BETTIS, Essex 1840's

[DebsE]

Hi all,

I'm trying to trace my partner's family tree as a Christmas present and am currently following back the BETTIS family line, which I have just learnt comes from Essex.

According to his convict papers, on 21 May 1844 in Chelmsford, Essex, William BETTIS was put to trial and found guilty of stealing a lamb, being subsequently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in Tasmania, Australia. At the time of his trial he was 22 years old and had a wife Ann and one child, though this didn't stop him from remarrying in Tasmania in 1854.

I don't have currently have access to the Ancestry website so can't check the census records for more details but perhaps someone with a better knowledge of the Essex area (and more experience with old handwriting) could translate some of the fields from the attached image for me.

I know the offence involved stealing a lamb but other than that I'm really struggling with translating the notes. I would particularly like to know if anyone recognises the place name in the field "Native Place".

If anyone has any ideas, or other information about the Bettis family, I'd love to hear from you.

Best wishes of the season,   

Debra

[karenlee]

Hi Debra

I think that the column for Native Place says High Ongar.  On the 1851 Census there is a family of BETTIS in that place in Essex. A James and his wife Ann, with children James and Frederick.

The Trade column might say "Farm Lab, Can Plough" ??

The last column might be to do with his family...... W ( wife ) Ann   F ( father ) John  B ( brother ) James Edward  S ( sister ) Sarah?

Not sure about all this, perhaps someone with more experience with convict papers could put us both straight.

Added..... the IGI shows the baptism of a William BETTIS to parents John and Mary nee RAY, 9 March 1823 High Ongar Essex UK

Cheers
Karenlee

[DebsE]

Hi Karenlee,

Thank you so much for your help. 

High Ongar sounds great - that gives me a fantastic starting point for my search. Thanks also for the info about the IGI - I'm off to the familysearch website now to follow up on your find.

As for the Trade column, I can now make it out as being "Farm Labourer, can plough" or certainly something along these lines so you've been a huge help.

Many thanks,

Debs

[karenlee]

No worries Debs. 

Happy that I could help you out. There are several children listed to John and Mary BETTIS on the IGI.  They are submitted entries, and therefore, would require checking thoroughly before adding to your tree, just in case. 

Good luck and let me know if I can help out further with your search.

Best wishes to you and yours for Christmas and the New Year.

Cheers
Karenlee
who is married to a Kiwi...

[DebsE]

Hi again Karenlee,

It's always lovely to find how many kiwi's (and honorary kiwi's) you meet in the genealogy world.

I've only had a few minutes to look, but thanks to your "High Ongar" and IGI suggestions I've already come up with a huge range of websites and areas of interest to follow up on. Even just googling BETTIS and HIGH ONGAR gets some interesting sites to follow up on.

Thank you again for taking the time to help me out. May Santa bring you all the genealogy leads you could wish for 

Debs

[suffolk*sue]

This is on Boyds marriage index.


1821/  BETTIS  JN/  RAY  MARY/  STANFORD RIVERS/  ESSEX 

[DebsE]

Hi Sue,

Thank you for that information. It's always lovely to have Boyd's information and it gives me another placename to add to my list.

Many thanks,

Debs

[dawlc]

Hi Debra

Living in Chelmsford, Essex it is quite easy for me to visit the Essex Records Office so if you would like me to look at the Parish Records for St. Mary's Church, High Ongar from the time of William's baptism (1823) and forward to validate the baptism of siblings - let me know?

Similarly his parents marriage in 1821 - presumably the parish church at Stanford Rivers - though I know that would have been a very small community and they may have married at Ongar?  I could look for that for you and see who witnesses were etc.

I know High Ongar well having spent the first 23 years of my life there.  I was baptised in St. Mary's myself.  Small world.

Regards.
Deborah

PS:  As it is the festive season I'm not sure the opening hours of the ERO so I may not be able to go until the New Year.

[DebsE]

Hi Deborah,

What an amazingly generous offer 

I'll send you a personal message to discuss this but just wanted to publicly thank you for making such a wonderful offer.

Warmest regards,

Debra