The Extant Records Of Stambourne Congregational Church
A REGISTER OF BIRTHS AND BAPTISMS AT STAMBOURN after 1 June 1837. 18 plain pp without a cover in the hand of James Spurgeon who signed each entry JS. The last entry is 26 may 1842. (Let it be called A).
A REGISTER OF BIRTHS AND BAPTISMS WITH THE PERSONS BURIED IN THE MEETING YARD AT STAMBOURN, MEETING, FROM JUNE 1842 BY THE REVD JAMES SPURGEON. In another hand (?LR Fitch) ‘Births and Baptisms with the Burials) 150 x 198 mm. It has a calculation of the 200 y anniversary written in JS hand in 1862 on the flyleaf. Baptisms to 22 Aug 1858; Reversed from back burials to 30 April 1858. He gives mothers’ maiden names. B
10 untitled plain pp partly held by thread; 156 x 198 mm. Baptisms 27 Dec 1858 to 27 April 1863. Reversed from the back Burials 20 July 1858 to 18 July 1879. C
Feint lined book 186 x 230 mm that has lost its covers and title. Baptisms 27 July 1864 to 24 Sep 1961.
Then 4 blank pages – the only 5 marriage records 23 Nov 1888 to 20 Feb 1897 – then 7 blank pages – Burials 25 Jan 1885 – 13 Jul 1979. D
A modern lined Red Book 156 x 208 mm. Baptisms 19 Jul 1964 to 19 Sep 1965. Burials 15 Mar 1963 to 28 Jun 1977. Burials then continue in D with these entries also copied there. There seem not be any proper up to date records but there may be another book and indeed a separate marriage register too.
A combined Register and Minute Book 1869-1897.
A Register from before 1865 to 1910 listing 92 members and again 1926-1934 listing 63 more.
A list from 1910 on of names and addresses in attendance files.
A minute book from 1897 to 1952.
Sunday School minutes 1911-1954.
Abbreviations used (though I have been far from consistent)
s o = son of; d = daughter; w = wife or widow; bn = born; bz = baptized; bd = buried; r, rgd = registered; r i d t = r in due time (JS only); St = Stambourne; Rgl = Ridgewell or Redgwell; Ntn = Norton; Bdbk = Birdbrook (about a third of entries with records specify it); Tfd – Toppesfield; Ffd = Finchingfield; b o m yd or ch yd = buried in our meeting yard or church yard.
Some conventions
Mostly I have used standard forms but where the entry was unusual it is commonly copied exactly, especially unusual spellings of Christian names and multiple surname usage in the same family.
The first date in an entry gives the date in full; the second, as in bn and bz has the year omitted if it be the same; if different but within the same century the 18 or 19 is omitted. All subjects of the major names are collected together with all the variants on the same page whatever the second letter; they are listed at the head of the page; the first spelling is assumed if not repeated. Jas Surgeon gave mother’s maiden names which I have put in parentheses after the Christian name as (MAIDEN); to or to them has commonly been used in place of born to this couple where there is a series of identifiable births; such families are sometimes separated by an extra ½ scrolling.
Return to Chapter 4 – The rise of nonconformity