Thread: Wallingford/Warborough/Nettlebed Parish Lookup Needed!!

As is often the case, the maternal side of the family tree is proving more tricky than the paternal side!



Several relations have had a go at our Phillips family tree, based mainly around Nettlebed. Unfortunately, none of us have found the ancestors of great great grannie who is a Susannah Swell. She was born about 1804 in the Oxfordshire area and unfortunately she died in 1847 before the next census.

In 1841 she is listed as Susannah Phillips, husband of William Phillips (married August 31st 1829, Oxford, I believe,!).



In my limited ability as a genealogist I don't even know if you can get a birth certificate for births recorded befre the 1837 cutoff on BDM?



Anyway, there are no Swells recorded in Nettlebed, so I decided to widen the search and have come up with a theory!



There are Swells in Warborough, just a few miles away from Nettlebed. In 1841 the is a Richard Swell and an Ann Swell with children Henry aged 45 and Diana aged 35. A couple of houses away lives a John Swell aged 40.



Now Susannah Swell (now married) is about 37, so my theory is that Susannah is the sister of Henry, John and Diana. The parents being Richard Swell and Ann (probably Ann Crook).



My problem is now finding (or disproving) this link!





If anyone has any advice about getting the marriage certificate of an 1829 marriage or has access to parish records where the children of Richard and Ann, born Wallingford but living in Warborough in 1841, are listed I would be extremely grateful.



I have tried the IGI but have not had any luck!

[quote name='surferneil'] I don't even know if you can get a birth certificate for births recorded befre the 1837 cutoff on BDM? [/quote]



Hi Surferneil,



You cannot get a certificate before 1837.

If anyone has any advice about getting the marriage certificate of an 1829 marriage or has access to parish records where the children of Richard and Ann, born Wallingford but living in Warborough in 1841, are listed I would be extremely grateful.

Where they still exsist, it is possible to get a copy of the marriage certificate from the records office but these are not certificates as you probably know them. They are small scaps of paper with the signatures of the two people that married. The date and the parish. The majority have not survived.

There are Swells in Warborough, just a few miles away from Nettlebed. In 1841 the is a Richard Swell and an Ann Swell with children Henry aged 45 and Diana aged 35. A couple of houses away lives a John Swell aged 40.



Now Susannah Swell (now married) is about 37, so my theory is that Susannah is the sister of Henry, John and Diana. The parents being Richard Swell and Ann (probably Ann Crook).



My problem is now finding (or disproving) this link!

This would need to be checked with the parish records. Never assume anything or you may land up following the wrong path.

Thank you Starlight. Life does get tricky without marriage certificates to state the father of the bride. I have just checked on a website that says that parish records don't list the fathers of the bride and groom, just the witnesses. It's going to be very difficult to prove who Susannah Swell's parents are isn't it, especially if she was born in a different parish!

My online research may be starting to run out of leads!

Hello



It sounds as if you need to look at the parish registers, there is a church at Nettlebed, however it maybe that the baptism took palce at a neighbouring church.



The IGI will give you an idea of which churches the surname can be found in....remebr not all registers are transcribed, you may firnd in necessary to seek the help of the Oxford RO



Elsabels

Thanks Elsabels. I think you might be right. Susannah is buried in the big Nettlebed Church, but I think that they were married in Oxford. I need to check everything don't I?!

Yep! It is going to be a long day out from Devon..!



Elsabels

Susannah is almost definitely the daughter of Richard Swell (Cuddesdon) and Ann Crook (Dorchester). They were married in St Giles Oxford 1792.
Thanks for all your assistance!