Should I give up here?

[Michael]

I've been researching (or at least attempting to) this family:

1841 census, Chipping Ongar, Essex, (class HO107, piece 336, enumeration district 1, folio 12, page 18)

William Burrell, 41, labourer, born in county
Rebecca Burrell, 47, born in county
Elizabeth Crouchman, 19, born in county
William Crouchman, 15, born in county
Sarah Crouchman, 15, born in county
Emma Burrell, 9, born in county
George Burrell, 7, born in county
Jane Burrell, 5, born in county

Rebecca Burrell's maiden name was Crouchman and Elizabeth, William and Sarah were her illegitimate children. A GR member had kindly checked the parish register for me, and found the baptisms of Elizabeth and William but not Sarah. I contacted the Essex RO to ask if they had any other records which might refer to Sarah, and suggested the Overseer of the Poor's accounts book and the vestry minutes. Since I wasn't likely to be able to get to Chelmsford in the near future, and the accounts book was judged too fragile to be entrusted to the hands of an amateur anyway, I made a request of their research service, with the following results:

- Definitely no record of Sarah's baptism in the register of Chipping Ongar, nor those of Moreton or High Ongar, the only other ones I'd thought at all likely.

- No mention in the relevant Bishop's Transcripts either.

- Regular entries in the accounts book from 1828-1830 for payments to "Crouchman & Children", but no mention of individual names - I'm pretty sure it must be them though as there are no other Crouchmans in Chipping Ongar in 1841.

- No mention in the vestry minutes.

Does anyone have any bright ideas as to where else I might find a record of Sarah's birthdate and father, or should I accept that there are only two people who knew that, they evidently weren't telling and since they've both been dead for 150 years it's a bit too late to ask now?

And a little incidental question - the regular payment to the family was 5/- per week, anyone know how much that would be worth nowadays?

[Little Nell]

How do you know that Sarah was Rebecca's child?

[taffyfrog]

Just a thought but when you say you've checked the parish register, does that include the non-conformist baptisms?

[Little Nell]

Michael

as to how much 5/- was worth-

if I've read this right Historical value of money in UK
then 1830 £1 was worth £37.94.

So old pound had 20 shillings, so a month's worth of 5/- a week would be £37.94?

Doesn't seem very generous, nowadays it would be £18.80 a week for eldest child and £12.55 for subsequent children with child benefit.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Out-relief in many places was based on "a loaf of bread a day, and rent".

The old 2lb loaf of bread (a quartern loaf) cost 1 penny and contained 2000 calories, which was considered sufficient to nourish an adult.

She may have been earning a small amount anyway and the five shillings was a top up.

OC

[Michael]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Nell - can't prove it, but it appears likely on the available evidence. William Burrell is named on Sarah's marriage certificate, with a note stating that he was her stepfather not her father, which would imply that Rebecca was her mother. Thanks for the info on the money.

Carole - as far as I know Chipping Ongar didn't have a non-Conformist church at the time (I think the researcher would probably have mentioned it if there was one, since at one point he'd searched a register I hadn't specifically asked him to in case she turned up there).

[Pippa Doll]

Did she end up in the workhouse at all?

www.workhouses.org.uk - The Workhouse Web Site

[Michael]

Don't know - she turns up in Pembrokeshire in 1851, servant to the local toff; said toff had family in the Ongar area, so the best guess is that Sarah started working for him there and was at some point moved to one of his other properties. She might have been in the workhouse before that, haven't found any record though.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

What date did William and Rebecca marry?

[Michael]

17th July 1832, in Chipping Ongar.