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Hi,

I have been researching my husband's tree and I am stuck at James Meek who accourding to census found on, was born in a place called Lea Bailey. His age on census would indicate he was born 1807c. He married Hannah Smart in Cheltenham on the 30th May 1831 and they lived in Down Hatherley after that date.

Would anyone be able to advise me on how to look for a baptism for James and where exactly Lea Bailey is?

Many thanks in advance
Claire

4339 views

http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=23830

Lea Bailey is an area West of Wigpool Common and East of Hope Mansell.
Its name is associated with a wooded Inclosure, and number of cottages spread out in that area and Lea Bailey Farm. Its generally thought of as within East dean, however it was a Tithing in its own right and a detached part of Newland.

http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&...

Lea Bailey tithing, where Newland parish officers had administered relief only intermittently and had never levied poor rates, relieved its own poor from the late 17th century. (fn. 11) It came to be regarded as a separate parish and in 1836 became part of the new Herefordshire poor-law union of Ross. (fn. 12) In the 1880s Lea Bailey was dismembered and its constituent parts added to various adjoining parishes

From: 'Forest of Dean: Local government and public services', A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5: Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean (1996), pp. 377-381. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23269 Date accessed: 28 February 2010.

LEA BAILEY is a tything of this parish, in Ross union, containing, by the census of 1861, 231, and in 1871, 253 inhabitants. It forms a portion of the Ecclesiastical district of Holy Trinity, East Dean, and consists chiefly of scattered groups of houses, lying between Cinderford and Mitcheldean Road Station on the Ross and Hereford Railway.
from

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cbennett/newland1876.htm

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

4531 views

Name: Hannah Meek
Estimated birth year: abt 1809
Year of Registration: 1898
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Age at Death: 89
District: Gloucester (1837-1937)
County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 6a
Page: 162

1891
Hannah Meck abt 1869 Hatherley Down, Gloucestershire, England Head Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Charles Meck abt 1836 Hatherley Down, Gloucestershire, England Son Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire

Name: James Meek ?
Estimated birth year: abt 1804
Year of Registration: 1882
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Age at Death: 78
District: Gloucester (1837-1937)
County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 6a
Page: 204

1881
James Meek abt 1807 Lea Bailey, Gloucestershire, England Head Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Hannah Meek abt 1809 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Wife Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Charles Meek abt 1836 Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Son Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire

1871
James Meek 63 The Leigh Herefordshire
Hannah Meek 62
Florence Elias Meek 6

1861
James Mick abt 1807 Lea Bowley, Gloucestershire, England Head Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Hannah Mick abt 1809 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Wife Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Samuel Mick abt 1849 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Son Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Jane Mick abt 1852 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Alice Mick abt 1855 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire

1851
James Mark abt 1807 Lea Bailey, Gloucestershire, England Head Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Hannah Meek abt 1809 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Wife Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Elisa Meek abt 1839 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
William Meek abt 1841 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Son Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Ann Meek abt 1844 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Thomas Meek abt 1847 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Son Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Samuel Meek abt 1849 Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England Son Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire

1841
James Meek abt 1810 Gloucestershire, England Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Hannah Meek abt 1811 Gloucestershire, England Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Henry Meek abt 1832 Gloucestershire, England Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Chewter Meek abt 1836 Gloucestershire, England Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Eliza Meek abt 1839 Gloucestershire, England Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire
Willm Meek abt 1841 Gloucestershire, England Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire

My suspicion falls on the family of Joseph and Hannah MEEK from the Lea Bailey area

such as :-

1801 MEEK Charles Joseph Hannah [not stated] Lea
1803 MEEK Mary Joseph Hannah [not stated] Lea
1805 MEEK Joseph Joseph Hannah [not stated] Lea
1807 MEEK Richard Joseph Hannah [not stated] Lea
1810 MEEK William Joseph Hannah [not stated] Lea

expanding :-

Year 1807
Month Jul
Day 26
Parents Surname MEEK
Child Forenames Richard
Fathers Forenames Joseph
Mothers Forenames Hannah
Mothers Surname
Residence [not stated]
Occupation
Officiating Minister
Event Baptism
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference AG68/2
Page Number
Parish Chapel Lea

<><><> and an entry for Joseph
1851
Joseph Meek abt 1806 Lea Baily, Gloucestershire, England Head Aston Ingham, Herefordshire
Sarah Meek abt 1815 Aston, Herefordshire, England Wife Aston Ingham, Herefordshire
Thomas Meek abt 1842 Aston, Herefordshire, England Son Aston Ingham, Herefordshire
Joseph Meek abt 1846 Aston, Herefordshire, England Son Aston Ingham, Herefordshire

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

4624 views

Hi,

Many thanks for your response. Thank you for the information about the location of Lea Bailey.

