GOTCHA! Joseph Portas you can hide no more!

IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME and a little luck
With cautious optimism I write this. Finding my 5th great grandfather's baptism made my day... I could leave the Family History Library with a sense of accomplishment -- finally! 

I flew into Salt Lake City on Sunday, October 14. Monday I began my 8th annual research trip looking for Joseph PORTAS who was baptized sometime in the timeframe of 1700-1720. He is my 5th great grandfather, my brick wall. 

For the past 10 or so years, all I knew was he and Elizabeth MOOR married in Wyham cum Cadeby in 1740. This  trip to the Family History Library's stash of microfilms had to be my lucky year. Every trip I say this and go home without any satisfaction. But this was the year!

GENEALOGICAL GOD OR ANGEL OR JUST SERENDIPITY?
Maybe a genealogy god or angel was with me this trip. Who knows.

Towards the end of the day on Tuesday, I had enough time to start one new parish film. I looked on my list of parishes and noticed I hadn't looked at one film in the parish of Kelstern, Lincolnshire, England. I grabbed it out of the "stacks" and back at my reader I started to quickly reel to my chosen parish. The frame I stopped at wasn't the beginning of the parish, I actually stopped on the page shown below...and there he was! Joseph!

"AD 1716 -- Feb 14 Bapt Joseph Son of Wm & Isebel Poretuss of Lambcroft."

How could I have missed it on past trips? Was this a different roll of film from the first one I visited a couple years ago? Could it be that the surname wasn't spelled PORTAS but rather PORETUSS? No matter...there he was! It's the perfect time period since Joseph married in 1740 and figuring he could be 20-25 years of age. [all dates on this post are Julian calendar.]

The box on the right side is what I had seen last time, which turned out not to be my Joseph, but "said Joseph" who was "buryed July 27" [1719]. He was a Joseph Tuxworth, baptized eight days before and listed in the line above.

Left side box - Joseph baptized 14 Feb 1716, son of William and Isebel PORETUSS of Lambcroft. Right side box is for Joseph baptized 19 Jul 1719, son of Robert Tuxworth and Elizabeth his wife of Lambcroft.
Next line below: July 27 Buryed the said Joseph.
Kelstern, Lincolnshire, England
My digital image.

Left side box - Joseph baptized 14 Feb 1716, son of William and Isebel PORETUSS of Lambcroft.
Parish / Kelstern, Lincolnshire, England
My digital image.

When I "blew up" the left box's image for a better look, at first glance, I thought it said Feb 19 "Sept" which would have meant buried, but on closer examination on the rest of the page, "Sept" wasn't used in any other entry...so it was "Bapt"; even so, I needed to do a little more investigation. 

Comparing one "a" to the next, they were the same. I looked at the "e" in several words, none were the backward "e" we often see in writing from back then and many times mistaken for an "a." What looked like a capital "S" in Bapt. was actually a "B," by comparing it to others on both sides of the page. That in itself made me feel much more confident about what I found. Besides, I had to make sure I was seeing what I was seeing.

[Note: Lambcroft is now Ludford (Parva or Magna). Kelstern evidently administered the religious rights for that nearby village at the time.]


WHERE TO GO NOW?

Cruising through the rest of the parish film, I couldn't find any reference to a burial for Joseph in Kelstern. I did find his father William PORETUSS' burial entry -- 26 Jul 1732, but didn't find any burial entry for his mother Isabel. The search is on...

Jul 26 [1732 Kelstern] Buryed Wm Poretuss of ye Lambcroft.

Parish / Kelstern, Lincolnshire, England

My digital image.

Putting Kelstern parish film aside, I decided to check out another roll of film I had visited many times before -- Wyham cum Cadeby. This is where I knew Joseph would be. Starting around 1732 when Isabel became a widow, and continuing on to 1740 when Joseph married Elizabeth MOOR, I was hoping I would "see" something exciting now that my research had progressed?

Ancient All Saints Church / Wyham cum Cadeby, Lincolnshire, England
My digital image.

SO? WHAT DID I SEE?

