Help connecting my ggg-grandfather back to Nottinghamshire

Question

Hi Wikitreers,

You're always there for me when I'm stuck. I think I've run up against the limits of what I can currently do on my own for my 3x great-grandfather William B. Watson. Could you help me connect my family to their roots in Nottinghamshire? 

What I've found so far is pretty much all there in his profile. I'm confident about his relationship with his brothers John and Amos, the three of whom emigrated from England to New Jersey in 1827. William's gravestone is inscribed with his birthdate and origin in Nottinghamshire. John's death certificate, which I received from the New Jersey archives, gives his birthdate, birthplace in Nottinghamshire, and names his parents. John's will confirms the names of his brothers and their children.

I'm not positive which confession they were connected to in England. When he died, John left considerable money to the local Presbyterian Church (where he was an elder, his funeral was held, and whose pastor delivered the sermon) as well as some money to the Reformed Church (a reverend assisted with his funeral) and the Methodist Church.

If you know how to navigate resources in England, I'd be grateful for your eyeballs, the tricks up your sleeves, and really any help you can offer.

Answer 1

This looks like a possible baptism record for younger siblings Amos and Elizabeth. It has mothers maiden name as Sarah Jackson but the father is named as William (I note on the profile you have his father being called John but when I clicked through to the profile for his brother John it says their father was William, so was John a mistake?).

https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/1363832?mark=c99ccd591565d28b6d2fe71534052b248a84787e8eda2c2a9c3903bf7887deea

This baptism is in Gainsborough which is in Lincolnshire but not far from Nottinghamshire. Several of my Nottinghamshire relatives spent time working in Lincolnshire.

Hope that helps. I'm off to bed now but I'm sure others will be happy to help.

Comments

Thanks for taking a stab at this Helen. Yes, you caught that discrepancy. John's death certificate gives father's name as William.

William B.'s death certificate gives father's name as John. But they were definitely brothers.

Sarah and John were the names of the adults who crossed the Atlantic with the kids.

I hadn't considered Lincolnshire. It sounds like a reasonable direction to look.

Answer 2

Is their father's name meant to be John or William?

I have found a potential baptism record for Amos and his sister Elizabeth.

Amos born Jan 1816, baptised June 1819, and Elizabeth born April 1822, baptised June 1822. Parents listed as William Watson, farmer, and Sarah Jackson.

Born in Somersby, Lincolnshire, and baptised at Gainsborough, Caskgate Street (Independent, Formerly Count· of Huntingdon)

Amos, child of William Watson & Sarah Watson, was born on 7 January 1816 and baptised in June 1819 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England.<ref>

'''Baptism''':

"England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1936"<br/>

The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; General Register Office: Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths Surrendered to the Non-Parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857; Class Number: RG 4; Piece Number: 1637<br/>

{{Ancestry Sharing|1363832|c99ccd591565d28b6d2fe71534052b248a84787e8eda2c2a9c3903bf7887deea}} - {{Ancestry Record|2972|478167}} (accessed 25 January 2023)<br/>

Amos Watson baptism in Jun 1819 (born 7 Jan 1816), child of William Watson & Sarah Watson, in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England.

</ref>

Comments

Potential marriage for parents

William married Sarah Jackson on 24 December 1799 in Kirkby In Ashfield, St. Wilfrid, Nottinghamshire, England.<ref>

'''Marriage''':

"Nottinghamshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1937"<br/>

Nottinghamshire Archives; Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England; PR11370; Reference: PR11370<br/>

{{Ancestry Sharing|1364297|4fafe6816463e6883a88e3727fcb1db2e31b63d5b7d87ee98adf8940f8842573}} - {{Ancestry Record|61840|1160827|au}} (accessed 25 January 2023)<br/>

William Watson marriage to Sarah Jackson on 24 Dec 1799 in Kirkby In Ashfield, St. Wilfrid, Nottinghamshire, England.

</ref>