BUNNING Brickwall - Northamptonshire - Help!

[dogaholic]

My 4xGt Grandfather was William Bunning who was baptised on 25th May 1760 in Bulwick Northamptonshire. On the baptism entry his parents are given as Robert and Susannah Bunning.

This is where I hit the brickwall!

The only marriage I can find is for Robert Bunning and Susannah Satchil (Satchel?) in Deene (the neighbouring parish to Bulwick) on 31st August 1765 - 5 years after William's birth. Not impossible I know, but the only Susannah Satchel I can find was baptised on 3rd July 1848 in Deene, which would put her at only 12 years old when William was born, unless she was baptised as a child rather than as an infant, but there is nothing on the Baptism entry to suggest this.

(By the by, the marriage of Robert & Susannah was by Licence rather than Banns - does this have any significance? Their ages for example? 17 & 19 rather than over 21)

I can't find a baptism for Robert Bunning in the area, but there is a burial in Bulwick on 4th February 1831 giving an age as 85, which would put his birth at around 1746. The right age for Susannah, but again, he would only have been 14 when William, was born.

I have trawled the Parish records in the Northants Archives and can't find any other possibles. There is a Robert Bunning listed on FamilySearch as being baptised in 1746 in Northumberland, but I haven't followed his path to see if he may be the one who ended up on Northamptonshire. My head is too sore at the moment!

Can anyone help or advise what else I might try??
Thanks.

[olliecat]

(By the by, the marriage of Robert & Susannah was by Licence rather than Banns - does this have any significance? )

Marriage licenses were granted by the church authorities so that a marriage could take place without the banns being called. To obtain a marriage license, one of the parties had to swear that there was no just cause or impediment why they should not marry, and this was called the allegation (or affidavit). Another document called a bond was drawn up and this meant a sum of money would be paid out if it turned out that the marriage was contrary to canon law.

An allegation or bond might give additional information about the couple, such as their ages, residence, parents or guardians who gave consent for the marriage. Mind you, there are no guarantees on the information contained in an allegation/bond.

Surviving bonds and allegations are often kept by record offices. Checking here (http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/libraries/local_studies_and_archives/online_info_on_collections/a-z_guide/a-d/diocesan_records.aspx), bonds and affidavits for the diocese of Peterborough are held by Northamptonshire Record Office (http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/Community/archives/pages/northamptonshire-record-office-archives.aspx). Thus in your shoes, I would contact the record office to see if they can locate the allegation/bond for your couple.

[Coromandel]

There used to be, but is no longer, a Bunning one-name study registered with the Guild of One-Name Studies. That means, I presume, that the one-name.org e-mail address for the one-name study won't be valid any more. I have been trying to find more recent contact details: I will send you a pm about this.

[Thomasin]

I think, dogaholic, that you have misread the date of Susanna's baptism. According to the old form of FamilySearch, it was 3rd July 1743, not 1748, which makes her 17 when William was born.

[janbooth]

From Northamptonshire Marriage Index 1700-1837:

Robert BANNING/BUNNING of Bulwick at Deene on 31 August (7 September on Bishops Transcripts) to Susanna SATCHEL by licence.

Northamptonshire Baptismal Index 1751-1837 confirms the baptism on 25 May 1760 at Bulwick of William BUNNING son of Robert & Susannah but then there is the baptism of another William to Robert & Susannah BUNNING on 9 October 1785 at Bulwick. There is a burial at Bulwick (Northamptonshire Burial Index 1751-1812) on 28 December 1780 of a William BUNNING - could this be the William baptised in 1760? Susanna BUNNING, wife of Robert, was buried on 8 December 1788 at Bulwick.

The earliest baptism I can find to Robert & Susannah is that of William in 1760 but they appear to go on having children until the William baptised in 1785. In the Northamptonshire Baptismal Index 1700-1750 there is a Robert BUNNING baptised on 3 May 1724 at Bulwick, parents Christopher & Mary but no baptism around 1746 Two marriages for a Christopher BUNNING both at Bulwick: 16 March 1721/2 to Mary GOODICARY AND 3 May 1722 to Mary PING. Susanna SATCHEL baptised on 3 July 1743 at Deene, parents Thomas & Mary as Thomasin has found above.

Janet

Who and when did your William BUNNING marry and have you found his death which would give you an approximate birth date?

[dogaholic]

Many thanks olliecat. I will follow that up and hopefully find more info.

[dogaholic]

Thomasin, I was working on that date as well, but when I checked the original Parish Record at the Northants Archive it turned out to be incorrectly transcribed. That was the first head hit on the wall!

