Lateral Thinking Needed

[Peter Goodey]

I have a John FARLIE who first became visible in Charlton in 1824 at the time of his marriage. He consistently claimed on census returns to have been born in Canterbury in 1803 and his army records indicate the same date and place. I have everything I need about his later life but nothing about his parentage.

I've ploughed through as many Canterbury parish registers as I can lay my hands on and also several nearby parishes without spotting any sign of a baptism.

Has anyone got any ideas where to look next? Has anyone noticed any little knots of FARLIEs being born around that time anywhere in Kent?

The only clues I have (rather desperate ones) are that a couple of female FARLIEs were also married in Charlton around the same time as John. Charlotte FARLIE married George MURRAY, Mary Ann FARLIE married Mark BOWING and Maria FARLIE married Thomas MAJOR. I have tracked Mary Ann Bowing down in a later census and she claimed to have been born in Hythe in abt 1808.

The spelling of FARLIE may vary of course.

[Geoffers]

I have a John FARLIE who first became visible in Charlton in 1824 at the time of his marriage....born in Canterbury in 1803 and his army records indicate the same date and place. I have everything I need about his later life but nothing about his parentage.......Has anyone got any ideas where to look next? Has anyone noticed any little knots of FARLIEs being born around that time anywhere in Kent?

Hello Peter
Sometime after the event, but I've pasted below a list of FARLIEsfrom the 1881 census, born in Kent up to 1816. The place that sticks out from amongst the others is the first one, at Chartham - possibly a cousin???

A couple of other thoughts....
Have you tried working through workhouse records to see if the family were admitted and if so, from what parish?

Did he marry by banns or licence? If licence, it may be worth tracking down the allegation.

continued

[Geoffers]

Did he marry by banns or licence? If licence, it may be worth tracking down the allegation.

Land Tax Returns 1798 are a good way of tracing clusters of families in parishes.

Could he have been teh son of an army man - in which case you may be able to track down a birth certificate via the Indexes to Regimental Registers of Births.

FARLEY, John, Head, <1794>, Birth:, Kent, Chartham
FARLEY, Edward, Head, <1800>, Birth:, Kent, Lewisham
FARLEY, William, Lodg, <1800>, Birth:, Kent, Benenden
FARLEY, Helen, Wife, <1801>, Birth:, Kent, Sevenoaks
FARLEY, James, Head, <1803>, Birth:, Kent, Hawkhurst
FARLEY, John D., Head, <1806>, Birth:, Kent, Folkestone
FARLEY, Mary, Hskp, <1806>, Birth:, Kent, Goudhurst
FARLEY, Sarah A., Head, <1806>, Birth:, Kent, Seal
FURLEY, Caroline, Head, <1806>, Birth:, Kent, Canterbury
FARLEY, Esther, Head, <1808>, Birth:, Kent, Sutton At Hone
FARLEY, Mary, Wife, <1808>, Birth:, Kent, Ramsgate
FARLEY, Abraham, Inmt, <1809>, Birth:, Kent, Ramsgate
FARLIE, James, Head, <1811>, Birth:, Kent, Woolwich
FARLIE, Hannah, Wife, <1813>, Birth:, Kent, Woolwich
FARLEY, Thomas, Head, <1814>, Birth:, Kent, Hawkhurst
FARLEY, Sarah, Moth, <1816>, Birth:, Kent, Fordwich
FARLEY, Thomas, Head, <1816>, Birth:, Kent, Higham

Geoffers

[Peter Goodey]

Thanks for those thoughts, Geoffers.

The Regimental Records didn't yield anything and he married by banns not licence so nothing there.

Thanks about the suggestion about Chartham - I'll certainly check that (it's Canterbury as near as dammit). I've also noticed a knot of them in Herne Bay which with a bit of imagination might be called loosely the Canterbury area (I've realised the Blean registration district / poor law union actually covered a part of Canterbury itself - scarcely relevant in 1803, I know).

That'll keep me quiet for a while (when eventually archives & libraries reopen after the great shutdown).

