According to the 1851 census (HO107/1785/426/10 - White Notley, Essex) he was born 1800 in Earls Colne, Essex. In 1841 he can be found at HO107 Piece 343 Book 12 Folio 15 Page 2 at White Notley, Essex. Alexander died in 1855 and his widow Mary married Charles Horsnell on 13 Feb 1857 at White Notley, Essex. The witnesses were Abraham and Maria Hicks, her son-in-law and daughter. Mary gives her father as Thomas Ramsey (deceased). The only marriage I can find for an Alexander and a Mary Ramsey is for an Alexander CONSTABLE in Witham, Essex on 3 October 1820 (on census Mary says she was born in Witham and I have found a baptism for a Mary Ramsey in Witham, father Thomas). Baptisms for five children (the first being in 1821) to Alexander and Mary in White Notley are under the surname TIFFIN. So:- 1) can anyone find a baptism for Alexander? I have tried Tiffin/Tiffen/Constable, but have come up blank (in fact, I can't find anything for an Alexander Constable anywhere in Essex before the marriage in 1820). 2) anything that may give a reason for a surname change from Constable to Tiffin between when Alexander and Mary married on 3 October 1820 and the baptism of their first child Alfred on 12 Aug 1821? I have searched and searched to try and sort this out, but wonder if I am missing something obvious.
You are not missing anything obvious, I have found the same as you - precisely nothing before his marriage, no Alexander Tiffin/en before the 1820 marriage and no Alexander Constable before or after. We need a head scratching smilie
I’ve been having a wander through the images of Earls Colne parish register baptisms on SEAX, from 1780 to 1808. There are a few baptisms to a Robert and Mary Tiffin before and including 1782 and there is one Constable baptism - Robert, illegitimate son of Mary Constable baptised November 10th 1782. After that not a Tiffin or Constable in sight My devious mind did wonder if Robert Constable was the illegitimate son of Robert Tiffin, but Robert is a long way from the name Alexander, so unless Mary Constable had another illegitimate child and named him Alexander.......talk about clutching at straws
Well there is a baptism on 10 November 1799, Essex (no other info) of Alexander Constable to Hetty Constable. Image unavailable to view at this time...Family Search.
Hettie may have done it again with the baptism of Walter Bull Constable mother Hester Constable in Essex in 1805
Maybe Alexander Constable's fathers name was Tiffin and he decided to adopt it. He may have become distanced from his mother for some reason.
That baptism took place in Great Tey, Essex. Got all excited as Great Tey is just under 4 miles from Earls Colne. No baptism there in 1799 for Alexander Constable though
Shame the original is not there for viewing. I can't find this one listed anywhere else to see which parish it comes from
Couldn't find this on FMP, but found it on Ancestry. The interesting thing is that Ancestry doesn't give a surname, so who knows. Just searched for Alexander, mother Hettie without a surname for either.
I have found a will of a Frederick Ramsey (Gentleman) of Witham, Essex, where Mary Tiffin (niece, daughter of his deceased brother Thomas) is mentioned. She is the wife of ____________ Tiffin of Notley, a butcher - ties in nicely with my Alexander and Mary. Several of the females are mentioned by name but with just their husband mentioned by surname and occupation. Doesn't really help much with the name change of Alexander though
I couldn't wait. The parish is Great Totham. Alexander base born child of Hettie Constable, baptised 10 Nov 1799. Great Totham to Earls Colne is about 14 miles. If the other baptism @Archie's Mum found is for the same lady, then maybe she moved around a bit I did find a baptism for a Hetta daughter of Thomas and Mary Constable on 23 June 1776 at Earls Colne - probably just a co-incidence though.
Here we go clutching at straws but I found "The Place Names of Earls Colne". In the document is mention of a farm of the name Bloomfield (Hall Farm). The occupier is one William Ruffle. He is mentioned earlier in the document as William TIFFEN Ruffle. Also mentioned, and I think a close neighbour is Thomas Constable who is occupying "Bowersfield" Could be the father of Hetta Constable and maybe Alexander is the son of William TIFFEN Ruffle......their neighbour. We can dream......
Sorry. Cant let this be... Hetta Constable was the daughter of Tomas Constable and Mary. A Thomas Constable married Mary Mann, Great Tey 27/10/1757, Starting from 1758 they appear to have 12 children all baptised at Earls Colne. Hetta is in number 11. There is a marriage of a Hetty Mann and James Tiffin on 12/1/1763, Earls Colne Could this be Mary Manns sister and the Aunt of Hetta Constable. Was there some hanky panky going on with his wifes niece? Just a'stabbin the dark.
OMG, I think I've got it! Been looking at Essex Wills in the names of MANN, RAMSAY and CONSTABLE - writing down names and who's related to who. I found a Will made on 4 March 1812 of a Mary CONSTABLE. In it she mentions a daughter Hetty B?s, wife of Thomas (couldn't read the surname, so looked for a marriage and found Hetty Constable married to Thomas Bowles in Wormingford, Essex on 10 Jan 1807). The Will went on to say I give unto my Grandson Alexander Constable the son of Hetty Bowles the interest of Fifty Pounds until the aforesaid Alexander Constable is Twenty One years of age and then when he comes to the age of Twenty One receive the principiall (sic) of the aforesaid Fifty Pounds for his own use and my Desire is that if the aforesaid Alexander Constable should die before he is Twenty One years of age the aforesaid Fifty Pounds shall go and be for the use of James Tiffin for his kindness bringing him up and maintaining him". So, James Tiffin brought up Alexander Constable, who obviously decided to call himself Tiffin after James - maybe once he reached the age of 21. I can't find a Will for James Tiffin/Tiffen to see if he mentions Alexander at all - maybe he didn't leave one.
Brilliant Annie. I started looking at Essex wills this morning and found one for a Thomas Constable of Earls Colne dated 1838 which didn’t seem to tie in, although his wife’s name was Mary. Then I found that one for Mary, but got side-tracked with something else and didn’t read it I wish I had now, but I’m glad you found it. As you say, there doesn’t appear to be one for James Tiffen/Tiffen.
I think I saw a Mehetible Mann marrying a James Tiffin somewhere. Mary Carpenters sister? There was also a daughter of Mary and Thomas Constable named Mehetible as well as later they have a Hetta, post 16.
I looked for baptisms to Thomas and Mary Constable in Earls Colne, and found 14 (one of which was Mehitible Hannah) and was in the process of killing or marrying them off, as there were three Thomas' and two Hannah's - but finding it a bit confusing, so I changed to looking at Wills I couldn't come up with anything on Mehitible Hannah - I will have to go and have another look. What would be nice would be to find out who the James Tiffin that brought up Alexander was. I will plod on.