Where to go?

[LizzieL]

Curzons of Breedon and Anne Farnell mentioned here

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breedon_Hall

[Annie65115]

That will only give you his parish at the time of marriage (where banns or licence were referred to).
It won't give you his parish of birth.

True, but if it says anywhere other than Melbourne, that might be useful information.

[mckha489]

There's a later report stating the date of bankruptcy was 9th March 1805. He married on 17 March 1805 but marriage licence was dated 4 Feb 1805. Unusually large gap.
He is described as a bachelor, farmer and of the parish of Lullington, Derbyshire. Both he and Frances Matthew are described as 21 years and upwards! Very much "upwards" if ages on burial records are correct or even close.

[Aks]

Thank you Andy, Lizzie, Spendlove, Annie, KGarrad, and mckha489, and my apologies for the slow response. Thank you Annie for your understanding of the many counties predicament.  I suppose if you take it logically there is no problem, but when I see all these different counties involved ...

I think it must be the marriage licence that I have and which Lizzie refers to. It says he is of the parish of Lullington, which I think corresponds to where he was living at the time, i.e. Coton-in-the-Elms, I believe.

I suppose I need to figure out what it is that I most want to find out about him. 

Annie, do you mean that one can also just ask the records office from a distance to look things up?

Many thanks,

Alan

[Annie65115]

Alan- indeed I do! Although obviously they may well make a charge. Some seem to charge much more realistically than others who seem to think of a figure then quadruple it . It may well be cheaper than coming over from Luxembourg though 

Here's the details for the Derbyshire record office
https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/record-office/contact/contact-the-record-office.aspx

Leicestershire:
http://www.recordoffice.org.uk/

I've used both these in the past and the staff have always been very helpful (though my queries have always been face to face). I'm afraid I don't know the Warwickshire office personally but here's their details:
https://heritage.warwickshire.gov.uk/county-record-office

Bear in mind that although traffic is often bad, the distances between all the places you've mentioned are not great and if you visit and base yourself centrally, it should be easy to get around them all if you have the use of a car.

[spendlove]

Hi,
If you intend visiting this year, most record offices allow you to photograph documents the cost is about £6 per day for this.

Possibly an easy way to see what each record office hold is to do the following using the link below:-

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Enter only the Surname - Farrell in the search box
Do not enter any dates
Click on box "Held By" and from drop down list select "other archives only"

You are now presented with  a list of results.  On the left hand side  you can select date but more importantly which record office hold records in which Farnell is mentioned.

Suggest you select date   1700 - 1799, and Leicester.   Click Refine.

You now have all documents held by Leicestershire, making a list of which you wish to examine
you can then make an appointment at this record office and pre-order the documents. This can then be repeated for Derbyshire etc.

Do you have access to either Ancestry or Findmypast?

Spendlove

[Aks]

Thank you very much Annie and Spendlove for your precious advice. This is very useful. Indeed, it might be simpler to search for documents of interest on the National Archives website and then either order them in advance of a visit or indeed just ask them remotely for copies.

It is indeed curious that Martin Farnell's marriage and bankruptcy occurred at pretty much the same time. I think the questions I have, to which I may not find answers, are:

(1) Why did he marry Frances Matthews at the time of his bankruptcy, when he was about 58 years old and she was about 34, with an illegitimate daughter, Phoebe, born in 1796 (baptised in Lullington), who became my ancestor.
(2) According to his will, made in 1815, he left a certain amount of property, even though he was declared bankrupt in 1805. How did he come to still have all this property?
(3) How did he come to end up in Four Oaks in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, and be buried (as far as I am aware) in Clifton Campville, Staffordshire?

Sorry, I am just trying to clarify my own questions here!

Thank you again for all of your help.

Yes, I have access to Ancestry but not Findmypast.

Best wishes,

Alan