A few odd entries from parish registers - 1

[Geoffers]

Parish Registers can be wonderful sources useful information and gossip, below are a few odd entries that are either astounding, amusing or otherwise interesting…..

Norwich St.Etheldreda:

Jacob sonn of Mathew SALTER was baptised the 9 day of January 1680, being his 30 child of his baptised"

Mathew added one more for good luck in 1682 (John baptised 12 Nov), presumably this was not all with the same wife???!!

Aylsham

Entry 36 in the baptism register
26th Sept 1813 Golden son of John and Maria BALLS, waterman otp.
Buxton

"25 Apr 1722 Mahershalchasbaz son of Francis and Mary PYE was bapt"

Sadly on 24th May the same year "Mahershalalhashbaz PYE was buried"

Presumably the Vicar had as much trouble spelling the name as I do in pronouncing it.

"At the assizes holden at Thetford March 10 1741 Francis PYE late of this town sentenced to be transported for seven years and he was carried from our Castle April the 30 1742 in order thereto - Chappel passed the sentence."

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[Geoffers]

Blickling

These registers are great for the detail they note in some of the burials, from the odd…..

"Francis COALL was buried November 21 (1698). She lived almost 72 years and never had a tooth in her head from the time she was borne until she was dead."

…..to the last duel in Norfolk……

"Sr Henry HOBART knight + baronet was runn through the body by Oliver Neve of Wichingham upon the twentieth August day of 1698 or which wound he dyed the day folowing and was intered upon the six and twenty day of the same month."

…..to the gruesome……

"John ROWLAND of Wood Dalling (killed by a waggon wheels going over his head wch fractured his scull in many palces & ground ye gristle of his nose flat to his face & one eye quite cut & notwithstanding which he lived sensible between times from Tuesday to Saturday following. This unhappy accident happen'd just agst Ld Hobarts stable yd thro rashness of Rowland himself) buried July 23rd 1737."

Geoffers

[Geoffers]

Frettenham

"1847 - Frost and snow thro' out January, tho' it thawed occasionally - the same thro' out Feby. Prices of provisions very high - Famine & fever in Ireland, a (diocesan?) letter ordered us to preach in their behalf, collected (£)13 - 3(s) - 6(d) at the time and a few shillings afterwards.
The price of all provisions were very dear thro' out the summer till harvest, wheat reached 55d per coomb & in one instance 60d was given for a very good sample. Meat too Tong from 8d to 9d per lb Legs of Mutton fetched in Nor 1s per lb"

"1848 - Wm REMMINGTON blacksmith hung himself! Coroners verdict temporary insanity - his (…..?) & circumstance preyed upon his mind. Mrs READ relict of Mr. Thos READ farmer died Jany 5 of a cancer having been a sufferer for some years."

Aug Weather fickle - Wheat housed in a bad state. Septr very warm & fine. 2 fires occurred in the parish, one the wheat stack of John BUCK a labouring man, the other a large barley rick of Mr UTTING's at Stanninghall.

"1849 - Free trade in corn now adopted & come into full play . 1st Wheat was sold at from 20 to 24(d?) per coomb barley from 12 to 16 - Oats from 10 to 12, butchers meat 5d to 6 1/2 d. The Common land being now in a state of cultivation. Much rain fell in Jany, crops of grass mist abundant. June being fine. Cholera exists in many towns, but as yet not fatal to any great extent. Frosts in May and even June cut off the prospect of fuit & all but strawberries are very scarce. The Agricultural Society met in Norwich.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

Thankyou both for those ....... I really enjoyed reading them! :)

I can't quote from the Parish Register as I didn't write this snippet down, but it's something which made me laugh (not funny really as the entry was serious, it's the thought which shot into my head afterwards!)

It's somewhere in the Thornhill Parish Register for Burials, and it said something like:

A Stranger was buried on the (date etc.) after his body was found lying amongst the graves by the gravedigger on Monday.

I couldn't stop the thought of "Oh well, at least he was in the right place at the right time" ....... :o

[Martha]

What a great read :-)
I tend to think that the parents had a terrible cold when they anounced the unpronouncable name of that poor child. Did they say the name, or was it just one long sneeze?

I was taken by surprise that Cancer was mentioned so early on. I thought they put things like 'decay of nature' or some other odd reasoning, I did not realise they understood the meaning of Cancer at such an early date.

30 children beats my ancestor by 2, but as the parish records of Walsingham were burnt and I have yet to get my hands on the Bishops transcripts, he may beat that number yet:-)

Unfortunatly, people still do die in the cold in winter, even if we do not have so much snow now.

Please keep posting bits from parish records and other accounts, they make for fascinating reading
regards
Martha

[Geoffers]

A few more bits and bobs......

