Look ups offered in Alverstoke/Gosport hants

[Punchs mum]

Ray, Have a look at Portsmouth Records Office website. It looks like there is a charge of £13.50 per half hour up to a maximum of 3 hours for research! Not sure if they have what you would want though. Could always phone I suppose.

Lesley.

[Christine in Herts]

Hi Christine. Must admit I have never asked that question but I am sure the staff would have mentioned it sometime over the many years that I have been doing these lookups if they had

Lesley

I've deleted the redundant duplication for you.

I can't recall where it was mentioned, but I believe that you can request access to the original if the fiche is not clear.

Some record offices still give access to the originals anyway, because permission for filming was never given by the relevant diocese or incumbent(s).

Christine

[raywhit1942]

Hello Lesley

Thanks again for the help on my last request, I now have another!

A number of years back I asked if you could find a marriage record of Ann Whitcomb and John White
Alverstoke 2 Feb 1807. You duly found this record and gave me the following information:

The marriage of Ann Whitcomb to John White 2/2/1807 shows her as you said a minor with fathers
consent. The witnesses were, again, very feint John Whitcomb. H? Whitcomb and again possibly
Eleanor Whitcomb. It was definitely three Whitcombs which were witnesses.

This was fine, but I’ve since been told that John White was an army officer and it is possible
that his Regiment may be mentioned on the marriage record. So at your next visit to the
study centre could you please have another look and see if there is a regiment number etc?

Hopefully the new “Hi Tech” viewers may give a better image ??????

Best wishes

Ray

[Punchs mum]

Morning Ray, What a pity you didn't post this on Monday as I was in town yesterday!

However, will check this out for you when I am down there next...weather permitting that is.

Have checked through my paper work (ie...scraps of!) and see I had him as a Captain. Will check all this out again though for you. Just hope I can find someone on duty who can assist me with the reader! Lol.

Lesley

[Punchs mum]

Hi Ray,

Can confirm that John White. batchelor was a Captain but unable to read what of! There is no number written
but what little writing there is is written over the print of the actual marriage record and neither I nor the helpful library assistant were able to decipher it! I have got a scanned copy here. Do you want it emailed through or would you rather I posted it?. The image is a clear one thanks to the new reader though.

Lesley

[raywhit1942]

Hi Lesley

Thanks for getting a scanned copy. As you mention that it is a clear copy I think that for now an emailed copy should show all that I require.
If there are any problems with the resolution of the email, then I’ll most likely have to request the posted version.

Ray

[Punchs mum]

Hi Ray, Just to confirm that the scan has just been sent to your private e mail address. Good Luck!

Lesley

[raywhit1942]

Hi Lesley

Received OK, thanks.
Quality is good, so no need for a posted copy. The “scribbled” words that overlap the printing look like "Gos Bat". This would most likely be an
abbreviation for The Gosport Battalion of Volunteers. The Volunteers were an military organisation somewhat like the Terrritorial Army or Yeomanry.
Anne’s father, John Whitcomb, had very close connections with the Gosport Volunteers, he contributed towards their finances etc, and was a Major. The two other witnesses on the certificate would have been Anne’s sisters Harriet and Eleanor. Shortly after these two girls similarly married Army / Yeomanry officers, no doubt pleasing their Father considering his passion for the Battalion!

Ray

[Punchs mum]

Hi Ray, I guessed you would be able to read it! I did think it read 'gos' but I was expecting it to be an Army battalion. It does seems more plausible with your explanation..

Lesley

[raywhit1942]

Hi Lesley

I have a little conundrum for you to help me with, not directly connected to the Whitcombs this time.
I would like you to look to see if there is a Parish Baptism record for Harriet R Tatford. Her birth was
registered in the final quarter of 1860 in Alverstoke. This is from a BMD index, so it is possible that
there is no corresponding Baptism?? The family were living at the time in Forton Road, but usually were
resident in the Fareham locality. If you find a record I’m especially interested in her father’s name,
which may be James Tatford or Thomas Tatford.

Ray

[Punchs mum]

Hi Ray, Will see what I can do as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer!! Too cold to go far at the moment.

Will be in touch when/if I have anything for you.
Not very hopeful though as Forton baptism fiches are very feint although will check other nearby churches as well.

Lesley

[Punchs mum]

Hi Ray,

Result!! Baptism at St.Johns Forton. on September 16th 1840. Harriett Rose. d/o James and Elizabeth Tatford abode Nelsons Row. Fathers occupation Labourer. also written was the date of birth for Harriet which was 26/7/1860.

Must admit I was surprised to find this so easily! Also fairly legible! Hope it is the answer you wanted.

Lesley.

[raywhit1942]

Hi Lesley

Wow! Well that’s solved my conundrum! The connection to my family tree in only in the ‘grass’ around the trunk, but is fairly important to me
as it contributes to getting a better view of their lives and times.

For your information Elizabeth Tatford was an aunt of Edward G Savage who married Clemintina Rose Whitcomb in 1885. From the records,
or absence off, it would appear that Edward may have been born out of Wedlock as they say, so my quest to trace his various aunts & uncles etc.
Tracing the family of James & Elizabeth Tatford I got a possible match in the 1861 census, but the name of Elizabeth’s husband was Thomas not James,
all the other details were a good match. The address was 11 Nelson’s Row and “Thomas” occupation was “Excavator” there were two boarders in the
house, also “Excavators”. As one of the children, Harriet R Tatford, had been born in 1860 I asked you for possible info on the birth / baptism, and
you came up trumps! thanks so much.

