Tag: Isaac

Joseph Casbon, Death Registration, 1847

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Before getting to today’s topics, I have a couple of brief announcements. First, I’m happy to say that an article I wrote titled, “Thomas Casbon, James Scruby, and the Meldreth-Wayne County, Ohio Connection” has been published on the Meldreth History website. You can read the article here. Much of the information in this article has been presented in earlier blog posts, but the emphasis in the article is different, and there is some new information as well. I hope you will take a look.

Also, a previous article, “‛The Old Cow Got Round It’,” was also selected as the current Editor’s Choice on the Meldreth History site. The article in the website is nearly identical to an earlier blog post.

Finally, the blog will be on vacation for a while, as I will be doing a bit of traveling.

Now to today’s post. Joseph Casbon was the third son of Isaac (~1773–1825) and Susanna (Howes, ~1776–1840) Casbon. I have written previously about Joseph and his wife Lydia (Burgess). At that time, I only had three records or documents that mentioned Joseph by name. The first was a handwritten Casbon family history from about 1890 that mentioned Joseph as the son of Isaac (and gave the incorrect name for his mother) and the brother of Thomas, Williams and James.[1]

Isaac descendants
“Isaac Casbon Married Jayne Miller of Meldreth,
Near Royston Cambridge shire Englan both were raised and born in this place
There were born to them Thomas William Joseph, one dead he left no heirs James”
(Click on image to enlarge)

The other two records were Joseph’s marriage and burial records. There is no record of his birth or baptism, so we could only estimate his birth year as 1810 or 1811 based on the age (36) given when he was buried in 1847.[2] Now we have one more record to add to Joseph’s file: a copy of his civil death registration, which I recently ordered from the England and Wales General Register Office.[3]

death reg 1847
(Click on image to enlarge)

The most important new details in this record are the exact date and location of death, his age, occupation, and cause of death. We can see that he died on March 3, 1847 in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. Melbourn is the village just east of Meldreth, where Joseph was probably born and raised. His stated age of 35 would give him a birth date sometime between March 4, 1811 and March 3, 1812. Since his burial record listed his age as 36, we need to extend the beginning of this range to 1810. His occupation was “Labourer.” Given his family background, it would have been unlikely to be anything else.

Two conditions are listed under Cause of Death: “Catarrh 4 months” and “Pulmonary Consumption” (the word under this is “Certified,” which probably means a doctor certified his death). Neither of these terms are commonly used today. Catarrh in its simplest sense means “a discharge from a mucus membrane.”[4] In America, the term was generally restricted to inflammation of the membranes of the air passages.[5] In England, catarrh referred more specifically to inflammation of the trachea and bronchi (what we would call bronchitis).[6] An 1856 medical dictionary has this to say of the English version:

It is commonly an affection of but little consequence, but apt to relapse and become chronic. It is characterized by cough, thirst, lassitude, fever, watery eyes, with increased secretion of mucus from the air-passages. … Sometimes, the inflammation of the bronchial tubes is so great as to prove fatal.[7]

Consumption, in the generic sense, meant “progressive emaciation or wasting away,” but the term was most often applied to pulmonary tuberculosis, as in Joseph’s case.[8] In the early 19th century, the cause of tuberculosis was unknown, and many believed it to be hereditary or caused by constitutional weakness.[9] It wasn’t until 1865 that tuberculosis was determined to be infectious, and not until 1882 that the causative bacillus was identified.[10] There were no effective treatments until the twentieth century.

To summarize the cause of death for Joseph, he had pulmonary tuberculosis, a chronic wasting infection. In his final months, he developed catarrh; probably an accelerated phase of his underlying condition, with increased cough and mucus production.

In my earlier post about Joseph and his family, I mentioned that five of the six family members died within a five-year period, and speculated that tuberculosis was the likely cause.[11] This is certainly supported by Joseph’s death record. It’s likely that the infection was spread among the family members, all living in close quarters.

I was curious about the informant for the facts of the death record, a woman named Sarah Worland. She was most likely Sarah Worland, born about 1788 in Meldreth, who lived within one or two houses of Lydia (and Joseph?) Casbon.

I have never been able to find Joseph in the 1841 census, the first census to list names of household members. I have no idea why he doesn’t appear in the census, but clearly he was living in Melbourn when he died in 1847.

[1] Handwritten Casbon family history, ca. 1888–92, photocopy, whereabouts of original unknown, private collection of Jon Casbon.
[2] Parish of Meldreth (Cambridgeshire, England), Register of Burials 1813-75, p. 47, no. 373, Joseph Casbon, 7 Mar 1847; imaged as “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/film/007567609?cat=210742 : accessed 28 April 2017), image 466 of 699; citing FHL microfilm 1,040,542, item 10.
[3] Cambridgeshire, England, Royston and Buntingford district, Melbourn sub-district, death registration, 1847, no. 92, Joseph Casbon (indexed as Caston, age 35), 3 Mar, Melbourn; image copy (downloaded as pdf file), General Registration Office, Southport, vol. 6/491.
[4] Robley Dunkinson, Medical Lexicon: a Dictionary of Medical Science; Containing a Concise Explanation of the Various Subjects and Terms of Physiology, Pathology, Hygiene, Therapeutics, Pharmacology, Obstetrics, Medical Jurisprudence, &c, 13th ed. rev. (Philadelphia: Blanchard and Lea, 1856), p. 179, “Catarrh’”; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009703960 : accessed 29 May 2018).
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid, p. 233, “Consumption.”
[9] John Frith, “History of Tuberculosis. Part 1 – Phthisis, Consumption and the White Plague,” Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health, vol. 22, no. 2, online edition (http://jmvh.org/article/history-of-tuberculosis-part-1-phthisis-consumption-and-the-white-plague/ : accessed 29 May 2018).
[10] Ibid.
[11] Jon Casbon, “Joseph and Lydia (Burgess) Casbon,” 2 Mar 2017, Our Casbon Journey (https://casbonjourney.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/joseph-and-lydia-burgess-casbon/ : accessed 29 May 2018).

Cousins

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Amos and Sina Casbon
Portrait of Amos James Casbon (1869–1956) and Sina Jane Casbon (1874–1952);
undated photo.

Thanks to Ron Casbon for contributing this portrait of Amos James and Sina Jane Casbon. Isn’t it lovely?

You would think from the photograph that they are either siblings or perhaps even engaged. Neither of these assumptions would be correct. They are first cousins, once removed. Amos was the son of James Casbon (about 1813–1884), while Sina Jane was the daughter of Charles Thomas Casbon (1840–1915). Their common ancestor was Isaac Casbon (about 1773–1825), who was the father of James and the grandfather of Charles Thomas. These relationships are illustrated in the diagram below.

Descendant Chart for Isaac Casbon

Although undated, based on their apparent ages, I would estimate that the photograph was taken in the late 1880s or early 1890s, when Amos would have been in his early twenties and Sina in her late teens. They are wearing their best clothing. It is clearly a studio portrait, and was probably photographed in Valparaiso, Indiana.

This portrait intrigues me because it suggests a certain level of friendship or intimacy between the two subjects. Aside from this photograph, there is no documentation that I know of that suggests any kind of relationship between them, other than their shared ancestry and location (Porter County). What is the significance of this portrait? Is it merely the commemoration of two cousins who were also friends? Might there have been an engagement? Perhaps I’m reading too much into this. If any of my readers know more, I hope they will comment.

These questions highlight a huge gap in the information available to me. The 1890 United States census records were destroyed in a fire. This means I have no information on Amos from the time he was 11 years old (1880) until he was 31 (1900). Likewise, I don’t know anything about Sina or her whereabouts between 1880 and 1910. I haven’t been able to locate an entry for her in the 1900 census; her parents are listed, but she is not with them. However, she was living with them in the 1910 census.[1]

Amos lost his father when he was 15 years old.[2] He and his stepmother probably received assistance from other family members, including Charles Thomas Casbon. Since he and Sina were fairly close in age, it’s not surprising that they would be friends. Amos went on to marry Carrie Belle Aylesworth in 1900, and they had a long and happy (as far as I know) marriage.[3] Sina Jane married Alfred Urbahns in 1915.[4]

So, what is a first cousin, once removed? I’ve always been confused by this terminology. Thankfully, my genealogy software (Family Tree Maker) tells me the relationships between any two people. Even so, it’s interesting to try to figure out.

Aside from siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, great grandparents or great aunts/uncles, etc., all of our other relatives are cousins of one kind or another. Therefore, many of the readers of this blog are my cousins, even if I’ve never met you.

Here are some definitions, from the Ancestor Search website:[5]

First Cousin. Your first cousin is a child of your aunt or uncle. You share one set of grandparents with your first cousin, but you do not have the same parents.

