st ives baptism lookup

[whdsn]

I'm looking for the baptism of Elizabeth Guy abt 1785 in St Ives Cornwall

[Hugh Thompson]

Hello whdsn, I've just had a look at the images for Baptisms at the St Ives Register at Family Search 1782-1790 and I can't find her anywhere.
If you go to the COCP website and search their baptisms (address below) there are a few Elizabeth Guy/Gay's in the time period you mentioned, although none for St Ives, there are some at nearby parishes, just leave the Parish field blank when you search.
What info do have that makes you think she's from St Ives?
Regards,
Hugh.

http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org...base/baptisms/

[whdsn]

Hello Hugh
Thank you for the reply. I found her year of birth on someone's tree but i just found her on the 1851 census and the year of birth is given as 1778. she married Thomas Prisk and they have them down as Prish on the 1851 census. HO107 PIECE 1918 FOLIO 113 PAGE 12

[lesleys]

The marriage to Thomas Prisk was at St Hilary 4 Mar 1807. the opc entry says both parties were otp.

[whdsn]

Hi
Yes the marriage took place in St Hilary. But Elizabeth could have moved there from St Ives.

[Hugh Thompson]

From the original images of the Parish Register of St Hilary.

Thomas Prisk of this parish Bachelor and Elizabeth Guy of this parish Spinster were married in this church by banns--this fourth day of March in the year one thousand eight hundred and seven by me Malachy Hitchens Vicar.
This marriage was solemnized between us, the mark of Thos Prisk, the mark of Elizabeth Guy in the presence of Elizabeth Dunnal and George Guy.
Hugh.

[lesleys]

Having enlisted the help of a very knowledgeable friend and super-sleuth this is the conclusion he came to:


Her age in the Census is definitely recorded as 73 (1851) so I would be looking about 1777 and I would be taking into account the fact that one of the witnesses to her marriage was George Guy.
Looks like she was buried at St Hilary 23rd*May 1856 age 76 of Pz Union Workhouse
*
Back to the 1851 Census – it is not easy to read but her birthplace ‘looks like’ St Ives. But Guy is a name more from Madron or St Just and not at all common around St Ives. In fact from 1730-1840 there is but one Guy baptism at St Ives and that was the son of Robert Guy of the Somersetshire Militia in 1798!
*
I have been unable to find Thomas and Elizabeth in the 1841 Census so there is no way at the moment to get any idea of what her age might have been from that.
*
But it would be almost worth a little wager on this one:-
*
Elizabeth d/o George and Mary Guy bp. 16th*January 1774 at St Just
*

*William Harris and Jane Guy were married at St Hilary 4th*February 1797 ( image 89)
Thomas Prisk and Elizabeth Guy were married at St Hilary 4th*March 1807 (image 111)
*
In both cases one of the witnesses was a George Guy compare the signatures with that of
*George Guy of St Just who married Mary Rowe in 1760.
*
There are only two known children to Thomas and Elizabeth Prisk and at this point no baptism has been found for son William who was born around 1810. A marriage in 1807 followed by only two children indicates the possibility of a late marriage. The other option of course is an early grave but in this case we know Elizabeth was still alive in 1851 so the late marriage is more likely. That gives us the possibility of the 1774 baptism.


