Author Topic: Needham's of Sheffield  (Read 6362 times)

Offline grundy51

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Needham's of Sheffield
« on: Tuesday 17 January 12 15:19 GMT (UK) »
My 4th great grandfather is Matthew Needham who married Elizabeth Worrall in 1768 in Sheffield; documented in parish records.  Matthew and Elizabeth had 5 children whose births are all registered in the parish records in Sheffield. One of these children is Joseph (my 3rd great grandfather) and from him  I've been able to trace my Needham family tree through to the present.

My problem is where were Matthew and Elizabeth born. I've searched the parish records of Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster and the surrounding parishes for a baptism record but drawn a blank. Where do I go from here? They have clearly moved to Sheffield but from where? Can someone suggest a process for tracking relatives who have moved into an industrial city in the 18th century.

Offline msallen

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Re: Needham's of Sheffield
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 17 January 12 16:17 GMT (UK) »
I can't say there's a single method for finding where relatives came from I'm afraid, it depends very much on the particular case. A few random thoughts though....

You say you have the marriage from the PR. If this is just from an index or transcript, then you should be sure to check the original as one or both of their residences may be given.

Do you have their burials from the PR? If they survived to 1812 or later, then their age should be given, which will make things easier.

Did Matthew leave a will. It may mention distant relatives, or he may have held property back where he originated.

What was Matthew's occupation? Is he likely to appear in the records of any guild etc. Was he apprenticed?

Is there a reason why you've only checked the PRs of large places and only to the north of Sheffield? I don't have any experience to the north of Sheffield, but I have quite a lot to the south west (in Derbyshire), and can say that a lot of people moved to Sheffield from there. Needham is also a fairly common name in North Derbyshire (although of course it may be elsewhere too).

Eventually you may have to resort to checking PRs and/or Needham wills in an ever widening circle around Sheffield. You also have to consider the chance that they were born in Sheffield, but that their baptisms weren't recorded, or that they were baptised in a church whose PR you haven't checked yet, or that is no longer extant.

Cheers ... and good luck!
Mark
Too many to list! But always particularly interested in my eight ggp lines : ALLEN, HODGKINSON, FLINT, SWINDELL, SHELDON, BINGHAM, JACKSON - all in Derbyshire; and ELLWOOD in Cambridgeshire

Offline grundy51

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Re: Needham's of Sheffield
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 17 January 12 16:41 GMT (UK) »
Mark

Thanks for the help.

I've looked at the original MC and it states that both Matthew and Elizabeth are from the local parish - no further forward  :( .

Matthew I believe died in 1787 and Elizabeth in 1807. There ages weren't given  :(.

I can't find a will for Matthew  :(.

Matthew was a scissorsmith; I don't believe there was a guild for such an occupation  :(.

I looked at Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster because census data says that's where the greatest density of Needham's are. My aim was to expand the search to Derbyshire - there is a cluster of Needham's around Chelmorton but there are no Matthew's.

My next thoughts were to go back and recheck that I've captured all the church/parish records in and around Sheffield, then to go to Derbyshire and finally to the dreaded red rose county.

Thanks for the advice and help.

Offline dobfarm

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Re: Needham's of Sheffield
« Reply #3 on: Friday 20 January 12 07:33 GMT (UK) »
By limitation on Matthew's Bapts and the dates fit pefectly to marry 1768

ELIZABETH WORRAL
 Christening:  29 NOV 1747   St Margaret, Leicester, Leicester, England

LDS give no parents
 
MATTHEW NEEDHAM
 Christening:  22 AUG 1746   Queniborough, Leicester, England
 
 
  Father:  JOSEPH NEEDHAM  Family
  Mother:  MARY     
 
In my opinion the marriage residence is not always the place of birth. Never forget Workhouse and overseers accounts records of birth


Offline grundy51

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Re: Needham's of Sheffield
« Reply #4 on: Friday 20 January 12 17:35 GMT (UK) »
Thanks Dobfarm

I had found the same Matthew Needham but couldn't explain why some one would move from Leicester to Sheffield. You have found Elizabeth Worrall from the same area which I must say on the face of it is a pretty good fit. The problem I have is why move to Sheffield  and  marry there and not in Leicester? Any thoughts?