Second Cousin. Your second cousin is the grandchild of your great-aunt or great-uncle. You share one set of great-grandparents with your second cousin, but you do not have the same grandparents.

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Cousins. Your third cousin is the great-grandchild of your great-great-aunt or great-great-uncle. You share a set of great-great-grandparents with your third cousin, but do not have the same great-grandparents. Fourth cousins have one set of great-great-great-grandparents, but not the same great-great-grandparents. And so on.

Double Cousins. If two siblings in one family marry two siblings from another family and each couple has a child, the children are double first cousins. The word double in addition to the first cousin term is because they share the same four grandparents. Regular first cousins share only one set of common grandparents, while double first cousins share both sets of grandparents plus all lineal and collateral relatives.

Removed. The relationships of cousins of different generations are explained by using the word “removed”. Cousins who are “once removed” have a one-generation difference. For example, the first cousin of your father is your first cousin, once removed. In that case, your father’s first cousin is one generation younger than your grandparents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents. This one-generation difference is explained by saying that you are cousins “once removed.”. Removed cousin relationships is never measured by age, but only by generation differences.

Twice removed means that there is a two-generation difference between cousins. If you are two generations younger than the first cousin of your grandparent, then the relationship between you and your grandparent’s first cousin are first cousins, twice removed.

Cousin relationships can be any combination of first, second, third and so on, with once removed, twice removed, and so on.

Looking back at the diagram earlier in this post, you can see that Amos James and Sina’s father, Charles Thomas, were first cousins, i.e., they had a shared set of grandparents (Isaac and his wife Susanna [not shown]). Sina is one generation farther away from Isaac, hence she is Amos’ first cousin, once removed.

Incidentally, since I also share Isaac as a common ancestor with Amos and Sina, that makes me a first cousin, four times removed, to Amos; and first cousin, three times removed, to Sina.

[1] “United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RJV-K?cc=1727033&wc=QZZ7-QBL%3A133640401%2C141400701%2C133664001%2C1589089119 : accessed 30 October 2016), entry for Sina Casbon (age 35) in household of Charles Casbon; citing enumeration district 141, sheet 10A, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
[2] “Murder! That is What is Made out of the Case of Old Man Casbon,” The Porter County (Indiana) Vidette, 28 August 1884; photocopy of newspaper clipping, privately held by Ron D Casbon [Address for private use].
[3] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDHQ-DK8 : accessed 21 January 2016), Amos J Casbon and Carrie B Aylesworth, 28 Nov 1900; citing Porter, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,686,211.
[4] “Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCJ9-383 : accessed 13 April 2017), Alfred W. Urbahns & Sina Casbon, 14 Oct 1915; citing reference it 1, p. 318, no. 9890; FHL microfilm 1,320,183.
[5] “Cousin Calculator, Relationship Chart & Relationship Definitions,” Ancestor Search (http://www.searchforancestors.com/utility/cousincalculator.html : accessed 13 April 2017).

Jane, William and Edith, Part 1

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I would like to preface this post with these definitions:

Genealogy – a study of family ancestors with pertinent data such as birth, marriage and death dates.
Family History – an in-depth study of a family lineage with greater emphasis and clarification of each ancestor’s life story.[1]

Hopefully my readers will agree that this blog leans more towards the family history definition than that of genealogy. Not that I intend to demean genealogy in any way. Genealogy research is the tool I use to get the facts needed to write about our family history. The dates and events are important – and sometimes the only information I have. But what I really want to do is to understand and describe our ancestors’ lives and the world they lived in.

Which leads me to the discussion of siblings. A strict genealogical approach would emphasize direct ancestors – parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc. Siblings might be mentioned, but probably not explored in depth. There’s nothing wrong with that approach, but I think it restricts the ability to understand our ancestors’ lives. If you think about your own relatives – brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents – they all relate in some way to your concept of family and how you fit into that family. It must have been the same for our ancestors. For this reason, it’s important to me to look beyond my own direct ancestors and find out more about their extended families.

The late 18th century and early 19th century was an especially rich time when it comes to Casbon families in the Meldreth, Cambridgeshire area. My fifth great-grandfather Thomas Casbon (1843–1799) and his wife Jane (Wilson, 1741–1831) had seven children, four of whom survived into adulthood and had families of their own. These were: James (1772–1833), Isaac (1773–1825), Thomas (1775–1820), and John (1779–1813). Each of them had three or more children who lived beyond childhood, and each of them continued to live and work in the Meldreth area.

My point is this: by the early 1800s, Meldreth was teeming with Casbons. There were siblings and cousins galore. They must have had at least passing acquaintance with one another.

So, after this admittedly roundabout introduction, I’ll finally get to the real subject of today’s post. This is the first in a 3-part series about 3 siblings: Jane, William, and Edith Casbon, the children of John and Martha (Wagstaff) Casbon. John and Martha were each the subjects of earlier posts (“John Casbon of Meldreth & Royston (~1779-1813)” and “Martha = Patty”). Today I’m focusing on their first child, Jane.

Jane was born in Royston, Hertfordshire, probably in 1803, and was baptized November 27th of that year.[2]

Jane Casburn Bp Royston 1803
Detail from Royston parish registers, 1803. (Click on image to enlarge)

She was 10 years old and the oldest of the three children when her father died at Meldreth in 1813.[3] Given the social and economic conditions of the time, it probably would have been necessary for her to help support the family in some manner, but there is no record of this. Things would have improved when her mother married Samuel Barnes in 1815.[4] Jane and her siblings gained 4 half-brothers and one half-sister, ranging in age from 8 to 20 years old.

Jane never married. In the 1841 census, she was living with her mother, “Patty” Barns.[5]

Jane Casbon b 1803 Royston 1841 census Meld
Page from 1841 Census, Meldreth, Cambridgeshire. (Click on image to enlarge)

Two entries above that for Patty and Jane is one for William Casbel and his two children. This was not her brother William, but her first cousin, son of Isaac. Her brother William appears a few pages later, farther down the same street.

In the 1851 census, she was still living with her mother, and was now right next door to her brother.[6]

1851 census Meldreth
Page from 1851 Census, Meldreth, Cambridgeshire. (Click on image to enlarge)

This entry is interesting because it lists Janes mother as a “Pauper,” and Jane as a “Straw Platter.” What is a straw platter, you ask? The answer is that a straw plaiter was someone who braided straw to be used in the production of certain textiles, especially straw hats, which were fashionable at the time.[7],[8] The straw was braided into long strips and then sold by the score (20 yards) to either middlemen or manufacturers.[9] The straw plaits were sewn together in factories to make the finished product.[10] It was said that straw-plaiting women could earn more than their husbands.[11]

Happy Times
“Happy Times: Straw-Plaiting near St. Albans”[12] This engraving, based on a watercolor painting,
appeared in The Illustrated London News in May, 1853. (Click on image to enlarge)

Most straw plaiting in England was done in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire and Hertfordshire.[13] Meldreth, in Cambridgeshire, was only a few miles away from the county borders of both Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, so it was apparently close enough for Jane to get in on the business. It’s interesting that of the 776 entries in the 1851 Meldreth census, Jane’s is the only one given “straw platter” as the occupation.

In 1861, Jane was living alone, her mother having died in 1855.[14] Her occupation was listed as “Retired.”[15] This makes me curious whether she had a source of income or enough savings to live on.

The 1871 census makes a surprising revelation.[16]

Jane C b1803 Royston 1871 census Melbourn
Page from 1871 census, Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. (Click on image to enlarge)

She was now living in Melbourn (just a mile from Meldreth). The word “Pauper” under Occupation has been crossed out. The surprise is in the column on the far right that says “Cripple from Birth.” I didn’t see that coming! I don’t know what kind of disability she had, but I would guess that it affected her ability to walk normally. She seemed to be able to use her hands, given her earlier work as a straw plaiter. How did this disability affect her life? I would like to think that she overcame the adversities in her life and ended up a stronger, more independent woman.

Jane’s death at the age of 69 was registered in Royston in the third quarter of 1872.[17] There is no record of her burial in either the Meldreth or Melbourn parish registers.