George Guy of St Just married Mary Rowe at St Buryan 24th*June 1760 – so in all likelihood both were born before 1742.
*
Between 1700 and 1745 FamilySearch shows 9 baptisms for George Guy in Cornwall. I know there were at least four children to the above marriage up to 1774 so I think a few can be eliminated because they are a little early (1711 Madron, 1714 Egloshayle, 1706 Helston).
Also eliminated one at Redruth in 1726 who died as an infant and one at Endellion in 1728 because of proximity. And then I will take out John George Guy at Redruth in 1727. And that leaves three:-
*
George bp. 1st*February 1721 St Just son of Abraham – (died 1835)
George bp. 24th*April 1731 St Just son of Richard and Sabina
George bp. 29th*July 1738 St Just son of Abraham
*
It is complicated a little because of another George Guy marriage at St Just so I will simply leave these as options for now.
*
The children of George and Mary:-
George bp. 2nd*November 1761 St Just
Mary bp. 1st*November 1763 St Just
Jane bp. 9th*November 1766 St Just
Elizabeth bp. 16th*January 1774 St Just
*
It should be pointed out that there was an Elizabeth Guy baptised at Madron in 1778. She was daughter of John and Elizabeth Guy and had a brother George who lived only a year. She also had an uncle George baptised in 1754 but I think he marriage at Penzance around 1780 and remained there.
And there was just one other Jane/Jennifer Guy who might have married William Harris. She was also baptised at St Just daughter of another George but her mother was recorded as Elizabeth. That is another problem as there appears to be no marriage prior to 1792 for a George Guy to Elizabeth. Further confusing matters is that on the same day George son of George and Grace Guy was baptised at St Just.
*
But I think what follows here will help sort out who we should be looking at.
We know that William Harris married Jane Guy at St Hilary and we know that Thomas Prisk married Elizabeth Guy at St Hilary with a George Guy witnessing both marriages.
*
Now, the CFHS transcript records absolutely no Guy baptisms at St Hilary which suggests that these two girls must have been from elsewhere and evidence so far indicates that they almost certainly came from St Just.
*
Enter St Hilary Burials!*J
*
Mary Guy age 45 buried 13th*April 1783 St Hilary – tabe
Phyllis Guy of Marazion age 28 buried 25th*Marich 1823 St Hilary – don’t know who she is
George Guy of Tregurtha age 87 buried 20th*February 1823 St Hilary
*
Mary’s age suggests she was born around 1737 which would be a nice fit for the 1760 marriage to George Guy at St Just. The marriage record tells us she was of St Buryan *and we have two and possibly three baptised at St Buryan from 1737-1740.
George Guy would have been born about 1735 if his age is accurate and that makes him just about perfect to have been the husband of Mary Row although not actually identifying him from the above candidates.
*
That then suggests that the two girls, Jane and Elizabeth, would most likely be their daughters which therefore solves the problem of the identity of the wife of Thomas Prisk.
*
Elizabeth bp. 16th*January 1774 St Just d/o George and Mary
*

[whdsn]

Thank you for the information. please can you tell me if she was baptised in St Just why have they have St Ives down on the 1851 census.

[lesleys]

There could be a few reasons:
..although b in St Just she may have lived in St Ives and thus thought she was "from there"
..more likely is that the enumerator copied the information incorrectly I and J are very similar, and this has happened in other cases.

[pippycat]

whdsn,

Further to lesleys reply, enumerators are notorious for making mistakes, if they recorded everything correctly we wouldn't have so much trouble finding our ancestors!

You mention getting your info from a familytree, they are not always accurate either. They could well have got their info from the same census as you did.

Have you contacted the tree owner to find out if they have an actual birth document that states Elizabeth born in St Ives?


Something else for the mix:

I couldn't find a William Prisk c 1810 but I found this:

Thomas Prisk bap 13 March 1808 St Hilary
parents: Thomas Prisk and Elizabeth

As well as the bap for Elizabeth 16 Jan 1774 (thread #7) I found another one:

Elizabeth Guy 1 Nov 1773 St Just to George and Mary.


Possible births for Thomas Prisk:

Thomas Prisk bap 21 Aug 1785 St Hilary
parents: William Prisk and Grace

Thomas Prisk bap 12 July 1767 Wendon
parents: Thomas Prisk and Elizabeth

Thomas Prisk 13 Aug 1780 Illogan
base child of Elizabeth Prisk


As none of us can find any connection to Elizabeth and St Ives, I would contact the treeowner to check what documentation they have for Elizabeth.

Unless you find out anything different, I would be inclined to go with the excellent information supplied by lesleys.

Rebecca