28 July 2009

East to West in 10 years

Nary a one. Nope, not one anniversary today. So I've had to delve into the depths of my stray Culpin file again . . . . . .

Let me introduce you to Biddy Culpin, daughter of Richard & Maria (nee Gostelow); she married yesterday. In Spalding. In 1832. To James Smith - honestly, could she have picked someone with a more . . . ahem, common name. I guess it could just about have been worse - he could have been John.

Seriously, tho', Biddy was born in 1812 in Spalding and her husband James was born five years previously in Sibsey (also in Lincs, according to Mr Phillimore). They appear to have produced seven children, all girls, between 1834 and 1850, all but the youngest two born in the county. In 1851 I found the family, after an amazingly long & inventive search, in Birkenhead - the other side of the country - where Emily & Elizabeth were born.

Interestingly, Biddy (who was christened thus) appears twice in the census as Bridget; they also named their third daughter Bridget, not Biddy.

By 1861, James & Biddy were back in Spalding, after their Cheshire sojourn, and James is a corn & coal porter. And that's as far as I have found them but I think more delving may take longer than a few minutes to produce results!!

More soon.


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