Over 1,000 burials for Kersey, Suffolk, now transcribed, from 1563-1670.
Stoke-by-Nayland transcriptions
Over 2,000 baptisms from 1558-1626, and over 1,200 marriages from 1558-1754 now online for Stoke-by-Nayland in Suffolk. The village is right on the border with Essex, not too far from Colchester. So if your Essex ancestors aren’t appearing in Essex registers, give the Stoke-by-Nayland transcriptions a try. There’s quite a few Colchester couples in the marriages, as well as people from Boxted, Dedham, and other nearby Essex parishes.
Boxford memorials
Sixty photos of memorials at Boxford St Mary church, including some headstones outside, and all of the memorials inside.
Early Kersey baptisms
Baptisms for Kersey, Suffolk, from 1561 to 1630 now online! And there’s more on the way.
Boxford, Suffolk – 1557-1760 now online!
Thousands of baptisms, marriages and burials for Boxford in Suffolk now online from 1557 to 1760.
Grass widows in Stoke-by-Nayland
I’m currently transcribing Stoke-by-Nayland’s parish registers, and I was rather confused by a marriage that took place on 23rd July 1622 between:
Amye Wright Grasse widow and Nathaniel Ratcatcher.
First of all, the entry is very unusual, giving the bride’s name before the groom’s. Secondly, it looks like Amy has two surnames, and that the groom’s surname has been missed off, giving his occupation instead.
So what were their names? Amy Wright, or Amy Grasse? Nathaniel Wright, or Nathaniel Grasse?
I carried on transcribing and met another, on 12th May 1633:
John Gallant widd. to Susan Clarke grease widd.
I realised then that “grease” or “grasse” wasn’t a surname, and the expression “grass widow” came to mind.
Continue reading →Alresford records
I’ve started to transcribe Alresford’s parish registers, which survive from the 1740s. I’ve discovered burials 1679-1740s in two vestry minutes books, which were recorded thanks to the Burials in Woollen Acts. I’m transcribing these too, and I’m also going to extract names from the vestry minutes books which help to give names to the inhabitants of the village, who otherwise would be forgotten.
Memorial photos – coming soon!
Back in August, I went on a daytrip around several churches in Suffolk: Boxford, Groton, Edwardstone, Chattisham and East Bergholt. I took lots of photos of brasses, plaques, and grave stones, and you’ll see them popping up in galleries soon. There’s some wonderful memorials, so I’ll blog about some of the more unusual ones.
Essex marriage licences – online, for free!
And here’s my tips on how to navigate them.