Great Gaddesden Herts

[Chelle71]

Hi Everyone

I recently returned to Herts but didnt get the time to run over to Great Gaddesden to look at the name of the main church there , i have googled but a few have come up on the google page ,


what im actually wanting to do is as Great Gaddesden seems to be the birth and resting place of my past relations is find the graveyard that holds proberly the majority of them so i can visit the yard on my next research visit at the end of next month , just incase someone happens to live close by the name im looking for is Rance .


many thanks chelle

[petercornish]

Hi Chelle,

There are two RANCE burials at St.John the Baptist, Great  Gaddesden recorded in the Hertfordshire Index 1800-1851    ...      ...   John Bassill 09Jul1820 age 20 and James 08Oct1843 age 42.

Regards   ...   Peter

[Chelle71]

Hi Peter

Only 2 wow im surprised at that , so many Rance members born there and so few burials , do you think its worth me visiting to see the registry ? would they hold records at this church ?

Chelle

[petercornish]

Hi Chelle,

The Herts Index is a pretty reliable document.  It also records 8 RANCE burials at Great Berkampstead and 2 at Nettleden, both adjoining parishes. 

The Great Gaddesden parish registers have been deposited  at
Hertfordshire RO but if you give death dates for the family, I will check the records on my next visit to Hertford to see if any were buried at Great Gaddesden.

Regards   ...   Peter

 

[Chelle71]

Hi Peter

Thanks for your last message , i dont actually have many death records , the point of my visit to Hertfordshire is to basically go round the graveyards to look for these gravestones , it was just a guess that majority died in Great Gaddesden because of the births and marriages coming from there.

But if you happen to stumble upon any on your travels the info would be great , the Rance family were quite big in this area as well as Stevenage so the chances any Rance graves found are proberly related to me in some way.

Thankyou for your help


Chelle

[HannahB]

Chelle, have you tried Bucks? There are lots of Rances there, including Chesham which is only about 8 or 10 miles from Great Gaddesden.  However I do not think any of them were affluent enough to have been able to afford stone grave markers.

[carlp]

Hi,

I am looking for gravestone inscriptions in Great Gaddesden. My wife's ancestors came from Great Gaddesden. Trying to locate Leonard Bowles esquire d. 1768 specified that he be buried in the parish although he lived in London for many years. His son moved to the Bahamas in <1764>. Also looking for additional family. Need help!!!

Carl P
Bahamas

[[Ray]]

Hi

You can start here?

https://www.hertsdirect.org/ufs/ufsmain?formid=HALS_INDEXES

Enter Bowles and 1800 (in the "to" box)

His marriage comes up (to Mary Leach) as does his will.
That should start you expanding his family.


It may help (us) if you tell us what you have.
Like his son's name that you mention.
That will save us all duplicating effort on things you already have.


Regards
Ray

[carlp]

Hello Ray,

Thank you for such a speedy reply!

So far I have traced back to three brothers in Great Gaddesden born about <1630>. They were Henry, Marvin and Leonard. In the will of Marvin Bowles of Waterend Great Gaddesden he gives a list of his two brothers Leonard and Henry. Gives money to Henry's children Henry, George, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Sarah. Also money to his brother's youngest son Marvin. Also monies to his sister Mary youngest son William Willis.

I have several wills of these early Bowles with them requesting to be buried in the Parish of Great Gaddesden or the churchyard in Great Gaddesden. I assume this church to be St John the baptist. Marvin Bowles of Waterend request to be buried in the churchyard of Hemel Hempstead next to his mother, which I assume is St Mary's church.

Would you happen to know if these churches have a list of buriels or better still transcriptions and locations or gravestones.

Marvin Bowles Will 1724 buried Hemel Hempstead
Leonard Bowles Will 1740  " Gaddesden?
Elizabeth Bowles Will 1755 buried Gaddesden
Marvin Bowles Will 1760          "        "
Leonard Bowles Will 1768        "       "


I really appreciate your help.

Thank you


Carlp