Genealogy Chat

I've got a Thomas Pegram that I have been told by two different sources was born Hickland Essex. Is it part of Essex or have I got it spelt wrong? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. On the 1871 census he was 80 living in Haslingfield Cambridge.

Hi Christine, The only place I know that sounds remotely like that is Wickford - probably way off the mark, though. Sue (in NZ)

Hi Susan, I've been pouring through the maps too and have just come up with Wickford as well. I think it's a possible - thanks - can't see anything else it could be.

I looked at the 1871 Census image and I must admit that it does look like Hickland! I have tried Googling various computations with no luck. What was the other source that gave Hickland - can we view that image?

Christine Were both different sources looking at the same place for the information? i.e. the same census? Maybe the enumerator got the name completely wrong and you should check anothr census. Tell us where the info came from. Maybe Hickland was an area within a village, and a name that no longer exists. The county Records office or library may be able to help if you ring or e mail them if you know the address/number. The only places that I could come up with that sound nothing like Hickland are Hockley and Henham in Essex and Higham and Hitcham in suffolk. Sorry not a lot of help. Ann Glos

Hi again, Someone looked on the 1871 census and a different person looked on the 1861 census for me and both came up with Hickland Essex as place of birth so maybe it is just one of those places that has just kind of disappeared.

Have you tried looking here ?? http://essex1841(.)com/ If your informants got the H right, then there is a Higham, Hitcham, Hornchurch and Harkstead here ... Good Luck !

I also looked on Ancestry 1871, I also read it as Hickland ! So I think Angela is right, it must have changed names. if you go on the "old" essex1841 site http://kevw.net/ the second paragraph states: "This Genealogy site [updated daily] is based around the census for 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871 and continually grows into a genealogy search into ALL of Essex, Suffolk , Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and the UK. I have a marriage, births and census search engine which includes many areas NOT available in the IGI online search" The phrase "marriages, births and deaths" is a link. click here and go to the bottom of the page. Enter "pegram" in the bottom search box (where it says "Just enter (at least) the first three letters of your surname. " there are many Pegrams here, including a Thomas and Mary, but the ages are wrong (10 years out !) Maybe this info will help, See what you think Good Luck !

Hi again and thanks for your replies everyone. Thanks Angela and Bob. I had a good look at the essex 1841 site and noted the Thomas Pegram Abode Robbins Lands in Stanford Rivers.

Christine, As a member of the Essex Society for Family History I was sent a copy of "Finding that Place in Essex". There is no Hickland given, but there is Hylands. This is now a public park surrounding Hylands House near Chelmsford. (Site of recent "V" Festival). Do you have any other clues as to where in Essex it might be? Rosemary(Essex)

Hello I've been trying to work out whether I could find it in the Essex page of a replica volume of Moule maps published in 1830... My husband teases me about "hunting for dead bodies" but is, himself, a mapaholic! - including historical ones. Presumably we're looking for a placename which either IS Hickland or could be mis-read as such from the elegantly illegible copper-plate script. That means it has no "hanging tails" - no g j p y, it has at least one of the taller letters in the middle and at the end and has a doubly-tall first letter... H, K, M, N, U, V, W - or a tall letter straight after the first... Al... Il... A B at the start would work if the top curve had faded a bit. Haverhill Hadstock Halstead (Birdbrook) Felstead (Bradwell) Hornchurch Alresford ...It would certainly help to have an idea if it were near somewhere easily identifiable! These names aren't as outlandish as you might think. I recently got a birth cert where it took me a while to work out that the mother's maiden name was more likely to be Stevenson than Heocuton, which is what it looked like at first sight. And Bitteswell (near Lutterworth) looked much more like Bittestock. let me know if I should get the maps out again! Christine

I don't think it would have changed its name - villages don't usually (unlike counties). Have you got some clues as to whereabouts - do you know where the rest of the family lived? nell

If you look on IGI for Pegrams born around 1790 there are a few born in a place called Rickling. Crista

Perhaps someone with a sense of humour, "hick" land. A few of us have been known to be called hicks from this part of England by those who are jealous lol, just a thought, Derek in France

Hi again everyone, thanks again for your imput. I think I'll just forget about it for a while - put it on the back burner. Thanks again. Christine

Hi Thelma, I really do not know. I'm a 2nd generation New Zealander. My ggrandfather Richard Pegram was born 1863 Stoke Newington London. Most of his siblings were born in West Ham Essex. His father James was born c 1825 Epping Essex he married Mary Anne Shearman who was born 1829 Stapleford. I believe James parents were Thomas and Mary Shidrick which brought me to the 1871 Haslingfield Cambridge census and the birth place that looks like Hickland. I had found a death for a Thomas Pegram in Epping 1859 and have sent for the cert but now feel its this Thomas on the 1871 census is more likely.

Hi I had a look on Multimap - Rickling is N of Bishops Stortford and about level with Buntingford. Stapleford is just S of Cambridge, unless it's the one N of Hertford. Cheers Christine

According to http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb(.)com/~agene/locations (remove brackets) there is a place in Essex called Hickford Hill.

Stapleford (Abbots) is north of Romford on the way to Ongar. I know the area quite well but Hickland doesn't ring a bell at all.

Hinxton is and was Cambridgeshire - my gt gt grandmother was born there! Maz. XX