Westbury on Severn - Gray/Grey

I am looking for Edward Grey and Jane ? marriage

I have found the baptism records for 3 of their children in Westbury on Severn
Edward 1764
William 1767
James 1772

The next Westbury on Severn records back seem to jump to a baptism 1628 Francis and then possibly burials 1607 Mary and 1585 Robert. Any suggestions on where to go next. Thank you.

Hi, welcome to the forum,
cannot be certain it's the same family, but searching for all records involving Edward Grey & Jane in Gloucestershire around that period gives the following records, and no others, which MAY suggest they're all the same family group. These are from the f-o-c FamilySearch site, which is great at automatically offering spelling variations such as Grey and Gray.
https://www.familysearch.org/

(Some of these you already have)

Name Mary Gray
Gender Female
Christening Date 31 Jul 1763
Christening Date (Original) 31 JUL 1763
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Death Date 13 Aug 1763
Father's Name Edward Gray
Mother's Name Jane

Name Edward Grey
Gender Male
Christening Date 23 Dec 1764
Christening Date (Original) 23 DEC 1764
Christening Place WESTBURY ON SEVERN,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Edw. Grey
Mother's Name Jane

Name William Grey
Gender Male
Christening Date 19 Apr 1767
Christening Date (Original) 19 APR 1767
Christening Place WESTBURY ON SEVERN,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Edward Grey
Mother's Name Jane

Name James Grey
Gender Male
Christening Date 17 May 1772
Christening Date (Original) 17 MAY 1772
Christening Place WESTBURY ON SEVERN,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Edward Grey
Mother's Name Jane

and;

Name Edward Grey
Spouse's Name Jane Banfield
Event Date 17 Oct 1762
Event Place Minchinhampton,Gloucester,England

????

---------------------

Searching Edward born Glos c1720-1740, this was the only FamilySearch offering, which seems a good fit;

Name Edward Gray
Gender Male
Christening Date 07 Oct 1731
Christening Date (Original) 07 OCT 1731
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Edward Gray
Mother's Name Mary

And searching Jane Banfield also gave just the one hit in the county, namely;

Name Jeane Benfield
Gender Female
Christening Date 08 Feb 1724
Christening Date (Original) 08 FEB 1724
Christening Place WINCHCOMB,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Thomae Benfield
Mother's Name Eliz

============

Searching this site's FoD Prs I'm struggling to find any more for their children within our area ???

But could this be our parents, seem reasonable fits age-wise ?

Record_ID: 383620
Entry_Number: 1398
Year: 1802
Month: May
Day: 12
Surname: GREY
Forenames: Edward
Residence:
Age_at_death: Aged 70
Officiating_Minister: Richard Wetherell Vicar
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/3
Page_No: 142
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: G600

Record_ID: 383746
Entry_Number: 1518
Year: 1806
Month: May
Day: 24
Surname: GRAY
Forenames: Jane
Residence:
Age_at_death: Aged 70
Officiating_Minister: Richard Wetherell Vicar
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/3
Page_No: 147
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: G600

atb, J

From the Ancestry image this is the correct transcription for Jane,

Name: Edward Gray
Gender: Male
Event Type: Marriage
Marriage Date: 17 Oct 1762
Marriage Place: Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England
Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Map:
View this parish
Spouse: Jane Barnfield

Under the Marriage Allegations etc - on this site - there is also

William BARNFIELD - aged 28 - marrying a Sarah Harper (also known as HARFORD) - By Licence in 1767 at Michinhampton

(3 records)

From Ancestry,

Name: Jane Barnfield
Event Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 21 Dec 1738
Baptism Place: Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England
Mother: Anne Barnfield

There is no father’s name so presumably illegitimate.