This parish record page was a treasure of information. Joseph & Elizabeth and Isabel are on the same page along with a William & Mary Portas. Isabel, wife of William -- look, the white box shows the entry of her burial! Was she there living with Joseph or her daughter Isabel? How many times have I been here before and never thought of Isabel as Joseph's mother!

Arrows on the left margin show several Portas children, too. Baptized are both Joseph & Elizabeth's and William & Mary's. Just above the date 1743, is Isabel Portas (Isabel's daughter, Joseph's sister) marriage entry to a John NUTTLE May 15 [1742]. Now I have to establish who this William & Mary are.

1743 / Isabel Portas buried Apr 14.

Parish / Wyham Cum Cadeby, Lincolnshire, England

My digital image.

THE OTHER COUPLE
In my family tree program I had William entered as the brother of Joseph. Going back to the baptism entry of 1716, Joseph's parents are William & Isebel. Were they the same parents for William? Something didn't set right with me and of course this was an entry of speculation a number of years ago. I had no sources attached to this entry either... YIKES! How would I know where I found his name? I think I got this information off the IGI which should only be used as a guide. I haven't been back to that couple in a long time and didn't realize there were no sources. [Making a note to update.] 

Now I had my doubts about this sibling entry. I consulted (by e-mail) with a another Portas researcher who lives in Lincolnshire, and got a reply from her the next day. Margaret has been researching the PORTAS family in Lincolnshire a lot longer than I and I trust her advice. 

The couple were William Portas and Mary [Wright] married in 1727-Sixhills. Margaret pointed me to North Willingham parish which is closer to Sixhills than is Kelstern. I checked out the North Willingham film and found a William Portas baptized 1709 (I had "about 1710"); his parents were Edward & Elizabeth Portas. I'm sure this William is him.

A CAUTIOUS CONCLUSION
Parents William and Isabel have a son William who married a Hannah Miller. Doesn't look too promising that William who married Mary Wright is a sibling to Joseph; he may be a cousin. In my records, I have this William and Mary having a son named Edward. Joseph and Elizabeth don't have any son named Edward. Joseph does have a younger brother Edward, but the given name Edward doesn't seem to show up that much in other Portas families in Lincolnshire. I must investigate this a little further.

I believe William (Mary Wright) probably shouldn't be listed as one of Joseph's siblings since there is another William with documentation in the family baptized 1711. With a little more "digging" (pardon my expression), I will probably be moving him to another family file. It can get awful confusing when there are so many Williams baptized around the same time and place.

Another thought: Am I barking up the wrong family tree?! I don't think so. All the pieces to this puzzle are falling into place.

WHAT A FIND THIS COULD TURN OUT TO BE!
The Kelstern PORTAS family is Margaret's. She has had a gap in the baptism dates of William and Isabel's children where Joseph fits perfectly. Both my Portas family and Margaret's have been found in proximity during the same period of time. It is hard to believe they wouldn't be related in some way. We just had to prove it. I think I just did. The Joseph find connects both our families. 

More investigation is needed; I'm crossing my fingers I finally found my elusive 5th great grandfather's baptism. Now I'm on the hunt for his burial and more information on Elizabeth. It never ends.

WYHAM CUM CADEBY
That village wasn't that big way back when. All there is left is the church, rectory, and manor house. The churchyard had new burials, but I'm not sure if the parish church is still in use. It was hard to tell when Bob and I were there in 2005. The road to Wyham can be mistaken for a private driveway, which it probably is, but the manor owner allows people to visit the church and graveyard. We came in from above the manor...through someone's farm lane. The church has been sold as a monument according to the website shown below.

You can read more about the village at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~englin/W/wyham.htm

Manor house in Wyham cum Cadeby, Lincolnshire, England.
All that is left of the village is this manor house, church rectory, and the church.
My digital image.

Only inhabitants we encountered in Wyham that 2005 September day.
My digital image.

Wyham cum Cadeby is in the distance, high on the hill in the stand of trees.
I am down by the marsh and where the Humber meets the North Sea.
My digital image.

