Diss Norfolk birth/marriage records 1580-1672

[nichbuket]

Hello!

I’m hoping that someone may be able to point me in the direction of finding birth and marriage records for Diss between the years 1580-1650. There seem to be a number of burials but I’m having trouble with the marriage/birth records.

I am trying to confirm the following collection of unsourced information found across the net.

Mark Downing baptism 11 May 1645
And his marriage to a Margaret Gosling 8 Oct 1627.

John downing baptism 30 Dec 1602. He is also supposed to have married a Margaret around 1640.

William downing marriage to Brigit turner 27 June 1602 and Brigit’s baptism 26 Nov 1581

Any assistance is appreciated

Thank you
Nichbuket

[Rena]

Have you looked on the webpage "Dusty Docs" which lists all the parishes and all the sources that still have documents for those parishes.

Such as Parish Registers; Archdeacon's transcripts

http://dustydocs.com.au/county/26/norfolk.html?country_id=1

[nichbuket]

Hi!

Yes thank you, I did search dusty docs. It led me to searching free reg and family search for the time period I’m looking for.

I made a mistake in previous comment-I had found Marke and Margaret’s marriage on free reg.

Free reg also has a * Jun 1602 marriage for a Wyllium Downynge to a Brigit* but day and brides maiden name aren’t mentioned. None of the other info is on free reg and none was indexed on family search.

[Rena]

Have you searched the Norfolk Catalogue?

https://nrocatalogue.norfolk.gov.uk/

====
I got quite a few hits when I searched for "Gosling"

Gosling (Gosselyn), John, of Diss year 1476

[nichbuket]

I’ve had hits for wills and other legal documents but haven’t had luck with births/marriages. I’m not sure if I’m searching incorrectly. I see they hold them, but can’t tell if they are actually searchable online. https://nrocatalogue.norfolk.gov.uk/index.php/parish-records-of-diss

[Rena]

I think you need to email them via the contact facility on the website.  If I understood their "fond" system and ref numbers I might be able to understand what they've actually got.   Although it does seem that about two fonds are early enough to assist.   I have Norfolk ancestors and during WWII some vicars thought they'd bury their precious books/records in case their churches were bombed.  Unfortunately one vicar couldn't find the exact burial spot and years later when parishioners eventually found the records after several years of looking, they weren't legible because they'd been put in an ordinary canvas rucksack and were ruined due to the ground getting wet.

I'm finding more and more of my old favourite websites have vanished or "modernised" so they are less than useful.  However, as Church of England records only began after the closure of monastaries circa mid 1500s you're nearly at the end of your quest, unless you have families that owned land.

Speaking of land: the Anglo Saxon suffix "ing" means "family land".  However, as the prefix of "Down" is an old word for Dunn/Dark (haired), it seems the meaning of the name doesn't give a specific place in Norfolk.

Do those two lines that you are following use a naming pattern?  If so you may be able to trace movements of them around the UK using the English and Irish NAME DISTRIBUTION maps.  https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Surname_Distribution_Maps.

Curiously, the results show a couple of places in Ireland where the surname Gosling appears.

 

[nichbuket]

Thank you. I shall message them. If only everyone sourced things! There are a number of early wills available so I was hopeful we could continue our journey but it seems to be a wall.  Unfortunately the family doesn’t really follow typical naming patterns.

I appreciate your assistance.
Nich

[Rena]

Thank you. I shall message them. If only everyone sourced things! There are a number of early wills available so I was hopeful we could continue our journey but it seems to be a wall.  Unfortunately the family doesn’t really follow typical naming patterns.

I appreciate your assistance.
Nich

I've had that experience too.  In fact, my own paternal grandfather's name stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb, as did the name of his oldest sister - the other six siblings adhered to the usual naming pattern.   Fortunately I had a few family stories, which turned out to be true.   Both of those siblings were named after benefactors.

I blinked when I saw this page

https://www.your-family-history.com/surname/g/gosling/

[amondg]

NFHS
Transcribed registers (image 106)

Mark Downing baptized 11 May 1645 father John Downing at Diss

John Downinge bap 30 December 1603 father William

The marriage to a Margaret comes from a baptism of John 20 Jul 1645 parents John and Margaret at Diss

Looks like there are 2 by the name of John Downing listed as fathers 1645.

If you join NFHS they have transcribed the registers of Diss