James COLEMOSS born 1806-1810 Heanor

[Pol Dubh]

This man was my great-great grandfather. I'm not sure how to go about finding out anything about him.

Any ideas?

I'm 62, NZ born - James went to NZ on the SirJohnSeymour 1847 as a soldier (fencibles) along with his wife Mary (nee Moorfoot) and children.

Look forward to any help,
regards

[janbooth]

There is also a member submitted baptismal entry on the IGI of a James COLEMOSS at Newark, Notts on 21 July 1830 but I cannot find this baptism on the Notts FHS Baptismal Index. Perhaps more likely to be correct is an extracted marriage record on the IGI at Sculcoates, Yorkshire on 26 January 1829 of a James Cole MOSS and a Mary MOORFOOT and an extracted baptism at Sculcoates on 10 February 1812 of a Mary MORFIT, father John mother Mary.

However, as James snr was married as Cole MOSS, I looked back at the Notts FHS cd under the surname MOSS and came up with the following:

21 July 1830 at Newark James Cole MOSS son John Cole & Mary, Soldier

which sounds very likely to be your ancestor given the profession. However, I cannot find the family on the 1841 census but as he was a soldier and MOSS is a very common name, they could be anywhere!! Were there any more children born in the UK that you know about and if so, perhaps you could list them and we could try to find them.

Janet

[Pol Dubh]

Thank you Janet. The following seems reliable (even if Heanor is spelled wrongly)

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....rgeSeymour.htm

Embarked Gravesend 10th August 1847 and sailed 12th arriving Auckland 26th November 1847


James Heanot, Derby Private 37th Reg.
Mary
James
Anne
Mary
Jane Maria
Susannah

The last on this list may well have been born on the voyage although her given dob was before they embarked. She was also registered as being born in NZ as in....

http://ouraucklandstuff.freeservers.com/KendallCD.htm

27 Feb 1847 Colemoss Susanna James and Mary Moorfoot Fencible Howick

(which date doesn't fit for NZ birth)

11 Sep 1849 Colemoss* John James (Cole)and Mary Moorfoot Fencible Howick
01 May 1855 Colemoss Elizabeth James and Mary Moorfoot Fencible Howick

A problem is that they kept changing their name from Colemoss to Moss, back to Colemoss and later, Cole. The son John (NZ born) seems to have used Cole as his name.

The baptism you found was Anglican? James is recorded as having been buried in the Symonds st cemetary, parts of which which is now part of a motorway, but when I next go to Auckland I will investigate. I have found records of the RC and Prestb graves but not the CoE ones.

Thanks again

[Pol Dubh]

I read that the family may have been in Ireland for a time before they left for NZ which may explain the absence during the census.

[janbooth]

There is a birth registration on FreeBMD in the March qtr 1847 at Nottingham reg district, vol 15, page 617 of a Susanna COLEMOSS - could this be your Susanna?

The church where James was baptised is St Mary, Newark which is C of E.

I still can't find the family in the 1841 census nor the baptisms of Ann, Mary or Jane Maria with any certainty but with the frequent surname changes and the fact that they are all common forenames it does make it somewhat difficult and perhaps they did visit Ireland between the births of James & Susanna.

Sorry not to be more help.

Janet

[Pol Dubh]

No, you have been very helpful. Susannah seems to be a name that wends its way through this family. It seems very likely that this Susannah was born in England and her sister Mary born a few years earlier when the family was in Ireland (Laoighis). My direct ancestor was Elizabeth, definitely born in NZ.

Was it common for girls to marry as young as 14 in those times? It seems Elizabeth did,

By the way I've read the electoral roll and Thomas Moorfoot was on it as a freeholder, so he was of some means. 80 acres farm. His daughter married down, by the looks of it.
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS.../Hayton23.html

THanks again, I appreciate your help, as I've said it is taking me some time to get into this stuff

[janbooth]

Hi again Pol,

If Thomas was a man of some means, perhaps he left a will. That might be worth searching for as it could hopefully give you a few clues re the MOORFOOT family. There is a death registration on FreeBMD for a Thomas MOORFOOT in the March qtr 1862 at Pocklington reg district (includes Bielby), vol 9d, page 47.

Janet

[Pol Dubh]

While I can find my way around the NZ BDM site, I am not so adroit on the UK equivalent.
I'll give it another go.

By the way, those 7thD.A. sites are very sketchy outside the US and Europe. Not overly surprising, I suppose. Also, you have BMD which makes more chronological sense than our BDM.

Thanks again, you have been very helpful.

[janbooth]

Hi again Pol,

You are in luck as Thomas MOORFOOT did indeed leave a will. I had a look on the Death Duty Register for the year 1862 and Thomas MOORFOOT's will was probated as follows:

MOORFOOT, Thomas of Bielby, York Probate granted to Thomas MOORFOOT in the Court of York.

You can apply for a copy of the will to be sent to you (the cost in the UK is £5 but am not sure about overseas) giving details of the person who made the will, his address and year of death from:

York Probate Registry
Castle Chambers
York YO1 9RG
01904 666 777
Email york.psr@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

HTH further

Janet

[Pol Dubh]

Thank you, I will pursue this. You have been a great help to this novice.