Richard Kennington's Baptism 1804

Richard Kennington

North Thoresby, Lincolnshire Baptismal Record for 1804.
FHL Film # 1542352

Thanks again to Jenny, we now see conclusive proof of Richard Kennington's entry into the world. It reads: Richd. Son of Sarah Kennington illegitimate Oct. 30th [1804].

This parish entry seems to blow the theory that Sarah was married to Richard's father, but still leaves the door open a bit that perhaps the father was someone she intended to marry. Napoleon was stirring things up in Europe. Britain and France had been at war for a year. We might be looking at a soldier who didn't come back...

I have been musing on the reasons why Sarah or her parents would choose to have the baby baptized/christened at North Thoresby rather than Louth, the parish where all the family's blessings, marriages and deaths had been recorded for at least three generations. If anyone has some insights, please volunteer your point of view.

Some angles to consider: The Parish was the welfare agent for folks in need and orphans, etc. So they were very careful about single mothers and illegitimate children because odds were the parish would end up helping support them. Consequently there are stories about forcing the mother to reveal the father's identity during the delivery or ordering the mother across parish boundaries to avoid financial burdens.
Perhaps Sarah:
1. Went there to work at North Thoresby while awaiting the baby.
2. Was North Thoresby the father's home parish and since he was libel for the support of the baby it would be logical to have the baby there?
3. Sarah stayed with family or friends while there.
4. The Parish in Louth was not accepting of unwed mothers or the family would be discraced
5. Perhaps the family was working in that area or had moved there for a time...we wouldn't know from the parish register unless someone married or died....
And the list could go on....

So far as my current records show, Sarah was Thomas and Ann's only surviving child. Thinking in terms of family support systems, I went looking for Sarah's aunts and uncles - much to my surprise there aren't a whole lot. I expected many from Michael's big family, but infant mortality was high. In fact, we only have record of one aunt - Mary Kennington about 10 years Sarah's senior, who married John Leaning from Killingholme (north Lincolnshire along the coast). Until we know more about Sarah's mother's family (the Smiths), Mary is all we have to go on. She was raising a large family in Killingholme and was having her 8th child when Sarah at 25 was expecting Richard. If Sarah desired to get away from Louth, why didn't she go up there?

The Leaning cousins had a few surprises. Two of the boys emigrated to New York and became farmers in the 1830's. They are on the census's, in the historical accounts and we can even see where they are buried thanks to the internet. So Richard had cousins in America before he ever set sail. Had any of you ever heard that from family traditions?

Two other Leaning sons stayed in the Killingholme area and in the 1851 census I believe their mother, Mary is a widow living with Joseph. She reported her birth place (not her baptism place) as Glanford Brigg just northwest of Caistor. Mary was 85 at the time. If that is a true statement, then Michael's family moved around a bit - or it was important for them to travel back to the home parish of Louth for their church records. Can anyone shed a little light on that?

Well, I hope some of you can think through this situation better than I can. I think I'll take a look at Brigg's records. We may get lucky.