Ilminster Parish Records

D

Don Armstrong

New Member
I live in the USA in Henniker New Hampshire. I've been doing the family reserach for years and hit a wall until today while using a weekend free search on Findmypast.org. I did not have the hit on several search engines that I use.
My Gr Gr Gr Grandfather was George W Armstrong and his first wife was Lucy Susan Barber. I just found their marriage in 1827 in Ilminster England.
First name(s) LUCY
Last name BARBER
Marriage year 1827
Marriage date 30 AUG 1827
Place ILMINSTER
Groom's first name(s) George
Groom's last name ARMSTRONG
Groom's marital status -
Groom's parish -
Bride's first name(s) Lucy
Bride's last name BARBER
Bride's marital status -
Bride's parish -
County Somerset
Country England
Record set Somerset Marriages (post-1754)
Category Birth, Marriage & Death (Parish Registers)
Subcategory Marriages & divorces
Collections from United Kingdom
Somerset & Dorset Family History Society

Transcriptions © Somerset & Dorset Family History Society
Now they had two daughters Charlotte J Armstrong born in 1831 and Elizabeth Armstrong born in 1832. I still have no hits for them but I also notice no birth records for Ilminster showing up so I suspect they were born in that area. Any ideas of how I could search thos parish records.
 
This post has been copied from the Welcome to our Forum section as it contains a research query. The original can be found here.
 
Don, if the girls both married in Massachusetts, have you seen marriage records, & do they not give place of birth? Not having much luck in UK so I'm thinking the Parents left UK soon after marriage. More places to look yet.

Family Search.org is another free site which can be very helpful.
 
Okay, just found via Ancestry- do you have a subscription here? marriage of Charlotte to Jacob Morse 1896 gives her birthplace as England.
I see her Father George was a clergyman so that may explain their moving about before going to USA.

Elizabeth's death- image on Famiy search 1906- also states birth, England.
 
Charlotte ARMSTRONG
Baptism: 25 Dec 1829, St Mary, Ilminster, Somerset
Father: George, Mother: Lucy
Abode: Ilminster
Father Occupation: Mason
Officiating Minister: John Allen

Elizabeth ARMSTRONG
Baptism: 11 Mar 1832, St Mary, Ilminster, Somerset
Father: George, Mother: Lucy
Abode: Ilminster
Father Occupation: Mason
Notes Wm Shaw - curate
 
Was just ther also Chimp. Bah! I think I've sat here too long. Well done you.;)
I'm away to plan dinner.
 
Looks like Charlotte married 3 times

Stephen E. Cutter or Cutler, 11 Mar 1849, Newburyport, Massachusetts - both first marriages.

Stephen died of Consumption on 29 June 1855, Newburyport, Massachusetts

John Bradly, 03 Jan 1861, Haverhill, Massachusetts - 3rd marriage for him, 2nd for her.

Jacob W Morse or Moss, 11 January 1896, North Andover, Essex, Massachusetts - 2nd marriage for him, 3rd for her.
 
Elizabeth married William Elliott on 1st January 1856 in Newburyport, Massachusetts
 
I know this isn't what you asked for, but I found it so you're having it :D

There is a death for a Lucy Armstrong on 4th April 1859 in Newburyport, Massachusetts. She was 50 years old, married and born in England around 1809. Cause of death - Consumption. Her parents are Thomas and Mary BARBER

Could this be her baptism?

Lucy BARBER
Baptism: 13 Mar 1808, St Mary, Ilminster, Somerset
Father: Thomas, Mother: Mary
 
Last edited:
You say that Lucy was the first wife of George.

Now we know Lucy died in 1859

So on the assumption that George married again.....

There is a marriage of a George W Armstrong to an Anna M. Sherburne on 29th April 1860 in Ipswich, Massachusetts. This entry says it is the 2nd marriage for George. His parents are given as John and Joann Armstrong.

Could this be his Baptism?

George ARMSTRONG
Baptism: 25 Dec 1806, St Mary, Ilminster, Somerset
Father: John, Mother: Joan
 
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As you obviously enjoy genealogy I will let you find these for your self.

