you have found nothing.

Pauline

I've looked through findmypast/ancestry/familysearch/freereg for many years hoping one day I'd find a baptism, but haven't come across one.
I also can't find a matching birth.

It's possible he wasn't recorded sadly but I'd love to confirm who out of the Heap children was his real parent (perhaps I might through DNA). I feel as though 'Samuel Heap' was a fake name, but it's weird as William does name one of his own children Samuel. Perhaps his father was a Samuel, but not a Heap.