Parish records on Ancestry = John Bellamy of Westbury (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Wednesday, February 18, 2015, 19:41 (3560 days ago) @ JaneyH

20 January 1893, John Bellamy "who for many years has travelled the country with architectural models made of cork, and is said to have been the oldest showman in England".

This last one probably deserves a discussion thread if its own!

Hi Janey,
given your interest in Westbury Burials I wonder if you've seen this site ?.
http://www.rebus.demon.co.uk/wos_br.htm

It has been mentioned on the forum before, I was reminded of it as a hit for my googling John Bellamy. The site adds a little more detail, which I guess is also on the Ancestry site which I haven't visited yet;

John Bellamy died "age 85, Formerly of Stanway, died at Cardiff"

Stanway is near Winchcombe in the northeast of the County, into the Cotswolds.
http://places.wishful-thinking.org.uk/GLS/Stanway/index.html

(HOWEVER, there is an ancient place called Stantway very near Westbury...., but it seems unlikely the gravestone would contain such a "typo" ?)

The same burial record for John Bellamy is also within this site which appears essential reading for anyone with an interest in Travelling Showmen and Fairground ancestors.
http://members.shaw.ca/pauline777/TravellersUK.html
John's on this page http://members.shaw.ca/pauline777/Misc.html

From this site's PRs;

Record_ID: 48663
Entry_Number: 383
Year: 1893
Month: Jan
Day: 20
Surname: BELLAMY
Forenames: John
Residence: Forerly of Stantway died at Cardiff
Age_at_death: 85
Officiating_Minister: Leonard Wilkinson Vicar
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: Who for many years past has travelled the Country with Architctural Models made of Cork and is said to have been the oldest Showman in England
Notes: Memorand inserted below the name in the entry.
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/17
Page_No: 48
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: B450

So born abt 1808 ?.

So, despite the mention of Stanway, was he baptised at Westbury, see PR below ?
Perhaps he was born at Stanway while his parent's were travelling with a show ?. Even in modern times nearby places such as Stow on the Wold attract large numbers of travellers for the huge annual horse fair.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stow-on-the-Wold

Stow is on the ancient Fosse Way, built by the Romans to link the likes of Cirencester with Lincoln, and still an excellent route from Gloucestershire to the East Midlands.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosse_Way

Record_ID: 82341
Entry_Number: 2526
Year: 1807
Month: Feb
Day: 11
Parents_Surname: BELLAMY
Child_Forenames: John
Fathers_Forenames: Joseph
Mothers_Forenames: Susannah
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Richard Wetherell Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Son of
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 80
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: B450

Prior threads show the Bellamy family to be well-known in the Westbury area since well before John's time, eg
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=43269
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=35115