There are marriages for Georges' parents, John and Joan and for Lucy's parents, Thomas and Mary, on Freereg.org.uk

Georges parents had children baptised between 1788 - 1809 in Ilminster, Somerset
 
There is a picture of Lucy's head stone here

http://www.
findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=123773249

Highlight and copy the link to your address bar.
 
Chimp said:
Charlotte ARMSTRONG
Baptism: 25 Dec 1829, St Mary, Ilminster, Somerset
Father: George, Mother: Lucy
Abode: Ilminster
Father Occupation: Mason
Officiating Minister: John Allen

Elizabeth ARMSTRONG
Baptism: 11 Mar 1832, St Mary, Ilminster, Somerset
Father: George, Mother: Lucy
Abode: Ilminster
Father Occupation: Mason
Notes Wm Shaw - curate
Click to expand...
That appears to be right because her father George was always a brick Mason. The killer is everyone of the US records just states England. Which data base did you use to find this info seeing as my World Wide version of Ancestry , Mocavo , Family search and World Records did not show this info?
 
Chimp said:
You say that Lucy was the first wife of George.

Now we know Lucy died in 1859

So on the assumption that George married again.....

There is a marriage of a George W Armstrong to an Anna M. Sherburne on 29th April 1860 in Ipswich, Massachusetts. This entry says it is the 2nd marriage for George. His parents are given as John and Joann Armstrong.

Could this be his Baptism?

George ARMSTRONG
Baptism: 25 Dec 1806, St Mary, Ilminster, Somerset
Father: John, Mother: Joan
Click to expand...
George W Armstrong did get remarried and had two children of which the first died and the second was my gr grandfather. He married a woman Hannah that had lost her first husband. As usual his marriage records just showed "England" and the script was hard to read so I was never sure if his mother was joanna or Hannah. Now tracking all his census info and marriage info I was looking at a birth date of 1809+- 1 year. Unfortunately the town in Maine that they lived in lost all town records from 1856 to 1885. George shows in 1880 census mortality index but no burial records. Talking to the local churches I found it odd but they kept no death records or burial records because they consider it to be a personal matter. I can't find info on when his 2nd wife died so I just assume she died there. Like a lot of small New England towns there is local cemetaries all over the place. My Gr Grandfather shows in the 1880 census living on a farm 3 houses from where he lived with his mother and father in 1870 and 1860 census. There is a nearby graveyard with 7 unreadable markers but two that are readable are two children from his 2nd wifes first marriage. Now doing some digging and her first husbands mother was a Littlefield and going back 5 generations I find the same father for that lineiage as the farmer Amziah Littlefield where my gr grandfather is living at in 1880 as a farm hand. My assumption is therefore my Gr Gr grandfather and his 2nd wife are buried in the same grave yard along with several more of her children from her first marriage which adds up to 7 people. Gerorge's first wife is buried in Newburyport Mass in the same grave yard spot with her son George A Armstrong who died of dementia after being wounded in the US Civil war and spent the rest of his life in soldiers homes in Maine.
 
Ma-dotcom said:
Don, if the girls both married in Massachusetts, have you seen marriage records, & do they not give place of birth? Not having much luck in UK so I'm thinking the Parents left UK soon after marriage. More places to look yet.

Family Search.org is another free site which can be very helpful.
Click to expand...
This became a long search because 1850 1860 US census records said "born in USA" but the Mass state census of 1855 and 1865 showed the first 2 daughters born in England with a guesstmate of 1831 and 1833 with the next daughter born in 1834 in NYC and the next 3 kids born in Mass. The killer is the records for all ships arrivals in NYC from about 1825 to 1865 were lost in a fire at Ellis island. Up until about 1870 you could just got off the boat where ever it landed and go wherever you wanted with few records kept. On top of that it was not until 1840 that all municipalties were required to do a central reporting of births in NYC. NY State and New Jersey are also states that require that you physically go to their offices to get access to any records no matter how old.
 
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