Family:Thomas Gobby and Ann Dennis (1)

There was another couple called Thomas Gobby and Ann Packer who married at neighbouring Ridgmont on 19th April 1813 and had children in the area at the same time that Thomas Gobby and Ann Dennis were having their children. The children have been assigned to each couple as follows:

Six identified baptisms where parents' names given as Thomas and Ann:

6 Aug 1809, Woburn (born 18 Jul 1809): Mary

17 Mar 1811, Woburn (born 24 Feb 1811): Sarah

14 Mar 1813, Woburn: Esther

31 Oct 1813, Lidlington: Susan (who appears to have been buried 20 Jan 1814 at Woburn)

9 Jul 1815, Woburn: Ann (who appears to have been buried 17 Jan 1816 at Ridgmont)

14 Dec 1817, Toddington (born 7 Nov 1817): Joseph

Mary, Sarah and Esther's baptisms all predate the marriage of Thomas Gobby and Ann Packer, and are therefore those three are presumed to be the daughters of Thomas Gobby and Ann Dennis. Sarah and Esther appear living together in the 1841 census in Toddington. Sarah's daughter Ann Neal appears in the 1851 census living with Mary and described as her niece. Esther's sons John and William appear in the 1851 census living with Joseph and described as his nephews. We can therefore be confident that Mary, Sarah, Esther and Joseph were siblings, and that Ann Dennis must still have been alive in 1817 when Joseph was born.

There were two Ann Gobby burials at Ridgmont in 1816: an infant and a 23 year old. A widower Thomas Gobby married at Ridgmont in 1817 to a Charlotte Chapman. By 1851 they were living in Bedford with their children, some of whom gave their place of birth as Woburn, whilst Thomas gave his place of birth as Lidlington and Charlotte gave hers as Ridgmont. As Ann Dennis must have still been alive in 1817, the Ann Gobby buried at Ridgmont in 1816 is considered to be Ann Packer wife of Thomas Gobby, and the infant Ann buried at Ridgmont in 1816 their daughter.

Susan's baptism at Lidlington in 1813 comes only seven months after Esther's baptism, but after the marriage of Thomas Gobby and Ann Packer, and in the parish which that Thomas gave as his place of birth in the 1851 census.

We therefore conclude that Susan and Ann were Thomas Gobby and Ann Packer's children, whilst Mary, Sarah, Esther and Joseph were Thomas Gobby and Ann Dennis's children.

In addition to the children above for whom baptisms have been found, there was also a John Gobby who claimed in the censuses to have been born around 1815 at Toddington, who had Esther's daughter Mary living with him described as his niece in both the 1851 and 1861 censuses and who gave his father's name as Thomas Gobby when he married in 1843. It would appear therefore that he was another child of Thomas Gobby and Ann Dennis, albeit no baptism record for him has been found.

1. ↑ Marriage register, in Church of England. Woburn Parish Registers, 1558-1963. (Bedford: Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service).

   Thomas Gobby & Ann Dennis both of this Parish were Married in this Church by Licence this thirtieth Day of September in the Year One Thousand eight Hundred and eight By me John Parry Curate
   This Marriage was solemnized between Us {Thomas Gobbey / The Mark of X Ann Dennis
   In the Presence of {W[illia]m Horley / Samuel Handscomb