Pheobe Armes (possible MMMMMM)

[Michael]

There's a considerable amount of guesswork involved in this one. My MMMMM was Rebecca Armes, b c1811, Heigham, Norfolk - living at Heigham in 1841 (HO107/787/6) under her married name Rebecca Wills. Also at Heigham (HO107/787/7) is a Pheobe Armes b c1776 - I'm taking a guess that she might be Rebecca's mother, based solely on her being about the right age, living in the same village, and Armes being a fairly rare surname; the ages of the children living with Pheobe would fit in with Rebecca being another one of hers. I haven't yet managed to find anything to either prove or disprove this, so I'd be grateful if anyone could shed any light. Obviously I appreciate that it's the bare minimum of information, so I'll understand if it's not enough to find anything!

[kiterunner]

Looking at the Heigham Archdeacon's Transcripts, there are some Armes baptisms around then with parents William and Martha (nee Fountain). I can't see a Rebecca but they only go up to 1812 so she may have been baptised after then. But FreeREG has Heigham baptisms after 1812 as well and I can't see a Rebecca on there. There is another Armes couple having children there about the same time too. I must stop looking and go to bed!

Did Rebecca name a daughter Phoebe?

[Michael]

Sorry Kite, I didn't mean to keep you up! Rebecca had three daughters, none named Phoebe - but none named Martha either.

[kiterunner]

On the 1841 census, Rebecca and her husband have these three people living with them as well as their own daughters:

Stephen Armes 15 Shoe M Ap Y
Martha Do 15 Y
Clara Do 14 Y

FamilySearch lists a baptism for Martha Armes at Heigham, 17 Oct 1824, parents Robert and Rebecca (nee Riches), and the same couple seem to have had a few sons named Stephen. So I suspect that Phoebe might not be your Rebecca's mother.

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by Michael

Sorry Kite, I didn't mean to keep you up! Rebecca had three daughters, none named Phoebe - but none named Martha either.

On the 1851 census she has a daughter called Martha!

[Michael]

Oops, I'd missed that one! I only had Rosa, Georgina, Rebecca jnr and Clara (my 3g-gm). So I'll pencil in William and Martha as possible parents of Rebecca and try to get down to Norwich RO sometime to prove or disprove that.

Although I don't have a baptism record for Rebecca, I do have one fairly strong clue to her age - when we were clearing out my grandmother's flat last Christmas, in amongst all the other accumulated relics I found an embroidery signed "Rebekah Armes, aged 11, 1822" - so it's unlikely that she was baptised after 1812, unless her parents waited to have her and a younger sibling baptised together.

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by Michael

Oops, I'd missed that one! I only had Rosa, Georgina, Rebecca jnr and Clara (my 3g-gm). So I'll pencil in William and Martha as possible parents of Rebecca and try to get down to Norwich RO sometime to prove or disprove that.

But you could equally well pencil in Robert and Rebecca as her parents!

[Michael]

Oh dear, now you're confusing me

[kiterunner]

Robert and Rebecca are the other Armes couple I mentioned in posts #2 and #4. They look likely to be the parents of the Armes children who are living with the Wills family in 1841 so I would think it quite likely that your Rebecca is the sister of those children?

[Michael]

OK, thanks. I need to get down to Norwich...