Offline dobfarm

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Re: Needham's of Sheffield
« Reply #5 on: Friday 20 January 12 18:32 GMT (UK) »
Hi

For a start its on the a main route north by town/city to town/city. Sheffield was the Iron town of the lower North, family connection, Liz went into working in servant domestic service in Sheffield and Matthew followed her (Romantic love) and many more reasons-better pay in the new big steel industry centred on Sheffield from small family steel businesses scattered about the country. Who knows but probable!

I do grave yard transcripts and you would be surprised how people moved around. Like Joe Blogg of this town late of Doncaster, a Wife who died and found her husband moved to Liverpool from Yorkshire and remarried

This MI photo is a vital record as the stone will soon be damaged info gone.

This Hanson gravestone MI (At the bottom nearly eroded away) the widowed wife ended up buried in Middlesex near London from Yorkshire and without this MI would never be accepted as  her death
In my opinion the marriage residence is not always the place of birth. Never forget Workhouse and overseers accounts records of birth

Offline dobfarm

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Re: Needham's of Sheffield
« Reply #6 on: Friday 20 January 12 19:39 GMT (UK) »
Few bits i found


Willaim Needham

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/2087-gales-and-martin-directory/

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/6631-robinsons-directory-of-sheffield-1797/


Plant's Yard Plants
times of James Plant's 1768 apprenticeship to a scissorsmith in Coalpit Lane .... (
c) Leicestershire Plants ..... near Little Sheffield — this deed names John Plant's
wife as Dorothy Needham in agreement with .... The three 18th century Sheffield
Directories (1774, 1787, and 1797) provide ..... subsequent adoption of this trade.
http://www.plant-fhg.org.uk/articles/plshef1e1.pdf


Barnsley
1741George Married Mary Needham ... Bradwell, husbandman; to (1) Swift John
jr., Scissorsmith, 7, 1783,; (2) Hinchcliffe Joseph, scissorsmith, m. , 3-9, 1786. ...
justforethought
http://justforethought.tripod.com/Barnsley/index.blog
In my opinion the marriage residence is not always the place of birth. Never forget Workhouse and overseers accounts records of birth

Offline dobfarm

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Re: Needham's of Sheffield
« Reply #7 on: Friday 20 January 12 21:33 GMT (UK) »
SON Born NORTON

MATTHEW NEEDHAM
 Christening:  06 NOV 1774   Cathedral Saint Peter, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
 
 
  Father:  MATTHEW NEEDHAM 

 

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~spire/Yesterday/SettlementExaminationsS.htm

348-

Matthew Needham 55 born Norton, parents legal Settlement Sheffield Yorkshire Apprenticed to Thomas Birks Highfield, Hired to George Grayson Hooly Bridge P Bradfield YKS. Married Elizabeth Lee 35 years since, she now dead .Married Mary Fowler,has child aged 15 1828

MATTHEW NEEDAM
Marriages:
  Spouse:  ELIZABETH LEE  Family
  Marriage:  08 JUN 1797   Bradfield, Yorkshire, England
In my opinion the marriage residence is not always the place of birth. Never forget Workhouse and overseers accounts records of birth

Offline dobfarm

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Re: Needham's of Sheffield
« Reply #8 on: Friday 20 January 12 22:53 GMT (UK) »
http://www.bradfieldarchives.co.uk/?q=&parent=&h=&y=1&keywords=needham&Search=Search

Joseph Needham

To Overseer of Bradfield 2nd day Jan 19th year of reign of king George 11
In my opinion the marriage residence is not always the place of birth. Never forget Workhouse and overseers accounts records of birth