Lawrence Investigations in the early 1800s!

So far, with DNA on Ancestry, I haven't come across anyone who seems to match on my distant LAWRENCE line ie especially that links back further than James LAWRENCE born c1807 in Buntingford, Hertfordshire and his wife, Susan WRIGHT, born c1810 in Silver Hill, Hertfordshire.

For both of them, the places of birth are as per the 1851 Census but thay might not be right! Susan doesn't appear with her family any more after that; in fact, I believe she ended up in Friern Barnet Lunatic Asylum but that is for another post! With James, on the 1861 Census, he gives his place of birth as Silver Hill, N.K. (which I assume means unknown?) and then he dies in 1864, so there are no more census entries to help me out!

However, with James, the ages given on the Census and at his death all stay consistent with him being born c1807.

The problem with the general area that James might come from is that it's close to the Essex border, so it's possible he was baptised in either Hertfordshire or Essex.

So, I've searched at findmypast.co.uk for Hertfordshire baptisms +- 5 years of 1807 and searched Essex baptisms at Ancestry over the same time period.

None immediately leaps out as being for him but I have little to go on!

I then thought I'd double-check how many other LAWRENCE's were in Tottenham in 1841 but, obviously, because there aren't any places of birth, I realised straight away that wasn't going to help much!

However, back to the real reason I'm looking at this again .... a DNA match has come up where I'm sure the link is through the LAWRENCE line.

This person has a Stephen LAWRENCE born in 1847 in Tottenham in their tree and I think it might be worth trying to trace that person back to see where I get!

Stephen is on the 1851 Census as a 3 year old in Tottenham with his parents, Benjamin & Jane LAWRENCE. Benjamin LAWRENCE gives his age as 45 (so birth around 1806) and his place of birth as Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. His wife's age is 43 and her place of birth is given as Scotland.

I believe I've found their marriage, also in Tottenham at All Hallows Church on 10 Mar 1828. Her maiden surname was KING. Benjamin was literate enough to be able to sign the register. If his age on the 1851 Census is correct, he married at about 22 years old.

On the 1861 Census Benjamin is aged 55 (birth around 1806) and again Cheshunt, Hertfordshire is his place of birth.

On the 1871 Census, it's difficult to tell if his age is 65 or 68 but his place of birth is still Cheshunt.

When he dies in 1877, the GRO death index gives his age as 74 ie a birth year of c1803.

In searching the Essex and Hertfordshire baptism records, there is a baptism in Waltham Abbey on 23 July 1809 for a Benjamin where the birth date is given as 12 Dec 1805. The surname is actually spelt as LAURENCE with the parents as Wm (presumably William) and Mary.

Further searching around the date with parents of William and Mary found two more baptisms, so possibly three children in total:

11 Mar 1804 Susanna LAWRENCE - Waltham Abbey

12 Dec 1805 Benjamin LAWRENCE - Waltham Abbey

24 Jul 1808 William LAWRENCE - Woodford, St Mary the Virgin

There is a marriage on 3 Dec 1803 at Waltham Abbey between William LAWRENCE & Mary WOOTTON.

At this point, since 'my' James LAWRENCE was born around 1807, these three people are, at best, possibly cousins to my James. So that their father, William LAWRENCE, is possibly an uncle and I need to track down William's parents and any other possible siblings. 

I think I've found William and Mary LAWRENCE in Ware in 1841 and 1851 which suggests he was born in around 1780 in Ware, Hertfordshire.

There is a baptism on 6 Jul 1783 in Ware, Hertfordshire for a Wm LAWRANCE where the parents are given as Jam and Mary. I guess this could be the William I'm after.

I now need to try to find if this Jam (is this really 'James'?) and Mary had any other children.....