Any information on Ann Balkwill, born approx. 1700 in England?

Question

Hello all,

I've recently been trying to work on the profiles in my family tree, and I've done a bit of work on Ann Balkwill, but I can find nothing about her birth or parentage. FamilySearch only has about three records of her that I've found, and only one of them (her marriage record) give her maiden name. Every search I've done turns up results for Blackwell, Bakewell, and other surname variants but none of them seem to fit Ann. Can anyone else find any information on her? I can't use paid sites, so perhaps one of those has further information? Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Digitised images of the Buckland Filleigh parish register are online via FindMyPast (subscription needed) and Bartholomew and Anne Balkwill were popping out kids at a fairly regular rate: Joan (1685), Mary (1687), John 1692, Anthony (1694), Elizabeth (1697), Bartholomew (1702), Sarah (1705), and James (1709).

Unfortunately there is damage to the page covering 1699 and it is not impossible that Ann's birth was recorded here. Several lines have been lost - it's not possible at all to read them. There is an entry which ends ... his wife Anne baptised November 28 1699 which could be Ann Balkwill but could very easily not be. There's little point in me posting the image - the preceding text has almost completely gone. It might be possible to recover something from inspecting the page itself.

If anyone with a FindMyPast subscription wants to try go here https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBPRS/DEV2/BAP/0172035 and click on View Image. You can see how Bartholomew Balkwill was written from Anthony and Elizabeth's entries. The penultimate line is the one.  There's the faintest suggestion that the surname might have started with a B and ended with a double ll ... maybe. We know it was a girl as the sign for Venus has been added to the line.

Comments

Of course, the one page that will either prove or disprove Ann's parents is the one damaged. Of course. Why should I be surprised anymore? Ugh. Thank you so much for the information though! Perhaps if I look for further evidence of Bartholomew and Anne having a daughter named Ann it might produce something. You're a star!

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I couldn't resist the challenge, so took a look at the image. Great job identifying that record, that damage is severe! I agree that it looks like the surname is B----ll. I also think the father's first name ends in "ew" - or maybe that's just wishful thinking. But I think the sign at the end of the line is actually the "Mars" sign, so the baptism is probably for a boy.

I also found the following record on FamilySearch - maybe they were using the Bishop's Transcript, as there's no way I can see "Charles" in the FindMyPast image:

"England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JMP8-ZBV : 11 February 2018, Charles Balkwill, 28 Nov 1699); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 916,766.

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Oops you're right about the Mars symbol but it may not mean boy or girl. Several entries have some squiggles after them. The next entry has a circle with a face which I took to be Sun (son) but there's no consistency between records.

Given Charles has the same date it does seem overwhelmingly likely that its his record though, from thr Bishops Transcripts as you suggest.

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There's yet another unnamed Balkwill child on familysearch and findmypast: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N59S-WQB : 11 February 2018, Balkwill, 30 Oct 1688); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 916,766

The register is also unreadably damaged for this entry but it looks like 'his wife Ann' again for that date. However both sources say it was a male child.

Given that Ann(e) married and was buried in Buckland Filleigh it seems likely she was born there and if so then Bartholomew and Anne are the only real candidates for her parents. They seem to have had a couple of earlier children in nearby Torrington but, given that Ann(e) had at least two children after marriage in 1718, that would be too early.

Answer 2

Added death record to profile Amy.

Comments

Thank you so much Marion!

Answer 3

Hi Amy,

There's nothing on FMP or Ancestry. You could ask Martin to do a look up for you in the Devon archives as I know not everything they have is digitised as I found out when I was there last September.

Susie :-)

Answer 4

There is a chance I am related to her (distantly). I have Balkwill (or similar spelling) in my tree and I think in that part of Devon, but I can't check up right now.