Block Family Research

Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Block Edwards

Little is known about Jacob Block and Elizabeth Edwards.
It appears they were born around 1795 in an unknown location, either England or The Netherlands (or a mixture of both)

Going from records that have been found to date, they seem to have had a child before they got married, Jacob Block born January 29 1812
He was christened on April 19 1812, in Saint George In The East, Stepney, London, England ^{[1] [2]}
He passed away on October 13 1828, in Shadwell, London ^[3]

They got married on 6 Jul 1818, in Bethnal Green, London, England, United Kingdom (Listed on this record as witnesses are Martha Edwards (possibly Elizabeth's Mother) and Samuel Ames) ^[4]

After they married, they had the following children :

1. Elizabeth Block born on April 16 1819, in Harlingen, Friesland, Netherlands ^[5] She was christened on July 28 1851, in Saint Dunstan,Stepney,London,England ^[6] In the 1851 census, she was living with her sister Jane at Union Terrace, Stepney, Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England (It is noted here that she was a British Subject) ^[7]
2. Martha Jane Block born on August 19 1821, in Harlingen, Friesland, Netherlands ^[8] She is listed incorrectly as a male in her birth record. I have not been able to find anymore records for her.
3. Samuel Jacob Block Sr (1825-1879) (Please read his page for his information)
4. Jane Block was born on August 12 1829, in Middlesex, England, United Kingdom^[9] In the 1851 census, she was living with her sister Elizabeth at Union Terrace, Stepney, Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England (It is noted here that she was born at City Road, Middlesex) ^[10] She had a child, Samuel Block on October 6 1851, in Stepney, London, England, United Kingdom ^[11] His birth registration is this one : ^[12]
5. William Block was born on January 7 1837. He was christened on March 1 1837, in Saint George In The East, Stepney, London, England (The same day as his brother Samuel) ^[13]
6. There seems to be a son John as well : https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10765760 Jacob and John Block. When admitted to Greenwich Hospital School: Not Stated. Parents' names: Jacob and Elizabeth Block. Mentions other siblings Elizabeth and Martha Jane Block. Parents were married in 1818.

In a couple of the records, the surname is listed as Black, but also there is versions of the records with Block as well.

The one common factor in the birth/baptism records is that Jacob is listed in all of them as being a mariner, so I do believe they are all siblings.

Please also see the question in GTG : https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1223773/need-help-finding-an-ancestors-parents-please

Research Notes

Jacob isn't the one who passed away in 1855, in Sneek, Friesland, Netherlands ^[14]

possible death for elizabeth edwards..... https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2NXH-VJ5 BLOCK, ELIZABETH AGE : 48 GRO Reference: 1841 J Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) IN THE COUNTY OF MIDDLE Volume 02 Page 58 1793

After purchasing this record I do believe it is her death record as it lists daughter Elizabeth as the informant.

Date of death 21 Apr 1841, address : 39 Lower Chapman st, London, 48 years, cause : brain fever, informant : Elizabeth Block, daughter to deceased of same address

My mum recalls being told that the Block surname came about by her great grandfather (she's not sure how many times great) being a blacksmith who worked with a block and tackle and chose the surname block as his name (seems to be a Dutch naming convention more than an English one, unless they did the same way back then? )

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NP3P-5VD : 21 September 2020), Jacob Block, 1812.
2. ↑ "England, Middlesex Parish Registers, 1539-1988", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:8WDB-GSMM : 9 July 2020), Jacob Block, 1812.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4Q7-M6G : 11 December 2014), Jocob Block, 13 Oct 1828, Death; citing p. 8, Shadwell, London, record group RG4, Public Record Office, London.
4. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NLQV-F42 : 13 March 2020), Jacob Block, 1818.
5. ↑ "Nederland, Indexen van de Archieven, Primaire Archiefstukken (BS en DTB), 1600-2000," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL47-WQFH : 22 August 2017), Elisabeth Blok, Birth 17 Apr 1819, Harlingen, Friesland, Nederland; from database, openarchives (https://www.openarch.nl : 2016); citing Archiefnaam: Burgerlijke Stand Harlingen - Tresoar, Bron: boek, Deel: 1005, Periode: 1819, archive 30-15, inventory number 1005, record number; Archiefnaam: Burgerlijke Stand Harlingen - Tresoar, Bron: boek, Deel: 1005, Periode: 1819; AlleFriezen.
6. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3ZM-CJY : 21 March 2020), Elizabeth Block, 1851.
7. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGBJ-ZXG : 12 September 2019), Elizabeth Block, Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England; citing Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England, p. 30, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
8. ↑ "Nederland, Indexen van de Archieven, Primaire Archiefstukken (BS en DTB), 1600-2000," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL4S-CZV7 : 22 August 2017), Martha Jane Block, Birth 20 Aug 1821, Harlingen, Friesland, Nederland; from database, openarchives (https://www.openarch.nl : 2016); citing Archiefnaam: Burgerlijke Stand Harlingen - Tresoar, Bron: boek, Deel: 1006, Periode: 1821, archive 30-15, inventory number 1006, record number; Archiefnaam: Burgerlijke Stand Harlingen - Tresoar, Bron: boek, Deel: 1006, Periode: 1821; AlleFriezen.
9. ↑ https://www.ancestry.co.uk/sharing/23902181?h=1e05ef&utm_campaign=bandido-webparts&utm_source=post-share-modal&utm_medium=copy-url
10. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGBJ-ZXG : 12 September 2019), Elizabeth Block, Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England; citing Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England, p. 30, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
11. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NGMB-KQQ : 18 September 2020), Jane Block in entry for Samuel Block, 1851.
12. ↑ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ : accessed 25 August 2021), database entry for Block, Samuel (Mother's maiden surname not listed) GRO Reference: 1851 D Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) Volume 02 Page 91
13. ↑ "England, Middlesex Parish Registers, 1539-1988", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:87PQ-DTN2 : 7 July 2020), William Block, 1837
14. ↑ https://www.openarch.nl/frl:7fc87ddb-24f0-e978-be61-124fe3848dab