Naming Patterns as Evidence of Kinship

Posted: 27 Feb 2013 | Author: Sue Adams | Filed under: Analysis, Sue's family research | Tags: 50 Marriage Mondays, Amis, Amos, Black Country, Kingswinford, monumental inscription, Parkes |1 Comment

My hunch that the middle name given to my 3x great grand-mother, Sally Parkes Amis, might be a clue to her maternal ancestry seems vindicated by the index entry for her parent’s marriage[1]:

Bride: Fanny Parkes
Groom: Daniel Amis or Amos
Date: 27 February 1799
Location: St Matthew, Walsall, England

A search of FamilySearch’s indexes for baptisms of children born to this couple turns up three daughters, two sharing their mother’s maiden name as a middle name.

Name	Date	Place
Hannah Roughton Amos[2]	4 Aug 1799	Kingswinford, Stafford, England
Maria Parkes Amos [3]	11 Jan 1801	Kingswinford, Stafford, England
Sally Parkes Amos [4]	1 Feb 1807	Kingswinford, Stafford, England

By 1861 Fanny, aged 86, lived with her daughter Sally’s family at Powale House, Churchill[5]. She appears as a sister to Sally Cartwright a widow and farmer of Himley Park Farm, Himley on the 1851 census. At that time Fanny was a widow and annuitant (living on investments)[6]. Both Daniel and Fanny lived at Hollies, Kingswinford with daughter Sally’s family in 1841[7].

So why was Fanny and Daniel’s eldest known daughter given the middle name Roughton? Further tantalising clues appear on the Parkes family tomb at Kingswinford. According to a published transcript of the top of the chest tomb carries the inscription[8]:

Sacred to the memory of Mrs Ann Parkes wife of Joseph Parkes of Hunts Mill who departed this life 29^th May 1780 aged 60 years. Also Joseph, Sarah, Zachariah, Maria and Joseph Parkes grandchildren of the above Joseph and Ann Parkes. Also Hannah the wife of John Roughton of Holly Hall near Dudley and daughter of Joseph and Ann Parkes of Hunts Mill who departed this life 11^th June 1810 ages 65 years. Also Daniel Henry son of John Pearson and Sally Wilson who died August 16^th 1852 aged 3 years.

Daniel Henry Wilson, grandson to Fanny and Daniel Amis, was the youngest son of Sally Parkes Amis and John Pearson Wilson, so this inscription suggests a clear connection to the Parkes family. It is not clear exactly what the connections are, and the FamilySearch index does not contain the vital records that would elucidate the relationships between the Parkes family members.

The other slabs on the tomb go on to name yet more family members associated with Holly Hall, Himley Hall, Himley Wood, Coopers Bank and Dudley Port Ironworks. I need to visit the various archives covering the Black Country to sort this lot out!

[1] FamilySearch. “England, Marriages, 1538-1973 “, database, (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N214-ML8 : accessed 11 Feb 2013), Annis, Daniel & Parkes, Fanny; citing Family History Library microfilm 421612; citing Bishop’s Transcript. Saint Matthew ,Walsall,Stafford,England.
[2] FamilySearch, England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, database, (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NYVT-64C : accessed 26 Feb 2013), 1799-08-04. Amos, Hannah Roughton; citing Family History Library microfilm 417203; citing Bishop’s Transcript. Kingswinford, Stafford, England.
[3] FamilySearch, England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, database. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JW43-DXQ : accessed 26 Feb 2013) 1801-01-11, Amos, Maria Parkes; citing Family History Library microfilm 417203; citing Church of England. Bishop’s Transcript. Kingswinford,Stafford,England.
[4] FamilySearch, England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, database, (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JMC8-LJW : accessed 26 Feb 2013), Amos, Sally Parkes , 1807-02-01; citing Family History Library microfilm 417203; citing Church of England. Bishop’s Transcript. Kingswinford,Stafford,England.
[5] Census 1861. England. Worcestershire, Churchill, Wolverley, District 2, image 5, schedule no 18, household of Wilson, John Pearson. digital image. accessed http://www.ancestry.co.uk 26 February 2013; citing The National Archives, Kew. RG 9/2076/12/5.
[6]Census 1851. England. Staffordshire, Himley, District 1, image 18, schedule no 59, household of Cartwright, Sally. digital image. accessed http://www.ancestry.co.uk 26 February 2013; citing The National Archives, Kew. HO 107/2017/358/17.
[7] Census 1841. England. Staffordshire, Kingswinford, District 11, image 13, household of Wilson, John P. digital image. Accessed http://www.ancestry.co.uk 26 February 2013; citing The National Archives, Kew. HO 107/996/6/16/24.
[8] Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry. 1987. Monumental inscriptions St. Mary’s Church, Kingswinford, Staffordshire. pp. 99-100, Section L, no. 11.