Hi There

Can anyone help me, I am looking for a couple of birth records and a marriage from Sedgley. Although quite well represented on the IGI there appears to be some gaps as I have noticed there are some member contributions for the years when they should be IGI entries, the people I am looking for seem to fall through the gaps. If anyone has access or knows of the following families please could you help me, these are my Uncle Joe Yeardleys many grandparents:

1. Marriage of Joseph Clark(e) to a Sarah possible Downes around 1830-1835 time (son Isaac born in 1834 Sedgley)

2. Birth of Joseph Clark (e) about 1814 (according to census - very stable age throughout years)

3. Birth of a Joseph Downes, John Downes and Sarah Downes about 1800 - 1816 ish. Joseph Downes and John Downes c) 1806 ish mark and Sarah possibly towards the 1814 mark.

Any help appreciated or even where I could purchase records.

Hi, if you get no other offers, I shall be back at home from Devon next week. I live across the road from Dudley Archives and could have a look in the parish records for you.

Regards
Chris

That would be so very kind of you, I have had no other offers to-date.

I have just received in the post the marriage certificates just confirming that the Downes and Clarkes I asked about are the right lines (been working off the census and index before), shame they didn't bring the GRO registrations in until 1837 would have made life easier!

I live in the Outer Hebrides so not sure I can return the favour, though I have got a lot of information on Jewish research and if that fails there is always some Stornoway Chocolate or Smoked Salmon.

Again thank you for the kind offer

Regards

Debs

Hi,
Do you know whether it was All Saints Church (Parish church) or another one. Any other info you have will be helpful, as Sedgley parish can cover Sedgley, Gornal upper and lower, Coseley, and other parts as well.

Regards
Chris

Hi,
I started with All Saints Church (Sedgley Parish church) between 1800 and 1819 and could not find any of the people you mentioned. I did find the following, which may or maynot be of use.
14/7/1807 Phillip s of Edward and Anne Clarke, Ettingshall,
25/12/1811 Edward s of Edward and Elizabeth Clarke
2/5/1813 Edward s of Edward and Ann Clarke, Ettingshall,
2/1/1814 Ann d of Issac and Mary Clarke, Coseley
3/7/1814 William s of Benjamin and Eleanor Clarke, U Gornal.
26/3/1815 Samuel s of John and Lydia Clarke, L Gornal.
16/4/1815 Richard s of William and Charity Clarke, Gornal Wd
14/1/1816 Mary d of Issac and Mary Clarke, Coseley
14/4/1816 Sarah Clarke d of William and Elizabeth, Woodsetton.
21/4/1816 Sarah d of William and Charity Clarke, L Gornal
8/9/1816 John s of Banjamin and Eleanor Clarke. Up Gornal
14/7/1819 John s of John and Lydia Clarke, Lower Gornal
14/7/1819 Mary d of John and Lydia Clarke, Lower Gornal
11/1/1818 Charity d of William and Charity Clarke. L Gornal
8/2/1818 Esther d of Joseph and Sarah Clarke, Coseley
10/5/1818 Benjamin s of Issac and Mary Clarke, Coseley
18/7/1818 Mary Hickman d of Joseph and Rebecca Clarke, UG
18/7/1818 Edwin Samuel s of Joseph and Rececca Clarke, UG
27/9/1818 Elizabeth d of William and Elizabeth Clarke, Ettingshall.
11/10/1818 Hannah d of Jonah and Mary Clarke, Ettingshall
21/3/1819 Mary Ann d of John and Lydia Clarke, Lower Gornal.

I check the All Saints marriage register between 1830 and 1835 and found 4 Clarkes, not of whom was Joseph.
Emmanuel Clarke and Sarah Holly Marr. 14/4/1833
Francis Clark and Sarah Rupert Marr 24/8/1833
John Clarke and Sarah Haynes Marr 1/6/1834
Henry Clarke and Sarah Parker Marr 18/8/1835

I did not see any Down Downs or Downes.

I checked through the Upper Gornal and Lower Gornal church records, but did not find anything.

I also checked the Sedgley Roman Catholic registers, but to no avail.

Next best bet was Dudley Churches.
So I tried St. Thomas, Dudley, Worcestershire 1830 - 1835 and found:
Marriage: Joseph Clark of this Parish, Bachelor and Sarah Downs of this Parish, Spinster were married by Banns on 28th April 1834.
Both put an X mark (Indicating they could not write).
The Witnesses were Thomas Allen (he was on all records, so presumably a church clerk etc. ) and the other witness was Joseph Downes.

I then checked St. Thomas Baptisms from 1806 to December 1812 and did not find any Downes at all. There wer a few Clarkes, but no Joseph Clarke.
There were also no Downes in the Index to Baptisms 1813 to 1816 - so they would appear not to be attending this church then.

Eventually found:
Joseph s of Joseph and Hannah Clarke Baptised 11th June 1815. Dudley. Miner.

No Downs found in St. Thomas Baptisms 1813 - 1816.
The only Downs I found was Ann d of Jonas and Elizabeth Downs, Miner, Dudley. Bap 18/7/1819.

So it looks like we have Josephs Marriage to Sarah, and Josephs Baptism. But the Downes are proving very difficult to find. It is not a very common name in this area, so unless you have any more clues for them, I am not sure where to go next.

Hope this lot helps you, but would be please to try again if you need more help for the Sedgley/Dudley areas.

Regards
Chris

I have just had a look at the Deaths and think that Sarah Clarke died aged 65 in Dudley (6c 85) (Jan Feb Mar 1877).
I can see the Downes on the census, strange they are not showing up in the parish records yet ??

Chris

Thank you Chris,

You have put a lot of hard work into this, I have copied this to word and I will see what I can work out.

If Joseph was the son baptised in 1815 he was about 9 which is not unheard of. I am still trying to find a likely candidate for his father which I think is Joseph born in about 1760 not in Staffordshire. I have a few candidates, shame either Miner don't have wills or Joseph who died in 1847 could have a least lasted until 1851 age 91 when I might have worked out where he was born.

Again thank you very much for all your help

Kind regards

Debs

No problem.
If I can be of further help let me know.

Regards
Chris