Help needed please.
I've been stuck for years looking for baptism/parent's names for Richard Gregory, my 4xGreat Grandfather.
Richard was born ca 1785, married Mary Hall in 1810 at the Parish Church.
1831 census at Lidgate - a cutler.
1841 census at Honey Poke, Lidgate Lane - a scale cutter.
Died 30 Apr 1850 at Nether Green, age 65, bur 5 May St Thomas Crookes.
Over the years I've tried all the usual resources and explored all his children's lives to try to find an answer.
His children were baptised at the Parish Church.
One source which may not be accurate, has one daughter born at Balm Green in 1824.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I don't live in Sheffield and unable to visit Sheffield Archives.
Hi, there’s a cutlers apprentice record for a Richard Gregory which might perhaps be him. It was in 1800 to William Doughty, knife maker. The transcription on sheffieldrecords.com says his father was Gregory Gregory (which sounds odd, so it’s best to check the original) and that he was a farmer from Eyam.
Thanks Heather, I missed that one, will do more digging. There was a Richard son of Joshua and Eliz bap in Eyam in 1785, Joshua wasn't a farmer.
As records become available I've been following up all Richard Gregory bap in DBY and YKS, using the process of elimination will get down to one eventually.
I have done a fair amount of research on the Gregory's from Crosspool/Fulwood but had not come across Richard.
In 1785 there were so few churches in Sheffield that those from outlying area would have made the trek into Sheffield Parish Church to be hatched matched & dispatched. That area was also a cluster for new Methodist.
He is not in our transcriptions (over to the left under Parish Records) The Apprenticeship records are there (Apprentice & Freemen).
I will have another look under baptisms for Sheffield Parish Church and get back to you.
Elaine in Ottawa.
PS.
To add to Heather's note of a possible apprentice.
It reads Richard son of Gregory Gregory of Eyam "f" which is a filesmith to William Doughty K. (Knife maker) 7 - 1800.
Date wise 1800 is when he started his apprenticeship plus 7 years = 1807 minus 21 would take you back to 1786 which I would say was close enough to your year of birth of 1785.
Eyam by the way is in Derbyshire so he could have been baptised there. I may have a CD for Eyam. Will look for it and get back to you.
Having trouble opening my Eyam CD.
Ancestry of this.
Name: Richard Gregory
Gender: Male
Baptism Date: 1 Jan 1785
Baptism Place: Eyam, Derbyshire, England
Father: Joshua Gregory
Mother: Eliz'Th Gregory
Thank you so much Elaine and Heather for pointing me in the right direction.
I've now signed up to Ancestry (as well as FMP) and think we've finally found Richard's parents.
Ancestry have Joshua Gregory and Elizabeth Harding's marriage at Hathersage - Joshua of that parish and Elizabeth of the parish of Eyam. By Licence on 13 Oct 1766, so may be able to get some more info.
The icing on the cake is seeing the image on Ancestry. Both signed. Joshua's handwriting matches Richard's and Richard's children, they all sign 'Gregory" in the same lop-sided way. Elizabeth Harding signs Elizabeth HARDY. They have a son, HARDY, baptised at Eyam 13 Jan 1769. Richard's grandson, HARDY, was born 1848. That name cannot just be a coincidence.
Must get some sleep then fill in the gaps tomorrow.