RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Norfolk => Topic started by: Yellow Peril on Tuesday 29 November 11 11:15 GMT (UK)
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I have proven links back to my 5xGgf Robert Symonds buried in West Lexham Churchyard. From his age and year of death I suppose him to have been born in 1760, but I can't prove his place of birth. I've checked (as best I can - Parish records etc.) for surrounding area and have come across a Robert Symonds born in Necton 1760. As Necton is only a few miles from West Lexham and I can't find a death listed for the Necton Robert (I have found those for all his siblings) I think it's a reasonable possibility that they are one and the same, but and it is a big but - how can I prove it?
Obviously I have the Necton Robert's birth date, but not WL Robert's - any suggestions?
I've seen his will which has no address nor birthdate, I'm stumped.
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Hi & welcome to RC.
was Robert married - do you have marriage details / children where born etc. - he could have moved to west lexham when married - so knowing about his marriage might help.
i think the moderators will move this to the Norfolk board where more specialist help / local records is available.
Diddy
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Robert was married in West Lexham and his wife was from there and it says of him 'of this parish' which of course doesn't mean he was born there. Also typically his marriage record was just one away from when the father's name had to be included.
If I could find the WL Roberts birthdate from some other source, it would pretty much confirm or disprove the link one way or another.
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Unsure if it was the done thing at this point in time ... but would parish records of his children's baptisms say where Robert was from?
Roberts baptism ... any unsual names for his parents which were carried down the line?
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'fraid not on either score - lot's of Roberts and Johns.
Necton Robert's dad was Robert and WL Robert had the odd Robert, John and Jonathan passed on.
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You seem to have been fairly thorough in your research, and I'm sure you've done this but will mention it anyway ... I take it you have searched for variations of the surname Simmons, Symmons, Symons (there are bound to be others) ...
Another thought - as you are unable to find baptisms for the possible 'other' Robert, have you searched for marriages for other Robert Symonds in the area, and baptisms for two families with Robert as father?
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I think I've done all you've suggested, but to no avail. I did find two other Robert Symonds born in 1760 both from Fakenham, but sadly both died in infancy.
I've been desperately trying to think of some obscure listing that could show WL Robert's date of birth. He was a Mole catcher and I've even tried their guild (yes there is one) but again no joy.
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Well, everything is pointing towards Necton Robert being yours. I know you want more proof, but it looks like it's just not there to be found. :-\
With Necton and West Lexham being around 6 miles apart it would have been an easy walk back in those days. ;) Very feasible that he could have been born in Necton and travelled to WL for work. Due to Robert being buried in WL and being OTP of West Lexham when he married, you are looking for a Robert Symonds who was also born there, and there doesn't appear to be one. I understand that you want to be sure you have the correct Robert, but I think you might either have to accept that you'll never find him, or pencil in Necton Robert as yours.
Have you looked at Necton Robert's parents? Do either of them have any traceable links to West Lexham? I don't suppose Necton Robert's father was a mole catcher? :-\
Have you considered things like tithes, taxes etc for a Symonds family living in Necton at the time? (something I have no experience with).
Are there any Symonds families living in Necton and christening children at the time? If so, is there a gap in any of the families where your Robert may fit in (and may have been missed off the register or not baptised?) If not, and if there were only Symonds in WL, this may add a little more weight to Necton Robert being yours.
Sorry I can't think of anything more to suggest. Maybe some more experienced researchers will be able to give some more ideas about where to look ...
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Before my Robert in West Lexham, there doesn't appear to have been any Symonds there at all.
I've found deaths listed for all Necton Robert's siblings but not one for him and his father Robert and Mother Sarah (nee Abel) came from Letton (a tiny hamlet who's church had disappeared even at the time of their wedding in 1758) who married in Cranworth (with Letton), then for some reason moved to Nection. They seem to be the first Symonds in Necton (there are Symonds still there) and most appeared to go into the building trade.
