Genealogy Chat

Help - whats going on here? See below

I have a Birth Cert for James Napp born July 1838 - It clearly gives his parents as James Napp and Mary Potten. The IGI has a Mary Potten married to James Nailard - her father Thos. Potten his father William Napp. Free BMD has an entry for Mary Potten marriages Dec 1837 Ticehurst Vol 7 page 635. on the same page there are 3 women listed BUT only 2 men one of whom is James Nailard! Now - has there been a mix up and the missing groom from free BMD is my James Napp! My James father was James NOT William - I have it on his marriage cert. So what's going on? Do I order Mary Potterns marriage Cert and hope for the best... HELP.. Sue

Hi Sue; I'll start with a long shot! Yes perhaps the missing groom from Free is your James NAPP. Maybe that index hasn't yet been transcribed fully so that wold answer that question quite neatly. The IGI is a very useful research tool but not known for its 100% accuracy ... like most other things which are noit known for theirs either!! One of my German rellies is on it and the parentage listed is not even CLOSe to what it really is but it did give me an idea of where to look! I was wondering .......... You said the marriage to Mr Nailard was 1837 and your James was born in 1838. Is it possible that Mary married twice in a very short space of time? Perhaps Mr Nailard met with misfortune or ran off with another shortly after he and Mary were married. Perhaps they were married in late 1836 and didn't register until 1837? I just checked and there is a death for James Nailard Mar 1857 Steying 2b 146 and another marriage listed as yet. I have probably just added to the puzzle!!

Thanks Sonja - This lot are from Burwash - it's possible that Mary married the Nailard and ran off with the Napp. lol.. Still doesnt explain where the William Napp came from.. Im sure the IGI has to have it wrong and my James has yet to be transcribed. There seems to be two or three families of Napps in and around East Sussex - none of whom want to be related to the other, bah humbug! Have just mailed someone on this site who has Pottens in his tree - might just get lucky.. Sue

A good clue to the IGI accuracy is to look at the bottom of the record. If it says 'extracted from local records' then it's usually reasonably accurate. If it says 'submitted by a member' then it might be correct or it might be someone's best guess and be wildly inaccurate! Some people even describe them as works of fiction - I wouldn't go that far, you can usually see how the errors might have come in the first place. Anne

Hello Sue, I've just been using the GRO 1837 online site so had a look for Napp in Dec 1837 marriage index He isn't there so I think James Nailard is your man, especially as the IGI has him married to Mary Potten. Could it be that James Nailard/Napp was the illegitimate son of William Napp and female Nailard; was usually known as Napp, hence the father's name on young James' birth cert, but on something as official as his marriage cert had to give his name as Nailard? Good hunting Judith

Thanks Ann and Judith - This is confusing.. It would seem that Mary Potten did indeed marry James Nailard. Had a look and it's an extracted record on the IGI and if Judith could not find James Napp in 1837... Now i'm wondering if I have the correct Birth Cert for James Napp - he was registered as Male, no Christian name given. But his father is correct - it's James Knapp Labourer on the second James marriage cert and James Knapp father and informant on birth cert. it was his mother I was after.. Now could there have been two Mary Pottens? it's possible I spose - or as was suggested by Sonja maybe Nailard died soon after the marriage and she got together with Napp. Crikey what a muddle..... Sue

Judith have just re-read your reply - I think i'm understanding now. My James father WAS this Nailard/Napp who married Mary Potten. Somewhere he lost the Nailard - maybe if he was born out of wedlock to a female Nailard and William Napp as you say, they might have married later and he dropped the Nailard and became a Napp. Things are looking a little clearer - now all i have to do is prove it - i'll send for the Potten/Nailard marriage cert and see what that says. Many thanks all Sue

On FreeBMD only the names transcribed from that page of that volume will appear and there will be no clues as to who married who. One way to check that out would be to find the names on 1837 or similar, but I have found that the two names are not always entered, sometimes it is only the one. As for IGI, I agree with the comments about exraction and submission. I treat them as possibilities only, until verified. Some time ago I did try to make a correction to their entries, and was politely told to push off, they could not alter them. Paul