Genealogy Chat

I've been looking for the baptism of my ggggg grandmother, Sarah GOLD for a few years now. On the 1851 census she gave her place of birth as Cranborne, Dorset. SKS looked her up there and she wasn't baptised there. She gives her year of birth as 1778 on her death and census records. I was looking on the Dorset OPC site for someone, and came across transcriptions for Hampreston. Sarah's son, John, lived in Hampreston for some time, he is there in 1841 and 1851 at least. So I looked on the Bishop's Transcripts for baptisms on the off chance that I might find something, and there was this: Sarah daughter of James & Sarah GOULD baptised 24-May 1779. What do you think? Is it likely to be my lady? The family moved about in the area (about 20 mile radius, in Dorset and Hampshire). Sarah's grandson was born in Cranborne in 1832, but lived in Hampreston and Wimborne for a time. Benjamin and Sarah lived in Shirley in 1851. Both died there in the 1850s. Benjamin (Sarah's husband) was baptised in Harbridge in 1778, John was baptised in Ringwood in 1807. They didn't move very far around. John (son) did go as far south as West Parley in 1825 and 1826. Any advice, suggestions????

I think it extremely unlikely that Sarah gave her birth year on her death cert!!!! It sounds likelyish. Sarah could easily have been born late 1778 and christened the following year, or been a year out in calculations. Cranbonrne is a little way from Hampreston, but she may have been baptised where her grandparents came from, or possibly have put her place of birth where she spent most of her childhood. nell

Oh you know what I mean!! ;-) My mum says the places aren't that far apart, and this is a family of farmers/ag labs, so they moved about. Do you know if Bishops Transcripts give all baptisms from that parish, or just some? I've looked on microfiche at a family history fair for Cranborne and there are some Goulds being baptised there after 1783 (the baptisms were only that far indexed). So it is possible that they baptised her there but moved to Cranborne. The whole family move about in this area which is also supporting it..... isn't it? Chloe

I don't know about Dorset, but in Plymouth "Mount Gould" and "Mount Gold" were more or less interchangeable, I've heard, so it seems likely that they wouldn't have worried too much about the difference in a surname. Christine

Thanks Christine. I was thinking the same thing, good to know I'm not the only one. Does anyone else think I might have found the right person (the more the merrier?!?)

Bishops' transcripts are in theory identical to the parish register entries for the year (though sometimes rather briefer). In practice they can be very different. Jane Oiles in a Dorset PR is Jane Ayles in the BT. Occasionally an entry appears only in the BT or more frequently just in the registers. I have a firm picture in my mind (SURELY FALSE!) of the vicar sitting with a pile of pieces of paper, writing them carefully into first the register, then the BT sheet, and then lighting his pipe with one he hadn't entered! B

LOL! Cos sometimes I've not found my ancestors in the BTs, but they're in the PRs. So was wondering what the difference was. Do you think it's likely to be the person I'm looking for?

PS, am posting this on the Records Office board, not because I'm ungrateful, but because it might get a better response there. Thank you so much.

The problem with lookups in the 1700s is the amount of info that is freely available. You've looked at BTs, you've looked at IGI. Where else is there? Perhaps registers no longer exist. As Nell says, the Hampreston baptism looks likely, but who can say for definite? She may have lived at Cranborne from a young age and always thought that she came from there. There was a Gould baptism in Cranborne around that time (this appears on BIVRI, as well as IGI) GOULD, Mary Ann Christening Gender: Female Christening Date: 25 Jun 1780 Recorded in: Cranborne, Dorset, England Father: Edward GOULD which would indicate that there could have been relations of hers living there. There were lots of Gould baptisms at Cranborne in the period 1750-80. Sarah's baptism was the only Gould at Hampreston between 1760 and 1804. Perhaps her mother Sarah was visiting HER mother. Who can say? Incidentally, James Gould married Sarah Preston 9 June 1778 at Hampreston.

Thanks Geoff. That's really a lot of help. The marriage you found on James and Sarah - someone else has kindly been sending me the VRIs, and it says he married Sarah LAMBERT not PRESTON. Parish records it is then (if they exist and when I get to Dorset!). Thanks Chloe