Which is which?

[Michael]

Following up from one of my TT5Gs, I have a James Plant in my tree, baptised in Sibsey, Lincs, on 5th August 1792, son of Richard and Sarah Plant. Lincs to the Past has the Sibsey marriage register for 1824, which shows two people named James Plant marrying that year - one to Sarah West on 13th April, the second to Mary King on 6th July. The contact I've recently made has assumed that the son of Richard and Sarah was the latter of the two to get married, but as far as I can see there's nothing to prove that he isn't the first one.

James and Mary Plant remained in Sibsey, where they had ten children baptised between 1824 and 1843, and are listed there in 1841 and 1851, before emigrating to Australia in 1855. The ages given for James on the two censuses tally with being baptised in 1792.

The only trace of James and Sarah I can find after their marriage is a baptism for William Valentine Plant in St Botolph's, Boston, on 9th March 1838, with parents of those names. There's no sign of them in 1841; there's another James Plant born in Sibsey who turns up aged 47 in 1851 and 58 in 1861, which would make a marriage in 1824 feasible - but his wife is Elizabeth. I can't find a William b1838 on any of the censuses.

Any help would be much appreciated!

[ElizabethHerts]

I'm just going to add anything I find, Michael.

NBI3 has James Plant aged 87 being buried at St Margaret, Sibsey on 25th May 1880.

[ElizabethHerts]

A William Plant, aged 7, was buried 26th March 1844 at St Botolph, Boston.

[kiterunner]

Who are the witnesses at those two marriages in 1824, Michael?

[Michael]

Thanks Elizabeth - that would explain why I couldn't find William in 1851, but not in 1841! Elizabeth, my new contact, put on her webpage that "James appears to have died in Sibsey before the family migrated", but if the 1880 burial is him (which seems probable) then clearly he didn't - he must either have not gone with them for some reason, or returned later. I can't find him in 1861, but in 1871 he's listed in Sibsey, aged 78, widower.

Kite, one of the witnesses to James Plant and Sarah West's marriage is Eleanor something (can't read the surname) and the second is Peacock West. There are three witnesses for James Plant and Mary King, but again I can't read the names very well. The image is here - http://www.lincstothepast.com/Record...670&iid=339935

[kiterunner]

James Plant / Sarah West witness - Eleanor Storr.
James Plant / Mary King witnesses - Winifred Morrison, Saml Harrison, John Harrison. Not certain whether Saml is a Harrison or a Morrison.

[kiterunner]

D'oh, I've just had a look at the names and signatures of the actual grooms and the one who married Sarah West is James Peart. James and Sarah Peart are in Sibsey on the 1841 census with children Anne 9 and James 10 months.

[Michael]

Ah, that would explain a few things. Thanks!

[Kit]

Originally Posted by Michael

James and Mary Plant remained in Sibsey, where they had ten children baptised between 1824 and 1843, and are listed there in 1841 and 1851, before emigrating to Australia in 1855. The ages given for James on the two censuses tally with being baptised in 1792.

James doesn't appear to have died in NSW, QLD or WA if that helps.

Don't worry Michael I had Peter's convict ancestress going back generations and then Kate found "her" Mary Callow with her mother and daughter on the Census and she had already been transported!! ... (Lots of people still have her tied to this family)