James' wife Hannah Smart was born in Down Hatherley which is why I believe they moved there after their marriage in Cheltenham.

The family you have referenced would seem likely to be connected but they didnt have a James. I am wondering if James' age was incorrect by a few years.

Kind Regards
Claire

4234 views

The other family to consider is this one :-

1790 MEEK Susannah Cornelius Elisabeth Mitcheldean
1792 MEEK John Cornelius Elisabeth Mitcheldean
1794 MEEKE Brissol Cornelus Elizabeth Abenhall
1797 MEEK Cornelius Cornelius Elizabeth Mitcheldean
1802 MEEK Christiana Cornelius Elisabeth Mitcheldean
1802 MEEK John Cornelius Elisabeth Mitcheldean
1805 MEAK Elizabeth Cornelius Elizabeth Mitcheldean
1807 MEEKE James Cornelus Elizabeth Abenhall
1810 MEEKE James Cornelus Elizabeth Abenhall
1810 MEEKE Mary Cornelus Elizabeth Abenhall
1814 MEEK George Cornelius Elizabeth Hundred of St Briavels Labourer Lea
1818 MEEK Ann Cornelius Elizabeth Bailey Labourer Drybrook

Year: 1790
Month: Apr
Day: 19
Grooms_Surname: MEEK
Grooms_Forenames: Cornelius
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition:
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: Newland
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: TAYLER
Brides_Forenames: Elizabeth
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition:
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Newland
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both mark
Witness_1: Mark of Anne Taylor
Witness_2: Thos Bond
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: P Ball vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P227 IN 1/8
Page_Number: 656
Parish_Chapel: Newland

It looks like they had a Lea / Drybrook connection and that may be what James remembers.

Year 1807
Month Jan
Day 11
Parents Surname MEEKE
Child Forenames James
Fathers Forenames Cornelus
Mothers Forenames Elizabeth
Mothers Surname
Residence
Occupation
Officiating Minister
Event Baptism
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference P1 IN 1/4
Page Number 4
Parish Chapel Abenhall

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

4298 views

Many thanks for all your help. I will look further more in to the two families you have mentioned to see if either are related to our James.

many thanks again
Claire

4236 views

MEEK Marriages at Cheltenham St Mary - up to part of 1837

Phoebe MEEK - Jonathan TAYLOR - 21 January 1819

Elizabeth MEEK - William RICHARDS - 7 December 1829

James MEEK - Hannah SMART - 30 May 1831

George MEEK - Eliza BAYLIS - 26 January 1834

James Sydney MEEK (Wdr) - Martha HALL - 24 March 1834

Mary Ann MEEK - Alexander STEWART - 3 March 1834

MEEK Baptisms at Cheltenham St Mary - up to part of 1837

Henry - parents James (Waiter) & Maria - 37 July 1822

Henry - parents James (labourer) & Hannah - 4 December 1831

Eleanor MEEK HAWKINS - parents William (Carpenter) & Harriet - 25 January 1835

Agnes Rhoda MEEK - parents James Sydney (Waiter) & Martha - 30 August 1829

Cornelius MEEK - parents George (Brewer) & Eliza - 27 January 1835

Elizabeth MEEK - parents Charles (French Polisher) & Ann - 27 January 1837

...........................................

Baptism :

Eliza MEEK - parents Basil (labourer) and Elizbth

address: LEA BAILEY

8 October 1820 - East Dean Drybrook

Basil MEEK (Hundred of St briavels) married

Elizabeth JONES - 12 June 1819 - Mitcheldean

Mark of Cornelius MEEK and Sarah WILCE

There are a cluster of MEEK on the 1841 census

Dean Forest, Ross, District 15 page 6 of 8

including

Brazillis MEEK age 48, Lime Burner * Christened 1 or 3 August - Abenhall - Brissol/Basil MEEKE - parents Cornelus & Elizabeth
Elizabeth 15, Maria 12, Charlotte 10

couple of doors away

MEEK

Joseph 70, Hannah 65, Lidia 24, and then

Thomas MEEK - 22, Amelia 20, George 3 months

4472 views

Hi,

Thank you so much for all those marriages & baptisms at Cheltenham. I have printed them all to look through.