[1] “Think There Is No Difference in Genealogy vs. Family History?,”n.d., familytree.com (http://www.familytree.com/blog/think-there-is-no-difference-in-genealogy-vs-family-history/ : accessed 29 March 2017).
[2] “Hertfordshire Baptisms,” images and transcriptions, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=gbprs%2fb%2f71142286%2f1 : accessed 29 March 2017), Jane Casburn, 27 Nov 1803; citing Hertfordshire Record Office, Royston Parish Register, Baptisms 1662—1812, Marriages 1662—1754, Burials 1662–1678.
[3] Parish of Meldreth (Cambridgeshire, England), “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” John Casbail burial, 3 Dec 1813; Family History Library microfilm 1,040,542.
[4] Parish of Meldreth, “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” marriage of Samuel Barnes & Martha Casbon, 24 Jul 1815; Family History Library microfilm 1,040,542.
[5] “1841 Census of England, Wales & Scotland,” High Street, Meldreth, Royston & Buntingford, Cambridgeshire; image and transcription, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=gbc%2f1841%2f0000942497 : accessed 29 March 2017), entry for Jane Casbon (age 35) in household of Patty Barns; citing [The National Archives], HO 107, piece 63, book 19, folio 6, p. 6.
[6] “1851 Census of England, Wales & Scotland,” Meldreth, Royston, Hertfordshire; image and transcription, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=gbc%2f1851%2f0006949839 : accessed 29 March 2017), entry for Jane Casbon (age 48) in household of Patty Barns; citing [The National Archives], HO 107, piece 1708, folio 49, p. 14.
[7] “Straw plaiting,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_plaiting : accessed 29 March 2017), rev. 5 Dec 16, 21:32.
[8] Eleanor Markland, “Teachers’ Notes,” Luton: Hat Industry 1750 to 2000 (Luton Borough Council [Museum Service], 2003), p. 5; online PDF book, Luton Culture (http://www.lutonculture.com/uploads/documents/1339774056_HatIndustry.pdf : accessed 29 March 2017).
[9] Markland, “Teachers’ Notes,” Luton: Hat Industry 1750 to 2000, p. 6.
[10] Markland, “Teachers’ Notes,” Luton: Hat Industry 1750 to 2000, p. 48.
[11] Straw Plaiting,” A History of Preston in Hertfordshire (http://www.prestonherts.co.uk/page222.html : accessed 29 March 2017)
[12] “Happy Times: Straw-Plaiting near St. Albans,” The Illustrated London News, 14 May 1853, supplement, vol. 22, p. 392; online images, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.60765664;view=1up;seq=394 : accessed 29 March 2017).
[13] “Straw plaiting,” Wikipedia.
[14] “1861 Census of Engand, Wales & Scotland,” Meldreth, Royston, Hertfordshire; image and transcription, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=gbc%2f1861%2f0005026890 : accessed 29 March 2017), Jane Carston (age 59); citing [The National Archives], enumeration district 15, RG 09, piece 815, folio 59, p. 13.
[15] “1861 Census of Engand, Wales & Scotland,” Meldreth; findmypast (accessed 29 March 2017).
[16] “1871 Census of England, Wales & Scotland,” Meeting Lane, Melbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire, England; image and transcription, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=gbc%2f1871%2f0016452824 : accessed 27 March 2017), entry for Jane Casbon (age 67)); citing [The National Archives], RG 10, piece 1362, folio 69, p. 14.
[17] “England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007,” Royston, Hertfordshire, vol. 3A: 195; database, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=bmd%2fd%2f1872%2f3%2faz%2f000054%2f315 : accessed 29 March 2017), Jane Casbon (age 69), 3d quarter, 1872.

A Casbon in Parliament?

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Well, yes … sort of.

This advertisement appeared in The (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) Daily Colonist in 1907.[1]

William Casbon Parliament(Click on image to enlarge)

As you can see, the advertisement includes an endorsement of sorts by “William Casbon, Superintendent of the Refreshment Department of the House of Lords, London.” This William is an interesting character, arising from humble beginnings in Meldreth, Cambridgeshire before rising to this somewhat exalted position. His ascent reflects the social and economic changes during the transition from the Victorian era into the twentieth century.

We can trace his ancestry back to Meldreth through his father and grandfather – both named William – and then back three more generations to the “original” John of early 18th century Meldreth (see “Stuck on John”).

descendancy chart

His father William was born in late 1834 or early 1835, and baptized in Meldreth February 7, 1835.[2] Initially an agricultural labourer like his predecessors, by his later years he was known as a fruit grower and market gardener.[3],[4] It would be interesting to know how he was able to advance above the station of a labourer, but I don’t have any information that would help answer that question. The wife of this William and mother of our parliamentarian was baptized Sarah West at Soham, Cambridgeshire, in 1823. Besides William, they had two other children: Walter (1856–1923) and Priscilla (1862–after 1891).

William’s paternal grandfather was also named William. He was the second son of Isaac and Susanna (Howes) Casbon of Meldreth.

The William of today’s post was born 1860 in Meldreth.[5],[6] I have not found a baptismal record. After appearing on the 1861 and 1871 censuses with his family, he disappears from view for over 20 years. I believe he is the William (Casban, Caskan?), age 23, birthplace Meldreth or Hildreth, Cambridgeshire, who appears in the 1881 census in the village of Breadsall, Derbyshire, as a railway signalman.[7] But there is too much ambiguity about this record for me to confidently say this is the same man. I also think he might be the “W. Casbon,” age 24, seeking a position as first footman in an 1884 London newspaper ad.[8] But again, there just isn’t enough information to make a firm identification.

The next record I can confirm as belonging to this William is his marriage in 1892 to Mary Grace Hoskins, at St George-Hanover Square, London.[9]

William next appears in the 1901 census, living in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire. His occupation is listed as “Golf Club Manager.” This is quite a step up from the son of a labourer in Meldreth. It was in this same year that he received a provisional appointment as Superintendent of the Refreshment Department, along with “a house and certain allowances.”[10] I can only guess that the experience he gained as a golf club manager gave him the necessary skills to qualify and be appointed to the House of Lords position. Perhaps he was able to make some influential friends along the way.

The provisional appointment must have been converted to a permanent position. William and Mary appear in the 1911 census, their address listed as “House of Lords Westminster,” occupation “caterers.”[11] The census also records that they had two servants.

The advertisement at the beginning of this post caused some controversy. This was written in the popular magazine, Truth, in 1906.[12]

Wm Casbon in Truth magazine 1906(Click on image to enlarge)

It appears that William was providing certificates for products on his own initiative (presumably for a fee). The trouble seems to have arisen in 1905, but as the 1907 advertisement shows, the Scotch whiskey purveyors were still using his certificates well after they had supposedly “expired.” Apparently, the controversy was not enough for him to lose his job. Although not mentioned in the Truth article, William did not limit his endorsements to whiskey. I found this advertisement for marmalade in another newspaper.[13]

Marmalade endorsement(Click on image to enlarge) Newspaper image © The British Library Board. All rights reserved. With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk). 

All this leads me to conclude that William must have been an energetic and ambitious man who capitalized on opportunities to improve his station in life. I think he must have had a winning personality, as well as natural talent, to advance as far as he did. I don’t know whether he was being astute or naïve when it comes to the use of his position in Parliament to endorse certain products.

William and his wife Mary Grace never had children, so there are no descendants today. William died on September 8, 1939, leaving Mary Grace an estate of about £355 (worth about £21,600 today).[14],[15] Mary Grace died in 1950.[16]

[1] Advertisement for James Monroe & Sons “House of Lords” Whiskey, The (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) Daily Colonist. 10 Nov 1907, p. 1, col. 1; PDF image, Old FultonNY Post Cards (http://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html : accessed 19 March 2016), search on Casbon,Whiskey.
[2] Parish of Meldreth (Cambridgeshire, England), Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877, William Casburn baptism (1835); FHL Microfilm 1,040,542.
[3] “Find a Will,” Gov.UK (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk : accessed 6 March 2017), Wills and Probate 1858–1996, search terms Casbon, 1896.
[4] “1891 Census of England and Wales,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W83R-F3Z : accessed 2 August 2016), entry for William Casbon (age 55), Witcroft Rd, Meldreth, Hertfordshire; citing The National Archives, RG 12, piece 1104, folio 14, p.18.
[5] “England & Wales births 1837-2006,” Royston, Hertfordshire, vol, 3A:205, William Casbon, 3d quarter, 1860; database, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 17 February 2017).
[6] “1861 Census of England and Wales,” database with images, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=gbc%2f1861%2f0005026675 : accessed 6 March 2017), Meldreth, Royston, Hertfordshire, England, schedule 11, William Carston (age 25); citing [The National Archives], enumeration district 15, RG 09, piece 815, folio 54, p. 4.
[7] “1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census,” database with images, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=gbc%2f1881%2f0015417935 : accessed 6 March 2017), entry for William Caskan (age 23), Pall Mall, Breadsall, Shardlow, Derbyshire, England; citing [The National Archives], RG 11, piece 3393, folio 67, p. 2.
[8] “Want Places,” The (London) Morning Post, 5 March 1884, p. 8, col. 7; online image, “British Newspaper Collection,” findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/bna : accessed 6 March 2017)
[9] “England & Wales Marriages 1837-2008,” St George Hanover Square, London, England, vol. 1A, p. 837, William Casbon & Mary Grace Hoskin, 3d quarter 1892; database, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=bmd%2fm%2f1892%2f3%2faz%2f000053%2f161 : accessed 4 March 2017).
[10] “Refreshment Department,” Journals of the House of Lords (H.M. Stationery Office, 1901 – Great Britain), Volume 133, p. 305; image, Google books (https://books.google.com/books?id=RcE4AQAAIAAJ&dq : accessed 5 March 2017).
[11] “1911 Census of England and Wales,” database with images, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbc%2f1911%2frg14%2f00489%2f0075%2f1 : accessed 17 February 2017), entry for William Casbon (age 50), St Margaret & St John, Westminster, London, England; citing [The National Archives], enumeration district 24, census reference RG14PN489 RG78PN16 RD5 SD3 ED24 SN10.
[12] Truth (magazine), vol. 59, no. 1519, p. 309, col. 2; image, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=PHQxAQAAMAAJ&dq : accessed 5 March 2017).
[13] Advertisement for Dunster Marmalade, The (Willton) West Somerset (England) Free Press August 3, 1907, p. 3, col. 6; image, “British Newspaper Collection,” findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/bna : accessed 5 March 2017).
[14] “Find A Will,” digital image, Gov.UK (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk : accessed 7 March 2017); 1944 National Probate Calendar, entry for William Casbon (died 8 September 1939).
[15] “UK Inflation Calculator,” Alioth LLC (http://www.in2013dollars.com : accessed 7 March 2017).
[16] ” Search the GRO [General Register Office] Online Index “, database, HM Passport Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp : accessed 7 March 2017), Brighton, Sussex, England, vol. 5H: 70, Mary Grace Casbon death (age 84), June quarter, 1950.

