CARVER Ramblings

[janan]

Thanks everso much David, you're a star  Best wishes Jan

[Easby Carver]

Hi all. 

My name is Neil Carver and I'm the Great Great Great Great Grandson of the John Carver who married Elizabeth Merrington at Cockayne Hatley.

I have only recently been researching my family background.  Via the 1901 census I was able to get from Samuel Carver Snr, my Great Grandfather (also recorded at East Ardsley, (West) Yorkshire in 1881), back to the village of Wrestlingworth.  Having trawled the registers at first the Bedford library and then some at the Bedfordshire County Records office for Wrestlingworth I got back to John Carver.

I then found your correspondence via Google and have now registered with RootsChat.  Happy to help anyone if I can who is looking for information going forward from Samuel Carver Snr.   I'm now looking to go backwards from John Carver - if anyone knows of any sources I'd be extremely grateful.

Fascinating to read all the information on the Wrestlingworth Carvers.  My line descends from George, the brother of Young.   (My other family interest is Easby).

Regards,

Neil A. Carver

[janan]

Hi Neil,
Welcome to Rootschat.  John is also my 4x great grandfather. As yet I haven't managed to go back any further as he didn't come from Wrestlingworth. Have this John marked as a possible:
Jno Carver christened Dunton 24th Sep 1758 parents Jno Carver and Mary Willason
which fits with this burial date
John CARVER Date 10 Feb 1827 Aged 68 Place Wrestlingworth
but haven't explored this further.
I have been trying to find out John's occupation but have had no luck - I can only assume he was a wheelwright. Have you managed to find out any more about him?
Best wishes,
Jan 

[Easby Carver]

Jan,

Thanks for doing this. 

I have nothing more currently on John Carver of Cockayne Hatley.  I've run some searches  on Cockayne Hatley but most of what I've found out seems to have happened post-John Carver's time such as it became a major apple growing area and the poet W.E.Henley is buried in the churchyard at CH. 

At the moment I'm slightly overwhelmed with the amount of new information I need to document - it'll keep me busy for a while!   I'm based in North Yorkshire so it'll be some time before I can hunt through Bedfordshire-based documents again.

Regards,

Neil.

[Easby Carver]

Link below.

Not sure if anyone has come across this but it's an account of the background leading up to a notorious murder committed in Wrestlingworth in 1842 and an account of the subsequent investigation and trial which followed.   

A key witness in the trial referred to, was a "Mrs. Carver of Potton".  Several other villagers and local landmarks also referred to.

Regards,

Neil.

http://www.schools.bedfordshire.gov.uk/gaol/Media/dazley/murdermostfoul.htm

[janan]

Thanks for that Neil. What a shame they didn't give a first name for Mrs Carver 
I will post if I find out anymore about John.
Best wishes
Jan

[Easby Carver]

I went to Bedford County Records office and dug out the newspaper account of the time and the Mrs. Carver referred to was a Mary Carver.  She had gone to Potton to obtain medication for her husband and was returning to Wrestlingworth when she witnessed the defendant getting rid of the pills.  Of the Mary Carvers I know of, the most likely seems to be Mary Carver nee Bird, wife of George Carver.

I also went to the Cambridge County Records Office to follow up the Arrington group of Carvers and with the intention of looking for any Carvers who might link-up to the Wrestlingworth Carvers in the 1750s.   There is a Carver 'hotspot' in Melbourn which pre-dates the Wrestlingworth Carvers and continues well into the 1800s.     I recall that at least one Carver ('William of Bassingbourn' was married at Wrestlingworth.  Melbourn was in the 'hundred' of Bassingbourn and is itself only 14 miles from Wrestlingworth.  So far I've established no hard link.  Does anyone know anything of these Melbourn Carvers?  (A Carver founded the non-conformist school in Melbourn around 1790).

Cheers, Neil.

[janan]

Hi Neil
Nice to hear from you again. Yes I found the Melbourn Carvers and did wonder if they were connected to our lot. The William of Bassingbourne must be I think as he married Elizabeth Bird haven't found either of them in 1841 though.  Have got the Melbourn lot in 41, a William and Elizabeth but they are 45 and 40 - too young to be William of Bassingbourne and Elizabeth Bird, too old for William to be their son Haven't looked into any further but if I find anything will let you know.

I agree that Mary carver is most likely to be George's wife - thanks for letting me know what you found out.

Cheers Jan

 

[Nick Carver]

I'm watching the eastwards drift of this thread with interest to see if there may be any possible link with the Carvers of Norfolk (from whom I am descended). In Isleham, Cambs where I live, there is only one Carver record in the parish registers - Robert Carver from Barton who married here in 1697. Barton is not far from Melbourn and Isleham is not far from Barton, nor importantly, from Norfolk, which is less than 10 miles away.

Of course this could all be a complete coincidence, but it still interests me to watch what's going on. I think that my branch of the Carver family take their name from the old English word that means 'ploughman' or suchlike, rather than the more obvious wood carver. There is a family farm in Norfolk and a wood named Carvers Carr.