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Sidbury baptism around 1785

Posted by Geoff Cox on 2/4/2018, 6:11 pm

Can anybady help, please. I'm trying to trace the birth/baptism of John William Cox, apparently born in Sidbury around 1784-1786. The place info comes from the 1851 census for Grafton Street East in St Pancras in London. The dates from that and his burial record for Highgate Cemetery in 1854. I can find no Sidbury baptisms for those dates.

Re: Sidbury baptism around 1785

Posted by Karen Newman on 3/4/2018, 6:35 am, in reply to "Sidbury baptism around 1785"

There are some transcripts on FMP for that period. But no John William. There is a John, and a William but slightly out of the date range you are looking for.

Re: Sidbury baptism around 1785

Posted by Geoff Cox on 5/4/2018, 2:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Sidbury baptism around 1785"

Thanks Karen & Judith for your suggestions.
His middle name only appears in the '51 cenus and his burial record, 1854. I've not found his marriage but his first child appears to have been born in London in 1821. Given that he was about 35 then, he may have married twice. The mother died in 1838 so I can't find out if she was from Devon also.

Re: Sidbury baptism around 1785

Posted by Geoff Cox on 3/4/2018, 2:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Sidbury baptism around 1785"

Thank you Karen. There's one 1791 baptism transcription for a John Cox on FMP, presumably a BT since I understand that the original registers for Sidbury prior to 1813 were lost in a fire.

Re: Sidbury baptism around 1785

Posted by Karen Newman on 4/4/2018, 5:54 am, in reply to "Re: Sidbury baptism around 1785"

There is the possibility that, having moved to London, that John gave his birthplace as the nearest 'big' place to where he was actually born (or where he believed he was born).

Or there's the Non-Conformist possibility.

Also, I wonder if he 'acquired' his middle name later in life. Most of my ancestors of the period (working class) had one first name.

Looking further out from Sidbury, there is a John Cox baptised in 1785 to a Mary Cox (single woman) in Farway. I have not investigated further.

Did he marry in Devon or London?

Re: Sidbury baptism around 1785

Posted by judith on 4/4/2018, 10:16 am, in reply to "Re: Sidbury baptism around 1785"

have you tried Ottery St Mary, which is not far away, would have been the nearest big town?

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