The Portus family settled in Lake County, Illinois

Mary Ann Vamplew gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth Ann Portus, in April of 1864. John PORTUS married Mary Ann VAMPLEW September 1864 in Thornton le Fen, Lincolnshire; November 1864 daughter Elizabeth Ann died and was buried in Coningsby churchyard. Three more children were born to John and Mary Ann: Georgiana 1865, Coningsby; William Dennis 1867, Nether Hallam, Sheffield, Yorkshire; and John Henry 1869, Thornton.

April 1870 John and Mary Ann packed up their family and lives and emigrated from Lincolnshire to Lake County, Illinois. (Previous blog posts -- June 16 and 22 tell a little more about their trip.) 

ARRIVAL LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
They arrived at the Port of New York May 3. (Blog post June 22) Sometime between then and June 21 (census enumeration below) they arrived in Lake County. I can only speculate they stayed with Mary Ann's uncle John ROUSE.

Uncle John secured a place the Portus family to live until a permanent place could be purchased. It was a small two-story house on Maple Ave. (Rte. 176) in what is now Mundelein, Illinois. It is located across the street from the property where I grew up. (See blog post May 1.) This part of the story isn't all that exciting, but it is the start of the family history in a new land. I know there is probably a lot more to fill in about their lives here in Illinois, and that is part of why we all do our research. 

My dad would mention the house was originally a log cabin and in the basement, you could see the original hand-hewn floor beams. I don't know if that is true or not since I was never privy to just go down into the basement to verify that claim. I have been in the house, but I don't remember much about its interior. Next time I'm in Mundelein, maybe I'll get the nerve to knock on the door. You can see the old barn in back beyond the fence. It was always dark and scary...as a young girl with vivid imagination, that barn held many monsters and I never liked going near the open door.

This is their first house -- a temporary place. 

The Portus family moved into that house in time to be recorded on the 1870 census -- just 74 days after they left England. This was the first census John and Mary Ann were listed as man and wife. I believe this census lays victim to the rural Lincolnshire accent because our surname spelling is recorded as PORTOS. (John spelled it PORTUS on the letter seen on my June 16 blog post. 1880 census the name is spelled PORTEOUS and that is how I knew my whole life until I started researching.)

1870 CENSUS

Here we see the township was "Fremont in the County of Lake, State of Ill., enumerated by me on the 21 day of June, 1870." and the Post Office was "Deans Corners."

The family is listed as: 

    John  28   M   W   Labourer   b. England

    Mary Ann  28   F   W   Wife  b. England

    Georgianna   4   F  W  At Home   b. England

    William D    3    M   W  At Home   b. England

    John H   1   M   W   At Home  b. England

SETTLED ON MIDLOTHIAN ROAD PROPERTY

Sometime after son John Henry died (September 1870) Rockefeller, Illinois (now Mundelein), they moved into a house on Midlothian Road, Diamond Lake (in Fremont Township) which is now part of Mundelein.

Small square and "A" at top shows where the little temporary house is
located compared to the land purchase location "B" on Midlothian Rd.
Photo is a screen shot of a satellite view on Google Maps.

Land on Midlothian Rd. (Diamond Lake) on a 1915 map showing names of neighbors.
This map was posted on the wall of the Lake County (IL) Genealogical Society's library.

This is the front of the house on Midlothian Rd. I can see four people in the picture, but can't identify them
because they are too small. I would think the person in the doorway is Mary Ann and the man standing at the front porch is John. Not knowing what year this image was taken, the two children could be grandchildren --
or if it is early 1870s, the girl could be Georgiana and the boy possibly my grandfather William D.;
John Henry died Sep. 1870. More research needs to be done.
Photo contributed by cousin Sharon Mitchell.

This is of course the back of the Midlothian house.  Mary Ann is in the doorway and John holds buckets. Since John has a beard, this picture must be many years after they purchased the house. The back porch looks like it has been closed in possibly accommodating a newer kitchen. Looks like the time of year is early spring or maybe fall.
Photo was found in a family box of pictures.

I'm not sure if this house was still standing when I was a little girl 60 some years ago, but I do remember my dad telling me about it. My aunt Mildred (Mimi) and uncle Frank Druba built a new house on the property. I think my dad helped build it. I do remember dad saying the new house was built where the old house was, but the new house didn't have a basement...so maybe it was placed juxtaposition to the old foundation. Mimi had some beautiful flowers. There was a foundation of a building near the house which Mimi planted with cosmos and flox and many more too numerous to mention. The butterfies and bees loved this garden. There was so much life in that little space. 