On the subject of that 1861 census, there also was mention of another child Elizabeth Tatford aged 4 years. No mystery here but the same child was also
at grandparents George & Sarah Savage’s house according to their 1861 census! I suspect that the enumerator had collected the information in advance
and also had a problem with the exact names - Thomas instead of James. Reminds me of the recent 2011 census form in which we were advised to fill in
immediately on line even though weeks before the census date / time! How on earth am I to know if one or all of my grandchildren might be having
a “Sleep Over” at our house etc etc?? Moral, don’t rely on just one document when doing research - the more the better!

Ray

[Punchs mum]

Glad I was able to help then Ray! Always nice to know my time spent 'helping' is appreciated!

Interesting story!

Lesley

[raywhit1942]

Hi Lesley

Again thanks for all your help, now I have yet another “long shot” for you to look up! This time I’m not very hopeful that it has any connection to my researches but the names are “interesting” and you never know?!

The look up I would like is an 1854 marriage in Alverstoke, do’nt know the church but could be Forton? anyway here are the details care of FamilySearch:-

Name: John Stiggants

Spouse's Name: Harriet Savage

Event Date: 23 Jul 1854

Event Place: Alverstoke, Hampshire

Father's Name: Robert Stiggants
Spouse's Father's Name: George Savage

Any info would be welcome, especially ages of the couple and witnesses - if any?

Cheers

Ray

[Punchs mum]

Ok Ray. Will see what I can find for you. You never know.....you may be lucky!

Lesley

[Punchs mum]

Hi Ray,

The church was St.marys, Alverstoke. Both were of full age. The grooms profession was a Blacksmith and the witness's were Robert Edwards and Elizabeth Stiggant.
Hope this is of some use for you!

Lesley

[raywhit1942]

Thanks Lesley.

At least that eliminates this Harriet from my line of research. It was a bit of an outsider anyway, as most of this families “activities” were in the Titchfield / Stubbington area. Incidently does the Study Center extend to these “outskirts” of Gosport, or is it all done at Portsmouth or Winchester? Looking at the maps from "Now and Then”, I can see that a lot of suburban development has taken place over the years! (For better or for worse?)

Regards

Ray

[Punchs mum]

Ray, I think possibly Fareham may keep records for Titchfield and Stubbington if this area is of interest to you. Have never used Fareham for research. Saying that, I did notice yesterday in Gosports study centre, they have microfiche film for Crofton Cemetery which is in Stubbington! Can't say I made a note of the dates, did pass comment to the assistant about them who said they have always been there!!

Lesley

[raywhit1942]

Hi Lesley

By sheer chance I came upon a Fareham Council web site that lists their Cemetery records going back to 1861, and its free and gives grave locations! The link is:-

http://www.fareham.gov.uk/bereavement/funerals_and_burials/burial_search_facility/cemrecsearch.asp?list=FBC_Burials

Now to another look up reques:-
After seemingly having rounded up all the Whitcomb’s from Alverstoke another totally unexpected one flashed by on a FamilySearch marriage listing for 1853:-

England Marriages, 1538–1973
Ellen Cotton Whitcomb
England Marriages, 1538–1973
Marriage:
17 St. Mary Lambeth, July Surrey, England 1853 (A BIT OF CONFUSION HERE !!!)
26 St. Mary, Lambeth, June Surrey, England 1853
Father: George Whitcomb
Spouse: William Knight
Other: Thomas Knight

The name “Ellen Cotton Whitcomb” was a ‘smoking gun’, as was the father’s name George Whitcomb. My 3g Grandfather was George Whitcomb married to Mary Page Cotten. Luckily Ellen Cotton is a (fairly) unique first name and a search soon revealed a second ‘late’ marriage for an Ellen Cotton Knight to a James Francis in 1877. in turn this led to the 1881 census which revealed that Ellen Cotton had been born circa 1819 in Gosport! Also found a BMD record, Ellen Cotton Francis died in 1883:-

Deaths Jun 1883
Francis - Ellen Cotton age 68
Lambeth

The various records put Ellen’s birth between 1815 and 1819. George Whitcomb & Mary Page Cotten married in Portsea on the 24th Oct 1819, so if Ellen Cotton Whitcomb was their daughter there may have been ‘cause for embarrassment’, hence the marriage across the harbour in Portsea?
This in turn complicates finding the birth, if before the parents marriage I suppose it would be Cotten, after it would be Whitcomb - perhaps??

So the bottom line, could you look around 1818 for a birth of a suitable Ellen Cotton in Alverstoke. One census actually mentions Alverstoke - Anglesey, so possibly St Mary’s?

Looking back you’ve made some fairly extensive ‘Trawls’ for Whitcomb’s in Gosport and not come up with an Ellen Cotton / Cotten, so possibly the records have deteriorated too much? To back that up I’ve found nothing (yet) on FamilySearch for a possible christening.

NB:- There is a Louisa Ellen Whitcomb born circa 1822 in Alverstoke to George & Mary Page Whitcomb. This one is well accounted for and is not to be confused to the 'New’ Ellen Cotton Whitcomb.

Best of Luck
Regards

Ray Whitcombe