Find Ancestors

Hi
Darren cert were not issued before 1837.
Bapts or chrisng only way or the parish register and I have check IGI batch no with no luck.
Maybe somone with more knowledge can help.
Sue

thanks susan,

I have found a baptism in their parish church for a robert Bray 7th march 1819 and the parents were John and Susan .

I then found another Baptism for a Robert Bray 11 jan 1835 and the parents were John and Susannah.

I am a bit confused. Unsure if they are the same people. Doubt they would have had 2 sons and called them both Robert.

These ancestors dont make it easy for us do they ?

Just hope we are making it easy on our records to day for our future decendents.

Darren if you go to this site it will take you to the parish reg of West sommerset and St Decummas.
I could not find him there but there are a lot of other parish churches to search.
Sue

http://www.wsom.org.uk/Parreg.html

hi susan,

this is where i found the above information, in St decumans. But its confused me more. With there being 2 robert Brays Listed to John and susan / susannah

highly likely Susan and Susannah are one and the same person

Hi Ann, i Thought that, then i thought would they have called 2 of their sons robert ? Seems abit strange

that usually happens if the first son Robert dies - they have another and name that one Robert. Happened in my family with a Nancy - seemed to be fairly common back then

ahh, I see. Now i have to figure out if thats true. Also did they have a habit of not baptising them till years after they was born ?

n

I have come across a number of cases where baptism comes years after birth - perhaps they wait and get a batch baspttised together - someone will know better than me I expect

Hi Darren and Anne

That is what happened to me ,I was born first and my two sisters born in the next four years .
We were all bapts at the same time ,I was five years old .
Sue

hi

well, I have found the baptisim records and they were all baptised in different years.

The Robert Bray I am looking for was born in 1805.

The first Robert Bray that i can find was baptised in 1819, ( i thought this must be him but later found another Robert Bray born to the same parents , so ann said the first child may have died. When I looked at the burial records A robert Bray did died in 1819 3 months old. So this must be the 1st Robert Bray. The 2nd Robert Bray Was baptised in 1835. If this is the Robert Bray i am looking for he would have been 30 when he was baptised. Would this be normal ?

n

Darren,

It is very common to find names running in families, both with children and the people they marry. I have 4x great grandfather & 3x great-grandfather both marrying different women of the same name (both first name and surname). So far the ladies seem unconnected to each other.

The two Robert Brays may have been cousins although I realise the earlier one died. Your 1805 Robert may have been baptised in 1835 possibly just before he got married. However it may be something you'll never know.

The best thing, if it is at all possible, is to read the original or a copy of the original parish records, not a transcription. Sometimes little notes were added especially if it was an adult baptism. Though it's unlikely the parents would be named in an adult baptism. Have you searched the 1841 census for a Robert Bray born c1835?

It's all ifs and maybes with records.

If your Robert Bray had parents John & Susannah then it is very likely he would have children with those names too. Has that happened?

Ozi

Hi ozi, Thanks for the tip about looking in the census 1841 for Robert Bray i have found him age 5 with John and Susan his parents. This now confirms that he is not my Robert Bray who was born in 1805.

So am back to square 1. Just dont seem to be able to find my Robert Bray's parents in the parish records yet he was born in Williton and he lived their all his life with his wife and children.

Darren

Be careful.

What you know is that he lived in Williton as an adult and he believes he was born in Williton or the parish of St Decumans. He may have lived in Williton as a small boy but been born and/or baptised elsewhere.

Ozi

Possible death Reg

England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915
about Robert Bray
Name: Robert Bray
Estimated birth year: abt 1804
Year of Registration: 1886
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Age at Death: 82
District: Williton
County: Somerset
Volume: 5c
Page: 198

If you order his death cert reg it may give you more info on him.
Sue

EDIT

I have searched all of the birth entries in west Somerset for your time frame RE;Robert bray,sorry Darren I can't find him.

1851 census - household transcription
Person: BRAY, Robt
Address: Weston Street, Saint Decumans, Watchet


BRAY, John Head Married M 63 1788 Farmer Labourer
Watchet
Somerset VIEW
BRAY, Susan Wife Married F 53 1798 Washer Woman
Nettlecombe
Somerset VIEW
BOWDEN, Mary Daughter Married F 26 1825 Washer Woman
Watchet
Somerset VIEW
BRAY, Faney Daughter Unmarried F 19 1832 House Servant
Watchet
Somerset VIEW
BRAY, Robt Son Unmarried M 16 1835 Farmer's Boy
Watchet
Somerset

Thanks Susan. Just dont seem to be to find him. Thing is will his death certificate tell be anything abt his childhood ?

Hi LadyKira,

I found this one on the 1851 census, but Robert is showing his dob as 1835 which is far too late, as mine was born 1805 so this must be a cousin.

My Robert is a mystery cant find him anywhere.