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The more facts you give about Robert's family, no deaths in Necton etc etc, the more I tend to keep thinking that Necton Robert must be yours. Also with so few Symond's families in the area, all the evidence is pointing to there only being one Robert Symonds of the right age in the area.
Just my thoughts anyway .... :)
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I tend to agree but I would like confirmation.
Have you any experience online with the National Archives?
I ask because, on a whim yesterday I did a search for Robert Symonds West Lexham and got 71 positive results, all in various private letters/document collections. Does this mean that there are actual distinct references to Robert in these collections, or that the odd Robert or West or Lexham is going to appear.
Obviously if these are actual references, then I don't mind investing time and money into them.
Terry
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If I could ask an open favour, om the LDS site under Necton Burials 1722-1812 image 23 of 25, under 1803 what do you think the age of Robert Symonds is?
I think 96 or 76 - opinions please.
Thanks
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Sorry Terry, no I don't have any experience with the National Archives site. I usually get very confused. I know that others have experience using the site. I may be worthwhile starting a thread on the Common Room asking for help interpreting Nat Archives search results. Your important question might get lost in this post.
Have you looked for search tips on the site? I would expect there to be some.
I will have a look at the Necton burials in a minute and report back.
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I think it's 76.
Comparing it to the other 7s and 9s on the page, the top curved part of the number 9 is tighter against the downstroke of the number - the number is formed starting at the bottom of the downstroke, then a long stroke upwards, then a curve to the left and a loop round and under, a bit like a backwards 'P'. The number 7 looks to be formed with a small downstroke, then shallow curve up and to the right, and then long curve downwards.
I hope this explanation to explain my train of thought, makes sense.
Were you hoping for his age to be 76 or 96? ;)
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Again a supposition, if it's 76, then it could be Necton Robert's father, which would have made him 31 at marriage. ?
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FreeREG have transcribed the age as 76 too.
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I've now started looking at Shipdham for the first time, trying to track down the earlier connections to the Letton end of the Symonds, using Family Search and in the 1558-1804 Births, Marriages and Burials, on the very first page I spied a Simonds. My schoolboy latin enabled me to spot son and daughter, but the rest is a bit vague and also on image 155 of 253 a few lines up from the 1634 heading there's another Simonds; but in both cases I can't fathom the christian names - anyone got a clue?
thanks Terry
I'm going to have to concentrate on this one and give it the time it deserves.
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The name a couple of lines above 1634 looks like Gulielmus (ie William) - unsure of the rest - but maybe son of Jacobi?
Not sure I can help with the other names - can you give a bit of guidance about where exactly they are? The first page looks like 1559, but I'm afraid I can't make head nor tail of it.
There are others on the boards who will be able to help you with old script. Any translations you require may warrant a seperate post on the deciphering board.
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Hi. I've been looking into the Symonds of Shipdham too. I've got Gulielmi Simonis, son of Arthur, 1639.
The Symonds morphed into Semmens (or at least, my line did) and I can't fill the gap between these early Symonds and my John
Symonds, Shipdham, 1753. Glad of any help
Di.
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Yesterday while looking for surname Pigman in the Archdeconry of Norwich I found a Symonds.
Can't tell you where it was exactly except somewhere in the files of Norwich 1733-1744 on familysearch.org.
I am looking for variations of American and English version: Pigman / Dutch version: Pigmans French version: Pigmon/Pimond/Pimont/Pymond/Pymon/Piemons and others.
The name Symonds in script looks incredibly like Pymonds and I have kind of trained my eye for that particular form in the thousands of files I have looked at in French as well as English records.
The Pigman surname is indexed in Old Hunstanton and Norwich but
I haven't found the original file of Norwich, Norfolk - John Pigman m. Sarah Rhodes 16 Oct. 1733 yet.
Has anyone seen Pigman while looking at the Norwich files?
Happy Holiday! 8)