Hi Mike, yes, a difficult question. Many thanks for your advice. Neil > On 2011/02/09 22:32, neilrbowers@neilrbowers.plus.com wrote: > >> I have a general question which I am looking for advice on. I have an >> ancestor who dies in Monks Eleigh in 1825 and is married in Monks Eleigh >> in 1786. There doesn't appear to be a baptism in Monks Eleigh at the >> correct tIme but there is a baptism in 1766 in Great Welnetham which >> other researchers have taken to be the correct one. >> >> My question is the obvious one, what corroborative evidence could be >> available for this assumption? > > A difficult one to answer :-) > > At that time, the Marriage register is extremely unlikely to give the > parents. > The addition of Father's names and occupations only came in 1837. Ages > were generally only given as 'of full age' - and people fibbed - so > that's not going to be of any use unless a number was given. Even then, > it might be a fib! > By rights, if one or other was not a resident of the parish, the Marriage > register should give the name of the parish they belonged to. But again, > this is not always reliable. > > The Baptism register is also unlikely to add much in the way of extra > clues. > You'll get the Father's name and Surname, but probably only the Mother's > name (unless very unlucky) and not her maiden name. If you're lucky, the > register might give a date of birth, but this would be the exception > rather than a rule. > > So, you're going to have to resort to what ever other papers from the > parish that might have survived. Those are going to involve a long, long > and probably fruitless, search, unless one or other attracted the > attention of the Overseers. > > -- > Regards, > Mike Fry > Johannesburg