In the last post, I hope I made a convincing argument that John, baptized Casborn in Orwell, 1721, is the direct ancestor of myself and many of today’s Casbons, Casbans and Casbens. However, I pointed out one inconsistency in the records. John was trained as a cordwainer, or shoemaker. However, the man who was buried… Continue reading Musings on John, Continued
Tag: Meldreth
Musings on John
This is a follow-on to an earlier post titled “Stuck on John,” in which I described how my research into the origins of the Meldreth branch of the Casbon family hit a “brick wall.” I had been able to trace the ancestry to a John Casborn who married Anne Chamberlain in 1742.[1] The problem was… Continue reading Musings on John
A Christmas Baptism
This is a short post, just to celebrate the season. Here is the barely legible baptism record of my third great-grandfather, Thomas Casbon (1803–1888). The register is written on parchment. In this case, in addition to smudges, the ink has degraded or flaked off. Here’s what the entry says: [Born] Novr. 3d. Thomas, son of… Continue reading A Christmas Baptism
New Homes, New Names
First, let me wish all of my readers a Happy Thanksgiving! ******************************************** I recently documented how the numbers of Casbon ancestors living in Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, dwindled, beginning in the mid-nineteenth century.[1] Today I’ll highlight two brothers who left Meldreth in the 1860s. Not only did they leave the ancestral home, but they also left the… Continue reading New Homes, New Names
Going, Going …
The sister villages of Meldreth and Melbourn in Cambridgeshire are my ancestral homeland. Records of Casbon ancestors in these villages go back to the mid-sixteenth century. Families occasionally moved from one village to another, or to other nearby villages, but there was little reason or incentive to go further. The situation remained stable for over… Continue reading Going, Going …
Was my Third Great Grandfather a Convicted Thief?
Sometimes there are long gaps in records, especially for people who lived before censuses were taken. You might only have records for birth (or baptism), marriage, and death (or burial)—commonly referred to as “BMD” records, with no information about what happened in the intervals between these major life events. Such is the case with my… Continue reading Was my Third Great Grandfather a Convicted Thief?
John Casball, Cordwainer
This record from 1718 caught my eye.[1] The original source for this record is a register of duties, or taxes, paid to the Board of Stamps in London by master trades- and craftsmen for the indenture of apprentices. When a master took on a new apprentice, he was paid a fee, usually by the parents… Continue reading John Casball, Cordwainer
James Casbon (~1813–1884): Final Days in England
Today’s post serves as a coda to my previous post about James Casbon (~1813–1884). In that post I mentioned that James might have been living in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, as early as 1861. He was probably living there when he married Mary Jackson in 1866; and he was definitely living there when his son Amos was… Continue reading James Casbon (~1813–1884): Final Days in England
Did James Casbon (~1813–1884) Use an Alias in the 1861 Census?
OK, I’ll admit it – it sounds a bit fantastic. But hear me out, it’s not totally crazy. Why would I think this entry from the 1861 census of England might be James Casbon? For starters, here is a little background. James was my fourth great uncle, the youngest brother of my third great grandfather,… Continue reading Did James Casbon (~1813–1884) Use an Alias in the 1861 Census?
An Almost Forgotten Occupation
One of my favorite sources for stories has been the British Newspaper Archive, hosted by Find My Past. The collection is constantly being updated with new materials. Just last week the Herts and Cambs Reporter and Royston Crow was added. “Herts” stands for Hertfordshire and “Cambs” stands for Cambridgeshire. Royston is a town in northern… Continue reading An Almost Forgotten Occupation