Genealogy Chat

Many thanks to you both Ozibird and Ivy for your help. I do believe you’ve solved the mystery! I would never had made the connection! I’m going to Hertford Archives on Wednesday . I was at Meesden Church in the summer looking at their registers, which was where I gathered a lot of the information I put in my original post. (Is it usual to have to pay to look at church registers? I was charged £18.00). Ivy, may I ask you what you mean when you speak of the missing Meesden registers? Also, what are the Bishops Transcripts so I understand the significance of what I’m asking to see and why is the year 1805 significant? I wonder if I need an appointment to see the Bishop’s Transcripts - I shall ring HALS tomorrow. Many many thanks again Lyndsey

...I've also been looking to see what might be available at the County Record Office - presumably you have seen this? www.hertsdirect.org/libsleisure/heritage1/HALS/famhist/parregs/ and www.hertsdirect.org/infobase/docs/pdfstore/parishregs.pdf The missing Meesden registers are covered by the Bishops Transcripts. All the Pelhams seem to be complete, and you could cross check for Sarah's birth if after 1805 in Bishops Transcripts. It can be useful checking any other parish records held at the CRO, like rating assessments or poor relief. The HALS site doesn't mention whether it has these. The tithe maps appear to have gone to Kew. All the best

- following the comment about the small numbers in the village, I tried putting no names in Ancestry, just Hertfordshire for residence and Meesden as the keyword. This gave 236 people for the 1851 census (although some were living outside the village - probably born there, you can't see at the moment without checking the image). The surnames look clear and consistent, and there are not all that many family names. I then put the same query in for the 1841 census. The surnames transcribed here are bizarre (although they do look faithful enough to the images...) but are usually identifiable with the 1851 surnames. However, Cream jumps out as odd - and there are William, Saren and William Cream together - birth years 1771, 1786 and 1821 respectively. Putting William Cream of Herts into Ancestry gives only 2 people for any of the English censuses - both in Meesden. I hope this is your family! All the best

Am I going mad? I'm sure I saw a reply from Reggie a minute ago but it seems to have disappeared! Regarding the answers I have received - what should be my next step? Lyndsey

I too went through the 1841 census with a fine tooth comb! The other areas included in the Edwnstree Hundred are Barley, Barkway, Buckland, Throcking, Wyddial, Aspenden, Layston, Anstey (already checked), Great and Little Hormead, Brent Pelham, Stocking Pelham, Furneux Pelham, Albury, Little & Much Hadham. Other villages locally are Chipping, Reed, Chishall & Gt Chishall, Duddinhoe End, Ickleton, Duxford, Audley End, Newport, Clavering (already checked) Arkesden, Wenden's Ambro, Mamuden, Hare Street, Hay Street, Braughing, Langley Lower Green, Langley Upper Green, Berden, Westmill, Cottered, Sandon, Therfield, Nasty, Gread Munden & Dane End. This 2nd list was given to me by a Freeman cousin who knows that area much better than me. There are certainly a lot of them but many would have consisted of just a few scattered houses. Lyndsey

Thank God for a reply! That's right that is them in 1851 Lyndsey

All births, marriages and deaths mentioned below took place in Meesden, a small hamlet in Hertfordshire In 1846 my GG Grandfather James Freeman (b. 1823) married Jane Robinson (b.1821). His father William died in 1847 and his mother Sarah in 1849. I have no birthplace for his parents but they are buried in Meesden Churchyard. According to the 1851 census James and Jane’s son William Freeman was born in 1848. Also living with them is Jane’s widowed father William Robinson (b.1773), Emily Robinson (b.1839) and Martha Robinson (b. abt.1844) – Emily and Martha are described as Jane’s nieces but they are really her illegitimate daughters born before her marriage to James. Also on the 1851 census are James’s unmarried sister Sarah Freeman(b. abt.1804) and brother William Freeman (b.1820). William is ‘Head’ and Sarah is his ‘Housekeeper’ (they remain as such right up to their death’s in the 1880’s). The Robinson family are on the 1841 census as living in Meesden but there are no Freeman’s. I have looked for them collectively as a family and individually without any success. There are lots of families on the 1851 that are not on the 1841. Can anyone suggest where I look now? I’m going to Hertford Archives later this week – is there anything I can look for there which may provide some clues? Meesden was part of the Edwinstree hundred and I know the names of the places included in that area. As Ag. Lab’s they may have had to work outside of Meesden. Is there any way to search through census records by area instead of names? Can anybody help me through this brick wall? Many thanks Lyndsey

Please see below (1st time I've done this, so please bear with me!)