Help with Hertfordshire geography and stuff

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Please Note....this problem is now solved

Is South Mimms one of those places right on a county boundary?

I've been looking (not terribly hard, it has to be said) for a few years for a marriage between Levi Lavender and his spouse Leah X who I hope is Leah Maynard.

Accorging to the IGI they had six children between 1794 and 1807. The "first" one was baptised at South Mimms (is that on a county boundary?). Leah Lavender made it to the 1841 census (living with one of her sons at Watford) and that says she was born in Herts about 1775-1780ish.

This family were non-conformist and after two C of E baptisms (the second one was at Ridge, Herts), had their other children baptised at the Spier St Independent, Saint Albans, Hertford.

If Leah is Leah Maynard then she is likely to have also had a non-con baptism. Her parents would be Thomas and Sarah Maynard. Leah had a brother called Levi Maynard, but I don't know where he was born either. He emigrated to South Africa in 1820 aged 44.

If this was your family what would you do next? (No rude replies thankyou :(:p)

[KiteRunner]

South Mimms is certainly near to the boundary nowadays, according to my map - it's in Herts just a few miles from Middlesex. Nearest big town is Potters Bar, if that helps?

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Maybe you could just find the marriage for me in a spare moment? That would REALLY help!!

[KiteRunner]

Did Levi and Leah name two of their children Thomas and Sarah?

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Their last-born was Thomas, but no Sarah. (unless not on the IGI!)

[Anne in Carlisle]

Merry - I have non conformists on the Beds/Herts border. They would go quite a long way to the church of their choice and certianly cross the county boundary. If thats any help to you?

Anne

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Merry - I have non conformists on the Beds/Herts border. They would go quite a long way to the church of their choice and certianly cross the county boundary. If thats any help to you?

Anne

I think that probably makes things a bit worse! lol

Mind you, they would have had to have married in the C of E in the 1700's, but where??! lol

Where did yours get married?

I have a whole mass of Maynards from Kempston in Beds and haven't been able to find any baps for any of them, nor burials even when I have rough dates of death (all 1700's)

[jean]

from Genuki
"SOUTH MIMMS, a parish in the hundred of Edmonton, county Middlesex, 4 miles N.W. of Chipping Barnet, its post town, and 2 W. of the Potter's Bar station on the Great Northern railway. The parish, which is of large extent, is situated near Gladsmoor Heath and Enfield Chase, including the village of Potter's Bar, and part of Barnet." (There is more of this description).

[jean]

I expect you have seen this on IGI
Leah Maynard birth before 1775 Bedfordshire
marriage to (date not given) Levi Lavender born before 1775 Bedfordshire

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I expect you have seen this on IGI
Leah Maynard birth before 1775 Bedfordshire
marriage to (date not given) Levi Lavender born before 1775 Bedfordshire

Gosh no!! I didn't look today, but have definitely looked at the IGI before and never saw anything! So at least one person thinks the same as me.....off to look.....

Thanks

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I reckon I didn't scroll down to the Pedigree whatsits! I don't usually bother with them, but this looks quite hopeful!

That addy is in Australia, I think......Might put up another thread about that!

Thanks again jean!

[jean]

Merry, there are 2 people on GR with Levi Lavender 1732 Felmersham Beds, no Leah Maynard but plenty of other Maynards unless they are you Are you still a member?

[jean]

There are quite a few Maynard christenings on Hugh Wallis for Kempston from 1776 are yours earlier?

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

There are quite a few Maynard christenings on Hugh Wallis for Kempston from 1776 are yours earlier?

Thoese are all mine....it's the two generations before this I'm struggling with, plus the "coming forward in time" cousins!

Merry, there are 2 people on GR with Levi Lavender 1732 Felmersham Beds, no Leah Maynard but plenty of other Maynards unless they are you Are you still a member?

No, I'm not a member of GR any more...............I am in contact with several descendants of the Maynards (not the Lavenders though), but everyone else either knows the same as I do, or less! lol

[jean]

:D:D
do you think Levi could have married twice? there is a marriage to Jane Reynolds 1755 St Pauls Bedford

[Uncle John]

Geographically speaking (to return to our sheep, as they say), South Mimms is on the Great North Road about 20 miles from Kempston (now a southern suburb of Bedford). And Felmersham is a village on the Great Ouse about five miles north-west of Bedford.

[jean]

was Levi a man of property?
from A2A BEDFORD (St. Paul) PARISH RECORDSP1/13/4 - date: 1743-1792

Recently hired a house of Levi Lavender in St. Pauls for £3 19s. and lives there

off to watch "waking the dead" - wish we could lol:D

[Anne in Carlisle]

Merry. Yes you are right they had to get married in a church in the earlier days but tended to have their children baptised in Wesleyan chapels. Luton was a favourite, also Maulden Meeting House (which I thought was Quaker to start with) and Salem Chapel, Hitchin Union - which I have never found out where it was!

They were living in Hexton, Herts and Barton le Clay, Beds while using these chapels, from about 1830 onwards, eventually marrying there too.

If you want to look at the Bedford Archives they have even more stuff on their own on line catalogue than they do on the A2A. Some of it is so detailed (eg precis of wills) that you don't need anything else! The site looks a bit basic but it works! Beds & Luton webopac

Anne

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

was Levi a man of property?
from A2A BEDFORD (St. Paul) PARISH RECORDSP1/13/4 - date: 1743-1792

Recently hired a house of Levi Lavender in St. Pauls for £3 19s. and lives there

off to watch "waking the dead" - wish we could lol:D

wish we could

Me too!!

I think he was a man of property! I have the will of Leah Lavender's father in law, also Levi Lavender. He died in 1808, but I don't know his age - His son was most likely about 40 (and died a few months before his father), so dad might have been around 70, I suppose.....could be the 1732 one you mentioned earlier. Anyway, the will leaves almost everything (inc various property) to Leah and her children.

I seem to know quite a lot about little bits of the Maynard family, but not the crucial bits to join them together!!

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Merry. Yes you are right they had to get married in a church in the earlier days but tended to have their children baptised in Wesleyan chapels. Luton was a favourite, also Maulden Meeting House (which I thought was Quaker to start with) and Salem Chapel, Hitchin Union - which I have never found out where it was!

They were living in Hexton, Herts and Barton le Clay, Beds while using these chapels, from about 1830 onwards, eventually marrying there too.

If you want to look at the Bedford Archives they have even more stuff on their own on line catalogue than they do on the A2A. Some of it is so detailed (eg precis of wills) that you don't need anything else! The site looks a bit basic but it works! Beds & Luton webopac

Anne

My gran would be spinning in her grave to think she was descended from all these non-cons! She married a Quaker but always considered herself his social superior, which was rubbish! lol

Thanks for that site link Anne......I think I've looked at it before, but not for ages and I'd forgotten about it, so will have another look in a minute (and bookmark it this time!)