Marbury (near Crewe) HALLMARKS

[LostinEngland]

Oh, the public tree files on Ancestry.com can be a blessing or a curse!  I have run across such confusion whilst researching the HALLMARKS during the 1600's.  I have referenced www.familysearch.org and the IGI files seem to contradict many entries supplied on Ancestry.com public tree files.  What I need to do is confirm the marriage of Johannis HALMARK & Margarita (latin first names) who had David (1683), Johannes (1687), Thomas (1690), Thomas (1691) and Joseph (1692).  I would like my last resort to be to travel to the Cheshire Record facility on Duke Street, Chester, Cheshire, but if that is the only way to be certain of the entries, I will make the journey.  Any suggestions are more than welcome!
Cheers,
Renee

[stanmapstone]

If you look up the Film Number 2093579 in the catalogue at https://familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp for the results at  http://www.rootschat.com/links/0s9b/ you will see it is the actual parish register of the Church of England. Parish Church of Marbury (near Crewe, Cheshire) Microfilm copy of original filmed at the Cheshire Record Office in Chester, England. Except for Thoma Hallmarke which is from the Cheshire Bishop's Transcripts,

Stan

[AdrianB38]

Remember also that the PRs and BTs for Cheshire are a/v on FindMyPast. Use FamilySearch first to find location and year, as its search facilities are far superior to FindMyPast, then go to FindMyPast for the image. Depending on where you are, cost on FindMyPast's pay-per-view may come out cheaper than travel. And bear in mind FindMyPast's "transcriptions" are not transcriptions at all but are copies of FamilySearch's indexes.

Because of the variations on this name, you may be better using a wild-card search of HAL*M*

As for the marriage itself - if that's what you wanted, well, it's not immediately obvious to me where it is - i.e. I couldn't find a John "Hallmark" and Margaret.

[LostinEngland]

Thank you again for such an informative response.  I've seriously searched for any record of marriage between a John/Johannis HALLMARK and a Martha/Margaret/Margarita with zero success.   There are several christening entries in Marbury for their children as stated above.  The only marriage entry that I've been able to locate is between a James HALLMARK and a Martha WICKSTEAD (19 June 1677) the timing makes sense but the use of James instead of John is confusing and I hesitate to adopt it as "the entry" especially since I came across a burial of Margaret HALLMARK (05 March 1725) and the spouse listed is John HALLMARK of Marbury.  Thoughts?

[mshrmh]

I've had a look on GENUKI for Marbury and at the time it was a chapelry in the parish of Whitchurch (which is in Shropshire):
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/chs/churches/marbury.html

That link states where copies of the registers of Marbury can be found. However looking at FamilySearch they don't have many Marbury marriages at this time - that may be because they haven't yet transcribed them or because as a chapelry most marriages would have taken place at the parish church - ie Whitchurch. Whitchurch entries seem more numerous on FamilySearch, but I still couldn't see anything likely.

[AdrianB38]

While there can be errors in parish registers, it seems to me that you've got several John & Margaret entries, making a confusion with James and Martha (where there are also several entries) unlikely in the extreme. If it were just a one-off.... but it isn't. And that burial seems to make it clear. John isn't James and Martha isn't Margaret, surely?? (though I'm not too hot on my Latin!) So right now, I'd say they were 2 couples.

While Marbury is a chapelry in Whitchurch parish, active restrictions on marriages at chapelries only start in 1754 and Marbury may have received authority to carry on with marriages. Whitchurch does appear in FamilySearch but Hallmark marriages don't appear there until 1711.

Nevertheless the suggestion is important - John & Margaret may have been married elsewhere and not necessarily in Cheshire, given where they live.

[LostinEngland]

Well, I think I have finally begun to untangle myself, after further head scratching investigation it looks as though John HALMARKE and James HALMARKE were brothers and did marry a Margaret and a Martha.  Not only that, their other siblings may be Mary, Robert, Thomas, Hatton, and George.  At this time the FHL only has baptismal entries for Robert (1641) & Thomas (1643) so that makes me suspect that transcriptions are in process rather than complete.  Thanks to everyone who helped, certainly appreciate the assistance!

[Pippakit]

I have been researching my family from Marbury and also found very few entries in the 1640s. As this is the period of the Civil War I suspect this is the reason for this and not that they have not yet been transcribed.
This part of Cheshire was very much involved in the fighting - the Seige and Battle of Nantwich 1643/1644 and the Seige of Chester 1645/1646. It must have been a harrowing time for the residents of Cheshire.
Could this be the reason for your missing baptisms?
You mention a marriage of James Hallmark to Margaret Wickstead - I am a descendant of the Wicksteads of Marbury!
I am local and know Marbury well, and although it is not far from Whitchurch it is nearer the village of Wrenbury, is it possible that your relatives used Wrenbury church?

[LostinEngland]

The research that I have been able to gather regarding Martha WICKSTEAD (b: 1657 d:1732) has been very informative; apparently she was a wealthy woman in her own right due to the fact that she was a land owner.  Another researcher on ancestry.com has posted the family crest and pew box of the WICKSTEAD family in St. Margaret's Church, Wrenbury, Cheshire.  Martha married my ancestor James HALLMARK/HALMARKE on June 19, 1677 and they have at least 9 children together.  Significantly, their daughter Elizabeth HALLMARK/HALMARKE (b:1692 d: 1762) marries her cousin Joseph HALLMARK/HALMARKE (b:1692 d:1726) on May 19, 1714 in Marbury.
I just received the last will and testament for both James HALLMARK/HALMARKE and Martha HALLMARK/HALMARKE (nee WICKSTEAD) from the Cheshire Records Office, once I am done transcribing them I will be more than happy to share.
Thank you for the information regarding the battles that the Cheshire residents were involved in, it certainly adds another dimension to the research.
Cheers,
Renee