Baptised in Hexham & Christened at Allendale

For many years I had been bemused, and puzzled, by the remark against Elizabeth Clemitson’s entry in the family bible that she had been ‘baptised in Hexham, and christened at Allendale’.    Equally, why had her father, Thomas Clemitson, originally from Allendale, but who had spent most of his life in Hexham, been married in Leeds ?

Thomas’s first wife, Ann Robson, whom he had married at Allendale in 1827, had died in 1829 following the birth of their son Robert the previous year, who had died aged 1 month.

The answer came from studying Thomas’s marriage certificate of 1838 to his wife Sarah Midgley.    On their marriage certificate from St John’s Parish Church of Leeds, Sarah is listed as Sarah Ann Jaques, Widow.    (The Midgleys were parishioners of St Peter’s, however it was closed 1838-1841 for rebuilding work - note 1.)   There was also an entry for her earlier marriage in St Peter’s Parish Church of Leeds on 13.04.1833 to an Edward Jaques a book-keeper from Dewsbury.

The curate at Allendale was a Joseph Jaques.    Presumably sometime after his brother Edward Jaques had died in 1836, and knowing that Thomas Clemitson, originally from Allendale was also widowed, he ‘introduced’ his sister-in-law, Sarah, to Thomas, possibly when visiting.  

That would explain how Thomas & Sarah could have met, and also the fact that Thomas’s first child was ‘baptised in Hexham, and christened at Allendale’,ie initially in October 1839 in Hexham, and then by Jaques on Christmas Day 1839, as a celebration.   (Jaques subsequently married Thomas’ sister, Jane, a couple of years later in 1842.)

Note 1 - www.oswild.org/hobnob/family/john/leeds-st-peters.html

I am indebted to Anne Smart for forwarding the copies of Thomas Clemitson’s marriage entries.