Joseph and Lydia (Burgess) Casbon

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You might need the Kleenex® for this one.

One goal of genealogy, at least for me, is to keep lives from being forgotten. By writing about them, I hope to recognize, and give context and meaning to their existence, even if there are no living descendants to preserve their memory. Sometimes there is precious little to preserve when it comes to genealogical records.

Such is the case with Joseph Casbon and his wife Lydia. There is such a paucity of records, that I can only provide a bare outline of their lives. Unfortunately, those few records tell a depressing story

Until I was given a very old hand-written family history last year, I didn’t know if or how Joseph was related to the other Casbons. I wrote about this in a post titled “From England to Indiana, Part 2.” Joseph was listed as the son of Isaac Casbon (1773–1825), and brother to Thomas (1803–1888), William (1806–1875), and James (abt. 1813–1884). The only description given of Joseph was this: “dead he left no heirs.”[1]

Other than this family history, the only two records I have that mention Joseph by name are those documenting his marriage and his burial. The first of these records his marriage to Lydia Burgess in 1835.[2]

1835 Joseph Casbon Lydia Burgess M Royston Marriage record of Joseph Casbon and Lydia Burgess, October 17, 1835, Parish of Royston (Hertfordshire & Cambridgeshire, England). (Click on image to enlarge)

A little information can be gleaned from this record. We can see that Joseph was a resident of Melbourn parish (just outside of Meldreth) and a bachelor. Lydia was “of this parish” (Royston) and a spinster – meaning an unmarried woman. Both Joseph and Lydia signed with their marks, meaning they were not proficient at writing, and possibly could not read. I don’t recognize the names of either of the two witnesses (John Thurley & Phoebe Huggins).

The only other record I have of Joseph is his burial in Meldreth March 7, 1847.[3]

1847 Joseph Casbon Bu MeldDetail from Meldreth Parish register, burials 1847. (Click on image to enlarge)

The burial record tells us that Joseph was still a resident of Melbourn, and that he was 36 years old when he died. This is useful information, because I’ve never been able to find a record of his baptism. Assuming the age is correct, we can estimate that he was born in 1810 or 11, and that he was about 24 years old when he married Lydia.

For Lydia, in addition to the marriage record, I have two census entries, birth registrations for her children, and a burial record. The first of these is the 1841 England and Wales census.[4]

Lydia Burgess Casbon 1841 Census Melb Detail from 1841 census of England, Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. (Click on image to enlarge)

The census tells us that Lydia lived in Chiswick End, a street lies roughly in between Melbourn and Meldreth proper.

Meldreth ord surv map 1945 color detailMap detail showing location of Chiswick End, from Ordnance Survey of Great Britain New Popular Edition, Sheet 148 – Saffron Walden. This work is based on data provided through www.VisionofBritain.org.uk and uses historical material which is copyright of the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and the University of Portsmouth.

The 1841 census also shows that Lydia was 28 years old and was born outside of Cambridgeshire (the “No” in the right-hand column). Two children were in the home: Ann, age 2, born in Cambridgeshire; and Mary, 6 months, also born in Cambridgeshire.

For an unknown reason, Joseph is not recorded in this census. The census only recorded those who were physically present in the household at the time of the census. If a family member was visiting relatives or working elsewhere, they could be recorded at whichever location they occupied on the day of the census (more accurately the night of the census, but that’s another story). Some records have been lost or are too illegible to read. At any rate, I haven’t been able to find an entry for Joseph anywhere in England in the 1841 census. He must have been around, since Lydia continued bearing children (presumably his) through 1844.

In the 1851, Lydia was living in “M[elbourn] in Meldreth,” and listed as: head of household, widow, age 39.[5]

Lydia C 1851 meldreth census Detail from 1851 census of England, Melbourn, Hertfordshire. (Click on image to enlarge)

Her status is widow makes sense, given that Joseph died in 1847. In addition, she is described as a “Pauper,” meaning she was dependent on public support. Her birthplace is listed as Chrishall, Essex. Daughter Ann is not recorded, but Mary, now age 10, is there, along with a new daughter Emma, age 6. Both daughters were born in Meldreth. From these two censuses, we can estimate that Lydia was born in 1812 or 13. I’ve searched online for records of her birth in and around Chrishall, Essex, in this timeframe, without success.

Three children are mentioned in the two census records. I haven’t found baptismal records for any of them, but in the course of researching for this post, I was able to find civil registrations of their births. Birth registrations were required in England beginning in 1837. Births in Meldreth and Melbourn were registered in nearby Royston, Hertfordshire. The online birth registration index contains limited information – only name, year, quarter of birth, and mother’s maiden name. Individual birth records with complete information can be purchased from the General Register Office, but I haven’t done so.

In addition to the daughters listed in the census, I found a birth registration for a fourth child, also a daughter. Sadly, I also found burial records in Meldreth for three of these four children. Here is a summary of the four daughters’ lives:

  • Harriet Ann (“Ann” in the 1841 census): born 4th quarter, 1838;[6] buried August 15, 1850, age 11.[7] Her death explains her absence from the 1851 census.

  • Mary: born 1st quarter, 1841.[8] Orphaned at age 10, she survived to adulthood. Her immigration to the United States and subsequent marriage to William Slocum is described in “From England to Indiana, Part 8.”

  • Hannah (not in either census record): born 4th quarter, 1842;[9] buried June 6, 1848, age 5.[10]

  • Emma: born 4th quarter, 1844;[11] buried April 9, 1852, age 7.[12]

Lydia was buried in June, 1851, just a couple months after the census was taken.[13]

Lydia C Burial 1851 MeldrethDetail from Parish of Meldreth, Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NXZK?mode=g&i=287&cc=1465708&cat=1108704 : accessed 28 February 2017) (Click on image to enlarge)

Her age on the burial record does not match her estimated year of birth from the census records, but this must be her. There was no one else in England with her name and the same approximate age.

What happened to this family? Five of six family members were buried within the span of five years. They could have died from a variety of causes, but my guess is that they suffered from what was then known as consumption (tuberculosis), a disease aggravated by conditions associated with poverty: living in close quarters, poor sanitation, and malnutrition.

On the other hand, after the loss of her husband and two daughters, and with another probably very sick at home, is it too much to believe that Lydia might have died from a broken heart?

