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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: Yorkyboyl on Saturday 17 May 25 15:04 BST (UK)
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Hoping that someone may be able to clarify the confusion that exists between quite a few trees regarding several generations of the Hall family please.
I have details of a Thomas Hall, b.appx 1730, Lanchester who married a Sarah Ann Farbridge and I show them having four children, but there may have been more. Two of the children were Jonathon, born 1749 and a brother Leonard born 1760. I believe Jonathon married a Mary Makepiece in 1776 and of their eight children one was called Thomas, born 1778. Leonard married Isobel Hankin in 1783 and one of their children was also called Thomas, born 1785.
The confusion sets in when a Thomas Hall marries a Dorothy Green in 1804 at Lanchester All Saints and there is some doubt regarding which one....Thomas 1778 or Thomas 1785?
If anyone can assist with this query I would be very appreciative, it's very easy to be following the wrong path with various trees showing marriages at age 12 and people living past 100, both possible but somewhat unlikely...Thanks
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Have you looked for the records ?
The following are all freely available on Family Search (though you need to be signed into a free account to view/download them)
Marriage Record (Bishops Transcript)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D1ZQ-791?
so that says they married by Licence, again FS has the Marriage Bonds and Allegations for the Diocese of Durham and also the (much later) Calendar
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1D9-4H?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1D7-YD?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DY27-LS8?
And 'those' records say both the bridge and groom were '22 years and upwards'
1
born 1785 - would be c19 in 1804 and so would need parental permission to marry
2
born 1778 - would be c26 in 1804, so parental permission would not be needed
As ever, fibs were told, errors occurred. On balance though , I'd say the elder Thomas would be the better bet based on the available records. Though I would really like sight of the Parish Register (rather than the BT in the above link) to know if there is any other info in the register (not highly likely but its the only way to be sure
Track the couple forwards, find out about any children for the marriage - did either survive to appear on the census returns? Can you find a burial for either of them which may give an age at death.
and if you still aren't certain, do the same for the other Thomas.
Boo
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I believe that Jonathan Hall and Mary Makepeace are probably my 4x great grandparents, their daughter Eleanor being my 3x great grandmother. Eleanor married William Ward in Lanchester in 1805. As Boo has suggested it is worth looking at the children of Thomas/ Dorothy. In my line's case one piece of useful evidence is that there appears to be a naming pattern going on - eldest son of William and Eleanor called Jonathan and second daughter named Mary.
I do understand your difficulty. In my own case I do not feel I can go further back than Jonathan Hall and Mary Makepeace with any degree of certainty.
William