Handcross records

[mandyj51]

Hi Roy,

thankyou for your help yet again. That's an interesting thought. I did consider it once briefly but didn't look into it too much so I'll certainly have another look. The family moved from Slaugham to Horley in c.1819 when the mother died and the husband remarried, and the husband's listed in Reigate in the Land Tax records there so not sure if that fits in with the gypsy/traveller theory? The husband died between 1828 - 1937 and the 2nd wife and all the children (1st and 2nd marriage) are then located in London in dwellings from then on. I will have a look on the traveller genealogy website. Thank you.

Hi hugatree,

the family are -

WILLIAM WHITING  1801
THOMAS WHITING   1803
HANNAH WHITING  1806
MARY WHITING  1814

PARENTS - WILLIAM WHIT(E)ING  and  HANNAH BISHOP  married 13.07.1801, Slaugham

I have lots of info. on all the children born to William Whit(e)ing - marriages, births, deaths etc. but have no idea where the 1st wife is buried or parish records for the births for the children mentioned above. Also have no info. on the parents of William Whiting or Hannah Bishop.

[lizdb]

Yes, I too have found non-conformist births (1819-28) from the 2nd marriage not registered until 1837

Births registered in 1837 will be babies born then (within 6 weeks), not older children.
Babies born before 1837 will not be registered as registration did not exist. When it was introduced, it is for babies born from then onwards - you couldnt register someone's birth from previous years!

[hugatree]

Hi mandy

I have trawled the non-conformists, but not found anything likely for Sussex and surrounding areas, sorry 

[mandyj51]

Thankyou anyway hugatree. It was very kind of you.

Hi lizdb,

They were non conformist births which took place between 1820-28,  the certificates/records are signed by the mother only in 1837 as the father is deceased by that time.

[John915]

Good morning,

Handcross is in Slaugham parish, the church is St Marys in Slaugham. There is also Staplefied Parish church, St Marks. Both are about a mile from Handcross and both have graveyards. Both have graveyard plans of burials in the porch There is also a Catholic church in Staplefield but no graveyard, have never heard of Staplefield Provident Chapel but will ask around. In Handcross High st is the Zoar Strict Baptist Chapel, no burial ground. If I see Pastor Bradstock I will ask about records, but the baptists do keep very good central records. There used to be another non-conformist chapel on the other side of the road but now demolished and don't recall what it was, again will ask around.

John915

The next nearest parish churches would be Balcombe, Cuckfield and Lower Beeding. I don't know what non-conformist chapels there were in those villages.

[mandyj51]

Hi John,

that's fantastic information you have provided. Thank you very much.

William and Hannah married in Slaugham in 1801. I'm assuming it was at St. Mary's. I have searched for Hannah's burial there but cannot find anything. I think St. Mark's at Staplefield was built in 1847 which is too late for Hannah as she died some time between 1814-1818. Her last child Mary was born c.1814, Slaugham so I am wondering if Hannah perhaps died in childbirth. It would make sense if she were buried at St.Mary's but I'm not finding the burial recorded on available records.

Staplefield Congregational Providence Chapel (Broad Street) was established in 1821 but is now closed and used as offices.

It is very useful for me to know there aren't burial grounds at the catholic church or the Zoar Baptist Chapel as I did wonder about both those sites so that information is much appreciated.

I will have a look for more information on the churches at Balcombe, Cuckfield and Lower Beeding.

Many thanks,
Mandy

[John915]

Good evening,

Broad st is in Cuckfield and there is an old chapel along that rd. Now out of use as a chapel and has been for many yrs, now used for other purposes so that could be the one you are after. Again I will make some enquiries. I am the local RBL standard bearer so I know the vicars very well. I can't promise to get it done this weekend as we have the 2nd grandson staying over, full time job looking after him.

John915
Two mentions of the congregational chapel later church here; http://www.cuckfield.org/page.php?pg=37
Try google maps with st view, the bus is just passing the chapel.

[sillgen]

Cuckfield Museum have various records from the churches in the village - there were several - so worth a visit if you can get there.   Chichester Record Office will have even more stuff.  The Congregational Church in Broad Street was established  c1821.  Picture on the Cuckfieldcompendium.co.uk site.  The Baptist church have their own records so contact them direct.
I have some non conformist baptism and burial records but from the mid 1830s so too late for you.  No Whiting entries.   I also have access to many of the Holy Trinity, Cuckfield register entries and some early Slaugham ones - pre 1780.
In case you don't have them the witnesses at the marriage in 1801 were James Brown and Lydia Bishop.
As you have done detailed searches you have no doubt searched the film of the Slaugham registers.  If not, you can do so at your nearest LDS family history centre.   Even if the IGI is supposed to cover it they do miss things.  Cuckfield, for instance, only has the female baptisms on the IGI for some years - the males are not there.
Andrea
PS  Don't forget the onlineparishclerk site   Cuckfield has one so other Sussex places may have too.    http://www.sussex-opc.org

[mandyj51]

Thank you for the additional information and kind offer John. I look forward to hearing from you again at your earliest convenience.

Hi Sillgen,
thank you for the suggestions. I hope to visit Cuckfield and Chichester once I have passed my driving test; not too long to go I hope. I did request a look up as I'm a member of the Sussex History Club but never heard back and that was months ago. I guess they had as much luck as me!
I have checked all the records you mention. I did know about James Brown and Lydia Bishop (thank you anyway). I thought I might be able to get somewhere with them and perhaps tie in with Hannah and William that way but had no luck; not surprising given the surname!