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View Full Version : Baptism entry - am I reading this correctly ?

Rick
07-05-13, 19:10
This is a detail from the baptism entry for Mary (D) of Thake and Mary Prior, 5 Feb 1786 at St Andrews Buckland, Herts.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa80/bluerickm/Mary.jpg (http://s202.photobucket.com/user/bluerickm/media/Mary.jpg.html)

I think I know what it says after "From Standon parish, 5 years old December 16 '85", but would firstly like a second opinion.

If it says what I think it does, then I'm mightily puzzled !!

Rick.
kiterunner
07-05-13, 19:20
A nurs'd ch:ld presumably short for "a nursed child" i.e. fostered.
Rick
07-05-13, 19:37
That's what I thought too.

So given a little background on Thake and Mary, do you think it's a valid assumption that they have fostered/adopted someone else's child ? I've only seen the phrase used when poorer families fostered for money.

Thake came from a wealthy family of yeoman farmers and at this time occupied one of the largest farms in Hertfordshire. The couple had a daughter Susanna, born about 1769 just after they married, who is my direct line ancestor. There's no record of a baptism for Susanna, but she and Mary are left money in Thake's will. There's no mention of record of other children.
Olde Crone
07-05-13, 21:43
You say thake was from Yeoman farmers and I wonder if the child Mary is actually the daughter of their daughter Susannah, "nurs'd child" being a delicate way of getting round the rude fact that she was their illegitimate gandchild!

Just a guess....

OC
Rick
07-05-13, 22:08
You say thake was from Yeoman farmers and I wonder if the child Mary is actually the daughter of their daughter Susannah, "nurs'd child" being a delicate way of getting round the rude fact that she was their illegitimate gandchild!

Just a guess....

OC

I like the way you're thinking and immediately though she would be a relative of some sort, but with only 10 or 11 years between them I think that's stretching it. I'm actually wondering now if Susanna might also not be their natural child as it's reminded me of something weird in Thake's will.

He left the farm to his nephew William (who lived with them) in trust that his widow Mary and William might both continue to live on the farm. He then left Susanna (by then married and living in London) and daughter Mary (also living with Susanna and family) just £5 each. He then "on reflection" incrased that to £100 and £50 respectively in a codicil. Hmmmmmmm
Olde Crone
07-05-13, 22:26
Ah yes, sorry, got the maths wrong. Susannah too young to be the mother of Mary.

Not helpful to you, but I had a farming ancestor whose Will was a bit odd, he left the farm to a younger son, not the eldest. After some sleuthing on my part, it turned out the older son was in fact his illegitimate nephew. Blood is thicker than water, definitely where farms are concerned, lol.

OC
Rick
07-05-13, 22:36
A baptism for Susanna might shed some light on things, but there isn't one I can find. I've seen cases where siblings donate a child to a childless couple, but in this case I think there's something in that wording in the codicil. Wonder if I'll ever get to the bottom of that ? Thanks OC !
Merry
08-05-13, 05:56
Two thoughts.....

1) How do you know when Susanna was born?

2) Interesting that the nursed child came with a date of birth (assuming that's what Dec 16th refers to) at a time when lots of people would have forgotten this information by the time the child was aged 5!
Shona
08-05-13, 07:30
How does the wonderfully named Thake Stallibrass, son of William and Elizabeth, born 25 November 1780 fit in?
Rick
08-05-13, 10:05
Two thoughts.....

1) How do you know when Susanna was born?

2) Interesting that the nursed child came with a date of birth (assuming that's what Dec 16th refers to) at a time when lots of people would have forgotten this information by the time the child was aged 5!

Susanna was buried aged 69 in Islington, 16 May 1838, giving an approx year of birth as 1769. Her parents married 23 May 1769. The Prior family tree is huge, so I'm concerned that if Susanna was also not their natural child I could be doing a lot of work researching aline that's not related to me by blood.

I agree about your second point. I was surpirsed at the detail in the baptism entry.
Rick
08-05-13, 10:16
How does the wonderfully named Thake Stallibrass, son of William and Elizabeth, born 25 November 1780 fit in?

I'm not sure they're actually connected. My line comes from Thomas Prior and Grace Thake and they only had two children, Anne who died young and Thomas. I've traced Thomas's children and they don't connect.

The maiden name of the Elizabeth you mention is Stallybrass, so that's where that comes from. William was from Great Hormead and is probably the son of William and Mary (nee Wheeler).