Allen Family History

Life Sketch of Thomas Judd and Ann Redding:

Thomas Judd was born June 30, 1821 at Woodmill Lane, South Stoneham, Hampshire, which is on the southern border of England. Thomas Judd was the fourth son of a family of five boys born to George Judd and Ann Smith, and one of only two children to live to adulthood in the family. Ann Redding was also born in Stoneham, Hampshire, and so it is likely Thomas and Ann knew of one another from a young age. Ann was slightly older than Thomas and was born to James Redding and Mary Chalk.

Thomas and Ann married on May 21, 1841 at South Stoneham, Hampshire. He became employed by a wealthy land owner as a laborer on his large farm. After working for this man for a while, Thomas was trusted to do all of the necessary butchering on the farm. As a special favor he was allowed to take the chittlings (tripe) home for his family to eat. Ann learned how to prepare them so they were pretty flavorful. On rare occasions like Christmas time, Thomas was given a choice cut of meat to take home. To help with family finances, Thomas and Ann's sons went to work when they were very young.

In 1848, Thomas and Ann were visited by LDS missionaries. At first, Thomas thought it was a shame that those young men were forced to come so far from their homes to teach doctrines that couldn't be true. He got out his Bible and sought to prove to the missionaries that they were wrong. It wasn't long before the young missionaries succeeded in proving to Thomas that they were not wrong but indeed had the true gospel. Thomas and Ann were both baptized in the summer of 1848. Soon after their baptism they made plans to emigrate to Utah, but their emigration didn't take place for over a decade.

Thomas was 40 and Ann a year older when they emigrated with their five sons. Their oldest, George, was 18 at the time. They sailed from Liverpool on the ship Manchester on April 15, 1861. They were part of a group of 379 emigrating Latter-day Saints. They arrived in New York May 14 of that year.

The family had very little money and was forced to remain in New York for work. They stayed for 15 months working and saving money, but then Thomas began to fear that he and his sons would be drafted as soldiers for the Civil War if they stayed in the United States, so they left for Utah as soon as possible. They took part in Henry Miller's ox train and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley October 17, 1862.

They soon settled in a small town called Upton in Summit County and began immediately to build a two-room log home. The home had a dirt roof with straw laid over the dirt. It also boasted a rock fireplace and a few pieces of hand-made furniture.

On November 7, 1865, Thomas and Ann traveled to Salt Lake City where they received their endowments and were sealed to each other in the Endowment House. Their children were not sealed to them until they all took a trip to the Logan Temple over twenty years later, on June 9, 1886.

In 1869, Ann's mother, Mary, then a widow, came to Utah. She sailed from Liverpool on the Minnesota on August 25. She moved in with her daughter and family and stayed there for almost ten years. In her old age, she became blind and would put up lines of string throughout the house and yard in order to walk around alone. Mary passed away in the Judd home April 29, 1878.

Later, the Judds purchased a farm in Hoytsville, Utah, which is almost fifteen miles southwest of Upton and is near the Weber River. Thomas and his sons built a home there which was made of cottonwood logs chopped from the Weber River bottoms. It had two rooms and a wooden floor. Thomas and Ann remained in Hoytsville for the remainder of their lives. Thomas died there December 15, 1891 at the age of 70 and Ann passed away January 13, 1899.

Of Thomas and Ann, their great-granddaughters, Ruth West Gregory and Maxine Richins Wright, have said: We, their descendants are proud and greateful [sic] to them for the good name they gave us and the wonderful heritage they left us. Let each one of [us] show our gratitude to them, by living lives of honesty and integrity, and above all, let us be true to the teachings of the gospel plan for which they gave their all . . .

Research Report

[judd081104 / 0346] 17 August 2004

The objective of this research project was to verify the pedigrees of Thomas Judd Ann Reading to the seventh generation of Robert Allen. Both George and Ann were reportedly from South Stoneham, Hampshire, England. The names of their fathers were known but not their mothers.

After reviewing the pedigree, it was determined research should begin by locating the death of Ann Smith in 1857. Because her name is so common, finding her death record, then locating her in the 1851 British Census, which would confirm her parish of birth, was the first task. A search of the incomplete online index to British birth certificates for a reference to her death was unsuccessful. The British civil registration death indexes were then searched, but the four quarters comprising 1857 again failed to list Ann (Smith) Judd.

