Wednesday 25 October 2006

James Adlam

JAMES ADLAM

Mrs Beverley Chumbley, of Seaford, East Sussex, has written to Danny Howell, with regards her family tree research into the Adlam family of Warminster, particularly with trying to ascertain the parentage of her 4xgreatgrandfather James Adlam.

Danny Howell has replied:

Dear Beverley Chumbley,

Thank you for your letter received yesterday (24 October).

I note that you are trying to ascertain the parentage of your 4xgreatgrandfather James Adlam, born circa 1771 in Warminster.

You suggest three possibilities but as you will see from the information enclosed, there were several couples with the surname Adlam in Warminster at that time.

In your letter you say you are using the internet to research the family. Of course, this method of research should be used as a guide only and where possible original documents and registers should be consulted to confirm any information. Also, what’s on the internet is not wholly comprehensive, it’s only what people have chose to put on the web.

In Warminster, in the late 1700s there was only one Anglican church, and that was the Parish Church of St. Denys, also known (and still also known today) as The Minster. The other Anglican churches in Warminster, Christ Church and St. John’s were not built until 1830 and 1865 respectively, so that conveniently narrows down our searching of parish records.

Assuming that James Adlam was baptised at the Parish Church of St. Denys, the Minster Church, I have looked through the baptismal register and can tell you that there is no record of a baptism of a James Adlam in 1770, 1771 and 1772.

However:

On 25 April 1773, was baptised, James, the son of John and Susanna Adlam.

Then, just a few months later,

On 12 September 1773, was baptised, James, the son of James and Sarah Adlam.

Maybe, and it’s only a maybe, because we have no way of proving it at this stage, one of these could be your 4xgreatgrandfather and his parents. It seems likely.

When a baptism was for a person older than an infant, the register records the age. This wasn’t recorded for the two James Adlams above, so we must assume that they are recently born, i.e. in 1773, and that they are babies or tiny infants.

The John and Susanna Adlam referred to above, might be the couple of the same name who were married at the Parish Church of St. Denys:

28 July 1765
John Adlam, of Warminster, to Susannah Lawrence (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, Benjamin Pearce.

I can see no marriage for a James and Sarah Adlam in the St. Denys register, after 1754, so perhaps they were wed elsewhere?

Bearing in mind that you say using the internet for information regarding the 1770s is not a lot of help, I enclose details for Adlams from the baptism, marriage and burial registers for the Parish Church of St. Denys for the period 1750 to 1800 or thereabouts.

I hope you can piece this information together to make some connections of the genealogy. Maybe when you have done this you might be able to make more sense of the puzzle concerning James Adlam’s parentage.

Please feel free to contact me again, for assistance, but bearing in mind I receive several enquiries a week, replies can sometimes take longer than expected. And, of course, some questions can never be fully answered.

Yours sincerely,

Danny Howell.


ADLAM BAPTISMS AT THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. DENYS, THE MINSTER, WARMINSTER. October 1760 to April 1805.