There is a Baptism at Michinhampton - 19 April 1747 of a William BARNFIELD - Parents: John & Mary

and also a record on Ancestry

UK Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioners etc

William BARNFIELD

Discharge age: 40
Birth Year: abt 1747
Birth Place: Stroud Water, Gloucester
Discharge Date: 26 April 1787
Regiment: 50th or West Kent Regiment of Foot
Rank: Private Soldier

Thanks M,
I did actually remember to look in the Marriage Allegations section, as per your leads in recent threads, but unfortunately only while searching for Edward & Jane...
Ah well, thanks to your good self at least I'm learning, albeit slowly haha..
atb J.

Searching for records with Anne Barnfield as the mother at that time/place, FamilySearch gives just this one;

Name Edward Holliday Barnfield
Gender Male
Christening Date 17 Mar 1748
Christening Date (Original) 17 MAR 1748
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Mother's Name Anne Barnfield

Again no father mentioned per se, but I wonder if he was "Holliday" ?.

Could this be the same Anne as mothered Jane ?.

---

There are a few Hollidays locally, eg;

Name Rebecca Holliday
Gender Female
Christening Date 27 Mar 1727
Christening Date (Original) 27 MAR 1727
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Wm Holliday
Mother's Name Deborah

Name Richard Holliday
Gender Male
Christening Date 18 Feb 1730
Christening Date (Original) 18 FEB 1730
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name William Holliday
Mother's Name Deborah

---

Name Winifred Holliday
Gender Female
Christening Date 23 Apr 1727
Christening Date (Original) 23 APR 1727
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Thos Holliday
Mother's Name Deborah

---

Name Anna Maria Holliday
Gender Female
Christening Date Dec 1738
Christening Date (Original) DEC 1738
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name William Holliday
Mother's Name Mary

---

Name Joseph Holliday
Gender Male
Christening Date 01 Jan 1723
Christening Date (Original) 01 JAN 1723
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Charles Holliday
Mother's Name Martha

Name John Holliday
Gender Male
Christening Date 01 Jan 1723
Christening Date (Original) 01 JAN 1723
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Charles Holliday
Mother's Name Martha

---

Name Edward Holliday
Gender Male
Christening Date 19 Mar 1732
Christening Date (Original) 19 MAR 1732
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Holliday
Mother's Name Sarah

======

Name Thomas Philpot Holliday
Gender Male
Christening Date 08 Mar 1723
Christening Date (Original) 08 MAR 1723
Christening Place MINCHINHAMPTON,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Mother's Name Ann Holliday
(No father given)

and so on..

Think you've def got the right William there, M.

Ref his recorded Birth Place: Stroud Water, Gloucester.

The River Frome, once also known as the Stroudwater, is a small river in Gloucestershire, England, approximately 25 miles long.

The Frome rises from several springs at Nettleton (about a mile southeast of Birdlip)and in springs at Climperwell Farm (southwest of Brimpsfield). The two branches meet in Miserden Park, just south of Caudle Green and Syde. The Frome continues to meander its way south to Sapperton, then west to Brimscombe where it turns northwest towards Stroud. The river flows through Stroud, past the Frome Banks nature reserve, then through Ebley and Stonehouse where it goes under the M5 motorway, and past Saul to enter the River Severn at Upper Framilode.

The Stroudwater Navigation is a canal which linked Stroud to the River Severn. Opened in 1779, it was a commercial success, its main cargo being coal. It was 8 miles in length and had a rise of 102 ft 5 in through 12 locks. Following the opening of the Thames and Severn Canal in 1789, it formed part of a through route from Bristol to London, although much of its trade vanished when the Kennet and Avon Canal provided a more direct route in 1810. Despite competition from the railways, the canal continued to pay dividends to shareholders until 1922, and was not finally abandoned until 1954.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroudwater_Navigation

---

However it must be said that the name Stroudwater, besides being used as an alternative name for the river Frome and to designate the whole of the Stroud Valley region, was also sometimes applied to the town of Stroud itself.
Indeed, the first London stagecoach service from the town was apparently the Stroudwater Flying coach, established in 1769, making the journey three times a week through Cirencester and Oxford.

