Leverton, 1809 Berks or Wiltshire?

[erica bauman]

I have an ancestor whose census information changes from being either Wilts or Berks. My question is ,.Which county would his birth or marriage be in.? He was born in 1809.[Thomas George Rathbone, except in 1861 when he was "Henry"!] His wife was either Margaret or Mary Ann, born in Tilehurst, Berks Their eldest son Joseph1830 was born in Hungerford.So I presume that they were married there and not in Surrey where they later lived. I am not having any luck with my searches. I would be grateful for any help!

[MarkJ]

Did you do a search for Leverton here in the forum? I know there was a thread on that surname here which had an excellent link in it to a site which had lots and lots of Levertons from all around the UK.

If you can't find it, I will be happy to look around in a moment

Edit: The link mentioned is -

http://www.leverton-genealogy.com/index.htm

[erica bauman]

Sorry Mark, Having just re read my message I realise I was not clear about it being a place and not a name! I have found it mentioned close to Chilton Foliat, But I can't find the registration district or which county may have any records.Thanks

[MarkJ]

Ah - sorry :(

Genuki lists it with the Chilton Foliat entry -

http://www.brazell.net/genuki/BRK/ChiltonFoliatt/index.html

Seems to be right on the border as you mentioned.
A bit more (possibly useful in your quest) info here -

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=23041#s5

[erica bauman]

Thank you Mark for those links. If it was in Berkshire, BUT the parish it was part of was in Wiltshire, Am I right in presuming the records would be in Wiltshire? Have you any idea what registration district it would be in?

[erica bauman]

Have looked at your information and decided to search in Wiltshire! Thank you Mark.

[MarkJ]

I wish you well in the search :) It seems to be one of those places where either county could prove to hold what you are looking for!

[Harry]

Erica,

If you look at the Berkshire Records Office holdings here: http://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/, you will see that Chilton Foliat records are held at Wiltshire and Swindon RO.

Also invaluable for research is this site:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers/CountryEngland.htm#PageTitle

Good Hunting
Harry

[erica bauman]

Thanks Mark, AND Harry. I appreciate your advice. I will continue my "hunting".

[christopher_n_lewis]

His wife was either Margaret or Mary Ann, born in Tilehurst, Berks Their eldest son Joseph 1830 was born in Hungerford.So I presume that they were married there and not in Surrey where they later lived.Bear in mind that an ecclesiastical parish may cross a county boundary. Also, from 1837, the Registration Districts may also straddle other boundaries. Do make sure that you are not mixing-up a town with a Registration District of the same name. County boundaries have also changed. The best place to look for information on these changes is GENUKI.

Holdings of County Record Offices are usually given on their web-sites, or can be acessed via Access to Archives (A2A). Much information is also available from Local History Centers in the appropriate towns, it's always worth checking what they hold.

Women often returned to their mother's for their first birth. Or, a couple would visit the new grandparents and have their first child baptised in that parish. So a couple may have been living in Surrey, but their first child could be baptised elsewhere.

When asked by a census enumerator where they were born, many people would give the name of the town or village they remembered growing up in - not necessarily where they were actually born. And if the enumerator had never heard of the place, he may put the largest place he had heard of.

HTH
Christopher

[erica bauman]

Thank you for your comments Christopher, I am totally confused at the moment.! Hopefully looking through your recomendations will help. Where did they find the enumerators??? OR is it the person who wrote in the records to blame!! In 1851 my Thomas was born in Leverton Wilts, [Which was mistrascribed as Wales!} Yet in 1861 he was Henry and his birth was transcribed to have been in Berks Shue Liverton! [RG9 piece 337 folio 96 page 40] I don't have access to the origional so i am unable to read it myself. If you [or anyone else] would be able to check this for me I would be "extremely" grateful!

[NewburyChap]

Leverton is and was in Berkshire - now in Hungerford parish but in 1809 it was in Chilton Foliat parish, most of which was in Wiltshire. The change took place in 1895.

So you need to check Wiltshire records for 1809.

[erica bauman]

Thankyou NewburyChap,