I am researching the following Bedfordshire families:

Thomas PEPPIATT [Peppitt / Pettitt /Pepit] who married Rebecca ASHTON - Sharnbrook 1796 children include Joseph [b 1797]

William EYRES [Ayres] b 1770 who married Ann WEBB b 1774 in Pertenhall 1791

Thomas EYERS [b 1708 d 1781 Roxton] who married Susan COLLINS [b about 1710] in Roxton 1733 children include Thomas, Thomas, Susan, Ann, Jacob, Mary and William

Oliver BOLTON [b 1696 Swineshead d 1776 Swineshead] married Ann children included Edward, Elizabeth, Mary, Edward, Rebecca and Ann

Thomas TYLER father of Elizabeth BOLTON nee TYLER [b 1674 Swineshead]

Edward BOLTON who married Elizabeth TYLER in Swineshead 1695, children include Oliver, Edward, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Jane.

John PACKWOOD [circa 1762-1829] who married Mary EATON in Dean 1790.

Robert PACKWOOD [b about 1790, Dean] who married Elizabeth MAYES [Hayes?] in Dean 1821 children include Elizabeth and Sarah. Robert had earlier married Hannah ? and had child Mary

Robert PACKWOOD who married Elizabeth SMITH and had a son Robert PACKWOOD [b about 1738 Dean] who married Sarah BECKBOTH in Dean 1759 children include Elizabeth, Hannah, John and Mary

I noticed you mentioned the village of Sharnbrook in your message. I’m looking for Betts in the save village. Do you know of any good resources for Sharnbrook to aid in my search? Thanks for any info.

Hi Terry,

The only information I have about Sharnbrook is where it is on a map of Bedfordshire so that I can work out the likelihood of possible leads.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Hi my name is Darcene Stabler,
My Father is Harry Breed and his Father was Joseph Breed(1891) and his parents were Eli Breed(b.1855) and Ann Young (b. 1850).
Joseph, Eli and Ann were all born in or around Shefford, Bedfordshire and Southill Bedfordshire.
Does anyone out there know where I can find more information on them or even an online map of the area they were born in ?
I live in Northern Alberta, Canada and I am having a hard time searching from here. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
DStabler2@yahoo.com
Thanks again, Darcene

Re your names:

I looked them up in the Musters lists and

John PACKWOOD is listed in the 1803 National Defence [age not given] but he had 3 children under 10 in that year

same year: John and Thomas AYERS are both listed as single in Roxton [no age] and both are farmers. James AYERS is a 47 year old Publican with 4 children under 10
John AYERS in Roxton has a cart, 2 horses and a driver available for National Defence. And Jacob has a waggon, 1 horse and a driver available. Jacob is not listed as a volunteer [too old?]

The Musters list 1537 - 1831 is available from Beds Historical Society

Hello,

I dont know what period you are looking for BETTS in Sharnbrook...there were none recorded there in 1851

However there is a family of BETTS in nearby Knotting:
Page 2 & 3:

Thomas 56
Millicent, 45
Ann, 10
Jesse, 19
John, 26
Levi, 16
Rebecca, 23 [she was born in Thurleigh not Knotting]
Sarah, 4
Shedrick, 20
Thomas, 14

In 1803 there was a James BETTS who was a 51 year old labourer ['Willing to serve as a volunteer' in National Defence]

And also in Knotting, John BETTS was a 30 year old married Matmaker ['Willing'], he was military class 3

Beds Records Office has its own search site on line now...

Thank you for replying. I should have put more information in the message. Since I posted that message I did find my g-grandmother living with her parents (Joseph and Mary Betts) and siblings in the 1881 and 1891 census.

Your information is important to me. In the census, Joseph is listed as being born in Knotting and in 1881 he was 40 years old. He would have been 10 years old in 1851 if his family were still living in Knotting. It would be a good guess that the family you found is related somehow.

If you ever find out anything else, please let me know.

Thanks again.

If you look for Great Barford by a search engine you will find a family of BETTS there [all the census and parish indexes for Gt Barford are on line]. Phillip BETTS who was 60 in 1851 was also born in Knotting, married a woman from Gt Barford and began a family branch there...but there isnt a Joseph BETTS in the lists as far as I can see.

I have looked at the 1851 Census for all the north Beds villages and cant see a Joseph BETTS about 10 years old ~ Joseph BETTS married Mary Ann BIRD in 1872, the marriage was registered in the June quarter of that year [reference: 3b 627]

There was a big BIRD family in Sharnbrook, but Mary ann isnt listed in the 1851 [she might have just missed the census]. Best thing would be to order the cert as it will give the fathers names...

Hello

Just a small snippet I found while sifting through the A2A catalogue of local archives for BETTS. There is a film negative in Bedford Archives of Mrs SIMMONDS cottage and the 'lower building is cottage of Joseph BETTS'. Apparently, Joseph BETTS was the inspiration for the author H.E. BATES' character Uncle Silas.

I shall e mail you with links

The info extracted from the Musters lists was very interesting!

While the dates and locations fit for John PACKWOOD and the AYERS brothers it has raised another mystery. I have no record of James AYERS and Jacob was 24 years old in 1803 so there must have been another explanation regarding why he wasn't listed as a volunteer.

Thank you again for helping fill-out the these details.

Happy New Year!