Birth info/look-up requested: GEORGE W. HARDING

[owenzachary]

Greetings from Florida. I am trying to plow through brick wall in my tree and would love some advice or help from someone in the Calne/Chippenham area.

I am looking for the birth information of my ggg-grandfather George W. Harding. I have found him in the US, on his ship from England and the 41-51-61 England Census. I also recently ordered his marriage certificate to Jane Britten and found more for her family than George's.  I would like to know if it's possible to find his birth certificate. Here is what I DO know:

GEORGE W. HARDING: born or christened: 12 MAR 1832 in Calne, Wiltshire, England
1841 - Lived with grandmother CATHARINE HARDING-ag laborer (b.1786d.1866) in Borough of Calne, Parish of Calne, District 8 , Studley
1851 - Lived with grandmother CATHARINE HARDING-ag laborer - Parish of Calne, Borough of Calne, District 2k, Studley, George is now an ag-laborer, the other Hardings that lived close by are now not anywhere to be found.
 
George was married in the Primitive Methodist Chappel in Chippenham in 1852, but the marriage record had a slash under parent/job, so that wasn't much help His grandmother was on Parrish Relief until she died. I'm curious as to her name and husbands. George named his first born Robert, second is Samuel, third George.

1861 - Married to JANE BRITTEN, lives in Parrish/Borough/Town of Calne with wife and 3 sons. He lives in what says is the "Nursery Cottage" and is a nursery laborer (later becomes a gardner then becomes a midwest United Bretheren Circuit Rider in the midwest!)

* In 1841, in the lines( I'm assuming lived next door or close-by) 3 children with last names HARDING living with an Ann Gregory 56yo: Susanb1831/Thomasb1833/Janeb1835 -- Related? Don't know. Also, Catharine was listed as a window in 1841.

Is there any records that may have George's birth information and/or Catherine's information. I'd appreciate any help that could be sent my way!

Cindy
Bradenton, Florida

[suzard]

GEORGE W. HARDING: born or christened: 12 MAR 1832 in Calne, Wiltshire, England
 
George was married in the Primitive Methodist Chappel in Chippenham in 1852, but the marriage record had a slash under parent/job

Hi Cindy,

Registration did not begin until Sept qtr 1837 in UK - so before that date you have to rely on parish records for baptism dates - sometimes a baptism will also give the d.o.b.

On a UK marriage cert the father's name and occupation is given (no mention of mother's name) -so usually when a father's name is left blank (or slashed through) it indicates that the child is illegitimate

Suz

[suzard]

there is this marriage on familysearch (free to view)

Richard Harding
Catherine Burgess
29 Feb 1808 Bremhill Wiltshire

(Bremhill is close to Calne)

Suz

[suzard]

there are these children baptised Bremhill Wilts
Parents Richard Harding & Catherine
Robert Harding 1 May 1808
Jane Harding 3 Jun 1810
Harriett harding 17 May 1812
John Harding 10 Sept 1815

Suz

[owenzachary]

Thanks Suz for the info. I was afraid when I saw the slashes that meant he could be illegitimate. His grandmother Catharine died in 1866 from the freeBMD database I saw. I did see that information of a Richard Harding and Catherine with children so I started looking into Robert and John.

George's oldest child was named Robert, so I started searching him first. I ordered his death information and he died in 1839 from locked-jaw/teatanus and was a labourer. A Sarah Brittain was with him at his time of death.
The problem is that there are SOOOO many Harding's in that area! I will start hunting around for John, as one of his children was named John as well. Who knows.

Some of the children that lived next to or with him in the 1841 census had Robert and a Mary unknown down on the christening records on ancestry.com this was sited:

Place: Calne, Wiltshire, England; Collection: St Mary the Virgin; Date Range: 1828 - 1837; Film Number: 1278534.

If a child in this time period was illegitimate, what exactly did that mean to the community he lived in and regarding laws/rights? Obviously it's out of wedlock, but was he able to be Christened?

Cindy

[owenzachary]

Well, I got Catharine's death record and it is confirmed her husband was Richard Harding - farm laborer. So that may help a bit.

If George is illegitimate, would his last name be after his father, mother or up to the parent?

Cindy

[suzard]

If George is illegitimate he would take mother's surname

Illegitimate children could be baptised - and just mother's name would be on baptism register

Illegitimacy was more common than we think at that time.

2 of the female children baptised to Catherine & Richard are Jane (1810) & Harriet (1812) - these are "possibles" for George's mother

But there may be other daughters not found yet?

Suz

[owenzachary]

What a history lesson I'm getting!! Thank you for answering all my questions!

I am still searching for any more children of Richard and Catharine, but geesh those names are very popular. The daughter Harriet I found had a ton of information and she was married with a large family. I have found nothing on Jane or John. Robert was the first one I suspected only because he died in 1839 was married to a woman named Mary and had several children that lived next to George and Catharine in 1841, But who knows.

On Roberts death certificate (1839) and on Catharine's (1866) a woman named Sarah Britten was the witness to the death. That wouldn't necessarily mean a family member, maybe a nurse?

Cindy

[owenzachary]

Well, I've been searching for more possible Harding females born in the time frame Richard/Catharine were married and had no real luck.

Harriet was married with a lot of children and her firstborn was born near to my George, so she's probably out. That means Jane could possibly be the mom, but I haven't found her anywhere. Maybe she married, died. Who knows. I'm still digging around.

Assuming he is illegitimate, would there be special records for them,  or is it a 'hush-huh'? Church records?

Cindy