Reconnecting to Ancestors

Several months ago. I received a message saying that my great grandmother Ann Waller could not be the child of Henry Waller and Martha New, as their child died as a baby.

Here is a quote from the transcriptions of the Rogate Sussex Parish Registers.

BAPTISM    CHILD    FATHER    MOTHER    SURNAME
02/08/1812   Ann         Henry         Martha         WALLER

From census records I know that Ann was born about 1811-1814. Searching the BAPTISM register again I found another Ann christened in 1814, which would be my great grandmother.

BAPTISM    CHILD    FATHER    MOTHER          SURNAME
18/12/1814   Ann         James         Elizabeth (Bet)  WALDER  Carpenter from Habin

The names WALLER and WALDER are used interchangeably in the Rogate parish records. And ages on censuses are usually approximations. Unfortunately, there are no government records for this time period. The earliest census was in 1841 and government vital records began in 1837, so for commoners, the only records available are the church records.

So at that time, I removed Henry and Martha from my pedigree and substituted James and Elizabeth. (Habin is a suburb of Rogate.)  

I have tried off and on to find the parents of James Waller or Walder, the carpenter. I had no success. Yesterday I found two sisters of Ann. I know this is correct because the parents are James the carpenter and Bet.

BAPTISM    CHILD    FATHER    MOTHER    SURNAME
13/10/1816   Maria       James         Bet               WALDER     Carpenter
06/09/1818   Sarah        James         Bett              WALDER     Carpenter

Then I made the break-though I was hoping for.

In Ancestry.com and the Rogate parish registers I found:
BAPTISM    CHILD    FATHER    MOTHER    SURNAME 
05/04/1778   James       James         Ann              WALLOR

I noticed that in the 1770s the name Waller is now spelled Wallor, so maybe Rogate got a new parish clerk at that time. The common people could not usually read or write, so the names are spelled however the clerk thought they should be spelled. But the changed spelling had kept me from finding James' record.

And these are James's parents, the Bride Groom and Bride in this marriage:

MARRIAGE    ROLE    SURNAME    NAME
14/04/1776       B G        WALLER        James
                         B            SCUTT            Ann

Yea! I am reconnected to my Waller/Walder line.

posted by Bill Buchanan | 9:44 AM 

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