This is pre 1820 information mainly taken from actual images of parish registers held at the London Metropolitan Archives, non conformist registers at the National Archives at Kew (RG4), online parish registers at http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/ or from original images at http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/. I have also included some information from original images of Scottish old parish registers and Wiltshire parish records which I have personally researched. With references to the IGI I have been careful to state whether the information is “extracted” (taken from parish registers) or “submitted” (submitted by an LDS member, which may or may not be from original sources and should be thoroughly checked). Where reference is made to the London Gazette, the full version can be downloaded from http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/. Sue Mackay

WEAKLEY, Joseph - Extra Data

Written by | 30 November 1999

Listed in correspondence of T. BUNN and Joseph PURNELL (filed with Stephen BOURNE under B)

Newspaper article written in the 1890s by his son James (cutting has no heading) includes the following introduction:

“Father was born at Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, on June 27th 1790 and Mother at Farleigh, Wiltshire on November 5th 1791. I am told that variations of our family name, such as WAKELY, WHEATLY etc abound in the neighbourhood of Bradford-on-Avon - our correct name, however, is WEAKELY - as the birth certificate proves - but Father ran away from home during the French War and joined the Navy, and was prisoner in France for two years, and his name was entered as WEAKLEY. This spelling has been retained ever since, partly I expect as prize money was expected after the termination of the war. Father and Mother (Joseph WEAKLEY and Emma KINTON) were married on November 3rd 1814 and lived subsequently at Frome, Somersetshire, where Father earned a livelihood as a weaver of West of England cloth.”

Transcription of the actual marriage register for St.John's, Frome at

http://www.gomezsmart.myzen.co.uk/religion/fsjmenu.htm has a slightly different date.

Joseph WEAKLEY, bachelor married Emma KINTON, spinster on 25 October 1814

Both made their mark

Witnesses: John MISON and Wm. CHUBB

National Archives, Kew:

RG4/1730/f15 Register of Independent Chapel, Rook Lane, Frome

Mary WEAKLEY, daughter of Joseph and Emma, born 5 August 1815, baptised 21 April 1816.

The other child born in England, Joseph, was baptised in Bathurst 18 February 1830 (born 11 May 1817 in Frome)