1 May 2023

I just discovered that Suffolk parish registers can be ordered on microfiche from Suffolk Archives. A quote can be requested by emailing archives@suffolk.gov.uk. I emailed asking for a quote for Fressingfield, which is 40 fiches.

I have made a spreadsheet of all Chambers baptisms, marriages and burials extracted from the Suffolk parish indexes I have available, plus some searches from the Norfolk registers on Ancestry. I am deliberately disregarding anything that has been sourced from the IGI since it’s so unreliable.

The parishes I have included are all near to Fressingfield:

Athelington, Brundish, Brockdish, Cratfield, Chediston, Fressingfield, Laxfield, Hoxne, Huntingfield, Metfield, Needham, Pulham St. Mary, Redenhall, South Elmham (all), Spexhall, Stradbroke, Starston, Weybread, Wissett, Wingfield

I’m gradually going through the sheet attempting to match up names and family groups.

There are some burials that overlap with civil registration, in particular this one that I have ordered

CHAMBERS, JOSEPH age 85 GRO Reference: 1854 D Quarter in WANGFORD Volume 04A Page 447

This should be a Joseph Chambers, buried in South Elham on 3 Dec 1754, who I believe is the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Chambers of Fressingfield, but not a direct ancestor.

I’m going to add some more parishes:

Suffolk: Homersfield, Wilby, Ubbeston, Denham
Norfolk: Rushall, Billingford, Dickleburgh, Oakley, Alburgh, Thorpe Abbotts

I noticed a marriage of a Joseph Chambers to Elisabeth Stigold in Benfield in 1737 in the Suffolk Marriage Index for Hoxne, 1650-1754. I’d not noticed it before, but it is one of only two Joseph Chambers shown in the index (the other being a marriage to Mary Edwards in 1674 in Fressingfield.
Bedfield is 7 miles south-west of Fressingfield. Wilby lies about half-way between the two. It borders Monk Soham, Tannington and Worlingworth.

I think I need to include all marriages, baptisms and burials from the Hoxne deanery in my spreadsheet.