Norton Parish Records Lookup - GOSTLIN

[Irish Connections]

Hi -

My 4xgr.grandmother, Honour Gostlin, was born in Norton, Suffolk in 1760/1 (when she died in 1861 she was reported to be either 99yrs or 100yrs and 8months so am not 100% sure which it is).  Is there anybody out there who could help me with a Parish lookup for a baptismal record for 1760/1761, please?

When Honour died in 1861 she was survived by a twin sister - who I don't have a name for as I haven't been able to find anything out at all as of yet.  So any baptismal record would be for, presumably, two Gostlin girls.  I don't have parent names for Honour, neither a marriage certificate but I have the rest of her history up until she died, in London, after marrying four times.

Any help would be most appreciated - any guidance on where to look (I can't easily get to the records office in Suffolk) - so thanks for looking at my request.   

[diddymiller]

no Gostlin deaths coming up on freebmd but just one:

Lucy Goslin  mar 1865 ipswich 4a /434

seems a likely one!

Diddy

[Irish Connections]

Hi Diddy,

Certainly seems worth a look - thank you very  much!

Chris

[Greensleeves]

Hi there

Gostlin is a corruption of the original French name, Josselyn, as are  Gostling, Gosling, Joslyn etc.  I mention this because I have Gosling/Josling etcs in my tree and you can never be quite sure what spelling will appear next!

Regards,
Greensleeves

[Greensleeves]

Just thought I would add that I have been having a trawl around Family Search Pilot and have found the following entry which may be of interest:

Mary Gosling baptised 17 October 1756, Naughton, Suffolk
Parents: John and Eliz Gosling

Regards,
Greensleeves

[diddymiller]

yes i saw that but be careful - Norton & naughton are both in suffolk...

Diddy

[Irish Connections]

Hello Greensleeves and Diddy,

Thanks for your postings - sorry I didn't reply sooner.

I'm aware of the variations of spelling but am going on the baptismal record of Honour's son (Gt. Yarmouth, 1791) where she was 'Gostlin'.

Thinking about your earlier posting, Diddy - Lucy Gosling's death in 1865, although tempting, might not be of interest after all because, of course, Honour's sister may well have married and therefore not have the surname of birth.  Honour herself married four times!  According to the 1851 Census, Honour was born in Norton (not Naughton), Suffolk, so will keep to that spelling until I can go no further.  Thanks for the Gosling baptismal record Greensleeves - who knows where the spellings were wrong or right?!  What a good game this is....

I shall keep looking - but thanks to you both for your input, much appreciated. 

[Suffolk Mawther]

Regarding the spelling of Gostlin, you must be prepared for any variations on old records.  Often our ancestors were not able to read or write and they told the clerk/vicar etc their name.  The clerk in turn wrote what he thought he had heard, allowing for a Suffolk (or indeed Norfolk ) accent, there will inevitably be variations in what was written down.

We have a great deal of information in one single parish in Suffolk and over the years the spellings often change - even within those ancestors who could read and write, significantly in the Fruer/Frewer name and the Bridges/Brydges/Brygges etc etc

My Fulker great grandfather in Berkshire was written by the census enumerator of 1881 as Falkir 

Pat ...

[Irish Connections]

Hello Pat,

I couldn't agree more with what you say about all the different spellings and interpretations on Census returns - we'd all make good detectives, wouldn't we??

I see that your interests include Sparham, Suffolk.  I actually live in Sparham, Norfolk - is this one and the same place I wonder?  If so, I am going to a flower festival this weekend in the village which is being run on a weddings theme.  In the church will be a list, dating back to 1573 (with some exclusions which are still to be transcribed but I'm not sure which years they will be 'til I get there), of all the weddings that have taken place at St. Mary the Virgin.  Can I offer any 'lookups' for you?

Best wishes,
Chris