Hello,
I am looking to see if anyone might be able to help me shed some light on a man who I think might be one of might be one of my ancestors - and to establish who his parents might have been.
My 3rd Great Grandfather was a man called Job Jefferies (sometimes spelt Jeffries or Jeffreys) born in 1819 in Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire. He was married to a lady called Mary Bartlett. I believe he may have also had a brother called Henry Jefferis (which usually appears to be spelt Jeffries).
Supposedly Job's father was an Ambrose Jefferies. I'm struggling, because I can't seem to find any information on Ambrose. He would have been born in 1772, also in Stow. I am told his first name might have sometimes been written as Amherst, although I am a little confused as to why - as I can find no etymological argument to suggest these names were/are interchangeable.
Would anybody be able to help me identify Ambrose and, ideally, his spouse?
Also, there appears to be some debate in our family as to who his parents were. There are several people who are certain that his father was called James Jeffries - but there is more than one potential person this could be.
A cousin believes that his parents may have been James Jeffries and Mary Ellis. I can find historical records that James and Mary had many children (they were clearly busy bunnies):
Job Jeffries
Jane Jeffries
Johnathan Purbrick Jeffries
Jemima Jeffries
Jeffrey Amhest Jeffries
Carolina Matilda Jeffries
Jeffery Jeffries
Bongoyne Jeffries
Jemima Jeffries (possibly named after a sister of the same name who died young)
Jeibre Jeffries
Eliza Jeffries
Daniel Jeffries
...but, as you can see, no Ambrose Jeffries. Considering Amherst as an alternative way of spelling Ambrose, I have begun to consider two possibilities:
1. Ambrose Jeffries is Jeffrey Amhest Jeffries - just with Jeffrey having been dropped from his name;
2. Ambrose Jeffries is a completely different person whose father also happens to be called James and also happens to come from Stow - which would be a heck of a coincidence, but not out of the realms of possibility.
Is there anybody at all who could help me solve this mystery? It would be greatly appreciated if you could!
Best wishes,
Andy
