Baldock/Fagg/Small Family History

Whilst searching for some maternal ancestors today, I had recourse to look at the parish register of baptisms for Elham, Kent, on the Find My Past site.

In order to ensure he was compliant with the law, the minister(s) started the particular register by including the mother’s maiden or previous name alongside that of the father, even if both parents were married! Unfortunately for us, the practice did not continue through the register!

Ref: Canterbury Cathedral Archives, CCA-U3-32/1/5, Elham (St. Mary the Virgin) Parish Registers, Baptisms 1813-1865, page 1.

I was taken by surprise today when I wanted to browse the Canterbury Cathedral Collection at Find My Past – it took me to a search page!

Yes, finally we appear to have searchable indexes of these Kent records – and just in time for Who Do You Think You Are LIVE! this weekend. Apt timing?

I was getting quite used to browsing the records, and had gathered quite a spreadsheet of which images referenced which dates etc.

Whilst browsing the parish records on Find My Past recently, I came across some intriguing adult baptisms. They are for the surname EAST, who seem to have come from Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. They appear to be siblings, two sisters and a brother, children of Thomas and Ann EAST, and are all listed as ‘Papermaker’, so they probably came to work at Buckland Paper Mill. They were all baptised at St. Andrew’s church in Buckland on 29th June 1837.

For those with a relevant subscription to FMP, the image can be found here:
Adult baptisms

St Andrew, Dover Buckland, Kent (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ann was 50 (born 1783), William was 57 (born 1780) and Sarah was 39 (born 1798). Birth dates are given in the margin.

These would almost certainly be outside most people’s research boundaries of date, let alone county!

There are also adult baptisms DAVIS (more Papermakers), JOHNSON and PETMAN.

I’m sure 57 years has been beaten somewhere – what’s the greatest gap you have found?