Genealogy Chat

I am really stuck and would appreciate any help, please. I am tracing my father's family going by the name of STENT. I have managed to find my ggg grandfather Charles (his marriage and his death) but can't find anything for a baptism. He was born in Wootton St Lawrence (according to all the censuses) in Hampshire around 1797. Could anyone help me and tell me where I could go from here. Thank you. Julia

Hi Julia, If you cannot find his baptism on the IGI on familysearch.org then you'll have to look in the parish records which are held at the County Record Office. Even if you find it on the IGI you should check the originals because the IGI has many mistakes and mistranscriptions. Gwynne

IGI has the following for Hants: So probably rellies, but looks like it needs to be checked out in the register. Perhaps you could mail the records office for the area - if you are reasonably certain of year of birth you can ask for a look up and photocopy - I was charged about £2.50 for a similar job at the Norfolk office. 1. CHARLES KNIGHT STENT - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 24 DEC 1839 Holybourne, Hampshire, England 2. CHARLES STENT - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 03 JAN 1847 Holybourne, Hampshire, England 3. CHARLES STENT - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 19 OCT 1823 Hambledon, Hampshire, England 4. Charles Stent - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Birth: About 1778 Of, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England 5. CHARLES STENT - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Birth: 1830 Froyle, Hampshire, England 6. CHARLES STENT - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 06 AUG 1843 Froyle, Hampshire, England 7. Charles Stent - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Birth: About 1778 Of, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England 8. CHARLES STENT - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 13 AUG 1770 Bentley, Hampshire, England 9. CHARLES STENT - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Birth: About 1839 Froyle, Hampshire, England 10. CHARLES STENT - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 04 NOV 1860 Froyle, Hampshire, England

Thanks for your help, but I have already been to the Records Office in Winchester and couldn't find anything there. I really don't know where to go from here. I might go there again, just to have another look, but it is awkward as I live in Kent. Thanks again.

Julia ..... If only I had a pound for every search I've made in Winchester looking for my great great grandfather's baptism! Have you any witness names at his marriage or in census, that would help to fit him into a family group? Was there a family trade, which might suggest a re location for work? You could trawl through surrounding parishes records incase he was baptised in another church..... ......... one of my ancestors was born in one county, but baptised in another as it was the nearest church and just happened to be over the county boundary. Gwyn,.. ( still searching for Henry)

When you were at the records office, did you look at the Bishops Transcripts. Some people tend to forget these. The ones for Wooton St Lawrence are also available at an LDS centre film number FHL BRITISH Film 1596407 Item 8

Thank you all so much for your help. I am going to go back to Winchester again on 18 March and spend the whole day in the records office. I am determined to find something!! Thanks again Julia

Well, I went to Winchester yesterday, and still couldn't find anything. I checked the Bishop's transcripts, IGI index, settlement and removal records and still nothing. I don't know if he had siblings , so I can't check that route out. Is there anything else I can do? I would really appreciate the help, as I am relatively new to all this. Thanks Julia

Julia If he's not in the Wootton register then its possible he was baptised elsewhere, but put that as his birthplace because he thought it was. You might try contacting the Hampshire family history society to see if they have a list of baptisms for the Stent surname. I've done this kind of thing before and got a list of all the marriages for a surname in a county that cost me £2. nell

Thanks Nell, I will give that a try. I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall at the moment. I spent the whole day in Winchester yesterday looking for the elusive Charles! Julia

I went to a really depressing talk about nonconformists a couple of weeks ago. Nonconformists didn't believe in marriage (it should be a civil, not religious ceremony) didn't believe in baptism (you had at least to be old enough to make the decision for yourself) and didn't really want to be buried in a Cof E churchyard. You can usually find a marriage, because you needed to be married to assured a legal place of settlement for your children, but either you didn't baptise your children, or you did them in a job lot, to spend as little time as possible in a church. Have you looked at wills: both for the parish and the surname and the various indexes that HGS have produced, to see where Stent is most common as a surname? Marriage licences are also indexed for Hampshire, available on microfiche, and they may be useful.

Thanks Phoenix for your help and everyone else too. When I find Charles I shall be happy dancing so much the ground will be shaking! Julia