Hi
I have been researching my paternal line of Stevenson and got back to William Stevenson and possibly / probably back another generation to John Stevenson. I got stuck and a little concerned for accuracy but approached a local Church in Bradfield, Essex to see if I could get clarification on some matters. I have not reproduced the letter below but have kept the salient points in order to convey what I am looking to achieve......
William Stevenson, according to the published Census Returns between 1841 and 1881, was born in Bradfield, Essex, around 1814/15. (I have since received his death certificate which puts him at 74 in 1887 which would mean a birth year of abt 1812 - but this doesnt really tie in to the census returns so i dont know which one is correct).He is my Great, Great, Great Grandfather. William, a bootmaker, or Cordwainer, moved to London at some time between his birth and his marriage in 1840, but I have reason to believe this did not take place until he was in adulthood. My first problem however, is that I do not seem to be able to locate his Baptism in Bradfield, having looked at the Parish Register at the Essex Records Office. This could be an oversight on my part and some entries are difficult to read.
I am also trying to validate the information I have as to the parents of William Stevenson. His marriage certificate (he was married in St Lawrence’s, Old Jewry, London in 1840), states that his Father was a John Stevenson, a boot maker. I have traced a John Stevenson to the 1841 census, a bootmaker, living in Bradfield, with his wife, Elizabeth. My assumption is that he is William’s father, given the similarity of occupation and that out of a population of under 900 in 1841, it is unlikely for there to have been another John Stevenson in Bradfield, of an age to have been William’s father. It is following this assumption that I must conclude that if William’s parents still reside in Bradfield in 1841, then William must have moved to London as an adult, possibly looking for work. It is at this point that to have details of William’s baptism would be of great value to me, especially in establishing his mother’s name and thereby proving or disproving that which at this stage is only an assumption.
However, if I am to put my faith in the assumed parentage of William, then this also throws up some interesting questions regarding John and Elizabeth Stevenson.
Primarily, this centres around the death and burial of John Stevenson. A kind member of rootschat located some information about a seemingly relevant burial in the National Burial Index database. The information was as follows;
John STEVENSON
Date of burial: 17 May 1846
Age at death: 67
Place of burial: Bradfield, Essex
Dedication: St Lawrence
In addition, I found a marriage entry in Boyds Marriage index which seems to relate to my John Stevenson, as follows;
1806 / STEVENSON JN / BURGESS ELZ / BRADFIELD/ ESSEX
Interestingly, I sent off for John Stevenson's death certificate which put his age at 77 but this must be an oversight as 67 would fit with the 1841 census whereas 77 doesn't.
Hoping to find a grave at St Lawrences Church, Bradfield, I paid the church a visit but was unable to locate anything tangible. I did however, locate a grave relating to the Burgess family, who, given the above marriage, may be related.
I then contacted the church for the same information I am seeking below but they do not have unmarked grave burial records going back that far or any baptismal records seperate to what is in the ERO. Basically they are unable to help so I suppose therefore, my questions are – how can i confirm that John Stevenson is buried within the grounds of St Lawrences and if so is there any way I can find a grave location. (It is the only conformist church in the village). And can i look elsewhere for any records of the marriage of John Stevenson to Elizabeth Burgess in 1806?
Finally, I traced the birth of two other Stevensons to the Bradfield area and I think these are possibly other children of John and Elizabeth. One is a Peter Stevenson, born Bradfield, Essex around 1816, and the other a Mary Stevenson, born Bradfield, Essex around 1806. I know Mary’s mother to be Elizabeth Stevenson from the 1851 census return as she is living with Mary and her husband, John Cracknell, in Wix, Essex.
I have a death certificate for an Elizabeth Stevenson, which shows her as a widow of ........ Stevenson, Cordwainer. Died 9th Sept 1855. How can I locate her place of burial - I dont know if she was buried back in Bradfield with her husband or, given the transport available if she would be buried in Wix somewhere.
I feel that without some clarification regarding the matters mentioned above, it will be difficult for me to proceed much further as I fear that any findings as a result could be inaccurate. I would be grateful for any assistance or advice you can offer, which could enable me to move forward.
