Beechey - Burford, Witney, Clanfield

[bonti]

Hi All
I'm needing look up of parish records please.

My friend and I are working on her BEECHEY family who we traced three generations in South Africa, then back to Surrey and then to Oxfordshire.

The family had been told that they had family names and that they were related to Sir William BEECHEY. The family names they have are George and Frederick William (two names also of Sir William's sons.)

Sir William born abt 1753 origins were in Burford and the family James BEECHEY born abt 1796 we traced to was in Witney...... kinda in the neighbourhood. Then we found out that not all parish records are on the LDS site. SKS did look ups on the Witney parish CD and we have James' parents and Grandparents.

Can anyone please help us with look ups in the Bampton, Burford, Clanfield, Swinbook parishes.
We're trying to find the connection.........maybe Joseph BEECHEY was an uncle or cousin or the like.

Family hand me down stories aren't always 100% correct but there is usually a grain of truth. The fact that the family traces back to Witney and the names that have been passed down......... Maybe some truth

Please - Your help will be much appreciated.

Regards
Lynn

[David Tuson]

Hi

I live on Beechey Street in Pirongia New Zealand. It is named after Frederick Beechey who charted the north coast of Alaska in 1826.

If he is part of your family I will enquire into the reason for naming the street after him

Regards
David

[bonti]

Frederick William BEECHEY the explorer was a son of Sir William BEECHEY. Brother Henry William BEECHEY migrated went to New Zealand and then his son Henry again moved on to Australia. And yet another brother George Duncan BEECHEY, also a well known painter like his father, went to India.
Somehow the George BEECHEY that went to South Africa was related to this family...... but I don't know how. I'm thinking it is in the early 1700 in Oxfordshire.
Here's hoping.
Lynn

[Pennie]

Hi Lynn ...

There are quite a few BEECHYs listed in the Clanfield PRs (dating from early 1700s).

I may have missed something here, but where does "Joseph" fit in? If you could give me a little more information, then I'll happily have a trawl through them for you!

Penny

[bonti]

Penny,

We have:
James BEECHEY born 1796 Witney to John BEECHEY born 1751 Witney and Susannah ROBERTS

John BEECHEY born 1751 Witney parents:
Joseph BEECHEY born abt 1715-1724 married 28 Feb 1742 Witney to Sarah DREWETT baptised at Witney St.Mary’s on 1715 Nov 6, the daughter of William & Elizabeth DREWET

That is all I have. I have no idea if he was born in Witney or the surrounds.

Thank you
Regards
Lynn

[Pennie]

Hi Lynn ...

Have now checked Clanfield PRs, but nothing obvious to do with your BEECHEYs (certainly no Josephs listed).

Just a thought ... have you tried having a search done for Joseph on the OFHS's Baptism Index. (the majority of the parishes around Witney are included - you can check exactly which ones on their interactive Parish Register Coverage Map.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Pennie

[David Tuson]

You may be interested in the following extracts from the historical records for Pirongia.

In the 1880s the surveyor general connected naval surveying in the Arctic with the with the trials of a village in New Zealand where high hopes and aspirations were not realised.
BEECHEY STREET is named after Frederick William Beechey (whom you have in your tree)
BELCHER STREET is named after Sir Edward Belcher who was a surveyor in Beechey's expedition in 1825 - 26
McCLURE STREET named after Sir Robert John Le Mesurier McClure who was rescued from BEECHEY ISLAND in 1854

Regards
David