CHARTERS OF STEEPLE MORDEN

[worrals]

Hi there,
I'm looking for descendants of Bennet Charter (1799-1873) and Sarah nee Wiggs (abt 1799-1844).
Bennet and Sarah married at Steeple Morden on 16 January 1819. Also if anyone can help me with Sarah Wiggs birthplace which is proving to be a brickwall. On the 1841 census her place of origin is foreign parts but I have no idea where!
Also any descendants of Bennet and Sarahs son William (1820-1893) and his wife Esther (nee Desborough). They married 29 Oct 1842 at Litlington and moved to the St Andrews the Less area of Cambridge about 1850.

[ChrisKelly]

If Sarah died in 1844 it's going to be tricky to determine her place of birth, but here are a couple of suggestions:
1. Assuming you haven't done so already, check the details of the marriage in the parish register. Perhaps it will say "Sarah Wiggs of France".
2. If the names of the witnesses are recorded, look for them in the censuses. If you're (very) lucky you might discover a 'foreign' connection.
3. Check the censuses for Wigg(s) born outside the UK. It'll be tedious work but again maybe you'll get lucky. I did a quick search of the 1851 census and spotted a Susannah Wigg born in Italy. Might be nothing, might be something ...

Good luck

[ChrisKelly]

Thinking about it further ....

4. Check all of the later censuses with Bennett and other family members just in case a foreign relative shows up.
5. Check passenger lists.
6. Check wills. Perhaps Sarah or Bennett bequeathed something to a relative from those foreign parts.

If that fails, continue banging head ...

[worrals]

Hi,
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll go back through the parish registers of Steeple Morden and check if there are any clues.
I did come across on the 1841 census of Steeple Morden a William and Catherine
Wiggs and she appears to have been born in Ireland and I did wonder if they were possibly Sarahs parents. I tried the IGI for a birth in Ireland and a marriage for William and Catherine but drew a blank.
But I will try passenger lists. Unfortunately Bennet and Sarah didn't leave wills.
I hope I can make progress with this.

[davidcarca]

There were other Wiggs marriages in Steeple Morden in the 1790s and baptisms in the mid 1700s, so it seems to have been a local name. Possibly Sarah was born while her father was working abroad, or was he perhaps a soldier?

It would be worth looking laterally at these other Steeple Morden Wiggs to see if they might be connected to Sarah

David

[janbooth]

Do you have the census records for William & Esther?? They are in Cambridge in the 1851 census (HO107/1760, folio 192, page 13) living at Parkers Row, New Street. They have 4 children namely Bennet aged 9, Albert aged 5, Mary A aged 3 and Charles aged 1, all born Cambridge.

Janet

[worrals]

Hi David,
Yes, I have seen the Wiggs in Steeple Morden registers but couldn't make a connection but I think another search might help.
Sarahs father could have been a soldier. Are there any registers of army births online?

[worrals]

Hi Janet,
Yes, I do have William and Esther on the 1851 census. Thank you.

[Jane46]

Hi
I am descended from this line but still learnng how to use the forum. I believe Bennett was my 3rd great grand uncle!! by my Family Tree Maker programme. I am posting this now so that I do not lose the thread and will come back to you as soon as I have got some facts together.

Regards

Jane

[Jane46]

Hi
OK getting the hang of it now I think. Your Bennett had a brother William b March 1789 who married Sibley Blyton b 1 12. 1794 in Newark, and they moved to Hull, Yorkshire. They were my 3rd great grand parents so this is great to be in touch because I have found the Charter dynasty very difficult to sort out. We obviously have a lot to discuss so I will be in touch again tomorrow I hope.

Regards

Jane