Where next?!

[Barmaid]

My gx4 grandfather was born in 1786 in Halesworth. Parents Edward and Sarah. He had a number of siblings but I can't trace what happened to any of them. It appears that Edward died in 1795. We next find Sarah rocking up at Wisbech in Cambridgeshre where her son is apprenticed to a tailor. Thereafter her son joins the army and I do quite well on him from thereon.

It's Edward and Sarah I am having trouble with. I haven't been able to find a marriage in Suffolk - the only marriage I have found is in 1781 on the Isle of Wight.

Strangely, the other day when i was poking about I found another Edward in Wisbech. He was born in 1783 in Great Yarmouth. When I checked out his baptism, his parents were Edward and Sarah. Is he another brother. Living close to this Edward is a Joseph. I know Edward and Sarah had a Joseph but I can't tie him down with an age.

So if my reckoning is correct, Edward and Sarah married in the Isle of Wight in 1781, travelled to Great Yarmouth and had baby Edward in 1783. Then moved to Halesworth and had 5 or 6 more. Edward dies and Sarah and her young family move to Wisbech. What on earth brought her to Wisbech?

There are too many leaps of faith here for my liking though. Can anyone suggest some records which may help me check further? I've seen the original PRs and BTs for the children's baptisms. Not managed to get myself to the IoW yet though. The only connection I can think with all of these places is "the sea". I know Edward was a cooper so I wonder if that might be the connection.

[dotty.]

It must be a nautical occupation that took Edward and Sarah to Great Yarmouth from the Isle of Wight? Barrels were how most goods were shipped in the late 1700s.

Is there a surname please?

[craft1948]

Wisbech is an inland port.................

[Barmaid]

Plant is the surname doh - why do I always forget the important bit.

Dotty, that's what I thought - Halesworth is not actually on the coast but is not far and is straight down from Great Yarmouth on what is now the A12 but even then was a major route. Halesworth was quite famous for brewing.

I know Craft - it's not too far from here.

[Barmaid]

And just to really confuse matters, the one who joined the army (Simon) joined up in Kildare! What on earth was he doing there?!

[dotty.]

was simon old enough to join or did he run away to join?

[dotty.]

Could Edward have been born in Woodbridge in 1771??

[Barmaid]

I think he was about 20 when he joined up - born in 1786 and joined up in 1806.

[dotty.]

Where does the 70 year old Ann Plant from the 1841 fit in?

[Barmaid]

Edward could have been born there - Woodbridge and Halesworth are not too far apart but I think 1771 is too late. I suspect he was married in 1781 - I know that Simon was born in 86 so Edward would only have been 15.

I am not sure about that Ann Dot. Having looked at the Census Records for 41, 51 and 61 that is the Edward who was born in Great yarmouth in 1783. I wonder whether it is a mistake though and I wonder if Ann was actually Edward's wife's mother? I've not found a sister called Ann.

[dotty.]

There are 2 marriages for an Edward Plant at Wisbech, the first to Ann Blow, 8 Jul 1821 and then the second to Mary Hubbard 16 Apr 1834. The Edward born Gt Yamouth in the 1851 for Wisbech is married to an Ann.