5 October 1760
John, son of Betty Adlam, Spurious.

17 May 1761
Mary, daughter of Wm. & Margery Adlam.

10 September 1762
Thomas, son of Absalom & Martha Adlam.

3 August 1764
Martha, daughter of Absalom & Martha Adlam.

14 August 1765
John, son of Wm. & Margery Adlam.

10 August 1766
Betty, daughter of John & Susanna Adlam.

20 March 1768
Ann, daughter of Thomas & Betty Adlam.

5 April 1768
Sarah, daughter of Wm. & Margery Adlam.

13 April 1768
Sarah, daughter of Richard & Priscilla Adlam.

30 October 1768
Mary, daughter of Wm. & Mary Adlam.

23 August 1769
Samuel, son of James & Sarah Adlam.

28 January 1770
William, son of James & Ann Adlam.

25 December 1770
John, son of John & Susannah Adlam.

28 June 1772
Nancy, daughter of James & Anne Adlam.

3 January 1773
Thomas, son of Wm. & Mary Adlam.

25 April 1773
James, son of John & Susanna Adlam.

12 September 1773
James, son of James and Sarah Adlam.

30 April 1775
Thomas, son of John & Susannah Adlam.

19 July 1775
Richard, son of William & Sarah Adlam.

28 July 1776
Martha, daughter of William & Mary Adlam.

6 October 1776
Priscilla, daughter of William & Sarah Adlam.

1 December 1776
Richard, son of James & Sarah Adlam.

16 February 1777
Betty, daughter of James & Ann Adlam.

4 May 1777
Mary, daughter of John & Susannah Adlam.

3 October 1779
Mary, daughter of James & Anne Adlam.

10 October 1779
Martha, daughter of John & Susanna Adlam.

25 December 1779
Sarah, daughter of William & Mary Adlam.

29 April 1781
James, son of William & Sarah Adlam.

3 March 1782
James, son of James & Anne Adlam.

10 March 1782
Joseph, son of Joseph & Martha Adlam.

13 April 1783
Sarah, daughter of John & Susanna Adlam.

20 April 1783
Cornelius, son of William & Mary Adlam.

10 March 1784
Mary, daughter of Thomas & Sarah Adlam.

11 March 1785
Samuel, son of William & Mary Adlam.

11 March 1785
Ann, daughter of William & Sarah Adlam.

16 June 1790
Betty, daughter of Joseph & Martha Adlam.

21 October 1792
Michael, son of Laurence & Betty Adlam.

24 April 1795
Thomas, son of Joseph & Martha Adlam.

5 February 1797
Edward, son of Laurence & Betty Adlam.

8 January 1799
William, son of John & Mary Adlam.

7 July 1799
Ann, daughter of Laurence & Betty Adlam.

2 September 1801
Sarah, daughter of John & Mary Adlam.

1 November 1801
Millier? Daughter of Samuel & Sarah Adlam.

21 December 1803
Benjamin, son of John & Mary Adlam.

29 August 1804
William, son of Samuel & Sarah Adlam.

6 February 1805
John, son of Thomas & Elizabeth Adlam.


ADLAM MARRIAGES AT THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. DENYS, THE MINSTER, WARMINSTER. 1754 to January 1804.

1754 No Adlam marriages.
1755 No Adlam marriages.
1756 No Adlam marriages.
1757 No Adlam marriages.

10 September 1758
William Adlam, of Warminster, to Margery Exton (X), of Warminster.
Married by licence.
Witnesses: Benj. Pearce, Edward Shepperd (X).

1759 to 1763 No Adlam marriages.

22 September 1764
Matthew Hughes, of Sutton Veny, to Patient Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: Benj. Hughes, Benj. Pearce.

27 July 1765
James Adlam (X), of Warminster, to Ann Steadman (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, Jeremiah Pearce.

28 July 1765
John Adlam, of Warminster, to Susannah Lawrence (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, Benjamin Pearce.

1 October 1765
Joseph Tucker, of Warminster, to Sarah Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: James Ferris or Harris, Benj. Pearce.

7 October 1765
Alexander Moore (X), of Warminster, to Betty Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by licence.
Witnesses: Wm. – (?), Benj. Pearce.

1766 and 1767 No Adlam marriages.

8 or 18 February 1768
William Adlam, of Warminster, to Mary Wimpey (?) (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: Benjamin Pearce, Jeremiah Pearce.

1769 and 1770 No Adlam marriages.

14 June 1771
William Fluck (X), of Warminster, to Mary Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by licence.
Witnesses: Jacob Dudden, John Smith.

18 October 1772
William Holton (X), of Warminster, to Ann Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: Jn. Smith, Joseph Smith.

1773 No Adlam marriages.

19 December 1774
William Adlam (X), of Warminster, to Sarah Charlton (X) of Warminster.
Witnesses: Wm. Wilton, Jn. Smith.

1775 to 1777 No Adlam marriages.

9 June 1778
William Adlam, of Longbridge Deverill, to Ann Scott (X), of Warminster.
Witnesses: John Ferris, James Hawkins.

1779 No Adlam marriages.

26 April 1780
Joseph Gibson(?), Ritson(?), of Warminster, to Martha Adlam, of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Thomson, John Smith.

31 December 1781
Joseph Adlam (X), of Warminster, to Martha Price (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Ferris (?), Jn. Smith.

1782 and 1783 No Adlam marriages.

24 October 1784
Joseph Exton (X), of Warminster, to Mary Adlam, of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, Jeremiah Pearce.

1785 No Adlam marriages.

17 July 1786
Samuel Weaver (X), of Frome Selwood, to Elizabeth Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, Jeremiah Pearce.

1787 and 1788 No Adlam marriages.

8 June 1789
William Adlam, of Warminster, to Betty Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

5 July 1789
John Adlam, of Warminster, to Mary Hibbard (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, William Nightingale.

5 April 1790
Lawrence Adlam (X), of Warminster, to Elizabeth Pearce (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: James Ball, John Pearce.

1791 No Adlam marriages.

23 September 1792
Joel Adlam, of Warminster, to Mary Willett (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: Joseph Tucker, John Smith.

25 September 1792
Thomas Turner (X), of Warminster, to Ann Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Ford.

5 August 1793
Samuel Adlam (X), of Warminster, to Sarah Turner (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

1794 and 1795 No Adlam marriages.

