Genealogy Chat

A silly question maybe but I have a marriage of a Thomas Winter in 1768 to Bridget Nicholson in Orton, Westmorland and although I think I may have found Thomas Baptism in Orton in 1745, another one I have been informed about is one in Morland born/baptised in 1755. How likely is it to be the second one, or even in 1768 is this a bit TOO young, I have been told that marriages could take place even at that age with their parents permission, saying that the first child was born/baptised 1768 so he would have had to father a child at that age too. A bit too much to ask maybe???

Any help appreciated, thanks a lot.

Marilyn

I'm not sure about the marraige age at that time but an ancestor of mine - also from Westmoreland appears to have had her first child at 11!! Maybe they started early in Westmoreland - it must be all that fresh farm air!!

The legal age for marriage for girls was 12.....boys, 14, until the early 20th. century

Reg

Thanks a lot both of you, that has helped a lot. So its a definite possiblity.

Marilyn

Just because a baptism took place does not mean that the child was still an infant. Sometime parents waited and had a batch of children baptised at the same time and occasionally if they didn't get on with the vicar they wouldn't baptise the children until a more agreeable one came along. They could, of course, have changed their religious allegience.

I very much doubt that a boy of that age would have been producing children.

Below I have copied from the IGI all christenings of Thomas Winter in Westmoreland between 1717 and 1757. Remember, these are the ones that are online, there may be more that haven't been transcribed.

1. THOS. WINTER - Male Christening: 04 APR 1723 Kendal, Westmorland, England

2. THOMAS WINTER - Christening: 23 FEB 1726 Morland, Westmorland, England

3. THOMAS WINTER - Christening: 30 MAY 1734 Shap, Westmorland, England

4. THOS WINTER - Christening: 25 DEC 1740 Kendal, Westmorland, England

5. THOMAS WINTER - Christening: 21 MAR 1750 Morland, Westmorland, England

6. THOMAS WINTER - Christening: 31 MAR 1755 Orton, Westmorland, England

And here are the children of Thomas and Bridget

ANN WINTER - Female Christening: 13 SEP 1788 Orton, Westmorland, England

CHRISTOPHER WINTER - Male Christening: 23 DEC 1776 Orton, Westmorland, England

JOHN WINTER - Male Christening: 03 SEP 1778 Orton, Westmorland, England

JAMES WINTER - Male Christening: 02 DEC 1785 Orton, Westmorland, England

THOMAS WINTER - Male Christening: 07 FEB 1772 Orton, Westmorland, England

ELIZABETH WINTER - Female Christening: 26 DEC 1770 Orton, Westmorland, England

ELIZABETH WINTER - Female Christening: 13 OCT 1773 Orton, Westmorland, England

NANCY WINTER - Female Christening: 20 SEP 1782 Orton, Westmorland, England

MARY WINTER - Female Christening: 01 JUN 1769 Orton, Westmorland, England

BRIDGET WINTER - Female Christening: 06 MAY 1775 Orton, Westmorland, England

Thanks for that Janet, the list of the Thomas's is very helpful, I visited Kendal Record Office two weeks ago and got the list of Orton Winters from the parish records.

The Thomas christened 1745 is the one I think it is because all the children on the registers are from Woodend, Orton, Thomas and Bridget married Woodend Orton, and the 1745 Thomas is christened Woodend, Orton. So I am still very tempted to edge towards that one. Just noticed that Thomas 1745 is not on your list above, must be one which wasnt transcribed. It is hard when there are so many all with one name.

Once again thanks for that Ann, it must have taken you ages to type that out, (or is there an easier way to copy records from IGI to Word).

Marilyn

That brilliant, just what I need

Thanks Christine