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Appreciate these Carol, will take a note of them, though won't run before I can walk lol! Your very welcome re the acknowledgement Carol, it's only good manners, and you and others really do deserve it. I often think I have a long way to go, before I can be of any real help to others. As sadly, I am of an age where much of what I am learning, whilst helping to keep my brain active, can't find any room on the shelf to be stored for too long...............lol! Jen

Jen Glad to have been of some help. I've had help from others on this site from time to time so this is my way of giving back in a small way. I'm just pleased to get an acknowledgement - not always the case! Just to add a little more info that may or may not be of use. There are two baptisms where the father's name is John - Harriet Edmunds Simkins - 21.9.1816 - St Pauls - Parents John and Ann. John Bell Simpkin - 12.12.1819 St Mary Redcliffe - Parents John and Elizabeth. There was a burial record for an Elizabeth Simkins around the same time as John and she was around the same age. Just a thought - perhaps Mary died and John remarried - could be to Ann or Elizabeth - or both. Hope you find what you're looking for. Happy hunting. Carol

Morning Carol, Thanks for letting me know, just wondering if they will have anything else on Martha, it may be worth contacting them after all. I scanned most of hugh wallis and LDS last night for Simkins' and the nearest I got was a John Simkins from Urchfont Wiltshire and one from Holborn London. I have the BIVRI but nothing is coming up on there either. He and his wife appear to be a complete mystery, as so many do. But then I have thought Martha was for the past 18 months, but with all the great help I'm getting now, at least I've made a break through. I think you're right about the burial you found for him Carol, and if Martha did marry in 1822, as the record suggests, then at least her father would have still been alive and perhaps living fairly close by. So it will be well worth checking with Bristol FHS, with regard to any marriage details they may have. Oddly, haven't found any sibs for Martha either, LDS batches had no record for other children, nor was there any film details available. Could be that Martha's mother may have died pretty early on and her father may have been somewhat of a rover...............it's so facinating what kind of images you begin to build of them, as you collect each piece of info isn't it Carol? Well, I must off and prepare myself for the gruelling rigours of microfiche viewing now Carol, it's been lovely conversing with you and thankyou again for all your generous efforts in helping me discover more about Martha. Hope we speak again in the near future Carol, take care and again many, many thanks. Jen

Jen I found the burial on the CD from Bristol & Avon FHS - Bristol Burials 1813 - 1837. Carol

Carol, that was a stroke of luck, did you get it from the parish records? I had the same thought as you about the Simpkin name, quite rare around those parts. Thanks for this Carol, and all your efforts. I do appreciate everything. If you get back here Carol, and don't hear from me tomorrow until late, it's because I'm off to view a microfiche......so don't quite know when I will be around. Jen

Nudge

Nudge - for Jen just in case you missed the last message. Carol

Jen I looked for a marriage between John and Mary but unfortunately couldn't find one. Simkins doesn't appear to have been a very common name in Bristol at that time and there are only five marriages in total with the variation in spelling Simkin/Simkins/Simpkins. BUT - I did find a burial for a John Simpkin aged 55 on 5 Feb 1830 at St Mary Redcliffe. This puts his birth date at 1775 which is about right for your John. Carol

Exactly my feeling about this too Carol. Certainly no way is this the correct family for Martha. It's quite possible then that she was one her own at the time of her marriage at only 18/19 years old. Do you think it would be possible to track down some info on her parents Carol, possibly through Bristol FHS? Jen

Jen The baptism for Martha is obviously the correct one. Being baptised at aged 11 makes her born in 1803. I don't think Mary the Druggist can be the correct one. John and Mary would have been born around 1783, making them approaching 70 in 1851. Perhaps they were not still alive at that time, or maybe John died and Mary married again. Carol

Carol, yes that's exactly the same one which was found for me some time ago and after checking out the Oldland records on Genuki, the above family was the only one I could find? No Father present (John) But dates appear to be way off beam..........so can't figure it out at all? Jen

Jen I'm sorry, I don't know how I missed this first time round. Just looked at my CD again and found the baptism. I think it was the year that put me out. Martha Simkins - 17.7.1814 Oldland - Age 11 years. Parents John and Mary. Carol

Carol, I think the most sensible thing to do at this point would be to contact Bristol FHS and pay the £2 fee for a proper search of her baptism details. Otherwise, I will just keep on going round and round in circles lol! Thanks again everyone for your invaluable input. Jen

Nicola, spotted Holy Trinity church, though don't know why it was registered under Stapleton, unless it came under that district? Jen

Jen Just to add something else. The 1861 census says that Martha was born at St Phillips, Bristol. Carol

Carol, Thanks for looking. They're all her siblings. Jen, just looked up a relo in 1901 living in the ward of St Philip and Jacob ecclestistical parish Holy Trinity ! Don't know if that helps or hinders! Nicky

Just so you're not all left wondering, I have one family by the name of Simkins which I found on Genuki under the district of Oldland, on the Glos 1851 census, under Minchinhampton. They are at number 59 on the list. The details are as follows............... Mary widow 50 Druggist & Grocer Avening. John 25 Druggist & Grocer Avening. William 21 Druggist & Grocer Minchinhampton. Mary 17 Minchinhampton. According to a previous look up kindly done some time ago by another member.............Martha's parents (under the spelling of the name Simkins), were John & Mary. This would not appear to fit timewise as the mother Mary would appear to have been born about 1801, whereas Martha would have been born around 1803! Which begs the question was she really born at Redcross Lane Bristol after all? And if so, where are her family? I feel I am probably missing an awful lot of clues here somewhere along the line...............so if anyone comes back to this thread, I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions you may have on the evidence here please. If Martha was born at Redcross Lane Bristol, why would she marry at Stapleton............unless she did have family out that way (Stapleton, Oldland areas), whom I have yet to discover? An awful lot to get one's head around but, I would be grateful for any leads or help. Thankyou. Jen

Nicky Sorry, couldn't find a Harriet Keate. There are these children born to a William and Sarah Keate at St Pauls Ann - 22.11.1818 Eliza - 25.12.1821 Samuel - 30.05.1819 William - 5.11.1815 There is also a Mary Keate baptised at Temple on 17.11.1813 whose parents were William and Sarah. Carol

Nicola, Thanks yes, I have them in the census' under St Philips & St Jacob and going off what Anthea is saying about Redland green, I suppose anything is/was possible then! Athena, Thanks again for your help, I appreciate it, you have given me something else to think about, but all these little pieces will one day make a complete jigsaw.............I hope. You have all certainly helped me move another step forward. Thankyou all. Jen

Wondering if I could ask you to look for a baptism c 1825 St Paul's Bristol Harriet Keate parents William and Sarah. Thanks Nicky