Mystery Martha from Shipham

[cannyfindit]

I have already compiled a reasonable amount of info on my Stock ancestors from Shipham, but have one irritating problem; I can't locate a marriage for one of them. My g-g-g-grandfather Farmer Stock was born in Shipham around 1776-1780 and married a lady called Martha. Their (known) first son was born c1821 in Shipham but, invariably, all the subsequent children's births seem to come before the start of the civil registers.
Shipham parish registers online don't go as far as the 1820's, and Cheddar parish records are not online to search. I was wondering whether there were any other popular places that people went to, for getting married, at that time.....just in case the marriage didnt happen in either of these places. Martha appears to be from Shipham, if the 1851 census is correct, but I can't really do anything other than guess, from Shipham baptisms around the 1780's-90's, who she might have been.
If anyone happens to see any marriages relating to Stocks in the late 1810's-1820 ish, I'd be interested to know.

[SueTeakle]

I think this could be them 


Farmer Stock (otp) & Martha Tripp (otp)
31st May 1820 at Bedminster St John - Banns


Sue

[cannyfindit]

Dear Sue
Gosh that does indeed look very possible. Farmer isn't an especially common christian name as far as I know, so the chances seem good. Just wonder why they're classed as "of the parish" since Bedminster isnt really anywhere near Shipham, but I suppose they must have stayed there for a while before the event. Dont yet understand fully how all these ceremonies work.
What is interesting is the fact that if indeed this Martha is the correct one, then I have a Tripp family on both sides of my paternal grandmother's ancestral tree....very interesting! I'll have some fun with that one. 
Thank you for finding that one for me, much appreciated. I will work on the assumption that they are "mine" and see how things go along.

[SueTeakle]

Hi Canny,

I checked the North Somerset marriages, which includes Shipham, but there was no sign of a Farmer Stock marrying a Martha, like you said Farmer is a very unusual Christian name!  I then turned my attention to the Bristol area and they were the only match I could find    Hope they turn out to be the right ones 


Sue

[Old Bristolian]

Hi

The parishes of Bedminster and Walcot, Bath both seemed to be popular places for North Somerset marriages - were they considered more "upmarket" or perhaps parental displeasure/ pregnancy was a factor? Otp was merely a formality, using a convenience or relatives address

Steve

[cstock]

I'd like to revisit this old thread, ask for some help, and possibly help clear up some mysteries. Here goes:

My direct ancestor from Shipham was Silvanus Stock, born abt 1770. Not much is known about him as the Shipham parish records from around the time of his birth and his marriage were were damaged. He died in 1835, leaving a Will.

Silvanus and his wife, Elizabeth, are the mysteries. I have theorized, based upon naming convention and active breeding couples in Shipham/Rowberrow, that Silvanus was the child of Joseph Stock and Sarah Athay, who also happened to be Farmer Stock's parents. I also theorized that Elizabeth was a member of the Dean family, from Winscombe. Another researcher I know feels that Silvanus' parents were Samuel Stock and Sexa Stevens.

Knowing that Farmer was married in Bedminster, could someone with access to those records have a look for Silvanus? He would have been born about 1770 and married between 1796-1806. Their first child, Joseph, was born in either 1806 (gravestone) or 1810 (baptism).

I'd like to identify some descendants of Farmer, as I am a direct descendant of Silvanus and have an Ancestry.com DNA test to compare.

[cannyfindit]

Hi CStock,
Just had notification of your post on this old thread.  I can't pinpoint a Silvanus for you, unfortunately; but so far have a marriage date for Joseph Stock and Sarah Athay of 3rd February 1766, so Silvanus 1770 would certainly fit. How inconvenient that he decided to pass away before the census records AND the start of the General Records Office lists!
However, marriage to Elizabeth Dean, yes, there is an entry for  3rd June 1807, Bedminster. Silvanus' first name is spelt Silvanna. This information is from the records at FindMyPast.co.uk

As far as I have managed to find out, the children of Joseph and Sarah Stock were Elizabeth, Farmer, another Elizabeth, and Ruth. The first Elizabeth was buried in 1775. farmer and Ruth appear to have been baptised on the same day in 1785, but Farmer seems likely to have been born around 1776.
If I found out more, I will post. Farmer was my g-g-g-grandfather.

[cstock]

That is an amazing bit of info. Thanks!

Part of my theory on Silvanus being the eldest child of Joseph and Sarah is that the rest of the kids were baptised at Shipham en masse later on, and Silvanus may have been off mining elsewhere by then.

[cannyfindit]

If you get sight of a definite link to Joseph and Sarah, then do let me know; the Shipham parish records are, as you say, devoid of information for that crucial period......always the way, isn't it, the one period you want information about and the records have gone awol.
I am not much of an expert on finding stuff, I am thankful for all the keen enthusiasts who have compiled records online and done so much research.
It may not be relevant, but some while back I did come across an Elizabeth Stock in the 1841 census, living in Draycott (which isnt all that many miles from Shipham). She was aged 64, born "in the county". With her was a 4 year old boy called George, who was apparently not born in the county. It may well be someone completely different and unrelated, but I just kept a note of her, because of her surname.
Signing off for the night, best regards.