Following on from posts #s 4 & 5 in December 2005 (I don’t like to rush it when considering problems!), and with the benefit of more stuff being online today, and having done more research recently on these Newberry families in north Herts:
- the position is rather more complex than John outlined, which theory Laurina seemed to reject as being “simply neighbours”. In the first house was James Newberry, 21 b Holwell, wife Martha and son George; in the next house was Sarah Newberry, 35, her sister Mary 25 and Sarah’s three illegitimate children plus the probable father, William Tomlin; and the next house included Sarah’s sister Jane Newberry 19 b Holwell and her grandmother Charlotte Oakley. I don't think it's coincidence that these three houses are all occupied by Newberrys
- both James and Jane were baptised on 24 Dec 1831 at Ickleford. There’s no question but that Jane in 1851, born Holwell, is the Jane baptised at Ickleford. The big question must be is James in 1851, born Holwell, the same James who was baptised in Ickleford. I think he was
- the big problem of course is James’ 1849 marriage certificate where his father is named as Joseph
- James, son of Thomas & Mary, disappears off the face of the earth after the 1841 census when he was living in Holwell. No burial, no marriage, no subsequent census appearance.
- James, son of Joseph, born Holwell c1829/30 doesn’t appear on the scene until his 1849 marriage
- In 1841 widow Mary and family including James 11 were living at Cadwell, a hamlet of Holwell, which is actually closer to Ickleford than it is to Holwell itself, (which is perhaps why many of their children were baptised at Ickleford rather than Holwell), with all the family bar Mary the mother and Sarah said to have been born in Beds (in which county Holwell was situated until 1897). Sarah was baptised at Hitchen as was her mother, hence they are shown as "Not born in county". Thus all the children except Sarah seem to have been born at Cadwell/Holwell, irrespective of where they were baptised
- The only Joseph I can see who could possibly have been the father was married to Mary Arnold Crook in 1819, who had children up to 1830, but no James. They’re in Ickleford in 1841, but no James. I discount this family.
To me everything points to there being an error on the marriage certificate; Joseph instead of Thomas as the father. Of course it can’t be proved, but I think all the circumstantial evidence points to there being just one James Newberry being born at that time in Holwell, son of Thomas and Mary
Laurina, have you found anything more in the last five years? Who were the witnesses at the marriage, and did James and Martha sign their names, or just make a mark? If they just made a mark would they even have recognised that the father’s name was incorrect?
David