13 November 1796
Thomas Carter (X), of Warminster, to Elizabeth Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

11 June 1797
James Ailes, of Warminster, to Mary Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

3 July 1797
Joseph Taylor (X), of Warminster, to Mary Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

1798 No Adlam marriages.

14 February 1799
Richard Adlam (X), of St. Thomas’s, Winchester, to Elizabeth Mifflin, of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

1800 No Adlam marriages.

18 May 1801
James Price (X), of Warminster, to Elizabeth Adlam (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

2 May 1802
William Adlam (X), of Warminster, to Eleanor King (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

30 May 1802
James Adlam, of Warminster, to Anne Ponton (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

2 January 1803
Thomas Adlam (X), of Warminster, to Elizabeth Steadman (X), of Warminster.
Married by banns.
Witnesses: John Smith, John Pearce.

I have made the following references in the information above:
(X) after a name means the person didn’t sign the register (because they couldn’t write) but made their cross against their name.
(?) after a date, first name or surname, means the writing is hard to read and the date or name given is what it looks like and may not be so.


ADLAM BURIALS AT THE PARISH CHURCHYARD OF ST. DENYS, WARMINSTER 1778 to 1836

June 1778 to December 1778 No Adlam burials.

19 January 1779 William and Mary Adlam, twin childn.

15 April 1779 Sarah Adlam. Cd.

14 June 1779 Ann Adlam. Cd.

26 August 1779 Anne Adlam.

6 July 1783 Samuel Adlam.

28 September 1783 Thomas Adlam.

9 October 1783 William Adlam.

17 September 1786 John Adlam, pauper.

9 November 1786 Thomas Adlam, paiper.

From 1787 onwards ages are given in the burial register:

14 October 1788 Mary Adlam, age 44.

4 July 1790 Thomas Adlam, infant.

27 September 1790 William Adlam, age 12, pauper.

15 May 1791 William Adlam, infant.

12 March 1792 Thomas Adlam, age 80.

26 December 1794 Millier? Hillier? Willier? Adlam, infant.

27 May 1795 Martha Adlam, age 18.

8 November 1795 Joel Adlam, age 24.

23 January 1796 Mary Adlam, infant.

21 January 1797, James Adlam, child.

9 May 1799 Edmund Adlam, child.

19 May 1799 John Adlam, age 56.

15 December 1799 Laurence Adlam, age 43.

22 June 1800 Richard Adlam, age 81.

18 January 1803 Elizabeth Adlam, infant.

23 December 1805 Sarah Adlam, age 57.

10 October 1806 Thomas Adlam, age 18.

5 August 1810 Sarah Adlam, age 68.

5 August 1812 Amelia Adlam, age 11.

7 August 1812 John Adlam, age 15.

7 August 1812 Eliza Adlam, age 6.

21 October 1812 Sarah Adlam, infant.


From 1813 onwards the burial register includes name of deceased, their place of abode, burial date, their age, and who officiated at the service.

23 May 1814 Ann Adlam, Common, age 30.

15 July 1814 Hannah Adlam, Silver Street, age 33.

24 November 1814 Ann Adlam, Common, age 70.

No more Adlam burials until 1826.

23 April 1826 Virtue Adlam, Portway, age 27.

2 April 1828 John Adlam, Common, age 4.

2 April 1828 Marianne Caroline Adlam, Common, age 2.

15 October 1828 Sarah Adlam, Common, age 27.

28 December 1828 John Adlam, Common, age 41? or 48?

22 February 1829 Martha Adlam, Common, age 72.

2 June 1829 William Adlam, Common, age 82.

20 May 1831 Joseph Adlam, Common, infant.

29 November 1832 Michael Adlam, Common, 3 yrs 6 mths.

23 May 1833 Ann Adlam, Common, age 65.

19 May 1836 Mary Adlam, West End, age 29.

"Common" referred to is Warminster Common, a lawless hamlet for many centuries on the south side of Warminster, where the dregs of society lived in hovels of squalor, spending their spare time in cruel sports such as bull and badger baiting, with regular fights among not only the men but also the women. The open brook was also the source of many a disease. An area cleaned up, morally, from circa 1830 onwards by the building of Christ Church, and so on. Even up until the 1920s a lot of Warminster residents would not go to that area, for fear of being beaten up, and travellers would give it a wide berth. The area’s bad reputation was known nationwide up until the late 19th century.

"West End" referred to is now Vicarage Street.


HOUSEHOLDERS IN WARMINSTER IN 1665

An alphabetical list of inhabitants of Warminster paying tithes in A.D. 1665 (as published by the Rev. J. J. Daniel, in his book The History Of Warminster, published in 1879), includes:

Adlam, William.
Adlam, Edward.