Travelling Wood Family in Kent

[curtainhooks]

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone could help with something I've been stuck on for a long time. Jasper ''Jesse'' Wood was born in 1792 and murdered in 1832 in Sandhurst. He was married to Hester Swift and they had 2 children (that I know of) together: Jesse Wood (1817) and Eliza Wood (1818)- I don't know what happened to Jesse Wood but Eliza Wood married Henry Gatehouse. Jasper's wife Hester also had an illegitimate son: John Swift b. 1811 before meeting Jasper. I can't find any record of Jasper's baptism, except one in 1779 in Lydd but it's so far off the birth date given when he died. Maybe he wasn't born in Kent?
From a few other trees and posts on here I can see two other people: Stephen Wood who was born in 1797 in Doddington to Thomas and Mary Wood and a James Wood (born abt 1809) who married a ''Boorman''. Both Stephen and James Wood were gypsies and I'm pretty sure they're related to Jasper (or as he was sometimes called Jesse) but can't work out how.
The reason I think Stephen Wood is related to Jasper is because there is a census I found with Stephen and his family where there were two gatehouse borders (one being Jaspers grandson Jesse Gatehouse- incorrectly down on FindMyPast as Alan Gatehouse).
The reason I think James is related to Jasper is because on the newspaper report of Jaspers murder, it says that a man called Joseph Boorman was involved. Coincidence?
People were also struggling to find James Wood's parents, could Jasper, James and Stephen be brothers?
Sorry if this is a bit confusing but if anyone could help/suggest a way to find out more then that would be very helpful!
Thanks,

[jbml]

I'd start by getting a look at the register entry (or an image of it) for that baptism to see if there's a recorded age. If it wasn't an infant baptism, then your dates might marry up a bit better.

[curtainhooks]

There doesn't seem to be an age from what I can see, but if it wasn't an infant baptism then it would mean Jasper's birth date would be even further away from what was written down when he died- 1792. I think you might've thought I said the baptism was in 1792 and he was born in 1779. However it was the baptism in 1779 and he was supposedly born in 1792
Thank you for your reply!

[Iain...]

Hi there…  All very interesting… 

In fact, James Wood was my 2xGr, but I have his birth as abt1813 – Canterbury, and died before October 1881.  Nearly all this family come from Canterbury.   
His first wife was Clara Revell 1812-1849 and they had 3 children Stephen, James and Edwin.  Following Clara’s death, he married Celia Ann Boorman in December 1849 at Canterbury.  (HO107/1624 :::  1849 4th Q, Canterbury Vol 5 Page 150. Freebdm)   
They both went on to have 11 children, (Pamela, Jasper, John, Bianca, Mary, Henry, William, Mary, Ann, Amey and James)  James 1859-1910 was my great grandfather and was a blind organ grinder.  He married Emma Gimber and had 8 children.  One of them was my Grandfather who became a Dr. Barnardo's child and shipped to Canada.
 
Lol…, please note that I am not a gypsy.  Nonetheless, despite my maternal side being linked to the Lords of the Isles, this branch of the family is by far the most fascinating.

James Wood 18‘13’ – His father was Jasper Wood abt1785, - Knotts Lane, Canterbury.   He married Ann and had five children…, George, James, Elizabeth, William and Jane.

Don't know if that helps.
Regards..., Iain.     

[curtainhooks]

Thank you for your reply Iain,
Just wondering, in case you have gone back on the Boorman side, did you ever come across a ''Joseph Boorman''? This is the name of the man who helped kill Jasper Wood- don't worry if not!
Looks like Jasper and James weren't brothers then, although interesting that James' father was called Jasper aswell.
Thanks again! 

[curtainhooks]

Just a thought... but have you found the parents of Jasper Wood (the dad of James born about 1785)?
Wondering if it's possible that my Jasper ''Jesse'' Wood was your James' dad...? I know he hadn't met his wife in 1813, so it's possible he was with someone before meeting Hester. Although he was born roughly 1792 not 1785...
He's most likely not, but I feel like they're connected somehow. What do you think?

Just realised Jasper never actually MARRIED Hester, maybe suggesting he left a previous wife and could therefore not re-marry to Hester? Or they just decided not to marry like half the other travellers 

[Iain...]

Hi…
I’m ‘absent’ today but I’ll certainly get back to you tomorrow. 

I have a dozen or so trees on Ancestry and of course, the Wood family was the first…, meaning that there could be errors. (wishing to move quickly on to others)  However, being a bit of a genealogical twit compared with most here on RootsChat, I have counted on their expertise to get where I am today.  Because of it, something they mentioned several times was the fact that Jasper, Jessy and James were often one of a kind. 

…, Iain.

[Iain...]

Good evening…, please forgive my absence.
As a battlefield detective and having submitted a manuscript to an Agent, I am now faced with a barrage of deadlines.

A pastime of course, meaning that I am extremely interested in your question and research.  It would be interesting to know how you are connected ?
I’ve since had a quick look at the newspapers and found the 18th of December 1832 a trial and acquittal for the murder. (a brawl resulting in an apparent accident)
This family is absolutely amazing.  The Woods and the Boormans were also linked to the Gimbers and the Lees.  One Gimber found himself in a prison Hulk ship off Portsmouth, and the most comical of all was Jasper Lee.  Lol…, he had a crippled horse.  And instead of having it put down, he manufactured a wooden lower leg and hoof.  Limping on its way to the local market, he was reported to the police and ended up paying a fine.
As such…, a Wood murder is certainly not surprising.

You must forgive me for my absence, but I will certainly get back to you later.
Kind Regards…, Iain. 

[merrillbakes]

Stephen Wood (b1797, Doddington, Kent), son of Thomas Wood and Mary Rowden (to be verified) is my 4th great-grandfather. I'm descended from two of his sons (Stephen II and Samuel) who emigrated to New York in the 1870s.
I'd be thrilled, Curtainhooks, if I could find any verifiable siblings to Stephen Wood.