by Harold Badham

While searching for the baptism of my Great-Great-Great Grandfather Thomas BADHAM in the Bosbury area around 1780, the following entry was found at Colwall.

John put Thomas by mistake

9 May 1775, Thomas  /\  son of John & Ann

This baptismal entry for Thomas, with its correction, appears in the Church Records (CR), the correction being in a different hand to the original entry and in handwriting which does not match any other in the Colwall registers. In addition the correction is not in the BT (Bishop’s Transcripts). There is no indication of the date of the correction in the CR; as it does not appear in the BT, it can only be assumed that it was made after the end of 1775. 

As this baptism “fits” with the scanty information for my 3 x Great Grandfather:

Thomas Badham, married 28 Oct 1802 at Bosbury, died 29 Aug 1841 at Bosbury age 65 

and who also appears in the Bosbury Census for 1841 age 65 (65-69), some effort has been made to explain this entry.

The other possible entries relating to parents John and Ann, additional to the baptism of Thomas / John are:

Bosbury, 24 Feb 1772 BADHAM John m. WILLIAMS Ann

Coddington, 7 Oct 1772 John, bap. son of John and Ann BADHAM

Colwall, 4 Oct 1808 Ann BADHAM, bur. 

Colwall, 5 Apr 1814 John BADHAM age 76, bur.

There are many instances where one child dies and a later one is given the same name. To cover this and the possibility that John died after Thomas was born, and Thomas was then renamed, the surrounding Herefordshire and Worcestershire parish records were searched, unsuccessfully, for the burial of a John between 1772 and 1800.

In Dec 1814 John Badham of Weston Beggard was granted Probate for the estate of John Badham, late of Colwall, widower, as son and one of the next of kin.

Checks at Weston Beggard show:

a. 17 Jun 1813 BADHAM John m. GREEN Sarah

     3 Jul 1814 Mary, bap. dau. of John and Sarah (Moorend)

     14 Nov 1838 Sarah, age 59, bur. (presumably John's wife)

b. 1841 Census, John Badham age 65 (that is, 65-69)

c. 1851 Census, John Badham age 70, widow, born Colwall. There is a horizontal line through the 0 in 70 (this is a mark to show the entry has been counted) so age could be 78, but comparisons with other entries suggests that it is 70.

d. In both censuses the household includes Mary Chamberlain, given in 1851 as: Daughter age 37 born Weston Beggard; this fits with Mary baptised 1814.

This all fits with the John Badham being granted Probate in Dec 1814, but the ages in the censuses are not compatible. In addition John's birthplace of Colwall given in the 1851 census suggests this is Thomas / John but, as the family moved to Colwall before John was 2½, his first recollections would be of Colwall and it is possible he was never told where he was born. Alternatively he may have been born in Colwall and baptised in Coddington, a neighbouring parish.

John Badham of Weston Beggard died 9 Oct 1851, his age on the death certificate being given as 78, which is consistent with the 1841 but not the 1851 census. On 9 Oct 1851 John born Coddington would have been just 79, assuming an early baptism, while Thomas / John would have been 76. This suggests that this is John but, as errors of 2 or 3 years in ages are not uncommon, this does not positively identify John at Weston Beggard as the Coddington John or Colwall Thomas / John.

The other relevant information comes from the Probate where John is given as “son and one of the next of kin.” As father John from Colwall was a widower “next of kin” would be sons or daughters, so there is at least one other son or daughter alive. As only two children have been found both must still be alive, although the possibility of an unbaptised child or unrecorded baptism cannot be ruled out. Assuming that John and Thomas / John are the only two children, would it also be reasonable to assume that the elder son would be granted Probate?

Now turning to Thomas married 28 Oct 1802 at Bosbury who had 6 children all baptised there between 1803 and 1816. The 1841 census shows Thomas and Jane living at Catley-Bosbury with 2 sons (based on names and ages). Thomas is given as 65 (65-69). Thomas died on 29 August 1841, the death certificate giving his age as 65. Assuming 65 to be correct then he was born between 1775 and 1776 which fits with the Colwall Thomas / John, and no other Thomas has been found in the areas searched which fits as well with the Bosbury information.

All this makes it highly probable that the Coddington John and the Weston Beggard John are one and the same person, while the Colwall Thomas / John and the Bosbury Thomas are one and the same person. However, it gives no clue to the insertion in the Colwall records; it can only be assumed to be an error the reason for which is yet to be resolved.