Help please with understanding this information

[Crafty Sue]

I hope this is not going to sound confusing!

I’ve been trying to find the parents of Jane Wakeham - bn c1771 possibly in Mylor, Cornwall (have found this name spelt variously, Wakem Wakum, Wackham & many other ways) - Jane was buried 13 Sep 1835 aged 64 in Mylor.

Having found no baptism for Jane on IGI, the Cornwall OPC database or FHOL, I searched A2A for the Wakeham name hoping for a clue.

This is what I found and I don’t understand how the names fit (Lawrence Davey crops up as a family name, see below) or what exactly it means:

1 Jan. 1788
99 yr. lease (lessee's s. Joseph); rent 7/-.
Sir Wm. Lemon of Carclew, to Michael Lawrence of Mylor, bargeman.
Consideration: £8.
Dwelling-house, gdn. or orchard late occ. Thos. Lawrence, on l.h.s. of road from Wheal Chance towards Mylor village; also field called Long Meadow bounded on one side with road from Wheal Chance to the downs.

1 July 1795
99 yr. lease (Jane Wakeham of Penryn, Thos. Lawrence Davey, s. of Jn. D. of Mylor, mason); rent 7/-.
Sir Wm. Lemon of Carclew, to Isabella Lawrence of Mylor, wid.
Consideration: £18.
Property as above.

Now Jane Wakeham married Peter May 12 Dec 1801 in Mylor, Cornwall. Jane & Peter had 14 children. The 13th child was baptised Benjamin Lawrence Davey May.
Another of Jane & Peter’s children, Peter bn 1807 married and also named a son Benjamin Davey May.

Also on the IGI (extracted record) I’ve found a baptism for:
Benjamin Lawrence Davey 11 Feb 1798 Mylor to John & Elizabeth Davey
Could this be connected?

So I could do with some suggestions as to how the Lawrence Davey name might connect to the Wakeham’s and what to look for next please.

Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks for reading.

[KiteRunner]

Well, I suppose the obvious thing is to contact the archives that hold the documents and ask them for a quote for supplying you with copies?

[Christine in Herts]

Not awake enough to be helpful, I'm afraid! (Just driven back from visiting elder son.) Only contribution is to remark that "Wheal" usually referred to a mine - e.g. tin mine - but you probably knew that, already.

Christine

[Crafty Sue]

Thanks for the replies Kite & Christine.

I will phone the records office in Truro to see if there will be any more information on the documents.
I did wonder if Jane was previously married, would it say widow/spinster on the parish register entry for her marriage to Peter May? Can't remember what details would be shown in 1801.

Yes Christine I know that "Wheal" usually referred to a mine, thanks for reading anyway. Your comments are much appreciated.

[Little Nell]

Crafty Sue

The marriage record should state if she was single/spinster or widowed.

[Little Nell]

As for finding Jane's baptism, Mylor baptisms on IGI don't cover the 1771-time period and there is no OPC for Mylor at the moment.

So you need to check Mylor baptisms for any Jane born within a few years of 1771. I don't know if you are near an LDS family history centre, but it would be worth seeing if you can order up the microfilm of this parish if its possible. Or hoping someone kind near the relevant records office in Cornwall could look for you.

[Little Nell]

And getting the copy of the marriage record, too. Without a baptism, how do you know Jane was born in Mylor?

[Crafty Sue]

Thanks Nell. I was a little muddled yesterday, couldn't see the wood for the trees! I will take your advice and get a copy of Jane's marriage before I go looking for her baptism.

[alanjohn]

I didn't post this yesterday as i wasn't sure if i'd make it down the cornwall centre today,but i did.
I found the marriage of Peter May on 12th Dec,but there were no other note's such as widower or widow mentioned.I also noted that in some other entry's the profession such as mariner was noted but not in their case,nor was it noted that they were from a different parish.
Unfortunately they do not keep baptism's for Mylor or Penryn,but they had Falmouth,which i checked with no luck i'm afraid.
I also checked in Kelly's directory's and found Thomas May and John May who were shoemaker's in 1856 and 1873 located in Mylor Bridge.
Sorry i couldn't shed any light on the baptism though.Alan.

[Crafty Sue]

Thankyou very much Alan, it was very kind of you to look up Jane & Peter's marriage. Thomas & John were Peter's sons, Peter was also a shoemaker (according to the census)

I hadn't yet had a chance to phone the records office in Truro due to family commitments (my dad is not well and mum relies on me to do her shopping etc), so you have done me a great favour!

There does seem to be a lot of Wakeham's - I've noticed about eight different spellings - in the area and it's just hit me that on some of the baptism's for their children she is shown as Jenny. I don't think this is a 2nd wife as it's only on the middle children's baptisms. Sorry, thinking aloud here and rambling!

As soon as I get some free time I'm going to hire some LDS films.

Thanks again Alan.

[Little Nell]

Sue

Jenny was a pet name for Jane - I think Jane Eyre is called Jenny at some point by Mr Rochester in the novel, and Jane Carlyle had a poem written about her by Leigh Hunt called "Jenny Kissed Me".

[Janet]

Jane/Janet can be construed as the same and I was Jenny/Jen at school so.....yes, a pet name!

Janet

[Crafty Sue]

Thanks Nell & Janet.
How likely would it be that she was baptised as Jenny or even Jennifer?

[KiteRunner]

There weren't many Jennifers around in those days - Jenny used to be a pet name for Jane or Janet rather than for Jennifer.

[Crafty Sue]

Thanks Kite.

I wondered because I have one or two Jennifer's in this part of hubby's tree, plus some other names that I was surprised to come across.