Now all is gone.

Mimi.

This is what is left of that beautiful garden. 

Look up where the house(s) would have been.

Great grandmother Mary Ann 

Great grandfather John

The last time I went past the property, there was a big sign advertising a senior citizen complex. I don't go by there much anymore because it is hard to see the property in such a state. You just can't go home again.

ca. 1920 Carroll Porteous played football at Libertyville with no shoulder pads!

Periodically I revisit my images on my computer just to see if there are any more pictures I can identify as my research advances. So when I came across these pictures, I had to chuckle to myself. I knew I had these pictures of my dad and his high school football team, but I hadn't see them for awhile. The pictures are possibly sometime around 1918 to 1922. My dad, Carroll L. Porteous, went to Libertyville Township High School when the Brainerd building was the high school building. 

I also attended that high school. By the time I was there it had consolidated with Fremont Township and was called Libertyville Fremont High School. I spent freshman year in the Brainerd building and sophomore year in the bigger, modern Butler Lake building a 15-minute walk west on Route 176, Libertyville, Illinois.

I'm an ice hockey fan -- not a football fan, but I sure am a fan of my dad and his football uniform. Dad played in several sports in high school: football, baseball, and track. I don't know about basketball since his nickname was "Shortie," so I'm not sure he played. Family story: he set some track records that were still standing when I started high school in 1959. I never checked it out when I was there.

HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED...

...how equipment has changed! Just look at those helmets... what a hoot! There was no consistent type of helmet from one player to another. The pants, too cool! These guys were tough! Compared to the uniforms of today...well...there is no comparison. 

Looking at them again...what a hoot!

I can't identify any of the players other than the guy who will catch the hike... that's my dad.

Anyone see my shoulder pads? 

This Joseph Portas Wasn't Hiding

As I've stated before, my main family history focus is the PORTAS family from Lincolnshire, England. I have been hunting and gathering PORTASes for the past 15 years or so. I have many families in my database from around the world – most are in Lincs. 

I'm back to my 5x great grandfather Joseph PORTAS, bp. abt. 1720-ish. I can only speculate who his parents are. I haven't found Joseph's baptism record...yet. Right now that is my brick wall. Advice was to leave it alone for a while, then come back to it with a fresh look. I'm taking that advice and working on updating information in my tree program Reunion 10, tackling the "piles" of printouts and photocopies, sorting and scanning images, spring cleaning (now?) my genealogy files on the computer. I'm finding information that didn't mean much a couple years ago, but now as my research has progressed, this stuff means a lot more and can be plugged into family data.

LOOKING AT MY PATERNAL LINEAGE

Since I don't have a lot of information on William 1754, and Joseph 1720-ish, I can show you Joseph 1786. He's not hiding information from me <grin>. He is the first Portas who I have recorded on the census starting with 1841.

JOSEPH 1786-1874

BAPTISM

My 3x great grandfather Joseph was baptized 7 May 1786 in North Coates, Lincs. It was a chore finding this record. The image below was the first inkling I had found it. I was in the Lincolnshire Archives, Lincoln, Lincs, England when I spotted this on one of the films with North Coates transcriptions. I put the "[Joseph son of]" in there several years later when I discovered the next image in Bishop's Transcripts of parish register. BTs are copies of the actual parish register.

Quiet fireworks went up inside me as I sat starring at the image projected downward from the film reader in the Family History Library – "I found him!" I said, proud of myself in my discovery. There it was squeezed between the word "Baptisms" and the first entry, "Joseph son of William and Elizabeth Portas was bapt. May 7th." It looked like the entry on the BT was a last minute entry before the BT was sent to where they were deposited.

St. Nicholas, North Coates, Lincolnshire, England
http://www.wparkinson.com/Churches/   Photo by Paul Fenwick

Now I have established where and when he was baptized. The census you'll see later shows he was born in Marshchapel, that could be true also since it wasn't mandatory to register births until 1837 in England. North Coates and Marshchapel are very close to one another. As it is, Elizabeth was from Marshchapel. It was common for a daughter to go to her mother's for the birth of her children. This could be true in Elizabeth case.