[1] Author unknown, photocopy of untitled, undated, handwritten family tree describing descendants of Isaac and Thomas Casbon, 1890-92 (estimated), p. 1, line 5; privately held by Jon Casbon [Address for private use], 2017; photocopy was given to Jon Casbon by Donald A Casbon [Address for private use] in 2016; source and location of original is unknown.
[2] Parish of Royston (Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, England), “Register of Marriages [1813–1837],” p. 89, Joseph Casbon & Lydia Burgess, 17 Oct 1835; database with images, “Hertfordshire Marriages,” findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : accessed 3 February 2017).
[3] Parish of Meldreth (Cambridgeshire, England), parish registers, 1681-1877, Joseph Casbon burial (1847); FHL microfilm 1,040,542.
[4] 1841 census of England, Cambridgeshire, Melbourn, p. 14 (stamped), Lydia Casbon; image, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : accessed 21 July 2016); citing [The National Archives] HO 107, piece 63, book 15, folio 14, p. 22.
[5] 1851 census of England, Hertfordshire, Melbourn, p. 29 (stamped), Lydia Casbon; image, findmypast (accessed 21 July 2016); citing [The National Archives] HO 107, piece 1708, folio 206, p. 29.
[6] HM Passport Office, database, Search the [General Register Office] GRO Online Index (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp : accessed 28 February 2017), birth of Harriet Ann Casbon (1838); citing Hertfordshire, December quarter 1838, Royston & Buntingford district, vol. 6: 463.
[7] Parish of Meldreth, parish registers, 1681-1877, Harriet Anne Casbon burial (1850); FHL microfilm 1,040,542.
[8] GRO Online Index (accessed 28 February 2017), birth of Mary Casbon (1841); citing Hertfordshire, March quarter 1841, Royston & Buntingford district, vol. 6:553.
[9] GRO Online Index (accessed 28 February 2017), birth of Hannah Casbon (1842); citing Hertfordshire, December quarter 1841, Royston & Buntingford district, vol. 6:530.
[10] Meldreth parish registers, Hannah Casbon burial (1848); FHL microfilm 1,040,542.
[11] GRO Online Index (accessed 28 February 2017), birth of Emma Casbon (1844); citing Hertfordshire, December quarter 1841, Royston & Buntingford district, vol. 6:540.
[12] Meldreth parish registers, Emma Casbon burial (1852); FHL microfilm 1,040,542.
[13] Meldreth parish registers, Lydia Casbourn burial (1851); FHL microfilm 1,040,542.

James Casbon of Meldreth (~1772-1833)

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I have discussed my 4th great-grandfather Isaac (“From England to Indiana, Part 2”) and his father Thomas (“Stepping back: Thomas Casbon, 1743-1799”). Today I will focus on Isaac’s older brother James, baptized as James Casbull on July 19, 1772 in Meldreth. [1]

James C bapt 1772 Meld
Baptismal record of James Casbull (Click on image to enlarge)

He is an important link in ‘Our Casbon Journey’ because of his many descendants. Like his brother Isaac, the available records are limited to baptism, marriage, burial, and the baptisms of his children.

Being the son of a laborer, James probably started working at an early age to help support the family. Although no records show his occupation, he was almost certainly a laborer as well.

James married Ann Ward in Great Eversden, Cambridgeshire on October 19, 1793. [2] Great Eversden is a tiny village about 4 miles north of Meldreth.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/more.php?id=3149316
Parish Church of Saint Mary, Great Eversden, Cambridgeshire, completed in 1470. © Copyright John Salmon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License (Click on image to enlarge)

At first I could not be sure this was the right James, until I located this copy of the marriage record on Ancestry. [3]

james c ann ward marrage 1793
(Click on image to enlarge]

When I saw that the marriage was witnessed by Thomas (either James’ father or brother) and Isaac Casbon, I knew I had my man!

Unfortunately, I can’t trace Ann Ward with certainty. It is a very common name. There are two baptismal records for Ann Ward from 1771, one in the village of Orwell, about 2 miles from both Meldreth and Great Eversden, and the other in Croydon cum Clapton, about 4 miles from Meldreth and Great Eversden. [4],[5] Most likely, she is the one from Croydon cum Clapton, since I was able to locate a separate marriage record for Ann Ward in Orwell dated 1797. [6]

James and Ann had only one child before Ann died in 1795. [7]

Ann Ward C burial Meld 1795
Burial record of Ann (Ward) Casbon February 18, 1795, Meldreth (Click on image to enlarge)

Their daughter Ruth was baptized March 17, 1794 in Meldreth. [8]

Left with an infant child, it didn’t take long for James to remarry, this time to Mary Howse, on November 23, 1796. [9]

1796 James Casbon Mary Howse M Meld
Marriage record of James Casbon to Mary Howse (Click on image to enlarge)

Look back up at the first image in this post. There is Mary Howse’s baptism in the second entry! It’s tempting to think that Mary was related to Susanna Howes, the wife of James’ brother Isaac. If such a connection exists, I haven’t found it yet. Mary was born and raised in Meldreth, and Susanna was born and raised in nearby Bassingbourn. Nevertheless, I think there’s a good chance they were cousins.

James and his new wife Mary had three more children: Mary (baptized 1798 in Meldreth), [10] Nancy (or Ann – baptized 1800 in Meldreth), [11] and James Howse Casbon (born 1806 in Meldreth). [12] Mary married William Wood in Meldreth 1817. [13] Nancy (then known as Ann) married John Prime in Meldreth 1823. [14] Of son James, we shall hear more in a future post.

The only remaining records for James and Mary are for their burials. James was buried March 10, 1833 in Meldreth. [15]

James C bp 1772 bu 1833 Meld
Burial record of James Casbon, 1833, Meldreth (Click on image to enlarge)

His widow Mary followed James in death in 1837, also in Meldreth. [16]

[1] Church of England, Parish Church of Meldreth, “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NF4G?i=235&cat=1108704 [accessed 12 May 2016]
[2] “England Marriages, 1538–1973”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NVCJ-BYX [accessed 5 November 2016]
[3] “England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973”, Ancestry http://www.ancestry.com [accessed 26 October 2016]
[4] “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7HV-M9M [accessed 17 December 2016]
[5] “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J93G-SHR [accessed 17 December 2016]
[6] “England Marriages, 1538–1973 ,” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NVC6-TZK [accessed 17 December 2016]
[7] “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NXFR?i=255&cat=1108704 [accessed 4 November 2016]
[8] Church of England. Parish Church of Meldreth, “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Baptisms 1794. FHL microfilm #1040542
[9] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Marriages 1796.
[10] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Baptisms 1798.
[11] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Baptisms 1800.
[12] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Baptisms 1806.
[13] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Marriages 1817.
[14] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Marriages 1823.
[15] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Burials 1833.
[16] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Burials 1837.

Stepping back: Thomas Casbon, 1743-1799

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One thing that most people want to know about in tracing their ancestry is “how far back can I go?.” The best way to do this is to go back one generation at a time, looking for evidence that proves how the two generations are related. Eventually you reach a point where there is not enough evidence to be sure of the connection.

In the case of my “Meldreth Casbon” ancestors, records go back to the 1500s. However, I’ve only been able to confidently trace our ancestry back to the early 1700s. The reason is that earlier records do not provide enough information to “connect the dots,” that is, to say with certainty who is related to whom. The method for establishing these connections is known as the Genealogical Proof Standard.

GPS insert
Adapted from The Board for Certification of Genealogists http://www.bcgcertification.org/resources/standard.html

I will try to illustrate this process with the subject of today’s post, Thomas (yes, another Thomas!) Casbon, father of my 4th great-grandfather, Isaac. This diagram shows how Thomas is related to the other “Meldreth Casbons” I’ve discussed so far.

John c 4 gen w Thomas b1843
(Click on image to enlarge)

I’ll start with Isaac’s baptismal record, since I have a good chain of evidence proving that he is my ancestor.

Isaac C bapt 1773 highlighted
Church of England, Parish Church of Meldreth “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NF4Z?i=236&cat=1108704
(Click on image to enlarge)

We’ve seen this record before, in “The Collage Explained.” From this record we know that Isaac was baptized July 11, 1773 and that his parents’ names were Thomas and Jane. But who were Thomas and Jane? How can we learn more about them?

If Isaac was baptized as an infant, we can guess that his parents were married within the previous 20 years and born another 20 years or so before that. Although unlikely, his father Thomas might even have been born as many as 70 years or so earlier than Isaac. This gives approximate dates to look back in the parish registers for marriage and birth records.

The parish registers are available on microfilm. In addition, Bishop’s Transcripts, i.e., copies of the parish registers that were sent to the Bishop every year, can be viewed online at https://familysearch.org/search/film/007672879?cat=1108704 (free user account required to view these records).

I could not find a marriage record for Thomas and Jane in Meldreth, but from past experience, I knew that many of our ancestral records could also be found in the adjacent parish of Melbourn, located less than a mile away from Meldreth (just across the A10 highway). My search was more productive here: I found a record for Thomas Casbon and Jane Wilson, married October 25, 1769. [1]

Thomas C Jane W marriage Melbourn 1769
From Melbourn Bishop’s Transcripts, Marriages 1769 (Click on image to enlarge)

This date of this marriage fits very well with Isaac’s baptism, so at this point we can say these are probably [my emphasis] his parents. But Thomas and Jane were both common names, so it’s important to make sure there aren’t any other records for a Thomas Casb* (* = any string of letters) marrying a woman named Jane in this time frame. Fortunately, several online genealogy sites make it relatively easy to search for this kind of information. I could not find any other marriages in the correct time frame between Thomas Casb* and a woman named Jane. So, based on the evidence (names, dates, location) and lack of contradictory information, I’m comfortable saying that Thomas Casbon and Jane Wilson, who were married in Melbourn, 1769, are the same Thomas and Jane listed on Isaac’s baptismal record.