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol11/pp99-104

Name James Grey
Gender Male
Christening Date 17 May 1772
Christening Date (Original) 17 MAY 1772
Christening Place WESTBURY ON SEVERN,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Edward Grey
Mother's Name Jane

FamilySearch has;

1841 Wintle's Hill, Westbury On Severn, Gloucestershire, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
James Grey M 65-69 Gloucestershire
Hannah Grey F 70-74 Gloucestershire

1851 Westbury On Severn, Gloucestershire, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
James Gray Head M 78 Rit Lab. Westbury, Gloucestershire
Hannah Gray Wife F 81 Fluechcop, Gloucestershire
Peter Davis Lodger M 65 Widower. Lab. N K, Herefordshire

Glos FHS cd has this as;

1851 CENSUS HO107/1959 FF.0471-0501 ED.2B HUNTLEY 2
Piece: 1959 Folio: 0498 Schedule: 036
Address: Tything of Stantway
GRAY James HD M 78 Ret. Lab GLS Westbury (c1773)
GRAY Hannah WI M 81 Ret. Lab's Wife GLS Hucclecot[e] (c1770)
DAVIS Peter LG W 65 Lab HEF - (c1786)

(NB Stantway is Wintle's Hill area).

---------

FoD PRs;

Record_ID: 554034
Entry_Number: 2038
Year: 1797
Month: Mar
Day: 19
Parents_Surname: GRAY
Child_Forenames: Mary
Fathers_Forenames: James
Mothers_Forenames: Hannah
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Dau of
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 65
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: G600

Record_ID: 554155
Entry_Number: 2159
Year: 1799
Month: Nov
Day: 24
Parents_Surname: GREY
Child_Forenames: James
Fathers_Forenames: James
Mothers_Forenames: Hannah
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Richard Wetherell Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Son of
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 69
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: G600

Record_ID: 554374
Entry_Number: 2378
Year: 1804
Month: Apr
Day: 1
Parents_Surname: GRAY
Child_Forenames: William
Fathers_Forenames: James
Mothers_Forenames: Hannah
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Richard Wetherell Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Son of
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 76
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: G600

Record_ID: 554657
Entry_Number: 2661
Year: 1809
Month: Jun
Day: 18
Parents_Surname: GRAY
Child_Forenames: Ann
Fathers_Forenames: James
Mothers_Forenames: Hannah
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Richard Wetherell Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Dau of
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 85
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: G600

===

Record_ID: 385594
Entry_Number: 42
Year: 1851
Month: Jul
Day: 12
Surname: GRAY
Forenames: Hannah
Residence: Westbury
Age_at_death: 81
Officiating_Minister: T M Wetherell
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/16
Page_No: 6
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: G600

Record_ID: 385736
Entry_Number: 184
Year: 1853
Month: Dec
Day: 30
Surname: GREY
Forenames: James
Residence: Westbury
Age_at_death: 82
Officiating_Minister: T L Montifine
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/16
Page_No: 23
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: G600

Thank you Jefff, that was what kept coming up for me (think I was looking for a nearer location without a river and hills between!) but I hadn’t come across Mary an earlier child. Going to follow this all up now.

Thank you Mike

Thank you again.
I have been trying to work out the Hannah Gray/ Walsh ‘Fluechcop‘ issue Hucclecote now seems so obvious when looking at image of census.

No problem, my past experience with Ancestry etc has shown me that the more I've looked at them, the more I'm utterly amazed by some of the transcriptions !

In truth that wasn't a particularly difficult journey even in those times, especially for those from towns like Minchinghampton which had long enjoyed links much further afield due to it's wool industry. Once down on the Severn they could easily reach Westbury, the river itself was a very busy route, or they could easily cross it by numerous ferrys. This forum often see similar examples of family migrations to find work, and some much farther when the railways took over from the canals and rivers.

