Christening:
Date: 13 May 1832
Place: Longbridge Dever, Wiltshire, England
Individual Note:
marriage Certificate WMXZ 019650place: Longbridge Deverill bap: Nantyglo branch Wilshire Eng.
I have been looking a little at the film for Longbridge Deverill, British film 1279371. So far it is raising almost as many questions in my mind as it is answering:
1. I found no Ezra christened in Longbridge Deverill.
Eleazer Crofts christened 13 May 1832 (page 93, entry # 740)
2. There is no Ezra in the family of Aaron & Martha in the 1841 census. Probably hired out at the time - very common for a 9 year old son.
3. In the 1851 census an Ezra appears who is born approximately the same year as Eleazer in the christenings & the 1841 census. Are Eleazer & Ezra the same person? Yes
4. I found a marriage for Aaron but unless I made a mistake the bride is listed as Margaret Curtis and not Martha.
You found the same marriage I did. Married 9 May 1820 (Page 30)
5. All the christenings list Aaron and Martha as the parents in this family. Are Margaret & Martha the same person or did Margaret die and Aaron later marry a Martha Kirkhouse as some on the internet sites say? If Aaron married Martha Kirkhouse where was she from and where were they married? Martha and Margaret are the same person.
When I researched the Crofts several years ago I hired an English Woman to tutor me. We went to Salt Lake together several times. She was a professional genealogist who came to America about 2 months before I met and hired her. She was a delightful woman named Mary Clench. She had been doing genealogy in England and Wales for 30 years before coming to America.
When I started working on the Crofts, the only information I had was what my Grandma Willes had given me. Her records stated that Emily Crofts parents were Martha Kirkhouse and Ezra Crofts. This information, to my understanding was handed down through family records.
Mary and I started our research in Wales where Emily was born. We documented her birth and parents names. We found Ezra Crofts and his wife Jane Ponton on LDS Church records which lead to their marriage certificate. This gave their fathers names, confirming that Ezra's father was Aaron Crofts, as found on family records. You are correct in assuming that Ezra Crofts and Eleazer Crofts are the same. Ezra is a nickname for Eleazer, as Mike is to Michael.
We found Aaron Crofts marriage to Margaret Curtis but never found any documentation that Aaron had a second wife named Martha Kirkhouse. We searched all the marriages and death entries. Mary Clench said that it is not uncommon in Wales or England to interchange the names Martha and Margaret, much like we have done with Mary and Polly here in America. That will explain the christening entries naming Margaret as Martha. I have no explanation for the Kirkhouse surname. Mary wondered if Kirkhouse was an Americanized version of Curtis as they sound similar. Mary Clench had no difficulty naming Martha Curtis and Margaret Curtis as the same woman. I figured that she knew more than I did and since we could find no documentation of a second wife I had to agreed with Mary, especially as we had no documentation on a Martha Kirkhouse.
I have extracted all of the Crofts, with their connecting surnames, in Longbridge Deverill, back to William Crofts (abt. 1640) and his wife Elizabeth Baily. I believe that I have found all of the children and several of the spouses of the children in each of the Crofts generations from Eleazer to William - 6 generation in all. Before you do any more research on the Crofts I should show you what I have done. I would love to pick up some of the connecting lines, and the Crofts line and take them back farther.
When can we get together? If you would like I could meet you at the Library in Salt Lake on one of your lunch breaks but I would have to carry several heavy books with me. Would it be possible to meet at one of our homes? I live in Alpine. I do not mind driving to your home. You live in Salt Lake County don't you?
I look forward to hearing from you. You have been on my mind lately. I came across a few old photos and wondered if you had copies of them. I will attach one that shows grandpa Hansen with his descendants. My mother, Jeanette, is the tall girl in the middle of the back row with the dark blouse. Judging by her age I would guess that the photo was taken between 1954 - 1956. I know it was taken before 1957 because my grandfather Willes passed away that year and he is seated on the middle row 3rd to from the left, directly behind my grandmother.
Cindy
Burial:
Date: 18 Apr 2000
Place: Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah, USA
Individual Note:
birth film 105343