[dogaholic]

Thanks Janet for all your info. I have also found all those various Williams and other Bunnings. For an unusual surname there are a heck of a lot of them!! I haven't been able to connect any of them to my William for certain. However, his daughter Margaret Priscilla Bunning married George Gray and moved to Kent. On the 1841 census there is a William Bunning in the Gray household with a birth date c.1785 which is obviously the other William of Robert & Susannah. Confusing, huh? Makes me think there must be two sets of Robert & Susannah - but where oh where is the second set??

My William married Jane Bossingham in Stamford in 1790, so can't possibly be the 1785 baptism. His death is another brickwall. Jane died in 1830 and the burial record in Stamford lists her as 'wife of William Bunning', so presumably he was still alive then. I can't find him on the 1841 census but he would have been 81 years old so most likely died 1830-1841. I have searched all the Stamford burials and some around Bulwick for his burial but found nothing.

If I can solve this brickwall I will have a real Eureka moment!

[Thomasin]

Thomasin, I was working on that date as well, but when I checked the original Parish Record at the Northants Archive it turned out to be incorrectly transcribed. That was the first head hit on the wall!

Ouch!

[janbooth]

Can you tell me how you connected your William BUNNING who married Jane in Stamford to the BUNNINGs of Bulwick and how you know his parents are Robert & Susanna? Is this family info passed down or do you have documentary evidence? Also what is on his marriage record to Jane - any helpful witnesses?

Janet

[dogaholic]

Can you tell me how you connected your William BUNNING who married Jane in Stamford to the BUNNINGs of Bulwick and how you know his parents are Robert & Susanna? Is this family info passed down or do you have documentary evidence? Also what is on his marriage record to Jane - any helpful witnesses?

Janet

The William who married Jane in Stamford is the correct one without doubt as I have tracked them back through indisputable documentary evidence. The William baptised in Bulwick in 1760 is pure supposition until I can prove or disprove it. There is no suitable baptism in Stamford (I have trawled through every baptism record in the Lincolnshire Archives) and Bulwick is so close as to be a high probability. William was a roof slater and Bulwick is so small that many young men went to Stamford (the nearest large town) to seek work. The marriage took place in St Martins Baron, Stamford, which was in Northamptonshire at the time, whilst the rest of Stamford was in Lincolnshire. I live in Lincoln so have easy access to the Lincs Archives. They have the St Martins parish records on fiche, but some, including William's marriage, are very poor quality. However, I can make out that William and Jane were both 'of this parish' which doesn't help my quest. The witness names are illegible. The original at Northamptonshire Archives is the next step, when I can get there. The marriage has not yet appeared on FreeReg. Robert and Susannah are the parents of the Bulwick William as recorded in the register. All I need to do (!) is prove that the two Williams are one and the same - simples!!!

[janbooth]

I wish!! Yes I know Stamford/Stamford Baron St Martin & the Peterborough area as my maternal grandfather was born at Peterborough and my paternal 5xggrandfather was actually married at Stamford Baron St Martin in the 1740's.

The marriage of William BUNNING and Jane appears on the Northamptonshire Marriage Index, but as you say, it just states that they were both unmarried and of the parish - not a lot of help! The only William BUNNING on the Northamptonshire Baptismal Index baptised around the appropriate time is that of the William in Bulwick, but none of the parishes in the Soke of Peterborough appear on that Index and they too are pretty close to Stamford/Stamford Baron St Martin.

Have you considered Norfolk and/or Cambridgeshire at all, as many of my Peterborough ancestors married Norfolk & Cambridgeshire folk? Although I can perhaps rule out Cambridgeshire as there is no appropriate baptism for a William BUNNING on the Cambridgeshire Baptismal Index. I note on Family Search there is a baptism at Kings Lynn on 24 February 1760 of a William BUNNING, parents William & Mary. He might be worth consideration and the actual parish registers are available to browse on Family Search, both Lynn St Nicholas & Lynn St Margaret, so if you wanted to check whether he stayed in Lynn, that is possible.

Janet

[dogaholic]

Janet, you must have been reading my mind. I had been discussing the East Anglia possibilites with my husband as you replied. (Sorry for the delay in responding to your post - my dog was attacked last week and we have been practically living in the vets. She is home now and healing well but it was touch and go for a few days)

I will certainly try to follow the Kings Lynn William through his life and see if its possible he may have moved to Stamford.
Best wishes, Candy.