MARRIAGE

Joseph married Mary DENNIS on 15 May 1809 in Alford, Lincs. They were married by Banns. I have to get the published Banns. On their marriage record it states Joseph is from Ludborough instead of North Coates or Marshchapel. That was curious. I would think he had been working there, but I haven't found any proof yet if he had settlement papers or apprentice papers, etc. He could have met Mary during that time. I haven't come across any records showing where he was employed. Manorial Records might tell the tale.

Joseph was 23 when he married Mary who was of the Alford Parish.  Don't let anyone tell you there wasn't mobility back then. There was, especially in Lincs. Alford is about 20 miles south east of Ludborough. That is a decent distance to travel for work.

St. Wilfred, Alford, Lincolnshire, England    Photo by me.

CENSUSES

Joseph and Mary had been married 32 years. They are both 55 and born "Y" which means he was born in the county. Joseph was an agricultural labourer. John 30 is first son of six. John was widowed as I later found out. Benjamin 8 is the son of John. Mary 6 is the illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary's first daughter. She had a son Thomas who would have been 4, but I don't know where he was on census 

night 6 Jun 1841.

1851

This is the first census that shows were people were born, marital status, and relationship to head of household. We now can see Joseph is born in Marsh Chapel, he is the head of household, married, 66 (10 years later from 1841 should be 65), and an agricultural labourer. Wife Mary born in Mareham le Fen, is 69 (should be 65), living with them is grandson Benjamin 17 and is a labourer, born Bolingbroke. John I find out later had gotten married and is living out of this household. Granddaughter Mary is a house servant in the John Ellwood household on census night 30 Mar 1851.

1861

This census is the really my family, which did throw me a little when I saw Mary is now shown as Sarah! Everybody is listed as born in Mareham le Fen – "Do" equals Ditto which refers to a person several families above. Benjamin is still living with them and is now 29, unmarried agricultural labourer. They are living on "The Green" this census night 30 Mar 1861.

1871

On April 2, census night, Joseph and family are still living on the Green in Mareham le Fen. Joseph is still the head, 85, Pauper, and now showing he was born in North Coates. Mary isn't Sarah now, wife, 85, born Mareham le Fen. Their first daughter Elizabeth is now living with them at age 46. She is now a SANDERSON and is widowed. With her is daughter Hannah 15, and son William 9, both born in Burgh. William is listed as an "Idiot"! This is the first census which gives a medical status using the old descriptive words like idiot, blind, deaf and dumb, imbecile, lunatic... some of those words wouldn't be used today.

BURIAL

Joseph was buried in Mareham le Fen on 26 May 1874 at age 89, having died three days earlier. I'm still looking for settlement papers and records declaring he is getting parish support when he was considered a pauper. Mary did in 1876. Both are buried somewhere in St. Helen's churchyard.

St. Helen's, Mareham le Fen, Lincolnshire, England   Photo by me.

CHILDREN

Joseph and Mary had seven known children: John 1810, Elizabeth 1814, Joseph 1816, William Dennis 1817, David 1822 died at three days old, David 1823, and Richard 1826. William Dennis is the only child I know of who has a middle name. William is my 2x great grandfather who emigrated from Lincs in 1875 and settled in Kansas in around 1878.

The naming conventions weren't practiced. If they were, William Dennis would have been the first born son's name instead of John. Normally you can go back one generation based on the naming practices.

This blog thing is fun. Thanks for getting this far without falling asleep!

I left my pink elephant in Ivanhoe Cemetery

I have been a little lax on posting lately. Besides having little to say, I have been on a trip. I really didn't do much genealogy or family history in the past few weeks. It was a nice break to clear one's mind.

This last Monday I met with Marty, my 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade friend! We met at the Ivanhoe Cemetery (1852), Ivanhoe, Illinois. She has been adding memorials onto Find A Grave and came up from St. Louis to visit with family and the cemetery among other things. I can't think of a better place for old friends to meet after 60 some years of being lost to one another! It was a wonderful few hours walking through the cemetery looking at headstones and discussing some history of the interred or getting some questions answered or solving a mystery. We also went to lunch and talked about Mundelein, Lincoln School, and our dear teacher Abby Dalton (1st & 2nd grade class picture on Aug. 6 post). It was a beautiful day and just the right time of day to get good pictures, too.