[Geoffers]

[The Regimental Records didn't yield anything and he married by banns not licence so nothing there.]

Curses

[Thanks about the suggestion about Chartham - I'll certainly check that (it's Canterbury as near as dammit). I've also noticed a knot of them in Herne Bay which with a bit of imagination might be called loosely the Canterbury area (I've realised the Blean registration district / poor law union actually covered a part of Canterbury itself - scarcely relevant in 1803, I know).]

Are there any decent surveys for the Tithe Redemption in the area? I know you won't get birthplaces - but apart from the Land Tax, I can't think of any other fairly complete 'surveys' closer to the period than the 1841 census. They may take a while to work through, but should show up clusters of the surname and may yield locations where your family lived - Just a thought

Good luck in the New Year
Geoffers

PS - any wills to help???

[MauriceFarlie]

Woolwich and Plumstead are a hotbed of Farlies in the 19th century and they are next door to Charlton. I'm not at all surprised that one turned up there. John may even be related to my own Farlie ancestors who I have traced as far back as James and his wife Hannah.
I suspect that there is another main branch in the 19th century as I keep finding Farlies in the right area but I cannot place in the tree of James and his descendants. They may even have intermarried in the later part of the century.
Did you ever find out more about John? I know your enquiry was a while ago but I have only recently joined.
I'd appreciate any information that you have on John and his descendants.

[Peter Goodey]

Do you know Robyn Farlie? There's a guy in Australia who knows a fair bit about your clan but it's really just a peripheral interest for him. He put me in touch with Robyn but I gather she's busy studying and hasn't much time for family history stuff.

Your James was as far back as he knew about as well. If any link can be established between your clan and mine, we would have to go back at least one generation - perhaps more.

Have you found a baptism for James? I gather he was allegedly born in Woolwich in around 1811.

[MauriceFarlie]

Hi Peter,

I had some correspondence with Robyn a few years ago but it petered out, presumably because of studies. She's a second or third cousin.

A few days ago her uncle 'phoned me and later sent me a copy of the family tree that was started orginally by my great-aunt, Alice Selina and her second husband. It had been transcribed by Alan Farlie with contributions from others, including Robyn. And it shows John Farlie as James' elder brother, 2 other brothers and 2 sisters and another John as their father.

Unfortunately there's little on Alan's tree apart from names, so no more help on James. My information comes in part from The Hale Collection on the Web (and I'm sure you've found that already) and a lady in Australia whose daughter is married to the grandson of Rosina Eliza Farlie's marriage to Charles Gillard, her second. The Australian guy you mention may be the same grandson, especially both my contact and yours talks about the Farlies being of peripheral interest.

To muddy the waters, Alan has added a footnote from his mother saying that James' family name was also known as "Fairlie".

I don't know whether our families are connected - certainly your family name has not cropped up in my searches though I still have a number of names that I have yet to place in my tree.

So far I have not researched anything that I cannot obtain by searching the Internet or correspondence. Woolwich as a place of birth for James Farlie is plausible as his father John died there in May 1849 and is buried in St Mary's Churchyard. There also seems to be some family tradition of serving in the Royal Artillery.

Keep in touch and let me know if you manage to shed more light on the Farlie clan in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. I'll do the same. If you want to contact me direct, you can use mfarlie@aol.com.
Maurice

[babybels71]

I have a Tom Farley in my tree, he was married to one of my Ggrandmothers 'Bardens' side.
Also my Ggrandmother was married to John Thomas Gillard. Could he be related to the Charles Gillard mentioned in one of the replies?
Would be fascinating news if there is a link....

......looking forward to hearing more hopefully!!

Julie Gillard

[Peter Goodey]

If you want to contact me direct, you can use mfarlie@aol.com.

OK Maurice, I've noted that. Allegedly some people have managed to get emails through to AOL subscribers although I've yet to see the proof!

The email address on my profile works.

I'm hoping to get to LMA this week - perhaps I'll be able to do some digging there.