I feel very positive that I might finally find James' family :)

Thanks again
Claire

4199 views

Re:

Eleanor MEEK HAWKINS - parents William (Carpenter) & Harriet - 25 January 1836 at Cheltenham

There is a marriage at Charlton Kings - 16 October 1834

William HAWKINS and Harriet MEEK

also

Elizabeth MEEK - parents Charles (French Polisher) & Ann - 27 January 1837 - at Cheltenham

There is a marriage of

Charles Henry MEEK to Mary Ann CHAMBERS at Charlton Kings - 31 January 1833

Re:

Marriage of James Sydney MEEK (Wdr) to Martha HALL - 24 March 1834 at Cheltenham

and the birth of

Agnes Rhoda MEEK - parents James & Martha - 25 January 1835

1851 Census, Cheshire, Birkenhead, District 1a Church Street

Listed as MECK

MECK

Sydney - Collector age 61 c1890 - born Herefordshire
Martha - 49 - born Worcestershire
Agnes - 21, born Glos.
Augustas - 20 - born Scotland
Elizabeth - 19 - born Scotland
Rosina - 14 - born Cheshire - christened 21 August 1822 - Cheltenham (James & Maria)
Sarah THOMAS - sister (think it says Midwife) age 51 born Wocester
and a couple of lodgers

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

4260 views

Charles MEEK - parents James (Labourer) & Hannah - 10 April 1836

Clara MEEK - parents James (Labourer) & Hannah - 2 March 1834

also

Cornelius MEEK - parents William (Shoemaker) & Ann - 7 September 1834

address: Glos. St Catherines

George MEEK - parents William & Ann - 11 September 1836
address: Gloucester, Twigworth St Cathe

1851 Census Glos Churcham

William MEEK - 42, Shoemaker, Journeyman - born East Dean
Ann MEEK - 42, born Gloucester
Cornelius MEEK - 16 - born Terigworth? Twigworth
Henry MEEK - 12 - born Lea
Sydney MEEK - 8 - Longhope
Reuben MEEK - 4 - born Longhope

1841 Census, Longhope

William MECK - 30 - Shoemaker
Ann - 30
Cornelius - 6, George - 4, Henry - 1

George must be related to James to travel to Down Hatherley to have children baptised there.

William MEEK of Down HATHERLEY married Anne HERBERT - Glos. St Mary De Lobe 17 November 1833

FOD records William MEEK - 22 April 1810 - parents Joseph & Hannah - address Lea

4362 views

There is a James Meek baptised Lea 1798, and Lea or Weston under Penyard would be the most likely churches used by anyone born Lea bailey like my G-grandmother.

Her sister married Bem Meek son of Thomas, they all went west to the USA.

4200 views

Thank you everyone for the valuable information given. It is very much appreciated. Are the Down Hatherley records online anywhere or would I need to try and visit an archives in the future?

Many thanks again
Claire

4189 views

Claire

Have contacted off line - also.....

Down Hatherley - do have a web site (with a History Group contact- Bill Welsh, with an email address)

http://www.downhatherleyvillage.com/

Thought the poem on this website - from Nursey Rhymes of Gloucestershire, by E.R.D. BERRYMAN made me 'chuckle'

which if you 'Google'- appears to have been published quite recently (for good causes)

4287 views

James Meek 1807 who married Hannah Smart 1809 at Cheltenham 30 May 1831 were born and married prior to registration which began in 1837, it is therefore difficult without certificates to be 100% certain of accuracy but in my Family Tree, James Meek was the son of Cornelius Meek 1766/1827 and Elizabeth Taylor 1767, married Newland 19 Apr 1790 as Slowhands has shown.

James Meek 1807 & Hannah had 10 children.
Cornelius Meek & Elizabeth had 8 children.

My interest here is that Cornelius Meek & Elizabeth also had a son Berzillai Meek 1793 who married twice, with his first wife Elizabeth Jones 1798 they had 7 children including Ann 1822 Lea. Ann Meek 1822 married my 3rd cousin 4 times removed Enos Brain 1821.

Cornelius Meek 1766 was the son of James Meek 1729 and Susannah Tollisby. James Meek 1729 was the son of Basil Meek 1694 & Susannah Watkins 1695.

Jim Ashton

4373 views

The family mentioned is of Joseph Meek and Hannah Baldwin.Joseph was born c1774 at Weston under Penyard and died in 1846 at Lea Bailey.Hannah was born 30/05/1779 at Ruardean and died 1869 in Gloucestershire.The couple were married at Newland Gloucesteshire on 8/06/1801.The Baldwins are a Ruardean family and go back to Charles Baldwin and Elizabeth Lamb married at Ruardean in 1681.I hope this is useful more information if required.

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