The parish registers for South Stoneham were turned to next. A search of burials from 1851 to 1860 failed to locate her burial. Likewise, George Judd's burial was sought in the 1830s, but was not located. Marriages were then checked for the marriage of an Ann Judd, widow from 1830 to 1841. Again, no related entry was found.

The 1851 British Census for South Stoneham was indexed, so it was checked for any Judd entries. Thomas, the ancestral son of George and Ann (Smith) Judd, was located with his wife, Ann Reading and four children [document #1]. The record indicated Thomas was born in West End, Hampshire, a neighborhood in South Stoneham. Ann was born at South Stoneham. Other Judd entries were also extracted. John Judd, age 54, would be about the right age to be a younger brother to our George [document #2]. Edward Judd, age 63, could also be the right age to be a brother. Likewise, a Thomas Judd, unmarried at the age of 65 and living at a place called Mouse Hole would seem the right age. All stated their birth places as South Stoneham parish. Lastly, George Judd, age 34, was the ancestral George's son.

Returning to the South Stoneham Parish Registers, the marriage of Thomas Judd and Ann Redding was sought. It was found in 1841, as expected [document #3]. It stated he was 20 years old, a bachelor, labourer and the son of George Judd. Ann was the daughter of James Reading. George and Sarah Reading were the witnesses.

Research continued in the registers, searching for the earlier generation on the Judd side. The marriage of George Judd to Ann Smith was found in 1813 [document #4]. Both were of this parish and married by banns. The witnesses were Elizabeth Tuffin and Robert Cole. The former signed by leaving her mark indicating she was probably family or friend of either George or Ann.

George and Ann's children were next sought in the parish registers. All Judd christenings were extracted from 1813-1828 [document #5]. The christenings of George, William, and Thomas belonged to the ancestral family. One christening for a son of Edward and two children to John were also found. These were certainly the same Edward and John noted in the census. A copy of the christening of Thomas was obtained [document #5a].

Research was focused on the next generation on both the Judd and Smith lines: George was reportedly the son of Thomas Judd and Ann the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Smith. Judd and Smith christenings were extracted from the South Stoneham Parish Registers from 1775-1796 [document #6]. The Smith christenings were extensive. The christening of Ann Smith was found in 1782, meaning she was 31 years old when she first married. Certainly possible, and the best entry found; however, it would be nice to have her age at some point, either from census, death or burial records to confirm this. As for the Judd line, Edward and Jane Judd had the following children:

1783 Mary Judd 1785 Thomas Judd 1788 William Judd 1790 Edward Judd 1793 Elizabeth Judd

Reviewing the census information, this accounted for the Thomas and Edward listed there but not John and the ancestral George. John was young enough to fit in after Elizabeth, but without a burial, George's age or calculated birth year was unknown.

Previous research determined George's proposed father, Thomas, married at Wonston. Therefore the Wonston Parish Registers were searched. The marriage of Thomas was found in 1773. It recorded his marriage to Sarah Carey; both were of Wonston and married by banns [document #7]. A search of the christenings uncovered five Judd children and one Carey illegitimate child, which all likely belonged to the family. George was the third child, baptized in 1779. Next, marriages were searched for any George Judd marriage that might conflict. Such a marriage was found in 1803. George married Mary Reynolds. Barring Mary's death, it is unlikely this line was ancestral.

This idea was further supported when reviewing a parish map of Hampshire. South Stoneham is in the south central part of the county, just northeast of the largest and county town, Southampton. Wonston is about fifteen miles straight north of South Stoneham. Without additional, thorough research, it would be premature to assume George came from Wonston.

Therefore, further research in South Stoneham was conducted. The 1841 British Census was in poor condition but was searched anyway. George Judd, son of George and Ann Judd, was listed with his wife Charlotte [document #9]. The last entry in the household was for Ann Judd, probably the ancestral Ann Smith. The age was illegible, however, meaning a death or burial record still needs to be found. The ancestral and newly-wed Thomas Judd was found with his wife Ann as well [document #10].