Buxton
19 May 1703 "Charles ye son of John WRIGHT + John + Samuell ye sons of Elizabeth WRIGHT widdow all three drowned wille washing in ye river + buried in one grave."
"Daniel PYE Jany 10 1742 paid M.KNIGHTS minister of Buxton for breaking up in the free hold of Buxton Church yard in putting down a headgravestone for my wife six shillings + eight pence. wit Daniel PYE. Margt RAYNER X her mark"

Not an entry from a register, but interesting all the same is a memorial in Buxton Church:

"In memory of Mary Anne KENT the daughter of Mr & Mrs Kent of Fulham, Middlesex. Who died under Inoculation on the 16th day of March 1773 in the fourth year of her age.

This much lamented Child was in the highest state of health and her mental powers began to open and promise fairest fruit. When her fond parents deluded by prevalent custom suffered the rough officious hand of art to wound the flourishing root of nature and rob the little innocent of the gracious gift of life.

Let this unhappy event teach distrutful mortals that there is no safety but in the hand of almighty God."

Geoffers

[Geoffers]

and some more from Aylsham.......

Married once in Scotland and once in England to make sure…..

Aylsham
Entry 142, Page 94 of the marriage registers, dated 1810 is not very clear in the parish register, the Archdeacon's Transcript is easier to read;
"John Wright CLOVER aged 21 years and upwards and Elizabeth TAYLOR aged 19 years and upwards (lately intermarried according to the Laws of Scotland. The said John Wright Clover being then a Bachelor and the said Elizabeth Taylor a spinster) both of this parish with the consent of John GRAND of the City of Norwich Gentn and John (EWING?) of Cringleford in the county of Norfolk Gentn. Two of the three guardians of the said minor appointed by the will of the Revd Thomas TAYLOR Clerk deceased her late lawful father were married in this Church by licence this fourteenth day of June in the year One thousand eight hundred and ten by me J B COLLYER Curate.

Aylsham registers are unusual in recording the banns and marriage in the parish during the Commonwealth period. The banns were posted in one of two places:

"The consent of marriage dated the 27th day of September (16)56 between Robart GODFRIE single and Anne ARCHER single both of Aylsham weth consent of there parents was published in our prsh church three severall Lords days Vid September 28 & Octo the 5th & 12th 56.

Robt GODFRIE & Anne ARCHER wer married the 17 day of November 1656. E BULWER"

"Franncies REEDE of Burrough single & Elizabeth HEWETT of Aylesham singlewon wer contracted for marriage the 31 day of October (16)56 & was published at the Market Cross 3 severall market dayes vid November the frist ye 8 & 15 1656

Franncies REEDE & Elizabeth HEWETT wer married."

The register records the marriages in this form from 1653-1657

Geoffers

[Geoffers]

and lastly for today......

Horstead
The death of my 5xgt grandmother has some detail not normally included:
24 Jany 1802 "Alice NOBBS singlewoman at 56, killed by the fall of a tree blown down on her Thursday 21 by a violent wid which did a great deal of damage."

Worstead registers in the last quarter of the 17th century, unusually mention a lot of occupations - this can be collated into what is basically a trade directory of the period:

Occupations mentioned in Worstead Parish Registers 1670-1700
Blacksmith - John SMITH
Butcher - Thomas LACY (of Scottow)
Carpenter - Stephen MORE
Carpenter - Robert SMITH
Cooper - John HAZELUP
Gent - Henry HARCOCK
Grocer - John CAR
Husbandman - Robert SHORT
Husbandman - Thomas THIRKLE
Labourer - Robt BUTTRUM
Labourer - Robert WEBSTER
Mason - Simon BUTLER
Mason - Richard SHALDERS
Miller - John THRORY
Shoemaker - John AUSTIN
Shoemaker - John COOK
Shoemaker - Richard SMITH
Tailor - John MARTINS
Tailor - Charles TOPCLIFF
Tailor - John WATSON
Thatcher - Philip SADLER
Vicar - John OMBLER
Weaver - Edmund HAZELUP
Weaver - William NEWSTEAD
Weaver - Thomas SMITH

Blickling registers provide a couple more deaths of note:

"Mr Sheldrake SMYTH (losing his way in ye night from N Walsham market) was drowned in ye river between Ingworth and Blickling buried March 8 1752"

and another early reference to cancer:

17 Feb 1629/30 "Susan the wife of William PAXLEY about the age of 32 yeares having for now the one half a yeare had a great scar on her breast of some called a cancer of others a wort was buried."

Geoffers

[prussell]

I am new to family history and I am trying to understand what a TREAD is. I found the anecdotes very interesting.

[Geoffers]

I am new to family history and I am trying to understand what a TREAD is. I found the anecdotes very interesting.
I'd love to try and help, but if you could clarify - Tread - in relation to what? Where have you come across the word?

If it is to do with these postings, do you mean a thread? - i.e. a series of messages/postings relating to the same topic.

Geoffers