The next step is to find a birth or baptismal record for Thomas Casb* in about the 1700 to 1753 time frame. Again, the parish registers on microfilm, Bishop’s transcripts and online search engines come to the rescue. Fortunately, there is only one viable candidate: Thomas, the son of John and Ann Casbel, baptized December 11, 1743 in Meldreth. [2]

Thomas C bp1743 Meld PR
Meldreth parish registers, Baptisms 1743. (Click on image to enlarge)

This birth date fits very well with what we know so far: Thomas would have been 26+ years old when he married Jane and 30+ when Isaac was born.

I would also like to know more about Jane, since she is my 5th great-grandmother. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a baptismal record for a Jane Wilson in Meldreth or the immediate area. Apparently there were no Wilson families living in Meldreth, as the name appears very rarely in the parish records. However, I can deduce that Jane was born in about 1841 based on the age reported on her burial record (see below). This would have given her an age of about 22 when her son Isaac was born.

Now that I’ve established birth and marriage dates for Thomas and Jane, let’s see what other children were born to them.

Their first recorded child is Anne, baptized as Casbull in June 1773. [3] She died less than 4 months later. [4]

Anne C bu Meld 1770
Burial record of Anne Casbull 1773 (Click on image to enlarge)

You can see that another Anne Casbull was buried on February 18th of the same year. This was Anne, the wife of John. She was the mother of our Thomas, and was mentioned in his baptismal record above.

Thomas and Jane’s second child was baptized James Casbull in Meldreth, July 19, 1772. [5]

James C bapt 1772 Meld
(Click on image to enlarge)

I’ll be writing more about James in a future post. He had several children and is the ancestor of a significant line of Casbons today.

Isaac was their third child. As I’ve discussed in previous posts, his sons Thomas and James emigrated to the United States, while sons William and Joseph remained in England.

After Isaac came another son, Thomas, baptized Casbul, May 28, 1775, in Meldreth. [6]

1775 Thomas Casbul bp Meld
(Click on image to enlarge)

He left Meldreth and lived his entire adult life in the nearby parish of Shepreth (1.5 miles from Meldreth). His three children died in their teens and did not have descendants.

I’ve mentioned before that it was common practice to name a child after one who was previously deceased. This was the case with Thomas and Jane’s fifth, sixth, and seventh children – all named John and baptized in Meldreth. The first son John was baptized with the surname Casbill in February 1776. [7] His burial was recorded on October 29, 1777. [8] There is no baptismal record for their second son John. He must have been born sometime between his namesake’s death in 1777 and his own burial in June 1778. [9]

John C burial Meld 1778
Burial record of the second John, June 7, 1778, in Meldreth, John Son of Thomas and Jane Casbon   7th.
(Click on image to enlarge)

The third son John survived into adulthood. He was baptized Casborne, October 3, 1779. [10]

John C baptism Meld 1779
You can clearly see the grain of the parchment in this image (Click on image to enlarge)

This John also fathered a significant line of Casbons. He is included in the diagram at the top of this post, and is the father of Reuben and Samuel Clark, who were discussed in earlier posts.

This diagram shows all of Thomas and Jane’s children.

Thomas C b1843 1 generation
(Click on image to enlarge)

The only remaining records needed to complete this profile of Thomas and Jane’s lives are their burial records. Based on the baptism of their last child, 1779 would be the earliest possible year to find a death record for either of them. Based on their estimated birth years, it would be very unlikely to find a burial record later than 1840.

I have located this record for Thomas Casbell, buried July 22, 1799 in Meldreth. [11]

Thomas Carsbell burial Meldreth 1799
(Click on image to enlarge)

Although there is nothing in this record to tell us for certain that this is our Thomas, born in 1843 and married to Jane Wilson, he is the only likely candidate. The only other Thomas Casb* living in the area at the time was our Thomas’ own son Thomas, born in 1775. Fortunately, there is good evidence that Thomas the son died in 1825. [12] After a thorough review of the available local records, I haven’t found any contradictory evidence, so I’m confident this is the correct burial date.

For Jane, I’m confident that she was buried on November 22, 1831 in Meldreth. [13]

Jane C Burial Meldreth 1831 age 90
Meldreth Bishop’s Transcripts, Burials 1831. (Click on image to enlarge)

There was one other Jane living in the area in the time after Thomas’ death. She was the granddaughter of Thomas and Jane by their son John, baptized Jane Casburn 1803, in nearby Royston. [14] Census records show that she was still alive after 1831, so she could not be the Jane buried in 1831. [15] In addition, by 1813 or so, burial records consistently recorded the age of the deceased. In this case, we can see that Jane’s age at death was recorded as 90, which is how I derived a birth year of 1741. She is listed as a widow, which is consistent with Thomas’ death in 1799.

While these records are sufficient to establish an outline of their lives, they give us little insight into what kind of lives Thomas and Jane led. We know that Thomas was a labourer, and that he lived long enough to see his surviving children reach maturity. As an elderly widow, we can guess that Jane was supported by her children. Beyond that we can only speculate.

This illustrates the challenges of locating, compiling, and interpreting genealogical data in order to trace one’s lineage. From Thomas, I can only trace the “Meldreth Casbons” back one more generation with reasonable certainty. I will save that for a future post.

[1] Church of England, Parish of Melbourne, “Bishop’s transcripts for Melbourne, 1599-1847.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-6BCP?i=256&cat=1109075 [accessed 11 May 2016]
[2] Church of England. Parish Church of Meldreth, “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877.” Baptisms 1743 FHL microfilm #1040542
[3] “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NFCJ?i=233&cat=1108704 [accessed 12 May 2016]
[4] “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NFCJ?i=233&cat=1108704 [accessed 12 May 2016]
[5] “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NF4G?i=235&cat=1108704 [accessed 12 May 2016]
[6] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877.” Baptisms 1775
[7] “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NFLC?i=239&cat=1108704 [accessed 12 May 2016]
[8] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877.” Burials 1777
[9] “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NXYQ?i=242&cat=1108704 [accessed 12 May 2016]
[10] “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NFVM?mode=g&i=243&cat=1108704 [accessed 1 December 2016]
[11] “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877.” Burials 1799
[12] Church of England, Parish of Shepreth, “Bishop’s transcripts for Shepreth, 1599-1871.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TD-N7KB-X?i=248&cat=1126796 [accessed 8 November 2015]
[13] “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-N656?i=354&cat=1108704 [accessed 11 May 2016]
[14] “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NB69-ZXJ [accessed 4 August 2016]
[15] “1841 Census of England and Wales,” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQR8-J6S [accessed 8 September 2016]

James Casbon of Meldreth, England and Porter County, Indiana

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Since I started this blog, I’ve been trying to lay down a framework showing the origins of the major Casbon lines, i.e., those lines from which most of today’s Casbons are descended. So far I’ve covered the Littleport/Peterborough Casbons, the descendants of Thomas Casbon of Meldreth, a little bit about the Australian Casbens, and the origins of the Casban line with Samuel Clark Casban. No discussion of Casbon family history would be complete without the subject of today’s post, James Casbon. He is my 4th great uncle, which means he is the brother of my 3rd great grandfather (Thomas Casbon).

JamesC
This is the only photo I’ve ever seen of James. (Courtesy of Ron D Casbon)

James Casbon has puzzled, challenged, and intrigued me for a number of years. He is the only Casbon I know of who came to America but still has descendants both in England and the United States. There are relatively few records about his life. Every indication is that his life had many hardships. He faced the challenges of poverty and lack of education while trying to make a better life for his family.

James was the youngest son of Isaac Casbon (see From England to Indiana, Part 2), born in either 1813 or 1814. [1] I’ve searched meticulously for his baptismal records without success. There were no requirements for vital records at the time. Most births were documented when someone was baptized – but not everyone was baptized.

Isaac, James’ father, was an agricultural laborer; i.e., he worked for wages when work was available. Isaac died in 1825 when James was no more than 12 years old. [2] James probably had no other choice than going to work to help support his family.