My parents, paternal grandparents, and paternal great grandparents are buried in Ivanhoe Cemetery. It was nice visiting their graves again...saying a little prayer, taking a few moments reflecting on the loved ones. Carroll & Edna Porteous (my parents); William D. & Carrie Ida (Snyder) Porteous (my grandparents); John & Willimina [Wilhelmina] (Smith) Snyder (my great grandparents).

My two sets of paternal great-great grandparents, SNYDERs and SMITHs, came to Lake County, Illinois sometime in the mid-1800s. I know the Smiths were there around 1843. I'm sure the Snyders were there about the same time, because I found the marriage record for Wilhelmina Smith marrying John Snyder in Waukegan September of 1850. I have a lot of fill-in work to do on these families. The pieces are starting to fit as I gather information.

The Snyders settled out on Gilmer-Volo Rd. (now just Gilmer Rd.) closer to Volo, Illinois than to Gilmer. This area was in rural Fremont Township. I do believe the house and barn are still standing, but then again, I can't confirm the ones standing are the original buildings. I'm not sure where the Smiths settled or even where they are buried to boot!

Wilhelmina (Smith) and John Snyder
Identified by my aunt Violet Chandler.

John and Wilhelmina had five children (all lived to be adults). I was told they also had two babies that died very early. No names, sex, or dates for these infants, but as of last Monday, I am sure I have images of their headstones! I don't know how many times I have visited that site and never noticed them to the right of George. I was fortunate to have Marty there to bounce thoughts off, we decided these stones could be marking the infants' graves.

Snyder family plot, Section B-East, Lot 55. Graves are all in a row.

As you look at this image, John and Willimina's [Wilhelmina] headstone is flush to the ground on the left. The next one (upright) to the right is their son George Albert. To the right of George are two small white stones. The stones are so worn out I could barely see "SNYDER" on the face of one. The other, well, there was so worn I couldn't even guess what could have been there. Because both are the same type of stones, we are sure they belong together. 

Very hard to see even enhancing this image.
SNYDER
Willimina 1831-1903 and John 1815-1908
(Great grandmother's name should be spelled Wilhelmina.)

I checked the copies of the Ivanhoe Cemetery graves' listings Marty brought with her. No babies were listed with John and Wilhelmina's plot on page 14. Yet, these graves weren't accounted for on any other family's plot listing either.

With the little evidence we have, we can only conclude these were the Snyder babies. If anyone has more information to add, can verify or dispel our conclusion, please email me. Having the correct information is very important to me.

OH, I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT MY PINK ELEPHANT

When I was growing up, my parents and grandma Carrie would drive out to the cemetery to attend to the graves. While the adults planted geraniums or weeded the little garden near the headstones, my brother and I would play in and around the headstones... we would "ride" the horizontal cylinder-type stones (I saw those stones on Monday; they made me smile and think of an old story.)

On one occasion I took my stuffed pink elephant –– worn from love, tattered from play, and wouldn't survive another washing. I don't remember if it had a name, but I do remember hearing the story of when I left my dear pink elephant in the cemetery. We got home after visiting the graves; it was dark. I was crying because my pink friend was left at the cemetery. My dad wasn't about to go back with a flashlight to look for a pink elephant! My grandmother, who was close to 80 at the time called the caretaker "this is aunt Carrie. We were just out at the cemetery and left a pink elephant behind." The caretaker thought it was a hoax and hung up on grandma! Grandma realized that she didn't tell the caretaker the elephant was a stuffed toy. She and mom couldn't stop laughing at the thought of what the caretaker thought. Well, the next day, my mom called him to explain grandma's call. 

I guess he looked for my elephant the next day, but couldn't find it or so my mom said. Now that I think of it, I bet she didn't really want him to find it so she wouldn't have to wash it anymore. I believed that little white lie and didn't feel so lost without my friend the pink elephant. Mom never did admit the truth.

