The baptism of  Esther Ayliffe Morris I'm searching for the baptism of my g-g-grandmother Esther Ayliffe Morris. I have baptisms and births of her siblings, and her parents' marriage.  I have her marriage, death, Will and every possible census record. She was probably born in Woodchester GLS in 1835.   Right: Esther Ayliffe Iddles (nee Morris)

Where?
    Both her older sister and her younger sister were born in Woodchester, her older sister's baptism gives the address as 'Culver-house, near Woodchester'.  At censuses she said she was born in Woodchester (or the nearby larger town of Minchinhampton, or Hampton). For her younger siblings born in Woodchester for whom I have birth certificates the sub-district is Rodborough in the district of Stroud. In the 1851 census her elder sister was said to have been born in Minchinhampton.  In the Woodchester parish register of around 1835 there are some entries for Hampton - and I think this is the same as Minchin Hampton.
 

Notes:
Thomas Morris's first wife.  In the Woodchester Parish Register there is an Elizabeth Morris of Hampton who was buried 01 Apr 1830 age 25 - could this be Thomas's first wife (he would have been about 2 years younger), or could it be an unmarried sister of Thomas's?.  There's nothing in the IGI to point to either of these.

Why Ayliffe?  There are families of that name in the area in the 1851 census so it is clearly a local surname. Could it be either Thomas' or Ann's mothers' maiden surname?  Or could it even be Thomas's first wife's maiden surname (but then why use it as a second name for Esther)?
    Could it possibly be that she was born Esther Ayliffe and was adopted, or she was born out of wedlock, for instance that either Thomas or Ann was one of her true parents and the other one was an Ayliffe? In the 1851 census there are three Ayliffes locally born or living who might be candidates: Susan Widow 52 Laundress King Stanley  /Mn'chmptn 51; Charles 46 Cordwainer Minchinhampton  / Cheltenham 13-51 and John  Servant 40 Minchinhampton  / Cheltenham 23-51

Ester could be entered as Hester - I've always checked for that as well.

Her parents:  Thomas Morris seems to have been conscientious about baptizing and registering the other children. Thomas could sign his name - and Esther had some education. When Esther was born Thomas's parents were still alive and living with Thomas and his family. All of this points to them being likely to baptize Esther.
 
 

Ester's siblings:

Elizabeth was baptized 09 Feb 1834, daughter of Thomas [Smith by trade] and Ann Morris of Culver-house near Woodchester.  I've not been able to find Culver-house but there was a Culverhill Farm to the southeast of Woodchester (in the Minchinhampton direction) on the old O.S. map of the area.  If Esther was a twin she would surely have been baptized at the same time, so this means that Esther was unlikely to have been born before the start of 1835. Elizabeth was in the 1841 census age 7 and in the 1851 census age 17 born in Minchinhampton.  On 04 Dec 1853 Elizabeth Morris, age 20, a spinster of Woodchester (father Thomas Morris, a smith) married Edwin Jones age 23, bachelor, a painter of Woodchester (father William Jones, a painter).  The witnesses were Edward Iddles, Esther Ayliff Morris and George Smith.

Ann Weeks was born 06 Mar 1838 Woodchester daughter of Thomas Morris [Blacksmith] and Ann Morris formerly Weeks (registered 12 Mar 1838 by Thomas Morris). So Esther was unlikely to be born after mid 1837. Ann Weeks was baptized 8 Apr 1838 (31 days after the birth) and presumably if Esther had not been baptized before she would have been baptized at that time - there are a few of examples in the Woodchester Parish Register where this happened and often the date of birth is noted - see also Thomas below.  Ann Weeks was in the 1841 census age 3 and in the 1851 census age 13.

Mary was born 24 Apr 1840 Woodchester daughter of Thomas Morris [Blacksmith] and Ann Morris formerly Weeks, registered on the same day: 24 Apr 1840. She was baptized 24 May 1840 - 31 days after the birth. Again this would have been an opportunity to baptize Esther if it had not been done previously. Mary was in the 1841 census age 1, but not in the 1851 census. However there is a burial of Mary Morris of Woodchester on 18 Apr 1844, having died age 4 years, so this must be her.

Thomas: the Parish Register says he was born 08 Jul 1843 and baptized 12 Jan 1844. He does not appear in the 1851 census but there is a burial of Thomas Morris on 24 Apr 1845, having died age 1 year and 9 months.

Eliza Jane was born 14 Nov 1845 (all other details as before except that Thomas is a Smith by occupation and Ann's maiden name is spelt Wicks - registered 05 Dec 1845). Eliza Jane is in the 1851 census age 5, but I haven't noticed her baptism yet.
 
