The Enstons of Canterbury and Sandwich

[jonno51]

Good afternoon everybody, just joined, this is my first post.
I'm researching the line of my maternal grandmother who was an Enston. Her father was born in Canterbury in 1852.
I have been talking to the older generations of my family (all deceased now RIP) on and off for 40 years and keeping notes.

Family legend says that they were originally a Huguenot family, who fled France and Anglicised their name from Estaing. as far as I know there is no connection with the other cluster of Enstons/Enstones who originate from a village in Oxfordshire, nor with the noble d'Estaing family whose line died out when the last male was guillotined in 1794. The French president of the 1970s is not of that line either.

The ancestor I am trying to get more information on, particularly his children is Daniel Enston, a grocer b 1755 d 1800. I know he had at least one child also Daniel, who was a cabinet maker and emigrated to the USA, I am hoping that one of the others gives me a line to my grandmother.

Can anybody help with this, or suggest the best sources in the Kent area, or indeed add any general information on the family?

[Pennines]

I don't know if this is your Daniel - or whether you have his marriage - but a Daniel Enston married a Sarah Chalcraft? on 22 Feb 1785 at St Mary the Virgin, Eastry. Daniel was described at that time to be of the Parish of St Peter's, Sandwich.

He signed as Daniel Enston jnr - which tends to imply his father was named Daniel.

A witness was E. Enston.

Sorry if you already know this, or it's the incorrect Daniel.

There are lots of Parish Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials for Kent on the Find My Past website.

I haven't looked at baptisms yet in case it's the wrong Daniel - and you may already know his wife's name.

[rosie99]

Welcome to rootschat

Good afternoon everybody, just joined, this is my first post.
I'm researching the line of my maternal grandmother who was an Enston. Her father was born in Canterbury in 1852.

Could you pleased give the name, place & year of birth of your grandmother and her father.  It helps us to know this information when trying to trace back further 

[jonno51]

I don't know if this is your Daniel - or whether you have his marriage - but a Daniel Enston married a Sarah Chalcraft? on 22 Feb 1785 at St Mary the Virgin, Eastry. Daniel was described at that time to be of the Parish of St Peter's, Sandwich.

He signed as Daniel Enston jnr - which tends to imply his father was named Daniel.

A witness was E. Enston.

Sorry if you already know this, or it's the incorrect Daniel.

There are lots of Parish Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials for Kent on the Find My Past website.

I haven't looked at baptisms yet in case it's the wrong Daniel - and you may already know his wife's name.

Thanks very much for this, I'll have a look now at Find My Past

[jonno51]

Welcome to rootschat

Good afternoon everybody, just joined, this is my first post.
I'm researching the line of my maternal grandmother who was an Enston. Her father was born in Canterbury in 1852.

Could you pleased give the name, place & year of birth of your grandmother and her father.  It helps us to know this information when trying to trace back further 

Thanks very much for the welcome and reply.


My grandmother was Agnes Eleanor Enston, birth registered in 1882 in Bethnal Green.

Her father was John Henry Enston, born in Canterbury in 1852, married to Agnes Bright.

His father was another John Henry Enston, born Canterbury in 1822, married to a Sarah Mason

 His father might have been Jeffrey Enston, married to Mary Ann Brett, he died in 1856. I have been unable to find details of Jeffrey's parents, but I am hoping to find a link that can lead to confirmation that either Daniel Enston 1755-1800, born in Sandwich and married to Sarah Chalcraft, or John Enston (married to Mary Foat) was his grandfather.

[jonno51]

I don't know if this is your Daniel - or whether you have his marriage - but a Daniel Enston married a Sarah Chalcraft? on 22 Feb 1785 at St Mary the Virgin, Eastry. Daniel was described at that time to be of the Parish of St Peter's, Sandwich.

He signed as Daniel Enston jnr - which tends to imply his father was named Daniel.

A witness was E. Enston.

Sorry if you already know this, or it's the incorrect Daniel.

There are lots of Parish Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials for Kent on the Find My Past website.

I haven't looked at baptisms yet in case it's the wrong Daniel - and you may already know his wife's name.

I'm trying not to spend too much money on this search, I would like to keep my subscriptions down to a minimum.

Is FindMyPast the best source for Parish records prior to 1837?

Are there any free sources on the net(I'm thinking not)?

Is it possible to view the original records in person, and is there a charge?

Where are they usually kept, at the relevant church or at the County Records Office?

Sorry for all the questions!

[Pennines]

Don't worry about the questions, Jonno - if you don't ask, you won't find out!

There is a free family history records site known as Family Search.
https://www.familysearch.org
You need to register, but it contains lots of records from all over the World.

There is also a free parish register site - Freereg
https://www.freereg.org.uk/

Local County Record Offices do hold lots of information and you can visit and search - sometimes they are in paper form, otherwise they can be on Fiche.

For Kent this seems to be their website - if you cannot see whether they hold the records you want - you can either ring or email them to find out. It depends where you live, whether it's practical to visit for you.
https://www.kentarchives.org.uk/olboxes/our-online-catalogue/

In addition, like most counties, Kent has a Family History Society - they may also hold records, should you want to contact them.

https://www.kfhs.org.uk/

I hope this helps you a little.
Subscription sites such as Ancestry and Find My Past both have parish registers BUT they will differ from site to site. I just happened to know that Find My Past has some records for Kent.

Usually you can have free access to Ancestry or Find My Past (it varies) at your local library - if you are a member of that library.

[jonno51]

Don't worry about the questions, Jonno - if you don't ask, you won't find out!

There is a free family history records site known as Family Search.
https://www.familysearch.org
You need to register, but it contains lots of records from all over the World.

There is also a free parish register site - Freereg
https://www.freereg.org.uk/

Local County Record Offices do hold lots of information and you can visit and search - sometimes they are in paper form, otherwise they can be on Fiche.

For Kent this seems to be their website - if you cannot see whether they hold the records you want - you can either ring or email them to find out. It depends where you live, whether it's practical to visit for you.
https://www.kentarchives.org.uk/olboxes/our-online-catalogue/

In addition, like most counties, Kent has a Family History Society - they may also hold records, should you want to contact them.

https://www.kfhs.org.uk/

I hope this helps you a little.
Subscription sites such as Ancestry and Find My Past both have parish registers BUT they will differ from site to site. I just happened to know that Find My Past has some records for Kent.

Usually you can have free access to Ancestry or Find My Past (it varies) at your local library - if you are a member of that library.

Thanks for this Pennines, very thorough. I'll stick to desk research to start with as Kent is a long way from my place in the Dales.

[rosie99]

Thanks very much for the welcome and reply.


My grandmother was Agnes Eleanor Enston, birth registered in 1882 in Bethnal Green.

Her father was John Henry Enston, born in Canterbury in 1852, married to Agnes Bright.

Childrens birth registrations give mothers maiden surname as Wright 

ENSTON, AGNES  ELEANOR     mmn WRIGHT 
GRO Reference: 1882  S Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN  Volume 01C  Page 178
 
ENSTON, EDWARD  PEARSON     mmn WRIGHT 
GRO Reference: 1876  D Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN  Volume 01C  Page 182

ENSTON, JOHN  HENRY     mmn WRIGHT 
GRO Reference: 1878  S Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN  Volume 01C  Page 174


Marriage Dec qtr 1874 
Enston    John       
Wright    Agnes       
Bethnal Green    1c   628 

Marriage has John Enston age 22 a Musician and his father John Henry Enston occ Shoemaker