Puzzle Piece Payoff Started With The UK Censuses

There are so many things I could talk about when it comes to my family history research. There have been advances and setbacks, not to mention those formidable brick walls. I've had my share of spending money ordering certificates only to find out the information I received a few weeks later wasn't connected to my family. I've had my share of the opposite: when the precious envelope came in the mail it contained a revelation of parents name therefore thrusting my research back another generation or more!

Of the many trials and revelations, one find stands out. It was one of my many puzzle piece payoffs. I was getting to know my g-g-grandfather James Vamplew. Besides wanting to know who his parents were, I wanted to know more about his family, children, siblings, etc. This seemed like a good time to hunt because pieces of information were starting to come together, but there were mysteries to solve, too. The more I dug, the more I wanted to know.  

James lived in Tumby Woodside, Lincolnshire, England. He married Anne Rouse in 1838 and they lived in District 4 of the Tumby parish. Their second child is my great grandmother Mary Ann who married John Portus and eventually settled in Illinois. James and Anne had 10 children, all of which lived to adulthood; that was not as common as we'd like to think. 

The James and Anne Vamplew cottage in Tumby Woodside, Lincolnshire, England as identified
by cousin Maurice who descends from youngest son George Wright Vamplew's line and  lives
about a mile away from the site. The cottage no longer exists. The two girls in front are unidentified, but could be the youngest girls Matilda and Lucy Ann. Date of taking unknown.

COMING TO MY CENSUS

From 1841 to 1901 census, I could start piecing together most James' life. Even though Ancestry.com indexed with various spellings, I eventually found them by entering in the search field "Tumby" and looking at each district; each page and each line of that district. Of course that takes time, but it did have its benefits – I found other family connections at the same time. As research goes on over the years, I have seen the surname spelled more ways that your head is spinning. The most common way is VAMPLEW in England; in USA it is VanPlew.

James VANFLEW - age: 24  born: Y [in county]
1841 UK Census - HO 107 / 638 / 25
Kirkby Upon Bain, Lincolnshire, District 4 (Ancestry.com image pg6)

James Vamplew - age: 35  born: Ranby
1851 UK Census - HO 107 / 2108
Tumby, Lincolnshire, District 4 (Ancestry.com image pg. 17)

James Vamplew - age: 44  born: Ranby
1861 UK Census - RG9 / 2370
Tumby, Lincolnshire, District 4 (Ancestry.com image pg. 13)

James Vamplew - age: 54  born: Martin
1871 UK Census - RG10 / 3384
Tumby, Lincolnshire, District 4 (Ancestry.com image pg. 10)

James Vamplew - age: 64  born: Ranby
1881 UK Census - RG11 / 3252
Tumby, Lincolnshire, District 4 (Ancestry.com image pg. 11)

James Vamplew - age: 74  born: Ranby
1891 UK Census - RG12 / 2600
Tumby, Lincolnshire, District 4 (Ancestry.com image pg. 19)

James Vamplew - age: 84  born: Ranby
1901 UK Census - RG13 / 3071
Wildmore (Tumby), Lincolnshire, District 4 (Ancestry.com image pg. 12)

What did I find out from the census besides who was in the household, where all were born, and how old they were? Well, I found out on six of the seven census years, James was born in Ranby, but on the 1871 census he said he was born in Martin. Most probably he was born in Ranby because that is what he said most of the time, but I can't assume until I get his birth record. I searched the web for James b. 1815-1820, Ranby. No luck. I tried various spelling, still no luck. I gave up. I also contacted a couple other researchers in Lincolnshire to ask advice on how to find the father's name... still no luck. I set it aside. Time will tell. 

HIS FATHER SHOULD BE NAMED

I already had his death record, but not his marriage record. I sent to the RO in England and received the marriage record – at least I'd have his father's name, right? That's a start.

