Hi Mike, The Chewton Mendip registers are still being transcribed for FreeReg, ChewtonHundred and Somerset OPC. Currently baptisms and burials are up to 1812 and marriages to 1753. You might find it useful to conact the Chewton Mendip OPC (who is also the transcriber). He is Steve Bumstead who's email address can be found at http://wsom-opc.org.uk/index.php?id=39&k=272. Andy, FreeReg Area Assistant for Somerset and Chewton Hundred Moderator ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Matthews" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 2:47 PM Subject: [B&S] Thoughts on these Chewton FLOWERs would be appreciated > Dear all, > > > > I am descended from Mary FLOWER, baptised in Chewton Mendip, Somerset in > 1823. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth FLOWER, and I have had > great difficulty identifying them. > > > > The 1841 census shows the family living in Nedge, John aged 35 and > Elizabeth > aged 30. However these ages are clearly rounded down as their first > child, > Eliza, was born in 1819 and it's therefore more likely that they were both > born c.1795-1800. > > > > John died before 1851, so all I know about him is that he was born in > Somerset. Elizabeth lived into the 1880s and later censuses show her > birthplace as Chewton Mendip, around 1799. > > > > John and Elizabeth's children were: Eliza (1819), James (1821), Mary > (1823), > William (1826), George (1828), Edwin (1831) and Ann (1834). > > > > I have found no trace of their marriage on FreeReg or the IGI, though I > realise that not all Somerset marriages are on these sites as yet. > > > > I have found a marriage for John Flower and Elizabeth Flower in St > Nicholas, > Bristol in 1816, which is tantalising. Only one John and Elizabeth Flower > were living in Bristol (Shirehampton) in 1841, and later census records > indicate that this John would've been too young to marry in 1816. So > maybe > the St Nicholas couple were my ancestors? The only drawback with this > theory is that there is no trace of a baptism for Elizabeth Flower in > Chewton c. 1800. > > > > John's origins are also a mystery. His gravestone indicates that he was > interred in Emborough, which perhaps indicates a family connection to this > parish, and indeed a John Flower was baptised in Emborough in 1798, son of > George and Betty. However, an old family tree I have seen shows George > and > Betty with a son called George born just 8 months before John was > baptised, > and I have a feeling that George and John were the same person, i.e. he > was > baptised John but later renamed George. This tree was compiled by a > descendant of George, and while no sources are provided I suspect George's > birth date might come from a family bible. > > > > There was also a John baptised in Chewton in 1797, but he corresponds with > the burial of a John Flower in Chewton in 1820, aged 22. > > > > No wills seem to be available to provide any further clues. > > > > John and Elizabeth's daughter Ann married a man from Timsbury, and I know > that a lot of Flowers lived there. So perhaps my John came from there > originally. A John Flower was baptised in Timsbury in 1805, son of Josiah > and Ann, but unless he was baptised when several years old, he would be > too > young to be my John. > > > > Another point worth noting is that John and Elizabeth's daughter Mary > married Thomas CURTIS, and they named their second son Henry, which was > not > a name used greatly by the Curtis family. They could've just chosen the > name on a whim, or it could be a significant name in the Flower family. > > > > I have a feeling that I'll never find a marriage for John and Elizabeth, > or > find out where they came from, but any thoughts or suggestions would be > most > welcome. > > > > Regards > > > > Mike > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Andy Thanks for your message. I have commissioned bits and pieces of research work with the CM registers in an effort to solve the mystery, but without much luck. It would appear that John and Elizabeth did not marry in Chewton. Emborough burials are alleged to have ceased before John died in the 1840s, which makes the reference on the CM memorial that he was "interred at Emborough" rather confusing. However I believe some later burials did actually take place in Emborough and records for these are still kept at CM church. As yet I haven't established whether this is indeed correct or, if this is the case, how I can access them. Best wishes Mike -----Original Message----- From: Andy Phillips [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 18 September 2012 16:34 To: [email protected]; Mike Matthews Subject: Re: [B&S] Thoughts on these Chewton FLOWERs would be appreciated Hi Mike, The Chewton Mendip registers are still being transcribed for FreeReg, ChewtonHundred and Somerset OPC. Currently baptisms and burials are up to 1812 and marriages to 1753. You might find it useful to conact the Chewton Mendip OPC (who is also the transcriber). He is Steve Bumstead who's email address can be found at http://wsom-opc.org.uk/index.php?id=39&k=272. Andy, FreeReg Area Assistant for Somerset and Chewton Hundred Moderator ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Matthews" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 2:47 PM Subject: [B&S] Thoughts on these Chewton FLOWERs would be appreciated > Dear all, > > > > I am descended from Mary FLOWER, baptised in Chewton Mendip, Somerset in > 1823. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth FLOWER, and I have had > great difficulty identifying them. > > > > The 1841 census shows the family living in Nedge, John aged 35 and > Elizabeth > aged 30. However these ages are clearly rounded down as their first > child, > Eliza, was born in 1819 and it's therefore more likely that they were both > born c.1795-1800. > > > > John died before 1851, so all I know about him is that he was born in > Somerset. Elizabeth lived into the 1880s and later censuses show her > birthplace as Chewton Mendip, around 1799. > > > > John and Elizabeth's children were: Eliza (1819), James (1821), Mary > (1823), > William (1826), George (1828), Edwin (1831) and Ann (1834). > > > > I have found no trace of their marriage on FreeReg or the IGI, though I > realise that not all Somerset marriages are on these sites as yet. > > > > I have found a marriage for John Flower and Elizabeth Flower in St > Nicholas, > Bristol in 1816, which is tantalising. Only one John and Elizabeth Flower > were living in Bristol (Shirehampton) in 1841, and later census records > indicate that this John would've been too young to marry in 1816. So > maybe > the St Nicholas couple were my ancestors? The only drawback with this > theory is that there is no trace of a baptism for Elizabeth Flower in > Chewton c. 1800. > > > > John's origins are also a mystery. His gravestone indicates that he was > interred in Emborough, which perhaps indicates a family connection to this > parish, and indeed a John Flower was baptised in Emborough in 1798, son of > George and Betty. However, an old family tree I have seen shows George > and > Betty with a son called George born just 8 months before John was > baptised, > and I have a feeling that George and John were the same person, i.e. he > was > baptised John but later renamed George. This tree was compiled by a > descendant of George, and while no sources are provided I suspect George's > birth date might come from a family bible. > > > > There was also a John baptised in Chewton in 1797, but he corresponds with > the burial of a John Flower in Chewton in 1820, aged 22. > > > > No wills seem to be available to provide any further clues. > > > > John and Elizabeth's daughter Ann married a man from Timsbury, and I know > that a lot of Flowers lived there. So perhaps my John came from there > originally. A John Flower was baptised in Timsbury in 1805, son of Josiah > and Ann, but unless he was baptised when several years old, he would be > too > young to be my John. > > > > Another point worth noting is that John and Elizabeth's daughter Mary > married Thomas CURTIS, and they named their second son Henry, which was > not > a name used greatly by the Curtis family. They could've just chosen the > name on a whim, or it could be a significant name in the Flower family. > > > > I have a feeling that I'll never find a marriage for John and Elizabeth, > or > find out where they came from, but any thoughts or suggestions would be > most > welcome. > > > > Regards > > > > Mike > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message