Thea Jenkins (jenkina @t nexicom.net)of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, is seeking information on an ancestor Joseph TAVERNER who I believe died in 1727. Would like to find his christening record and so names of parents - in order to go further back - also his marriage date and spouse's name. His son - also Joseph - married Elizabeth Lewin in 1752 in Broxborne, Herts.  Joseph's (the younger) son John (1768 - 1811 ?), married Mary Appleton presumably late in the 1700's or right around 1800.  Their children were John, Lewin, Edmund, (my gggf), Mary, Helen and Emily. Christening records for the boys I found at churches in London - Hackney and Finsbury.
 
My first reaction to your question is either that you know a hell of a lot about the family that you haven't told me about - or you are going far too fast and are trying to build a family tree on vague unconfirmed data - which can easily lead to serious errors and time-wasting false trails. I suggest you look at Right name, Wrong body? and re-examine what you have to see how sure you can be that the information you have all fits one family, bearing in mind how common the name Taverner  and its variations are. (See Spelling Personal and Place Names) You may also find the page The Limitations of Familysearch useful.

Clearly the IGI at familysearch shows that there was a Joseph Taverner marrying and Elizabeth Lewin at Broxbourne in 1752 - and, if you have looked at the microfilm of the register, you will know whether there  some other crucial information about the marriage which is not recorded in the index. You don't give any evidence as to why you think Joseph was orphaned in about 1727, where he was born, or why his father was another Joseph. It is also unclear where John was born/baptised in 1768 (it is not recorded in the Broxbourne parish register according to familysearch), and why you think his parents were the Joseph and Elizabeth who married in Broxbourne.

If you can find adequate sources to link your ancestry with the Taverner of Broxbourne, it would appear that they only had a limited connection with the town. A Richard Tavernor (wife's name unknown) had four children baptised in the Broxbourne parish church in the 1720s. They were Richard on 14 March, 1722, (who apparently died in infancy), Anna on 15 March 1723, Richard on 8 March, 1725, and John on 24 October, 1727. The only other 18th century reference in the baptisms and marriage registers is the marriage you mention between Joseph Taverner and Elizabeth Lewin on 1 February, 1752. It would be appropriate to look at the burial register microfilm - and the possibility that Joseph may have been the son of Richard (who may have only moved into Broxbourne in about 1722).

January 2003

Thea Jenkins (jenkina @t nexicom.net)replies:  Thank you so much for all your suggestions.  I do think that I have a believable record for the family back to gggf Edmund Taverner born in 1808 - based on wills, military records, census and even Burkes peerage due to one connection to minor aristocracy! Prior to 1800 is where it gets murky. The only basis for the existence of Joseph (?-?), Joseph (?-1800)and John Taverner(1768-1811)I have admit was made on notes from research done by a relative in the 1950's.  The date 1727 was beside the first Joseph in these notes, but I am now thinking that it could be an error - or his son's birth date? I have just found that wills exist which may be for both Josephs - probated in 1766 (more likely death date) and 1800 -and have ordered copies so will hopefully know more when they arrive. I have seen the microfilm of the register of Joseph Taverner and Elizabeth Lewin's marriage in 1752 and confirmed that he was from London, parish of St. Stephens, Coleman St. (I think, the writing was very difficult to make out). So it was Elizabeth, not her groom, who was from Broxborne - daughter of the church warden apparently. BUT.. there was an earlier Taverner/Lewin marriage in Broxborne on Oct 4, 1723.  Thomas and Sarah this time! Thomas was a carpenter and there is record of a Thomas Taverner working on renovations to the Duke of Portland's estate in the 1730's. The name Lewin was used as a forename in the family all the way down to my father's elder brother, incidentally. And you have found a Richard Taverner with 4 children baptized in the 1720's! The plot thickens....

Clearly there is a lot more work to do - and you may find the new topic Sources and Reliability of interest.

If you can add to the information given above tell me.

Page updated September 2005