William Girdlestone Marriage License

[ang1985]

Hi, I have hit a brick wall with my Great x 5 Grandfather William Girdlestone. After reading published genealogical notes regarding the Girdlestone family, I discovered that I had William’s parents, brothers and sisters completely wrong. The frustrating thing is it looks like there were two William Girdlestones living in a similar area at the same time. My Great x 5 Grandfather was born in c1746 in Holt and married to Ann Browne nee Bolders in 1776 in Norwich before returning to Holt. The other William Girdlestone was born in 1758 in Baconsthorpe and married Elizabeth Jessop Ewin so both living within 10 minutes of each other. The marriages and children overlap so I definitely do not think they are one and the same person.

I am now trying to find ways of getting any further information about William and Ann. I am wondering whether the marriage license if available would give me any further clues? I already have the marriage record. If it would give me any further info, how would I go about obtaining it. Many thanks for any help you can give me!

Angela 🙂

[goldie61]

Do you know for sure that there was a licence? Does it say that on the marriage entry?
I had a quick look on the Norfolk Record Office catalogue, and although one or two Girdlestone names came up with marriage licences, there was none for a William.
familysearch.org are also supposed to have Norfolk marriage bonds and licences, but again nothing comes up in a search.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1824690
If William was over 21 years old, it's unlikely to give any information about his parents, but you never know.

Have you seen the entry on findagrave? (It may be your entry for all I know).
He died March 1823 at Holt.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/201062359/william_girdlestone

Although it doesn't give his parents, it does list his wife and children.
There is no photo but I would think it worthwhile to see if you can get one.
There is a facility on the site to 'request a photo', and/or you could put out a plea here on Rootschat to see if anyone lives nearby and could go and take a photo.

There is some interesting information about his wife Ann Browne Bolders - which you may or may not already have.
She was evidently born 13.3.1747 in Steinheim, Germany.

There are also some 7 children listed on the entry on findagrave.
I noticed there was a son Elisha born in Feb 1784, and died in May 1784.
Is this a family name? One would have thought so, it's quite uncommon.

Have you looked for wills for the family. This would always be my first thought as you can often find relationships this way.

There are some 38 entries indexed for Girdlestone wills on findmypast.
I don't have a sub so can't look at them, but it would be worthwhile doing so.

There is a will of Elisha Girdlestone, Gentleman of Holt, 1786 at the PCC on the National Archives site - free to download.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_col=200&_cr1=PROB+11&_hb=tna&_q=%22Elisha+girdlestone%22

Unfortunately it just says 'my sons', and names one of them - another Elisha.
Surely there must be some relationship here.

[amondg]

They were married 26 November 1776 by License at St Peter Mancroft, Norwich, Norfolk.

Witness John Wade and Christian Wade

Are they relatives??

[J.J.]

  I'm easily confused, Angela...this could be a bit of a rabbithole ( Can't choose an emoji as they all look the same with Xmas caps)
   Your query states "My Great x 5 Grandfather was born in c1746 " but also that you're looking down the wrong branch for your Wm./ as you had the parents "completely wrong". So, to confirm... it is the parents you're not sure of... ?
   What did you discover that proved William’s parents, brothers and sisters "completely" wrong?
( or are you just unsure because you've discovered another William?) Did both have a child Elisha?
   
additions:
 Sooo - having found the other family below - to save time ( if this is where the problem is)
 - which offspring of these Williams is an exact duplicate of yours?

I see that the other Wm. was a reverend - son of Rev, Zurishaddai Girdlestone, rector of Baconsthorpe.  William Ewin was their only child, and he also became a Rector...Does this match your man?
https://www.salthousehistory.co.uk/girdlestonewill.html
freereg has Birth/Baptism 1 Nov 1785   Norfolk - Kelling - St Mary - mother Elizabeth Jessop Ewin
Burial 13 Jan 1840 same as Baptism
Will probate Mar. 3 -https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D66929
and the children with wife Mary Ann
https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_queries/67571142b620e0e7b35dcec0?locale=en

[jonwarrn]

The bond and allegation are on FamilySearch. Somewhat faded images.
Dated 25 November 1776, Norwich Consistory Court
William Girdlestone a Gentleman of the parish of Holt, Norfolk, Batchelor (sic). Age 21 years and upwards.
Ann Browne of St Peter at Mancroft, Norwich, a Widow.

Other bondsman is John Wade of St Peter at Mancroft, Butcher.

Bond here. Allegation next image.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTH8-KR

This microfilm has probably not been indexed.

[amondg]

John Wade - bondsman and a witness to the wedding of William Girdlestone to Ann Brown nee Bolders

Notes:
John Wade was a widower when he married Christian/Christina Harvey 5 January 1773 by License.
Was he related to William G. possibly from his first marriage?
John Wade died 22 may 1801 buried 25th St Peter Mancroft, age 72 (born circa 1729) he left a will, held at the Norfolk Records Office, Norwich Ref 186 Francklin.   

[jonwarrn]

John Wade - bondsman and a witness to the wedding of William Girdlestone to Ann Brown ne he left a will, held at the Norfolk Records Office, Norwich Ref 186 Francklin.   

It's not the most helpful of wills 
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSN6-2HSK

[ang1985]

  I'm easily confused, Angela...this could be a bit of a rabbithole ( Can't choose an emoji as they all look the same with Xmas caps)
   Your query states "My Great x 5 Grandfather was born in c1746 " but also that you're looking down the wrong branch for your Wm./ as you had the parents "completely wrong". So, to confirm... it is the parents you're not sure of... ?
   What did you discover that proved William’s parents, brothers and sisters "completely" wrong?

Thanks ever so much for all your help, I read a copy of Robert Baker Girdlestones published genealogical notes and when I found William Girdlestone my 5 x grandfather (who I believed to be my relation) on a family tree diagram included in the notes, his wife's name did not match my great x5 grandmother’s name. I looked at my tree and I had him married to my relation and the lady on the family tree diagram but the marriages and children crossed over so it cannot possibly be right. My Great x 4 Grandfather also called William did not descend from Williams wife as mentioned on the diagram.Many people have the exact same mistake on their tree on Ancestry and have one William Girdlestone married to two women and having children with both at the same time. so I am trying to discover who my William’s parents actually were as they are not Zurishaddai and Sarah. I have my William’s children listed as Sophia, Mary, William, George, Harriet and Elizabeth. I actually found an old post on another family history site with someone else with the exact same issue whose post might explain it better than I can… it is so hard to put into words 🤯

https://www.british-genealogy.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-75440.html?s=ffd9fbf0a2a8a01bebb168998b3698d9

[ang1985]

Thanks ever so much for finding the bond and allegation for the wedding, whilst it hasn’t goven me a clue to his parents, I have compared the signature on this wedding to Ann Bolders and the wedding to Elizabeth Jessop Ewin and they are different so they are definitely two different William Girdlestones, so I am happy to be able to confirm that. Thanks ever so much again!