Tavistock/Whitchurch Lookup - VIGOURS/VIGERS

[RoserAncestors]

I am descended from Edward Vigers who married Maudlin Martin in 1817 in Lambeth, Surrey, through their son John who emigrated to Australia.

I have that Edward baptised 1796 in Lambeth to Edward Vigers and Elizabeth Clerk who married in 1791 in Lambeth but I can’t find their baptisms or trace them any further back.

Other researchers on Ancestry and in very old posts on Rootschat have the Edward who married Elizabeth baptised in 1762 in Tavistock, Devon, to Edward Vigours and Hannah Crossman. (Edward and Elizabeth had a daughter Hannah Crossman Vigers, presumably named after his mother.)

The other researchers have Edward Vigours marrying Hannah Crossman on 22 April 1752 in Tavistock or nearby Whitchurch, and have him being baptised to Joseph Vigours on 15 Jan 1726 in Tavistock who in turn was baptised to Edward on 10 Jun 1693 in Tavistock. They have that Edward born 1670 in Tavistock, although that could be a guess as there is no date and no father listed.

I was wondering whether someone who has access to the Tavistock and/or Whitchurch parish registers could confirm these entries, and what info on occupation/residence etc the registers might contain.

Many thanks in advance if you are able to help.
Kind regards
Rhys

[RoserAncestors]

After I posted this message I realised there was an Online Parish Clerk for Tavistock, and they have answered my Tavistock queries with a wealth of information very quickly.

They didn't find a marriage for Edward Vigers/Vigours/Viguers and Hannah Crossman in Tavistock and didn't find a baptism for Hannah Crossman in Tavistock, although they did find lots of other Crossmans.

There doesn't seem to be an online clerk for Whitchurch, so I was wondering if anyone with access to the Whitchurch parish registers can find these records.

There are a number of children baptised to an Edward or Edward & Hannah Viguers in Tavistock about this time:

Elizabeth Viguers d/o Edward baptised 1 May 1756
Richard Viguers s/o Edward, cordwainer, baptised 5 Nov 1757
Sarah Ann Viguers d/o Edward & Hannah, baptised 13 Jun 1758
Mary Viguers d/o Edward & Hannah, baptised 24 Feb 1759
Joseph Viguers s/o Edward & Hannah, baptised 14 Jun 1760
Edward Viguers s/o Edward & Hannah, baptised 30 Aug 1762

[Hemmum]

Hi Rhys
I am a Crossman researcher and have noticed your post. With respect please be careful of Ancestry Trees. There is so little is on the IGI for Devon and many records are not quickly available so those that are used give an incomplete/incomplete picture. The OPC for Devon are fantastic.

Many of the families in the Tavistock area where miners and emigrated to Australia etc to work on the mines and Railways. Many of my Crossman family ‘disappeared’ between the census's.

You are probably aware that there was a tradition in the area to use a maternal surname as a given name for a child which is very useful to identify which couple a child belonged to which is just as well as the family were large and used the same names continually.

Anyway back to your question. From my Crossman records (please check them out);
Hannah Crossman of Tavistock married Edward Vigers 11 Apr 1752 in Whitchurch (Just south of Tavistock)

Hannah Crosman [Crossman also look for Crosfman or Cropsman] bapt 9 Mar 1730 d of Thomas in Tavistock (Stoates transcription)

I have a note that Thomas d. Hannah married by licence in 1730 (sorry I do not have the details)

Thomas Crossman married 27 Dec 1729 to Elizabeth Cudlip Tavistock (Stoates)
Hannah seems to be the only child from this marriage and Hannah is not a 'Crossman' name so perhaps she is named after a Cudlip.

The Crossman’s are a huge family in the Tavistock area you may also find records on the Cornwall OPC site as many moved to/from Cornwall and many lived in the Tamar River area. Also many of the Crossman’s were NC

I cannot see an obvious bapt for Thomas Crossman the nearest I have is bapt 12 Feb 1694 in Walkhampton s of Walter and Wilmot. (Dartmoor Press)
They had other children in Walkhampton. There is a wealth of Walkhampton information;
http://web.archive.org/web/20070703021821/http://www.dartmoorpress.clara.net/Walkhampton.html#WALKHAMPTON%20PARISH%20HISTORY%20CD-ROM
(not to mention the great OPC)

I do have a marriage in Lamerton (which may be a co-incidence but worth remembering) for Thomas Crossman 20 Oct 1665 to Wilmott Fugurs [?Vigurs].

Obviously the spelling of Vigurs many vary but on Stoates Transcriptions of Tavistock Register (the area of) there is.
Edwards Vigours bap 25 Mar 1627 s of Edward
Edward Vigours bap 27 Oct 1703 s of Richard
Edward Vigours bap 15 Jan 1726 s of Joseph
Edward Vigours bap 28 Jan 1727 s of Robert
Edward Vigours bap 7 Apr 1728 s of Joseph
Edward Vigours bap 26 Mar 1729 s of Francis
Good Luck!!

No Edward Vigurs/Vigours marriage on Stoates
On DFHS CD of Tavistock Deanery
Edward Vigars married Joan Fuge 29 Aug 1767 at Brentor (N means there is a note which you could ask the OPC for may be status of witness etc)
Consider this marriage?
Elizabeth Vigers married John Clark 20 Apr 1772 Tavistock (was she a widow when she married Edward in 1791?)
Edward Viguers married Dorothy Hockaday 8 Mar 1758 in Tavistock
Edward Viguers married Joan Abraham 10 Jul 1757 in Tavistock
Edward Viggers of Tavistock buried aged 80 13 Mar 1825 in Lamerton

Hope this helps. If you find anything out about Hannah Crossman please let me know.

[Hemmum]

 PS I forgot to say what fantastic help I have had from the other Rootschatters!!

[RoserAncestors]

Thanks Hemmum, that’s very helpful and has confirmed some things I’ve found elsewhere. You’re right, the OPCs are great.

I don’t have a lot on Hannah Crossman except her burial details – 5 April 1801 at St Eustachius, Tavistock, buried in the church, south aisle “near Tobias Parford seat”. Don’t suppose you have a photo of the inscription, assuming there is one? I asked the parish clerk but they couldn’t help.

[Hemmum]

Sorry no photograph and I am not in the area. Hannah is not in my direct tree, I just have lots of Crossman records and some BDM CD's. You could try the Tavistock museum. It is very small but the staff are helpful.

[Neecie2]

HI, am hoping someone is able to shed some light on a puzzle we have.   On my family tree we have a Sarah E Vigars Clark who married a Thomas Floyd.  She was the daughter of a John Clark and we think Mary Ann Isbell.   But not quite sure.  She was born in 1832 Marytavy Devon.   Am wondering if it is part of the same family.  We are trying to figure out where the vigars comes into her name.

thanks

Denise

[RoserAncestors]

I was in touch with a Vigars who knew a lot about that variant of the surname. If you send me a personal message with your email I will pass it on to him. He might be able to help you. We didn't see any connection between our branches/variants except that they seem to have come from places in Devon not too far away from each other (but I haven't been to the UK since I was 9 and it was a while ago I was in touch with the Vigars researcher so I'm not sure of that, but I should still have his email).