FITCH & CLAYDON in Gazeley

[GST]

Martin Y. helped me with a lookup a couple of years ago, but I'm still puzzling over this wedding record:

Joseph Hales and Elizabeth Fitch married 13 Oct 1814 in Gazeley, Suffolk. Joseph and Elizabeth were both single and of this parish. They both made their marks, the witnesses were Margaret Crack and William Farthing (prob. the parish clerk) and the marriage was performed by William Gataker (curate) after banns.

Martin also found a possible baptism record for Elizabeth Fitch in Gazely:

Elizabeth d/o George and Amphillis FYTCHE was baptised 28 (?) Aug 1791.  George FITCH married Amphillis CLAYDON 16 Aug 1777 (witnesses William FITCH and John Ca..??)  Martin did not find any subsequent records of Joseph and Elizabeth Hales in Gazeley, which could be consistent with the couple having moved back to Joseph's birth place in Barley, Herts.  The census records indicate that Elizabeth was probably born in Suffolk, but that's my only evidence linking her to Gazeley.

So I still can't prove that my Joseph and Elizabeth Hales who lived in Barley were the same couple who married in Gazeley in 1814. So I'm hoping to connect with anyone who might be researching the Fitch and Claydon family of Gazeley in the hope that some other information turns up.

I also found a tree on ancestry that showed three children of George Fitch and Amphillis Claydon: George, Anna or Hannah, and Mary Fitch, born 17 Aug 1794, Gazeley.  I hope to hear from anyone who is researching this family.  Perhaps mtDNA testing might establish a connection. 

thanks,
Gail

[epicdee]

Hello,I am also researching this family but come from george and amphillis claydon's son george. What may be of help is my fitch family came from Wickhambrook and Little/Great Thurlow and this is the first time Gazeley has came up.
Dawn

[GailT]

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for your reply. Given the unusual name, it seems likely we are looking at the same couple.  When do your records begin in Wickhambrook and Little/Great Thurlow?  And do you think it possible that this family originated in Gazely?  I'm still not certain that the Joseph Hales and Elizabeth Fitch who married in Gazely are my Joseph and Elizabeth Hales who lived in Barley, Herts.  The 1851 census record of the Barley couples indicates that Elizabeth was from Suffolk (the village is illegible but it looks  something like "Banns").  The 1814 wedding fits well as their first son was born in 1815 in Barley.

Gail