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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Bedfordshire => Topic started by: kmadden88 on Sunday 26 June 11 05:26 BST (UK)
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Hello All,
I am looking for information about an Elizabeth Boughton. She married William Gurney 28 May 1816 in Luton, Bedfordshire. Other than that, I know absolutely nothing about her or her family. I believe that William Gurney is from Hertfordshire, but after this discovery am unsure. I know that they had one child for sure. George William Gurney was born 3 March 1818 in Hemel Hempstead and was baptized in the non-conformist church.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
-Kati
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Hi Kati
Have you checked the marriage entry to see what additional detail is included - parishes of residence, witnesses, marital status? Other than the names are the same, the timing looks about right, and Luton and Hemel Hempstead are only roughly 12 miles apart, there's no evidence that the couple who married in Luton are the couple who had George in Hemel. Do they appear in any censuses?
David
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Hi David,
I found the marriage between William Gurney and Elizabeth Boughton on familysearch.org and that's all the information it has listed, no witness or anything, but it's the only marriage between a William Gurney and an Elizabeth Boughton. I am positive of their names only because I found them in the background section of their grandson's obituary.
George William Gurney's tombstone lists his birth date as 3 March 1818, which is the same date as in the non-conformist record which lists the parents as William and Elizabeth Gurney, so that also helps confirm the parents. But I'm not sure if they are from Bedfordshire and traveled to Hemel Hempstead for work, or if family lived there...
I have found George William in census records, but have been unable to find William and Elizabeth Gurney.
I don't know where to look next!
-Kati
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Just to clarify, the grandson's obituary actually named her as Elizabeth Boughton?
The IGI is as the full name says - an index. You need to go to the parish register, which has been filmed by the LDS, to get the full entry
When George Gurney married Jane Hibbs on 31 March 1846 his father was shown as William Gurney dec'd, no occupation shown, and one of the witnesses was James Boughton. Jane was of the parish of Northolt according to the banns
There's the burial of William Gurney age 35 at Hemel Hempstead on 18 May 1819, which IF it's the right William would explain why there's only one child.
Still working on them, but the 1816 marriage entry is essential
David
I assume you're pelefiregoddess! If you send me a personal message with your email address I'll send you a copy of the marriage to Jane, if you haven't got it already
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I do indeed have a copy of George Gurney's marriage certificate to Jane Hibbs from ancestry.com but never realized that the writing by William Gurney's name said deceased. I also hadn't thought to remember the witness' name, Boughton. Which, given the other information, should (hopefully) be related. Also, one of George's sons was named James B. Gurney. I wonder if he wasn't named for James Boughton....
Coincidentally, George's second marriage was to Jane's sister, Frances S. Hibbs in 1851. On the second marriage certificate, George's father's occupation is listed as carpenter but there are no Boughtons as witnesses.
The obituary for the grandson said "George Gurney [...]; son of William and Elizabeth (Boughton) Gurney". It also lists Frances Hibbs and her family, for whom I have documentation.
Where did you find William Gurney's burial record? I am working on English genealogy, but so far, am not too familiar with all of the websites etc.
Kati
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The burial was taken from the National Burial Index, a CDrom set which is far from complete, but which is the best we've got on a national basis.
I noticed a few minutes ago that in 1851 in Northolt, when he was a servant for the rector, the previous entry was for Jason Gurney and family. I don't believe in coincidences!
I imagine that James Boughton might have been an uncle or cousin of George Gurney
A friend is going to Bedford Archives later this week - I'll see if he has the chance to look at the Luton marriage
David
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Marriage entry at St Mary's Luton on 28 May 1816
William Gurney, bachelor of the parish of Hemel Hempstead, Herts and Elizabeth Boughton, spinster of this parish. Witnesses are William Harrold & Elizabeth Bull
regards John
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Thanks John. That's a good result for Kati as it at least shows that William was resident at Hemel Hempstead at the time of his marriage, which isn't necessarily where he was born. But I suspect it was, as there's a baptism of William Gurney at HH, son of William & Sarah, on 15 Sept 1782.
If the burial of the 35 year old William in 1819 is the right William, I wonder of Elizabeth remarried and was alive for one of the censuses. I'll see what I can find.
David
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Hello,
Sorry for the delay in responding. I didn't get any notification messages so it took me a while to see the responses. Thank you very much for looking up the information on William and Elizabeth. Do you happen to know if there was a specific age at which women were referred to as spinsters? I thought that may narrow down the search for her birth certificate. I'll have to look up the Jason Gurney from the 1841 census! Thank you again
-Kati
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In the context of a marriage entry in 1816, it meant merely that she was unmarried, as opposed to being a widow. So she could have been anywhere between 16 and 70. But having a child in 1818 probably means she was born between c1773 and 1800
Being prior to 1837, there won't be a birth certificate. Just a baptism entry in a parish register
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Today, I was looking at HALS and found William Gurney's death! :D He had a will registered and a will filed in 1819 and was listed as a carpenter at Corner Hall in Hemel Hempstead. I'm not entirely sure the difference between registered and filed wills.... Anyhow, do you happen to recall when the burial for William Gurney took place? I'm planning on ordering the will but there isn't any other specific death date or anything.
Thank you again for your help!
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William Gurney aged 35 was buried at Hemel Hempstead on 18 May 1819 (see post #3 below)
See http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/leisculture/heritage1/hals/indexes/indexes/wills/ for an explanation of filed and registered wills. They should be the same; filed is the original will signed by the testator; registered is the probate copy
My visitor goes home today so I'll be resuming genealogy rather than entertaining
David