This is odd

[Asa]

There's a baptism for a Richard Westover in 1816 at St Leonard Shoreditch and born the same year. When you look at the image on Ancestry, there's a declaration by the same chap in 1854 saying that this is his baptism and he believes he was erroneously entered as being baptised in 1801 at the same church. Could that have happened that a baptism could have been written in the wrong book of 15 years ago?

Richard's parents Richard and Esther Mary (known as Mary) married in 1804 at Stepney church but there is the baptism there in 1801 at Shoreditch while Esther Mary was still married to her first husband William Rawlins (d 1802) with a completely different birthday to the 1816 baptism.

Wouldn't it just be that Esther Mary had left her first husband, set up home with Richard senior and had a child by him in 1801? There is an age-less Richard baptised at Bethnal Green later in 1801.

[kiterunner]

As far as I can see, the declaration just says he was erroneously entered as the son of Richard and Mary instead of Richard and Esther Mary. I can't see anything about 1801; where did you find that bit, please?

[Merry]

I see the same as Kate. Also the Richard Westover who was living in Hare St in 1851, and was married to Amelia, was recorded as b about 1816 in 1851 and 1861.

[Asa]

Ummm I don't know! Lol - I think I must have been looking at too many open tabs and imagined something

*embarrassed emoticon* :-)

[Merry]

Never mind!

Maybe you shoud be focussing on why he was making this declaration re his baptism?

[Asa]

Thanks Merry - I've been looking at the Old Bailey site and C19th newspapers but not come up with anything so far...

[Merry]

Have you seen the entry for Esther Mary's burial?

[Asa]

Yes there's another declaration about Esther Mary's name but I can't find it. Would this be an inheritance thing? Richard's is about 11 years after her death

[Merry]

No, I couldn't find it either, but didn't look very hard in case you had found it!

Do you know if she or Richard senr had anything to leave/made wills etc etc?

[Asa]

I've not been able to find anything - I was mislead by Richard's declaration being at a police court and assumed it was something criminal but then I went on searching for wills. They were weavers so may have been well off enough to leave wills - some of the family did.

[Merry]

Do you know when Richard senr died? Have you tried looking at the death duty registers on FMP.

(and how come you were awake at 5am??)

[Asa]

The cat wanted feeding and then I came on here:)

Yes he died in 1836 and I've just checked that and 1843 without success - I never remember the death duty registers - thanks

[Merry]

I looked at 1844 as EMW died in Dec but nothing there either.

[Merry]

Perhaps you should check 1854?

[Asa]

Not there either. Something must have happened in 1854. His siblings were all alive then and one remarried in 1854 but I can't see how that would need a declaration for her brother.

[Phoenix]

Presumably it is something on his mother's side of the family, as that is the detail he is rectifying?

If you go to that fuss & expense, I assume it isn't just because you are a nit-picking family historian, anxious that future generations can trace the maternal line:D

[Asa]

lol - that would make sense, Phoenix :)

Esther Mary's sister died in March 1854, just before the declaration but she had a husband and a lot of living descendants at the time. Just checked her in the death duty registers and she's not there - will keep thinking...