The first record I have of James is his marriage to Elizabeth Waller July 25th, 1835 in Meldreth. I’ve used this record as an example before, to show that James signed with “his mark.” [3]

James C Eliz W Marriage 1835
(Click on image to enlarge)

Elizabeth was born September 1815 in Meldreth, one of eight children born to William and Sarah (Johnson) Waller. Her father’s occupation was “Labourer.” [4]

One thing James never had difficulty with was having children. By 1841, he and Elizabeth had three: William (born about 1836), Sarah (born about 1837), and Lydia Ann (born about 1840). [5] By 1851, another four had been born: Mary (baptized 1841), Thomas (born 1844), George (born 1846), and John (born 1849). [6]

Their last child, Emma, was baptized in August 1852 (but possibly born late 1851, based on her reported age at death). [7] Her mother Elizabeth was buried less than 1 week later. [8] One relative told me that she believes Emma went into a foundling home, because James had no way to care for an infant. This is supported by parish records showing Emma’s abode as the Royston Workhouse when she died in November 1853. [9]

Emma C burial Meldreth 1853
Burial record of Emma Casbon, 8 November 1853 (Click on image to enlarge)

After Elizabeth’s death, James was left with a household of eight children, ranging in age from infancy to age 16, so it would be understandable if he gave the youngest up to the care of others.

After Emma’s death, the document trail goes cold until James’ arrival in America. He doesn’t appear in the 1861 England census. (1 Nov 2018: see updates here and here.) According to family tradition James married either Mary Cooper or Mary Harper while still in England. Records of this marriage have not been found. James and Mary had three more children: Margaret (born about 1864), [10] Amos James (born 1869), [11] and Alice Ann (or Alice Hannah – born 1871 in Porter County, Indiana). [12]

Thanks to a copy of James’ naturalization certificate given to me by Ron Casbon, I was recently able to pin down the date and name of the ship upon which James and his family arrived in the United States. [13]

James C Naturalization Cert 1876
James Casbon’s naturalization certificate, 3 October 1876 (Click on image to enlarge)

The certificate says that James departed Liverpool and arrived in New York on December 26th, 1871. I suspected the year was incorrect because his daughter Alice was born in Indiana in January 1871. After a bit of detective work, I was able to find this passenger list for the ship Great Western that departed Liverpool November 11th and arrived in New York December 27th, 1870. [14] You can see that his name was misspelled as Custon. You can also see that his second wife Mary was 20 years his junior.

James C passenger list composite 1870 NY
Passenger list of the ship Great Western, 27 December 1870 (Click on image to enlarge)

James made his way to Indiana and settled in Porter Township, Porter County. I doubt that he could afford to buy land, as his occupation was listed as “Farm Laborer” in the 1880 census. [15]

His wife Mary died, probably in 1874 or 1875. He married Mary Payne in January, 1876. [16] She is possibly the same Mary Payne who was a niece of Emma (Scruby) Casbon, the wife of Thomas, James’ brother (see From England to Indiana, Part 8), but this is only speculation on my part.

James died August 22, 1884, from complications of an injury sustained in an unprovoked assault (See The Collage Explained). [17] His widow, Mary, was left with two step-children, Alice and Amos, ages 13 and 15, respectively (Margaret married in 1882). Mary died in 1903, and is buried in Maplewood Cemetery, Valparaiso, Indiana. [18]

James’ legacy today is in the many descendants living in both England and the United States. They are a testament to his struggles and endurance.

[1] “England and Wales Census, 1851.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGBL-24P [accessed 11 November 2015]
[2] Church of England, “Parish Registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Burials 1825. FHL microfilm #1040542
[3] Church of England, “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862,” Marriages 1835. FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-NXJM?i=340&cat=1108704 [accessed 20 May 2016]
[4] Church of England, “Bishop’s transcripts for Meldreth, 1599-1862” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-N6C5?i=426&cat=1108704 [accessed 1 October 2015]
[5] “England and Wales Census, 1841.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQR8-NWB [accessed 12 July 2016]
[6] “England and Wales Census, 1851.”
[7] Church of England, “Parish Registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Baptisms 1852.
[8] Church of England, “Parish Registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Burials 1852.
[9] Church of England, “Parish Registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Burials 1853.
[10] “United States Census, 1880.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHS7-4N2 [accessed 4 July 2016]
[11] “England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2X7G-YF3 [accessed 12 September 2015]
[12] “Mrs Alice Hicks Dies Following Lingering Illness,” Vidette Messenger, Valparaiso, Indiana. The Newspaper Archive Academic Library Edition http://ezproxy.ppld.org:2083/us/indiana/valparaiso/valparaiso-vidette-messenger/1950/03-16/page-6 [accessed 6 August 2016]
[13] Personal collection of Ron D Casbon
[14] “New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891,” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-51S2-X5?i=106&cc=1849782 [accessed 10 November 2016]
[15] “United States Census, 1880.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHS7-4N2 [accessed 4 July 2016]
[16] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-B7L [accessed 24 October 2015]
[17] “Murder! That is About what is Made out of the Case of Old Man Casbon.” Copy of Porter County Vidette article published 28 August 1884, from personal collection of Ron D Casbon
[18] “Mary P. Casbon.” Find A Grave Memorial# 109800943. Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=109800943 [accessed 4 July 2016]

From England to Indiana, Part 4

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This the fourth in a series of posts examining the handwritten family history of Isaac Casbon and his descendants. The manuscript, unsigned and undated, was written by someone with apparently first-hand knowledge of many of the people and events.

Move to IN(Click on image to enlarge)

They concluded to go to the State of Ind
Silvester went arrived in Indiana
Thomas Casbon mooved his family soon after and settled at Boon Grove…

This short narrative glosses over the fact that Thomas and his family lived in Ohio for almost 20 years before moving to Indiana.

Holmes county ohio 1861
1871 Map of Washington Township, Holmes County, Ohio, showing Thomas Casbon’s acreage (his name is misspelled as Gasben). “Sectional & topographical map of Holmes County, Ohio.” New York : H.F. Walling, 1861. Library of Congress hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g4083h.la000641 [accessed 2 March 2016] (Click on image to enlarge)

Here’s a timeline of what I know about Thomas and his family from the time they arrived in Ohio until they were living in Indiana:

    • About June 1846: Thomas, Emma, Mary Ann, Charles, and Jesse arrive in vicinity of Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio from England after an arduous sea voyage[1]
    • May 1847: Daughter Emma Elizabeth Casbon is born[2]
    • June 1850: Thomas, Emma, and all 5 children are recorded on the 1860 census, living in Wayne County, Ohio. Thomas’ real estate is valued at $2,000[3]
T Casbon 1850 Ohio censusUnited States Census 1850, Clinton Township, Wayne County, Ohio (Click on image to enlarge)
    • Sept 1852: Thomas applies for naturalization in Wayne County[4]
    • Oct 1853: Mary Anne Casbon marries Elijah Priest in Wayne County (they later move to Porter County, Indiana)[5]
    • Sept 1854: Thomas is naturalized as a U.S. citizen in Wayne County[6]
    • 1859: Sylvester moves to Porter County, Indiana, and begins teaching school[7]
    • June 1860: Thomas, Emma, Charles Thomas, Jesse, and Emma are recorded on US Census, now living in Holmes County, Ohio. Also living with the family is Thomas’ niece, Mary Casbon, age 19, daughter of Thomas’ brother Joseph (more about this in a later post)[8]
T casbon 1860 ohio census
United States Census 1860, Washington Township, Holmes County, Ohio (Click on image to enlarge)
    • Oct 1860: Sylvester marries Adaline Aylesworth in Porter County, Indiana[9]
    • March 1862: Charles Thomas Casbon moves to Porter County, Indiana[10]
    • July 1862: Mary Casbon (Thomas’ niece) marries William Slocum in Huron County, Ohio[11]
    • Jan 1864: Thomas’ subscription to Holmes County Farmer, newspaper, is published as current[12]
    • Dec 1868: Charles Thomas Casbon returns to Holmes County, Ohio to marry Mary E McMarrell[13]
    • April 1869: Daughter Emma marries Robert N Rigg in Porter County, Indiana[14]
    • Jun 1870: Thomas, Emma, and Jesse are recorded on US Census, Porter Township, Porter County, Indiana[15]
T Casbon 1870 census
United States Census, 1870, Porter Township, Porter County, Indiana (Click on image to enlarge)

Thomas must have moved from Ohio to Porter County, Indiana sometime between 1864 and 1869. From the statement in the family history that he moved his family “soon after” Sylvester arrived, I would guess that it was closer to the earlier date. I would also assume they lived in Indiana for some time in order for Emma to meet and court Robert Rigg before their marriage in 1869. If I want to pin it down further, I’ll need to find the records of Thomas’ land sale in Ohio or purchase in Indiana.

