John Nicholas
10-07-2008, 11:26 AM
The last time I dug up the old boy and took him for a stroll through these pages, we bumped into Peter Nicholl and BusyGlen, who provided some very useful information and advice on family, occupation, will and death. So it is definitely one and the same Thomas BRIGHTMAN who married Ann Gibbs at Minster in Sheppey in 1782, had 11 children with Ann until the poor woman dropped dead in 1808, served as a warden of the Sheerness dockyard, appeared as a superannuated warden at Minster in the 1841 census and was buried there on the first day of 1846, aged 96.
The 1841 census age (85) and the age in the burial register (96) are not very consistent, even allowing for census rounding. Thomas could have been born in any year from 1749 to 1756. The census shows he was not born in Kent but his will provides no clue as to his origins. IGI has a couple of possibilities and some online trees link him to a Thomas (Francis) BRIGHTMAN born in 1756 in Maulden, Beds. Having spent quite a bit of time on the Bedfordshire possibility, I am increasingly uneasy with it. Thomas is not an uncommon forename for Brightman and there could be many who have not yet made it onto IGI. The surname seems to be concentrated in the East Midlands and eastern counties of England, perhaps having started in Nottinghamshire.
I have a small ray of hope. Bridget BRIGHTMAN married Richard BARNES at Eastchurch, Sheppey, in 1792, Thomas appearing as witness. Subsequently, two of Thomas's & Ann's children are named after the other couple, and Bridget reciprocates by naming her children Thomas & Sophia (one of Thomas's daughters). This suggests to me that Bridget was Thomas's sister or close cousin. If I can find Bridget, the right Thomas will be found close by. I cannot find a matching Bridget on IGI, or in Maulden, Beds (which suggests my Thomas isn't there either).
Unfortunately, Bridget appears to have died young - a Richard BARNES, widower, remarried at Eastchurch in 1807. Interestingly, there is no burial record for her within the Sheppey parishes.
Sorry for the length of all this. I'd be very grateful for any possible leads for Thomas and/or Bridget, or (polite) suggestions as to where to go next. I've logged my interest with the Brightman one-name study, but the coordinator is currently redeveloping his website.
John
The 1841 census age (85) and the age in the burial register (96) are not very consistent, even allowing for census rounding. Thomas could have been born in any year from 1749 to 1756. The census shows he was not born in Kent but his will provides no clue as to his origins. IGI has a couple of possibilities and some online trees link him to a Thomas (Francis) BRIGHTMAN born in 1756 in Maulden, Beds. Having spent quite a bit of time on the Bedfordshire possibility, I am increasingly uneasy with it. Thomas is not an uncommon forename for Brightman and there could be many who have not yet made it onto IGI. The surname seems to be concentrated in the East Midlands and eastern counties of England, perhaps having started in Nottinghamshire.
I have a small ray of hope. Bridget BRIGHTMAN married Richard BARNES at Eastchurch, Sheppey, in 1792, Thomas appearing as witness. Subsequently, two of Thomas's & Ann's children are named after the other couple, and Bridget reciprocates by naming her children Thomas & Sophia (one of Thomas's daughters). This suggests to me that Bridget was Thomas's sister or close cousin. If I can find Bridget, the right Thomas will be found close by. I cannot find a matching Bridget on IGI, or in Maulden, Beds (which suggests my Thomas isn't there either).
Unfortunately, Bridget appears to have died young - a Richard BARNES, widower, remarried at Eastchurch in 1807. Interestingly, there is no burial record for her within the Sheppey parishes.
Sorry for the length of all this. I'd be very grateful for any possible leads for Thomas and/or Bridget, or (polite) suggestions as to where to go next. I've logged my interest with the Brightman one-name study, but the coordinator is currently redeveloping his website.
John