This site gives a helpful background.
http://www.minchinhamptonlocalhistorygroup.org.uk/history/

atb J

Sorry, forgot to look for James & Hannah's marriage !

From this site's FoD PRs;

Record_ID: 207015
Entry_Number: 155
Year: 1795
Month: Nov
Day: 12
Grooms_Surname: GRAY
Grooms_Forenames: James
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition: [not stated]
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: otp [Westbury]
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: WALCH
Brides_Forenames: Hannah
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: otp [Westbury]
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: He Signs She Marks
Witness_1: George Walch
Witness_2: Tobias Cowles
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Henry Southouse Curate
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/5
Page_Number: 39
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex_Groom: G600
Soundex_Bride: W420

--

According to the 1851 CEnsus and her burial record of the same year, Hannah was born abt 1770.

I did wonder if the witness George Walch was her father, but now think it was maybe a brother or uncle ??.

The only likely birth record I can find for her in the PRs, even allowing for spelling variations Welsh/Walsh/Welch/Walch etc, and Anna as well as Hannah, and within the general W-o-S area is;

Record_ID: 77894
Entry_Number:
Year: 1770
Month: Aug
Day: 12
Parents_Surname: WELSH
Child_Forenames: Hannah
Fathers_Forenames: John
Mothers_Forenames: Anne
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: of Over
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Edw[ar]d Sparkes Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P83 IN 1/1
Page_Number: 136
Parish_Chapel: Churcham
Soundex: W420

As confirmed by FamilySearch;

Name Hannah Welsh
Gender Female
Christening Date 12 Aug 1770
Christening Date (Original) 12 AUG 1770
Christening Place CHURCHAM WITH BULLEY,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Welsh
Mother's Name Anne

---

HOWEVER FamilySearch also offers, so further away near, but not impossible;

Name Hannah Welch
Gender Female
Christening Date 14 Feb 1769
Christening Date (Original) 14 FEB 1769
Christening Place CHURCHDOWN,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Richard Welch
Mother's Name Mary

Need to find a Hannah with a relation named George, altho neither are rare names so ??

No luck so far with the FoD PRs, but find this with FamilySearch, so maybe Hannah was originally from Churchdown nr Tewkesbury, and this is her brother ?

Name George Welch
Gender Male
Christening Date 19 Aug 1770
Christening Date (Original) 19 AUG 1770
Christening Place CHURCHDOWN,GLOUCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name Richard Welch
Mother's Name Mary

????

---------------

The other marriage witness has a much easier name to trace, their being just 2 hits in the whole FoD database;

Record_ID: 206814
Entry_Number: 305
Year: 1778
Month: Dec
Day: 27
Grooms_Surname: COWLES
Grooms_Forenames: Tobias
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition: Batchelor
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: Of this Parish
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: GIBBINS
Brides_Forenames: Elizabeth
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Of this Parish
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: Licence
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: He Signed, She Marked
Witness_1: Richard Trigge
Witness_2: Toby Cowles
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: J Morse Curate
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P354 IN 1/4
Page_Number: 89
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex_Groom: C420
Soundex_Bride: G152

(Suspect Toby was his father).

Record_ID: 383502
Entry_Number: 1277
Year: 1798
Month: Jun
Day: 5
Surname: COWLES
Forenames: Tobias
Residence:
Age_at_death: Aged 49
Officiating_Minister: Richard Wetherell Vicar
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: Clerk of the Parish for 20 years
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/3
Page_No: 139
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: C420

So born abt 1750.

Looks like this PR needs reviewing, please;

Record_ID: 551881
Entry_Number:
Year: 1749
Month: Sep
Day: 23
Parents_Surname: COWLES
Child_Forenames: Tobit
Fathers_Forenames: Tobit
Mothers_Forenames: Elizabeth
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: [not stated]
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Tho[mas] Carpenter Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Son of
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 354 IN 1/2
Page_Number: 85
Parish_Chapel: Westbury on Severn
Soundex: C420