…and settled at Boon Grove lived ther some years and mooved to the County seat where he died in the 84 year of his age Feb 7 1888. his second wife Hannah Edwards survived him six week. Thomas bought land about 1½ miles northwest of present-day Boone Grove. In this 1876 map[16] you can see that Thomas owned about 100 acres, his son Jesse owned 80, and son Charles owned 40, all in close proximity to one another.

1876 Casbon land closeup Porter twp
Detail of 1876 plat map, Porter Township, Porter County, Indiana (Click on image to enlarge)

Thomas’ daughter Mary Anne was married to Elijah Priest, who lived right next door, and daughter Emma married Robert Rigg, whose father William lived about 2 miles north of Thomas’ home. Sylvester Casbon lived about 9 miles northwest near Deep River in adjacent Lake County.

Thomas’ first wife Emma died in Indiana September 14th, 1870.[17]  Thomas then married Hannah Edwards, widow of Isaac Edwards (1776-1863) in February 1871.[18] In the 1880 census, Thomas and Hannah were still living in Porter Township.[19] As the family history says, Thomas “mooved to the County seat” of Valparaiso, where he is listed in this city directory for 1885-6.[20]

1885 Valparaiso Directory
(Click on image to enlarge)

Thomas died February 7th, 1888.[21] Hannah died 6 weeks later on March 21st (or possibly April 8th – I haven’t been able to confirm either date).

Once again, the family history is spot on with the facts, suggesting that our mystery author was there when it happened.

[1] Elihu, C. History of the Slocums, Slocumbs and Slocombs of America. 1908. P.129. Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofslocums1908sloc [ accessed 15 Aug 2016]
[2] Emma E. Rigg. Find A Grave Memorial# 18208125. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18208125 [accessed 18 Aug 2016]
[3] Thos Casban, Clinton, Wayne, Ohio, United States; citing family 8, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.) FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX78-W2P [accessed 9 Nov 2014]
[4] Wayne County Historical Society (Ohio), Genealogical Section. Wayne County, Ohio : abstracts of naturalization records, 1812-1903. Wooster. 1985. P.29.
[5] “Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958.”, FamilySearch. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDK9-L58 [accessed 8 December 2014]
[6] Wayne County Historical Society (Ohio), Genealogical Section. Wayne County, Ohio : abstracts of naturalization records, 1812-1903. Wooster. 1985. P.31.
[7] History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Lewis Publishing Company. Chicago. 1912. PP.482-4. In Hathi Trust Digital Library https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011679885 [accessed 18 Aug 2016]
[8] Thomas Casbon, Washington, Holmes, Ohio. FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCG3-1MD [accessed 30 December 2015]
[9] County clerk offices, Indiana. Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007. FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-L4L [accessed 21 January 2016]
[10] History of Porter County, Indiana…. Lewis Publishing Company. Chicago. 1912. PP.459-461.
[11] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013, “, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZ65-99Z [accessed 21 July 2016]
[12] “Receipts for Subscription.” The Holmes County Farmer (Millersburg, Ohio). 21 Jan 1864. P.3. In Library of Congress http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028822/1864-01-21/ed-1/seq-3/ [accessed 19 Aug 2016]
[13] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013, “, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZN8-G9Z [accessed 8 December 2014]
[14] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-Y66 [accessed 21 January 2016]
[15] Thomas Casbon, Porter, Porter, Indiana. FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX65-X7B [accessed 17 October 2014]
[16] “Illustrated historical atlas of Porter County, Indiana.” Valparaiso, Ind. : A.G. Hardesty, 1876. Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4093pm.gla00036/?sp=28 [accessed 19 August 2016]
[17] Emma Scruby Casbon. Find A Grave Memorial# 19252724. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19252724 [accessed 19 Aug 2016]
[18] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-59M [accessed 19 Aug 2016]
[19] Thomas Casbon. Porter, Porter, Indiana. FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHS7-91F [accessed 19 Aug 2016]
[20] “Valparaiso City Directory …For the Year 1886-6.” Talcott & Tevis, Publishers. 1885. Page 45. The Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/valparaisoindian1885polk {accessed 14 October 2016]
[21] Thomas Casbon. Find A Grave Memorial# 19252737. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19252737 [accessed 19 Aug 2016]

From England to Indiana, Part 3

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This is the third post in a series discussing the handwritten family history of Isaac Casbon and his descendants. This post focuses on Thomas Casbon’s emigration to the United States with his family.

Thomas and family(Click on image to enlarge)

Thomas Casbon emigrated to United States in the year of 1865 1846. Although I haven’t been able to find a ship’s manifest or passenger list documenting Thomas’ voyage to America, there are several sources describing his emigration. One of the more detailed is the following, contained in a biographical sketch of his son Sylvester:

“Thomas … Casbon … who was an English farmer, in 1847 determined to share in the remarkable opportunities of the new world, and in that year embarked his family at Southampton on board the Canadian lumber boat Parkfield.…The boat on which they took passage had a long and tedious voyage, leaving England in February, first sighting land at the Banks and thence sailing up the St. Lawrence river.… At Niagara the family made the transfer in the horse cars then in use, and all had time to enjoy the spectacle of the mighty falls. From Buffalo they took another boat to Cleveland, where they arrived in the month of May. Thomas Casbon, the father, moved to Wayne county, Ohio, and bought eighty acres of land near Wooster.”[1]

The source above incorrectly gives the year as 1847. When Thomas applied for naturalization in 1852, he gave the year of his emigration as 1846.[2]

The journey must have been memorable. Another description says “the sailing vessel on which they all embarked encountered adverse winds that after several weeks drove it back within sight of the starting point, and it was a long voyage before the western continent appeared.”[3] Sylvester later named a son Charles Parkfield Casbon – his middle name commemorating the ship that brought them from England to America!

He was Married to Emma Scruby at Meldrith or Melborn Church Cambridgeshire England where the record may be found. Here is a copy of Thomas and Emma’s marriage record from the Melbourn parish registers, dated October 9, 1830.[4]

1830 Thomas C Emma Scruby M Melb(Click on image to enlarge)

There are a couple of interesting things to point out in this marriage record. First, notice that the married couple and the two witnesses all signed with their ‘mark.’ Thomas used an ‘x’ and Emma used a ‘+’ sign. This suggests that neither one was proficient at writing. This is not surprising, because there was no compulsory education in England at the time.[5]

The other item of interest is that Joseph Casbon is listed as a witness to the marriage. We learned in the previous post that Joseph was Thomas’ younger brother. This marriage record is the only primary source document I’ve seen that links Joseph with the rest of the family.

Thomas and Emma Casbon had born to them 4 son’s and 2 daughters the firs born son died in infancy the name being the same as the secon born boy. Mary Ann Silvester Charles Jesse and Emma the last Daughter beng born in the state of Ohio Wayne Co. Mary Anne Casbon was baptized in Meldreth in 1833[6]. Their firstborn son was named Sell. He was baptized in 1836[7] and buried 23 days later[8]. Their next son, also named Sell (a nickname for Sylvester), was baptized 1837 in Meldreth[9]. The next two sons, Charles (“Thomas Charles”) and Jesse, were baptized in Meldreth 1840[10] and 1844, respectively.[11] Finally, daughter Emma was born May 22nd, 1847[12], not quite 1 year after they arrived in Wayne County, Ohio.

Everything in this part of the family history matches the original sources. The author must have had first-hand knowledge of most of this information. I wonder if one of Thomas’ children was the author?

[1] “Sylvester V. Casbon” History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Lewis Publishing Company (1912), Pages 482-484. Hathi Trust Digital Library: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011679885 [accessed 20 August 2016]
[2] Wayne County HIstorical Society (Ohio), Genealogical Section, Wayne County, Ohio : abstracts of naturalization records, 1812-1903 (Wooster, Ohio:  Wayne County Historical Society – Genealogical Section, 1985), page 29
[3] “History of Porter County, Indiana.” Page 459
[4] Church of England. “Bishop’s transcripts for Melbourne, 1599-1847.” Marriages 1830. FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T9-6B25?i=536&cat=1109075 [accessed 15 May 2016]
[5] Lemire, D. A Historiographical Survey of Literacy in Britain between 1780 and 1830. Constellations Vol 4, No.1 (2012). https://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/constellations/article/viewFile/18862/14652 [accessed 18 Aug 2016)
[6] Church of England., “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877”, Baptisms 1833. FHL Microfilm #1040542. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1980
[7] Church of England., “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877”, Baptisms 1836
[8] Church of England., “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877”, Burials 1836
[9] Church of England., “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877”, Baptisms 1837
[10] Church of England., “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877”, Baptisms 1840
[11] Church of England., “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877”, Baptisms 1844
[12] “Emma Rigg” Find A Grave Memorial # 18208125. Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18208125 [accessed 18 Aug 2016]