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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Hampshire & Isle of Wight => England => Hampshire & IOW Lookup Requests => Topic started by: warrawillah on Friday 03 July 15 06:15 BST (UK)
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Convict John Gapin was tried at Winchester in July 1817 and transported to Hobart, Australia. His native place was given as Hampshire. later generations became Geappen. I can see there are many Geappens in Hampshire but cannot make the link to this John, born, we think, about 1803. Can anyone find a possible birth for him please or baptism? Are there any court records online for Winchester?
Thanks,
Marie
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Information about what Hampshire holds:
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/archives/hals-collections/courts.htm
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You can search the online catalogue of the Hampshire Archives
http://calm.hants.gov.uk/advanced.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog
Newspapers can be a good source for finding details about trials.
The nearest baptism I can find to 1803 is John GAPEN son of William & Anne 12th March 1797 at Eling.
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Thank you both for taking time to reply. I will try the links you suggest.
Regards,
Marie
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Hi
I found one baptism
John Gapin 26.2/12.3.1797 at Eling Hampshire to William and Anne.
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There's a remarriage for William 23.7.1805 to Betty Allen
Daughter Sarah bapt 10.5/13.6 1819 to William and Elizabeth labourer Asher's Bridge.
There's a earlier marriage for William but it's to a Jane Green 19.10.1789.
No burials on line ,a couple of marriages on FreeReg.
Not sure if he's yours but perhaps worth following up.
Ciderdrinker
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Thank you for your reply. John Gapin had only two children, James and Jane Mary Ann, so I was rather hoping that his father might be a James Gapin / Geappen. Is it possible he was a son of William and Jane? I guess certificates at this time do not show much detail, and, in any case, if I did buy one, how would I link the John b 1797 to my convict? He doesn't seem to have much detail on any of his records. I have found nine different spellings of the name so far, which makes research difficult.
Thanks again,
Marie
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An 1818 newspaper report states that John Gapen was 17. He stole a lamb, 2 ducks and some lard from Mr C Arnott.
This gives a year of birth of around 1801. I think 4 years is a fair bit of difference at this age. Most of the online records are for C of E parishes. Perhaps he was non-conformist.
I think Mr Arnott lived in Eling.
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Oh wow! I did not have that information. Thank you so much! In which paper was it and is it accessible on line?
Marie
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Have a look at the free index to newspapers on Findmypast. There are a couple of mentions.
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Is there anyone out there who is able to look up the actual Parish entry for the baptism of John Gapen in Eling in 1797, rather than the transcription? I have a whole family of Gapen/Gapin/Geapen/Geappens living in Eling at the right time, but the only William I know of who is the right age to be John's father was married to a Jane (Green) at the time. The Charles Arnott that John stole the ducks etc from lived in the Rushington area of Eling at the time, and my William Gapen (et al) lived in Rushington Lane when the 1841 census was taken. I am just wondering if the baptism transcription is correct, or whether it should have said William and Jane. The age is a bit out, but then not everyone was literate or numerate back then, especially in rural areas.
Sue
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To anyone out there interested in the Geappen/Gapen/Gapin et al famiy from Eling.
I have now visited the Winchester Records Office myself and have seen the microfiche which contains the "photocopy" of the actual baptism record for John Gapen.
Whoever his mother was, she was definitely NOT named Anne.
Her name is 4 letters long, and the last 2 letters are certainly "ne"
The print is very fuzzy, but all 9 baptism entries on that page have been handwritten by someone named Ashe, Ashen or Ashes, who has a very distinctive way of writing his A's. Hence I know the first letter of the mother's name is not an A. I suspect it is actually a capital J (ie the looped sort), making the mother's name Jane. As the only William Geappen I can find living in Eling at the time was married to Jane Green, I am happy in my own mind that John is the son of William and Jane.
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Thank you Sue. I appreciate your help.
Marie
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Im a Descendant of John Gapin/Geappen and found this post by accident as i haven't been on Rootschat for ages. Thanks for the information about John Gapin, it sounds possible it is him. I will follow it up
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Thanks to sue for information sent by message. I was unable to reply via roots message.
I have always assumed Gapin was changed to Geappen by grandchildren to distance themselves from convict ancestors. It is more likely that the pronunciation of Geappen was misheard and became Gapin. I have no record that John Gapin was literate or his wife. They could have been in contact with family in England for grandchildren to know the correct spelling of the name. John Gapin named his daughter Jane, which fits if it was his mothers name.