Genealogy Chat

We have a family legend that great-great-grandma Pettitt was from a landed family in Ockley and eloped with a gardener/estate worker. I am following several Pettitt families both with a daughter Martha (who is my great grandma (they all end up in and around Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, BTW). One family has the wife, Jane, as being born in Suffolk, but several of middle child Martha's younger siblings were born in Ockley. The other has wife Sarah as being born in the West Indies (fits if Ockley family were overseas in a plantation), but I can't find an Ockey connection (although they did live in South london/Kent borders and also Portsmouth for a while). Any ideas as to how I can unravel which is the right family, and what wife's maiden name was so I can establish the Ockley connection (I live about 8 miles from Ockley!)

ps, I am a bit of a newbie here, so forgive me if I'm overlooking a simple search criteria and point me in the right direction! :-S

help you but what sort of year are we looking at please

Have you got the birth certificate of Martha, or was she born pre-1837?
Thanks

start with what you know for sure and let us help you work you way back. From what you have written I am unsure of who/what we are unravelling!

1891 England Census
George Pettitt Age: 45 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1846
Relation: Head Spouse's Name: Jane P Pettitt
Gender: Male Where born: Ousden, Suffolk, England
Civil parish: Alresford Ecclesiastical parish: Alresford
Town: Alresford County/Island: Essex Country: England
Registration district: Tendring Sub-registration district: Ardleigh
ED, institution, or vessel: 1 Piece: 1404 Folio: 9 Page Number: 11
George Pettitt 45
Jane P Pettitt 44 Woolpit, Suffolk,
George J Pettitt 23
Ralph C Pettitt 20
Martha J Pettitt 19
Sidney E Pettitt 15
Florence K Pettitt 14
Ida Jane Pettitt 10
Percy F Pettitt 7 Ockley
Olive M Pettitt 4 Ockley
Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 1404; Folio: 9; Page: 11; GSU Roll: 6096514.

What is Martha's Father's name from the marriage certificate?

1881 England Census
Thomas Pettitt Age: 38 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1843
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Sarah Pettitt
Gender: Male Where born: Sicklesmere, Suffolk, England
Civil parish: Bury St Edmunds St Mary
County/Island: Suffolk Country: England
Street Address: 6 Athenaum Lane
Condition as to marriage: Married
Occupation: Ag Laborer
Registration district: Bury St Edmunds Sub-registration district: Bury St Edmunds
ED, institution, or vessel: 1 Piece: 1842 Folio: 7 Page Number: 8
Thomas Pettitt 38
Sarah Pettitt 34 British Subject, West Indies
Martha Pettitt 9
John Pettitt 5
George Pettitt 3
Hannah Pettitt 1
Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 1842; Folio: 7; Page: 8; GSU roll: 1341445.

It must be the daughter of George and Jane(nee FROST) as it looks as though she goes on to marry a WARDMAN.

The other Martha marries a PEARSON.


Maureen

The first thing you need to do, Minda, is to establish beyond doubt the correct parentage for MARTHA............

Who did she marry? When was she born? And where?

Do you know about freebmd?

http://www.freebmd.org.uk

........and welcome to the Community boards Minda.... :-)

brilliant guys - sorry , should have put in dates. Thanks Patchem I have both those census details. The Wardman marriage is correct - my paternal grandma was Wardman.

Please, how did you find the nee Frost bit - I couldn't find a marriage listed, or maybe I searched wrong. That's the key I think, so I can now see if there's an Ockley connection with Frost!

Didn't know about free bmd - will have a look when I 'm awake tomorrow! :-D

The marriage is on free bmd

Marriages Sep 1866
xxxFrost Jane Risbridge 4a 575
KING Mary Risbridge 4a 575
xxxPETTITT George Risbridge 4a 575
SUTTLE Philip Risbridge 4a 575