1838, Marriage solemnized by Banns in the Parish of Kirkby in the County of Lincoln
When Married: May 15; Name and Surname: James Vamplew; Age 21;
Condition: bachelor; Rank or Profession:  Laborer; Residence at the Time of Marriage: Tumby;
Father's Name and Surname: James Vamplew; Rand or Profession of Father: Laborer
Married in the Parish church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of
the Church of England by me, Thomas Best
Bride and groom signatures; Witnesses: John Southwell and John Lenton 

I had planned my first trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 2006. The baptism record would have to wait until I was in the Family History Library and could look at the mother lode of parish records on microfilm. 

First thing in the FHL – I searched through the Ranby microfilm to no avail. There was nothing! Not to let my research trip go to waste, I decided I to look through other films for some of my PORTAS family. It was later in the day and I was getting very groggy from looking at the whirling film on the reader bed...in the darkened area. I was on my last box of film – the Thornton parish. I was searching "P" for Portas when a "B" popped out at me. I spotted it! Mary BAMPFLEW! I think everyone on the British Isles floor of the library knew I struck gold! It was probably a good thing we were two stories down in the basement for fear all of Salt Lake City would have heard. There it was – six rows down...who would have thunk? I was floating higher and higher! My sister-in-law was next to me...she knew it was a special find.

It's was hard to read. I looked closely to what was written  Novr 10, [1816], James [daughter crossed out] Illegitimate son of Mary Bampflew [baptized] at Thornton and born at Ranby! He WAS born Ranby, he was illegitimate and the Curate had enough sense to give me all that information!

St. Wilfred's Church, Thornton, Lincolnshire. Thornton is a small hamlet. The road to the church looks like a driveway, because you have to go between two houses and hope you don't knock over the garbage cans. The church dates back to the 15th century and is a listed building. 

No father's name. Even though he was illegitimate, sometimes a father is written on the baptism record. So, who is the "James" on his wedding certificate as his father? More questions. Was Mary single or was she married to a James Vamplew? I was on the hunt and found Mary was daughter to Jacob. She was single at time of the birth. 

BASTARD AND PUTATIVE FATHER

Back in 2006, I didn't think about "Bastardy Cases" where the single mother would ask the Justices of the General Quarter Sessions for payment from the father for upkeep on her child. I had emailed a Vamplew researcher in Australia to tell her my mystery. She was the one to mention Bastardy Recognizances. She explained what these were and sent me a sample of what I should be looking for. Unbeknownst to her, the clipping she sent me was Mary's request! I hadn't told her who I was looking for! Luck be with me for sure!

Looky here! Mary Vamplew single woman of Ranby. Putative father: James Patchett...well, the father's name was James. Could it have been when g-g-grandfather got married, the Curate was told my James' father was also "James" whereas the Curate "assumed" his father was also Vamplew? Maybe my g-g-grandfather thought his father was (as if turns out) his uncle James? 

I noticed I could send for the Bastardy Certificate. I ordered it from Lincoln Archives and waited in great anticipation for the papers. I was so excited when I was reading the certificate because it mentions the day he was born... "Bastard Child, on Sunday the sixth day of October infant..."

I learned something new. The Recognizance announces the father and his surety and the certificate gives details. I don't know if there is another paper to order, but this is enough for now. It gives me the important answers I have been searching for. 

DID SHE OR NOT?

I had wondered if Mary ever married James Patchett, but further investigation showed they did not. Son James went to live with Mary's mother and her brother James. She married a Bartholomew Voucher in 1818, and passed away at age 26 in 1822. They had one daughter. James Patchett married a Mary Brown, and he died in 1867. They had nine children.

My g-g-grandfather James Vamplew b. 1816, m. 1838, d. 1905. Anne, his wife, passed a year later. They were married 72 years and lived their whole married life in Tumby Woodside. Anne was born in Tumby, and from what I can tell James had lived within a five-mile radius all his life.

James Vamplew, died 21 October 1905 at age 89 of Epithelioma of Ear. Exhaustion. Certified by T.W.S. Mann M.R.C.S.; Informant: George Vamplew, Son.

James and Anne (Rouse) Vamplew are both buried in St. Peter's of Wildmore churchyard. I couldn't find any headstones, so just took a picture of the church and grounds... they have to be there somewhere.

"Frog Hall" is what the locals call it, but actually it is St. Peter's in Wildmore Parish.
It is a listed building, built in 1816, and is known as a "fen church."