 

What I have checked and searched:

• There is nothing helpful in the IGI either on-line or at the Exhibition Road Family History Centre.
• There is nothing obviously helpful in the SoG Upper Library, beyond what is mentioned below.
• I've checked the early civil registration indexes (and found Ann Weeks birth on 06 Mar 1838 -  thus making a birth after 01 July 1837 very unlikely)
• I've looked carefully at the SoG copy of the Woodchester Parish Register, and at a copy on LDS film 0857967 (Woodchester Church of England Records 1563 - 1883) - particularly checking 1834 to 1850 (in case she was born before civil registration began on 1st. July 1837, but not baptized until later).
• For adjacent parishes I've checked King's Stanley Parish Register on LDS film 0855699, particularly from 1834 to 1837 - there is no Morris and this is all in the IGI.  I've checked Rodborough Parish Register on LDS film 0855706, particularly from 1834 to 1838 - again no Morris at all, and I believe this is all in the IGI.  I had one quick look at the nearby Weslyn Chapel of Littleworth which "contains entries for Woodchester": births and baptisms 1814 - 1837 is item 6 of LDS 35mm film 1482358  but I couldn't find anything there - there were very few records at all and no Morris.

What is not worth checking and why:
The Woodchester Bishop's transcripts end at 1812.  The adjacent Coberley or Cubberley and Sapperton baptisms both end at 1812.
 

Where to next?
From Phillimore (see maps and the table below) it looks as if the nearest parishes, in order, are Woodchester, King's Stanley, Rodborough and Minchinhampton.  And then Nailsworth, Stonehouse, Stroud and Nympsfield and then Horsley and Avening as long shots, but with Avening perhaps worth a look because that's where her mother came from and it's not in the IGI.

So firstly check LDS film 0857041 Minchinhampton parish registers (1558 - 1883) which is on order.

If there is nothing there then consider:
There is a 16mm film 0932931 of which item 7 covers Woodchester 1813 to 1877, which may be worth checking, but should just be a copy and in the IGI anyway.
Avening was not in the IGI, and it might be worth starting there because it is where Esther's parents married and her mother was born.
Avening baptisms and burials 1813 to 1970 is LDS film 0855702 [note: marriages 1754 to 1893 is 0855703 and should include the marriage of Esther's parents on 27 Jun 1833; and baptisms, marriages and burials 1557 to 1813 is 0855701 item 3 and should include the baptism of Esther's mother Ann Weeks in about 1804].
Check the non-conformist records in the FRC for that area, particularly Baptists.

And if there is nothing there then go on to consider:
Forest Green Chapel: (Avening / Nailsworth) births and baptisms 1776 to 1837 on LDS film 0593816
Stonehouse:
Nailsworth: parish church was not built until 1898, the Quakers seems unlikely, Shortwood Baptist Chapel dates from 1881, although there may have been a previous Chapel as well), and for Forest Green Congregational Chapel see above.
Stroud:
Nympsfield:
Horsley:
Minchinhampton: further including non-conformists (also check baptisms 1813 - 1878 FHL British Film 35mm 0857042 and baptisms, marriages and burials 1558 - 1856 FHL British Film 35mm 0857040).
Recheck 1482358 item 6 Littleworth Weslyn Chapel 1814 to 1837
LDS film 0595450 Rodborough Tanernacle registers 1762 to 1837
 

Notes from Phillimore (1995), SoG (2000), Stuart Flight's Stroud Area details etc. for the year 1835 (starting with the closest):
 

Further miscellaneous ideas:

Try to check the original Woodchester parish register.  The missing section is not likely to have included Esther: nine months after Elizabeth's baptism is 9th. November 1834, and the register starts again at February 1835.  Both the pages and the entries of the register are consecutively numbered so I think that section was never recorded in the first place (I wonder why - perhaps local newspapers would give a clue?). Check to see if there is a gap in the burials and marriages, between Oct 1834 and Feb 1835.

Check the surrounding pages in the 1841 census to see if I can get a better idea of what part of Woodchester they were in, from any adjacent houses. HO107/132 B14 F11 p16 looks to me to say Frogmash in the place column - surely this would be Frogmarsh - presumably the area around Frogmarsh Pin Mill, where I assume Esther was working 10 years later as a pinsticker.

Find the microfilm containing the description of 1851 Minchinhampton Section V (Theescombe Division) which includes mention of a Culver House, and then go through that section to try to find out where Culver House was.

I can't imagine there would be much mileage in tracing what happened to any of Esther's siblings, but I could keep an eye out for the baptism of Eliza Jane Morris (who was born 14 Nov 1845 in Woodchester) and was 5 in 1851.  Also the marriage or death of Ann Weeks who was 13 in 1851

Would it be worth checking again in the 1861 census for Woodchester: looking for Thomas Morris 54, Ann 56, Eliza Jane 15, Ann Weeks 23 and Elizabeth 27?

Who is the Alice Morris age 20 in the 1841 census - possibly a sister of Thomas's?  Is it worth trying to find her birth (or marriage or death)?   There is an Alice Morris age 34, born Hampton in the 1851 census index for Stroud (section XII entry 75) - could this be her - check whether she is married.

Any local help in Gloucestershire FHS?

Nailsworth Parish Records may be nowhere outside Gloucester R.O. - can I check there?
 
 

The birth brief details still needed

Stephen E. Tarling family history home page

Index of censuses

List of names