Deciding the Judd and Smith lines required more time than was provided during this research project, the South Stoneham Parish Registers were returned to, now primarily for the Reading family. Christenings were sought from 1813 to 1836 [document #11]. The christening of Ann was not found; however, several children of James and Mary Reading were. Remembering Ann had given her father's name as James at the time of her marriage, this certainly was the ancestral family. A copy of Mary Ridding's christening, sister of Ann, was obtained [document #11a].

Burials were then searched from 1820 to April 1860 for Judd and Reading. The burial of William Judd, son of George and Ann was found in 1820. A James Judd burial in 1833 was intriguing because he was about the right age for the father of George. Sarah Ann Reading, sister of Ann was buried in 1836. Sophia Judd was the wife of John Judd, who was listed as a widower in 1851. Since this John has not yet been attributed to the Edward Judd family mentioned earlier, he could have ties to the ancestral George. The Jane Judd buried in 1845 at the age of 93 of Mouse Hole is most likely the matriarch of the Judd family in the area. This was the unmarried Thomas Judd's residence in 1851, which connects them together.

The 1851 British Census was returned to for South Stoneham, this time for the record of James and Mary Reading. They were found in the index under the surname of Roading. The entry listed them with their daughters Charlotte and Eliza [document #12]. Also, they were two households away from Edward and Ann Judd. James and Mary Reading indicated they were both born in Owslebury, Hampshire. Returning to the map, Owslebury was two parishes north of South Stoneham. Perhaps this is where Ann's christening would be found.

Previous research however, determined James and Mary were married in Twyford parish, bordering Owslebury on the west, and just about five miles from South Stoneham. Therefore, the Twyford registers were looked at first. Bishop's Transcripts, an annual copy of the original register sent to the bishop of the diocese and often containing less information, and a parish register transcript were available.

The marriage was sought in the Bishop's Transcripts first and located [document #13]. It reported the marriage but nothing more. Christenings were also sought for Reading children from 1813 to 1818 without success. Next, the transcript was examined. A good transcript of the original register frequently has better information than the Bishop's Transcripts. The marriage of James Reading and Mary Chalk was again read and appeared as follows [document #14]:

3 Feb 1812 Reading x James Titchfield by License Chalk x Mary Twyford Witnesses: Emma Hawkins and Harry Lavington

The information the marriage took place by license was important, because the allegation and bond associated with the license often contain valuable additional information. A published record of the allegations was available and James Reading and Mary Chalk located therein. James was a 21-year-old labourer from Titchfield. Mary Chalk was only 19-years-old, and married with the consent of her father, George Chalk, also a labourer of Twyford [document #15].

With this additional information, the Owslebury Bishop's Transcripts were searched. Christenings, marriages, and burials were read from 1780 to 1805 for both the Reading and Chalk surnames. Only two children to George and Hannah Chalk were located, including the christening of our Mary Chalk on 24 February 1793 [document #16a]. Christenings from 1813 to 1819 failed to list any Reading baptisms which might include our Ann Reading.

Returning to the Tywford Parish Register Transcripts, the marriage of George Chalk and Hannah was sought, along with any other siblings to our Mary. The marriage was located [document #17]. George Chalk and Hannah Bond were married on 2 September 1792. A search of Chalk christenings from 1795 to 1812 uncovered four more siblings of Mary [document #18]. The christening search was continued to 1820 including the Reading surname but none were found.

Lastly, a preliminary search of the Titchfield Parish Registers was conducted. A search of christenings from 1780 to 1786 was completed when research had to be halted due to time constraints. In that time, no Reading baptisms were found, however the parish was quite populous, and it takes some time to get through it. This search needs to be continued during a future project

During this research project, the names of Thomas Judd, Ann Reading, George Judd, Ann Smith, James Reading, Mary Chalk, George Chalk, and Hannah Bond were verified as ancestral pedigree names. Numerous children were also uncovered. Future research should focus on the following:

Search the Hampshire Burial Index for the burial of George Judd after 1820.

Search the civil registration death indexes after 1840 for the death of Ann Judd in the South Stoneham registration district.

Search for Judd wills from 1800 to 1857, particularly for James Judd of West End, South Stoneham, buried in 1833 and of Jane Judd, buried in 1845 in South Stoneham at the age of 93.

Continue searches in the Titchfield Parish Register search for James Reading and siblings.

We hope you are pleased with the progress of this research project. It has been a pleasure to assist you in researching and documenting your family history. We look forward to continuing research according to your instructions.