Tracing Relative Born Pre-1600?

[danielr]

Hello!

I have been very fortunate and found that a lineage has had generations of records linked to St. Matthew's Church in Walsall, Staffordshire. The earliest relative I've been able to find is a John Baker, who married Anne Cowper in 1592. Anne was christened in 1572 at St. Matthew, as was her and John's son William in 1609. It appears that John was buried at the church in 1624 and Anne in 1647.

I have been unable to find any information on John prior to his marriage. The burial records don't list ages, and Anne's christening records don't list parent names (only that her father's surname was Cowper). Ancestry appears to have no information outside of marriage and child christenings for either (cannot find any family trees with them on). FamilySearch alleges that John was born "abt 1567 in Walsall" and his parents were "Capt. Christopher Thomas Baker" and "Mary Dorythe Thomsone" - no were sources provided and no records that I could find even suggested these details could be true.

Are there any other web resources that I can use to try find more information? Unfortunately geographical restrictions prevent me from being able to physically get my hands dirty 

Thank you!

[KGarrad]

According to GenUKI, https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/Walsall/StMatthew

Church of England Registers
The parish register of the parish church of St Matthew commences in 1570. The original registers remain with the incumbent. A microfilm copy of the register for the period 1646-1965 (Bapts), 1663-1982 (Mar) & 1662-1678 & 1737-1985 (Bur) is held at Walsall Local History Centre and Staffordshire Record Office.

[Vance Mead]

For a good overview of sources, there's Chris Phillip's Medieval English Genealogy. Strictly speaking Medieval would be pre-1500 but there are many sources up to 1600. Many of these are for upper classes, but probate records and common law records can help.

http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/sources/olmed.shtml

[LizzieL]

What were the names of the Baker children? That can sometime give a clue as to parent's parent's names

[danielr]

For a good overview of sources, there's Chris Phillip's Medieval English Genealogy. Strictly speaking Medieval would be pre-1500 but there are many sources up to 1600. Many of these are for upper classes, but probate records and common law records can help.

http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/sources/olmed.shtml

Fantastic, thank you!

What were the names of the Baker children? That can sometime give a clue as to parent's parent's names

Currently been able to find: Elizabeth, John, Margaret, William (to whom I'm related) and Francis.