Thomas Beslee

[Josiesa]

I have been searching for the baptism of Thomas Beslee around the year 1715 for nearly forty years now. He was married in Aylesford, Kent in 1741 to Ann Reeves from Staplehurst, Kent and then lived the rest of his life in Staplehurst. If anyone has any information on Beslee (Beasley, Baseley etc) families living anywhere in the late 17th or early 18th centuries, I wold love to know. Thankyou.

[Raffaele]

Thomas's marriage is documented on the IGI on batches M036511 and
M036512. Have you inspected the Aylesford parish records or reviewed the LDS copy of the Bishops Transcripts.

A review of the records may reveal additional information which could give some clue to his origins.

Country wide there are a great many potential Thomas's but none in Kent save LDS members creating them on the assumption he came from Staplehurst or Aylesford. The IGI claims to have the Aylesford records and there are no suitable candidates there, however, they do not have the Staplehurst records. This link might provide some help

https://www.kent-opc.org/Parishes/Staplehurst.html

[MarkJ]

There were Baseley/Basley/Bazeley etc families in Cornwall at that time. A bit far from Kent though - but you never know!
I would suspect that your Thomas was from somewhere in the South East though.

Mark

[Josiesa]

Thank you very much for your replies, both of you. Yes, I have checked the Aylesford and Staplehurst registers and transcripts, also settlements/removal orders etc. I too think he probably came from somewhere in Kent or Sussex, but no luck so far.

[Victoria]

There were also quite a lot of them in North Berkshire. Again, a bit far from Kent, but if you decide to cast your nets wider, another place to look.

Victoria

[Josiesa]

Thanks, Victoria,
I spent some time researching in that area a few years back as a Richard Beslee who was rector in Staplehurst, Kent in the 1500s had connections with Berkshire and Oxfordshire, but sad to say, no Thomas bapt c 1715.
Josiesa