Documented Church Records in England when Lives in America?
Hi all,
I've been researching ancestors who were living in Maine/New Hampshire/Massachusetts in the 1600s, but I keep finding vital records that list all the right people, but then it says the event took place in parishes in England.
At first I've been discounting them, but I wonder if the families would then submit them to be documented in the particular parishes in England? I'm still not sure this makes sense, though, because why would parents, for instance, document that their child was baptized in, say Stoke Gabriel, Devon, if that's not where he was actually baptized? Would be because that's where the family was originally from?
Thank you,
Margie
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If you could provide an actual example, I might be able to provide you a better answer. But it sounds like the event took place in an England parish, and after the event in England the person or family immigrated to Maine/New Hampshire/Massachusetts.
Good Hunting!
Ronald H. Olson
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Hello Marjorie
If you could send through the FamilySearch PIDs of the family members listed with records including places in Devon, or other places in England, I can checkout some of the databases here in England and see if I can offer a better perspective for you.
Be successful and keep searching! Cheerio for now: looking forward to hearing from you!
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Thank you so much, David!
First, perspective; this is in relation to Thomas Crockett, ID LCJX-SC8. He was apparently born in either 1605 or 1611. There is a baptismal record of a Thomas Creckett, son of Thomas and Ann, from 27 Apr 1605, in Stoke Gabriel, Devon, England, which could likely be him. And although I have not found it, yet, I have found multiple references to an affidavit he gave in America, around the 1640s, that he was born in 1611 in Stoke Gabriel. Now, it IS very possible he couldn't remember/didn't know when he was actually born, but I suspect the location would be right. And I have yet to find any documentation that PROVES this 1605 record is him.
HOWEVER, this is then where my question comes in; I have determined he came to America around 1631, married Ann Gunnison (LKW3-8PB) around 1640 in New England, America. Thus, all their children were born in America. NOTE: On FS, there appears a source for Ann, where she and Thomas had a child in Whitchurch, Shropshire, England, apparently in 1640, and the child died in 1642. First, the dates don't match, but COULD they have registered a child's baptism and death in England, and does it make sense to register it in Whitchurch instead of Stoke Gabriel? Looking at a map, that's over 3 hours away by today's standards.
Their (known) children included a daughter, Ann (KCBQ-SZB - wrong birthdate; she was firstborn, around 1640/41). Ann married a William Roberts (MZNC-M45). I don't have a date of death for her, yet.
Now I realize that Thomas and Ann are common names, but I wouldn't think Crockett would be that common. And I don't know if it makes any sense that if the parents were originally from at least Devon county, would they register their American children in a different county, even?
But with the daughter Ann, who married William Roberts. I can't be SURE she was still in America when she died, but I have this record, which again, brings up the question if these events would be documented in England; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J8KH-GL7
And then Ann and William had a daughter, Elizabeth (KLWY-H9F), who was born in Kittery, Maine, America, around 1683/84. However, again, I found a record for an Elizabeth, born to William Roberts and wife Ann, baptized in 1684 in Hardwick, Norfolk, England. I found this record on Ancestry, in the collection, Norfolk, England, Church of England Baptism, Marriages, and Burials, 1535-1812, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3205824:61045 (image attached).
I believe these are enough examples to emphasize my question, which is, if a family is in British Colonial America in the 1600s, would they register their life events in England? And, if SO, would there be a reason to register in different counties than they were originally from?
Thank you,
Margie
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Relative to your First paragraph to @DavidBeck1, I would respond that another possibility is the 1605 Thomas Creckett was an older brother who died soon after birth, and the 1611 Thomas Crockett is a younger brother given the same name in honor of the older brother – this happened quite often.
Relative to your Second paragraph to @DavidBeck1, I would respond that a search of the Crockett name on the internet will result in it being quite common in England and Scotland. And, during this time (1600s), it is EXTREMELY unlikely that the Thomas Crocket who immigrated to America around 1631 and married Ann Gunnison around 1640 in New England, America, are the same persons as Thomas Crockett and Ann ? who had a child (Roger) in 1640 in Whitchurch 3 hours away (actually 4 hr 14 min, 232 miles, by car!) in Stoke Gabriel. If this was my family, to avoid further confusion, I would remove the 1640/1642 birth/death record from Ann Lynn Gunnison’s records explaining why this record could not belong to this Ann Lynn Gunnison, and add your explanation under Collaborate.
Hope this helps you feel more comfortable with your good logic.
Ronald H. Olson
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Thank you very much for your reply. I'll take this as confirmation that these records are for different people. Yes, I've found it quite common that when a child died, they would re-use the name. It's an interesting tradition that I don't believe is followed today. Granted, people also don't have DOZENS of children as often, either.
I do feel that the records for the Crocketts on FS are a mess. However, I WILL go back and clean this up. I have fixed other ancestors in the past, but only when I've had the proof. The collaborate section is rather new to me, too.
Thank you again, Ronald.
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Hello Marjorie
I have been viewing this page in Ancestry.co.uk. You may have seen this already:
Cheerio for now!
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Thank you so much for thinking of me, David! Yes, I have found many compilations of Crockett records in America, along with a lot of books on New England back in the 1600s and 1700s. And based on what apparently was a deposition by him, he said he was born 1611 in Stoke Gabriel, Devon.
I never found a record for 1611, but there is baptismal record for a Thomas Crechett in the same location, in 1605, but I don't know if this is him or not. It doesn't appear it was unusual for people to not know their birthdates back then. Here is that link; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JMRG-RF7
Even if you were able to find this record, I suppose the only way to determine it IS him is if there were no other Thomas Crocketts born between this and 1611.
Thank you,
Margie
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