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From:
Subject: Re: [NFK] Alexander - a conundrum!
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 15:12:36 EDT



Hello Vicki,
I am a descendant of Elizabeth Alexander, christened 8/2/1768, Woodton
(close by Topcroft), so I've been following this thread.
She was dr. of John Alexander & Mary Tibenham (m. Woodton, 8/10/1763 - A
LDS member record on IGI says Norwich, but Pallots marriage index says 1763,
Woodton)

At present I have tentatively got her siblings as
1. John ALEXANDER Chr 23 JUN 1765 Woodton (IGI)
2. Thomas ALEXANDER Chr 6 OCT 1771 Woodton (IGI)
3. William ALEXANDER Chr 24 SEP 1775 Woodton (IGI)
4. James ALEXANDER Chr 28 Aug 1780, Topcroft (FreeReg)

I suspect there are more.

And her parents:-
John buried 18 Sep 1783, Topcroft, age 59 (FreeReg) - possible would be but
much older than Mary.
Mary died 20 Mar 1822, age 78 (Grave Woodton churchyard)

I think John (chr. 1765) could be the one who married Sarah Webb (but
where??).

On the double christening. I have a few instances of a child clearly being
christened twice. In each case where the family moved from one parish to
another while the children were still young.

On the Seaton, Ceadon question. Peter mentioned the christening of Mary Ann
Alexander (1792, Topcroft)
She could be the one married to James Sergeant, Woodton, 6/4/1819, and the
Mary "Surgeon", 61, living in Poringland in the 1851 Census, who's birthplace
is given as Shelton (not Topcroft). She's still there in 1871 as Mary
"Sarjeant". Hmmm! That's a bit tenuous!

Looking at my map of the area, Topcroft and Shelton are neighbouring
parishes, and it is quite possible that someone living in an outlying part of the
parish might relate to the neighbouring village, rather than the parish they
actually lived in, and therefore name that village when asked where they were
born. So I now go along with the suggestion that Ceadon/Seaton is Shelton.

Good luck, Andrew



The IGI records are all member submitted records, I really need to see the
PRs.


In a message dated 7/6/2008 17:09:11 GMT Daylight Time,
writes:

Vikki:

I did the Topcroft transcription for FreeREG. The actual entry in the
register reads:

"John, son of John Alexander & Sarah his wife, late Sarah Webb, spinster,
born August 31st and privately baptized September 23 1792"

Incidentally, on the same page, there is another Alexander family getting
baptized - Mary Ann, daughter of
Thomas Alexander and Alice, late Alp, born the 14th and privately baptized
October 21, 1792

Hope this helps

Peter Hyde
Alberta, Canada

----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2008 4:26 AM
Subject: Re: [NFK] Alexander - a conundrum!


> Vicki
>
> I have come across instances of individuals being baptised twice in
> different parishes like this. The possible explanations are
>
> (1) that the child was born in Topcroft, and privately baptised there soon
> after birth. The family subsequently moved to Wenhaston, where the vicar
> would have wanted to publicly baptise or receive the child before it was
> allowed to join the congregation. You might be able to prove this by
> ordering copies of the original register entries from the respective
> Record
> Offices, as these may distinguish between public and private baptisms.
>
> (2) that the mother lodged with family in Topcroft while having her first
> child, before going on to join her husband at Wenhaston. The child may
> have
> been privately baptised before the journey for fear it might not survive.
>
> What you probably have here, by good luck, is the timing of the move,
> which
> most likely happened between 23 Sep and 30 Dec.
>
> I had a family line that moved from Trowse to Westleton and Dunwich and
> back
> in the 18th/early 19thC, presumably drawn by an employment opportunity -
> fishing, perhaps?
>
> David
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [mailto:]
> On
> Behalf Of Mrs V Atkinson
> Sent: 07 June 2008 10:47
> To:
> Cc:
> Subject: [NFK] Alexander - a conundrum!
>
> My ALEXANDER line has hit the wall at JAMES born c1791. he lived in
> Westleton in Suffolk from at least 1816 until his death after 1861.
>
> On the 41 census there was N for born in County, on the 51 his birthplace
> was given as Ceadon, Norfolk. On the 61 it was Seaton - the only place
> that
> comes close if one is thinking in dialect is Seething.
>
> As I cannot get to Norwich I have done what I can to find him on the
> internet, someone with an interest in this family has given a possible
> parentage of JOHN and SARAH WEBB.
>
> I found a John Alexander & Sarah Webb having a family christened in nearby
> Wenhaston with a John being baptised 30 December 1792, but it could not be
> my John as this is Suffolk BUT on looking at the Norfolk FreeReg site I
> found 23 September 1792 son of John and Sarah Webb in the TOPCROFT
> register.
> But Topcroft is nothing like Seaton - So, my problem is - is this just a
> fluke? could there be 2 John Alexanders marrying 2 Sarah Webbs at the same
> time? Did they move to Wenhaston and have the child baptised again to
> establish themselves there?
>
> There is one other thing to note about the baptism in Wenhaston - only the
> date is given - for all the later children the birthdate is given as well.
>
> I would be grateful for any lead on this puzzle!
>
> Vicki Atkinson
>









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