stgiles_noke
03-09-2005, 8:47 AM
I am looking for Gabriel Pickford, born in Frome c.1778. he was a sawyer by trade, but joined the army in 1796, first the Somerset Militia, and then the 3rd Foot Guards, serving in Spain and Portugal during the Napoleonic Peninsular Wars. He died in the period 1814-1818.
On a recent visit to Somerset Archives I found Gabriel, son of John and Mary baptised in 1780. He was the only Gabriel Pickford (Pickfatt) I could find in the Frome (St. John the Baptist) baptism records in the period 1759 -1812, and I was pretty confident that this was him. I also found his marriage to Amelia (spelt Remalia), as anticipated, in Frome in 1802. However, when I got onto the burials I found 'Gaberel' Pickford, son of John, buried in 1793 - so there was obviously more than one Gabriel, although there is only one baptism recorded. My Gabriel definitely gave Frome as his birthplace on his army discharge document, so I'm uncertain whether this baptism is him or not - although I suppose that either he or the other Gabriel could have been born and baptised in one of the other parishes in Frome Hundred rather than the central parish of St. John. There also seem to have been at least 4 John Pickfords in the Frome area in the late 1780s.
As there seems to be no positive trace on the Somerset side of the county boundary I wonder whether in fact Gabriel and his family came from one of the parishes adjacent to Frome on the Wiltshire side.
I wonder if anyone else is researching this part of the family, as I'd be very grateful for any help in unravelling the different strands of Pickfords in Frome or the surrounding parishes at this time.
Yours hopefully, Anne Johnson
On a recent visit to Somerset Archives I found Gabriel, son of John and Mary baptised in 1780. He was the only Gabriel Pickford (Pickfatt) I could find in the Frome (St. John the Baptist) baptism records in the period 1759 -1812, and I was pretty confident that this was him. I also found his marriage to Amelia (spelt Remalia), as anticipated, in Frome in 1802. However, when I got onto the burials I found 'Gaberel' Pickford, son of John, buried in 1793 - so there was obviously more than one Gabriel, although there is only one baptism recorded. My Gabriel definitely gave Frome as his birthplace on his army discharge document, so I'm uncertain whether this baptism is him or not - although I suppose that either he or the other Gabriel could have been born and baptised in one of the other parishes in Frome Hundred rather than the central parish of St. John. There also seem to have been at least 4 John Pickfords in the Frome area in the late 1780s.
As there seems to be no positive trace on the Somerset side of the county boundary I wonder whether in fact Gabriel and his family came from one of the parishes adjacent to Frome on the Wiltshire side.
I wonder if anyone else is researching this part of the family, as I'd be very grateful for any help in unravelling the different strands of Pickfords in Frome or the surrounding parishes at this time.
Yours hopefully, Anne Johnson