COURTNAGE family, Lurgashall/Bepon

[cardiffbay]

Hello Jan,
Just to update you.  I have stripped the IGI now for Sussex, Surrey & Hampshire for all Courtneys/courtnages/courtneidges etc. I have also joined SFHS and tried to get a transcript of the birth/baptism/marriage & buriel register for Fernhurst and Midhurst from the Parish Transcription Society. That way I can browse through the registers. Unfortunately, Fernhurst does not appear to be finished yet as it is written in Latin so I am told. As far as my Henry is concerned of about 1763 ish - Son of John courtnage and Sarah Bridger.  I believe John was baptised also in Fernhurst in about 1735 (repeating this from memory).  This John, I believe his Father to have also been a Henry. Would you believe, there is a marriage for Henry Courtnage in about 1726 in Fernhurst, but according to the SFHS the wife is "blank".They suggested I wrote to the Sussex Records Office which I did over the weekend to ask them if they could check the actual parish register. My only suggestion of thought was whether the parish register showed any births to a henry & ? immediately post dating 1726 in order to find a possible name for his wife?
What do you think of that train of thought Jan?

Lesley

[janan]

Hi Lesley

I saw that Henry marriage with no spouse on the IGI - really weird There are no baptisms showing in Fernhurst immediately after the marriage, the first one is Mary in 1732 but no mother shown - perhaps there were other children baptised elsewhere or the surname is spelt in a way that the IGI variations miss?  I notice there are earlier Fernhurst  baptisms with father Henry  1720 and 1723 - so the 1727 marriage could be a second one for Henry,  which seems likely if he is the Henry baptised Midhurst 1695. Is that what you were thinking?
 If the Fernhurst transcripts are much delayed I could go and check the originals for you if you like.

Jan

[cardiffbay]

Hello Jan,
Yes that was my thinking.  I have no idea when the Ferbhurst register will be completed, but it will prove a good source to see if there are any other Courtnages etc recorded on the register. When I looked on the SFHS web site I noted Sussex men who strayed into Surrey to be married.  There was only one Cortney recorded(spelt this way) It was one Henry Cortney who hailed from Linchmere. I have no idea where that is. Anyway, he married Mary Nigh at St.Nicholas in Guildford on 1st October 1704. This can't be the one from Midhurst, because it comes from an earlier generation. However, he must have belonged to some family in Sussex in the first place! It is very difficult with children being baptised to a Father called Henry with the Mother's name missing. The gentleman from Headley John Owen Smith tells me this is very rare. I can't really comment because I do not have that social history knowledge.  If you do find anything Jan, please let me know.  In the meantime I will look again more carefully to see if I have missed something which is easily done when you have generation after generation using the same names. Also, without my having any access to Parish registers, I can't even look at potential deaths for anyone either to check on males becoming widdowers. How is the weather with you -its been raining cats and dogs in wales for the past week.

Kind Regards

Lesley

[janan]

Hi
Linchmere is only a few miles NW of Fernhurst, close to the Surrey border - there aren't any extracted records for it on the IGI.

Re the marriage with no spouse, it is not something I have ever come across at all. I shall have to pop along to the Records Office next week and have a look at the original entry just to see exactly what it says! I will see what else I can find as well.

Re the weather, we could do with some of your rain, we've only had the odd shower.

Jan

[cardiffbay]

Hi there Jan,
It is very kind of you to offer to check that marriage. I did actually email the Sussex Record Office about it, but they have not come back to me as yet.
I have also had quite a lengthy correspondence with the PRTSociety and been able to separate a couple of Courtnage families in Farnhurst/Lurgashall.
There can be no doubt that there are 2 families with a John Courtnege as the head. The first family I have is John Courtnege as the Father of:
William 1744 appears in both Farnhurst & Lurgahsall registers
Elizabeth 1745 Farnhurst
Mary 1748        Farnhurst
Thomas 1749   Farnhurst
John 1759        Farnhurst
The Mother of these 5 does not appear.

My John Courtnage who married Sarah Bridger in 1755 in Farnhurst was one of 4 siblings, including himself as follows: His parents were Henry Courntey Courtnage & Hannah Courtnage.

Mary 1732 Farnhurst
Henry 1735 Farnhurst
John 1738   Farnhurst (who married Sarah Bridger)
Ann 1741

I think that stupid marriage entry for 2nd October 1727 with no wife mentioned is a very strong contender. I also think that this Henry and John Courtnege having the children named in family 1 are potential Brothers.
Now the strange thing is that the only marriage I can find for a Henry Courtney to a Hannah is found in London. There is a Henry Courtnage who married Hannah Cox on 8th January 1832 at St.Martin in the fields, Westminster, London.  I am told by the Sussex Record Office that this was a very fashionable place to get married during this period of time.
Is it possible that John'sparents married here, moved into Farnhurst then had Mary 2 months later in 1732? I guess anything is possible.

The children born to my John Courtnage who married Sarah Bridger are:
Sara 1757 Farnhurst
Ann 1765 Farnhurst -she died: April 1766 aged 7 months
Henry 1768, baptised Hary (My x 5 GGGGGF) Farnhurst
Thomas 1755 Farnhurst
There is also a burial mentioned in the Farnhurst Register for Thomas on the 19th February 1775. No age is given and no parents mentioned.  However, I do not believe this is Henrys Brother above as when Henry married Sarah Mitchell ,Thomas witnessed his marriage so it must be the Thomas born in 1749 to the other John Courtnege.
A lot of information to take in Jan, but if you put it on paper its much easier to read.  I would love to be right, but more importantly, I want to be accurate.
Still miserable weather in Wales -haven't seen the sun in nearly two weeks now.

Regards, Lesley
Thomas 1755 Lurgashall

[janan]

Hi Lesley

It is all very complicated - I do wish families didn't all use the same names it would make it so much easier for us to get things straight I think it all making sense though. I'm not sure that 1732 St Martin in the Fields marriage can be yours, as it is followed by baptisms Ann 1734, Henry 1735, Ann 1736 and Elizabeth 1738 all in St Martin in the Fields which doesn't seem to fit a move back to Fernhurst.

Jan

[cardiffbay]

Hi Jan,
I agree with you about the births thereafter -I saw those baptisms too.  I am not sure from what date backwards that the transcription society are working on in Fernhurst, and it could well be there are other courtnages using the church then. There appears to be a strong connection between Farnhurst as it was and Lurgashall. I am amazed to find a child baptised in both churches on the same day to the same Father! Did you know that from 1066 up to 1760 the only names given appear to be William, Henry Stephen, Richard, John Edward, James, Charles and George.  Its the same with the females Elizabeth,Mary, Ann and Caroline - ordinary folks followed the royal names of the day. I am racking my brains now about other means of finding the same people.  I am not prepared to give in - I must try harder. By the way, I did not hear back from the Sussex Record Officer about that 1720 marriage for Henry in Farnhurt, so if you do go next week for anything else, I would appreciate it if you could have a look for me.  You never know what you might find hey?
Have a nice weekend Jan, looks like we have even more rain forecast.Yuk!!

Lesley

[janan]

Hi Lesley

I shall pop to the records office tomorrow and see what I can find

Jan

[cardiffbay]

Hello Jan,
Just to say thank you so much. Very much appreciated.Good hunting!!

Lesley