Chadney Research

Marriage Record from Parish of Lugwardine, Herefordshire
(earliest record of name Chadney)

5th April 1768

The said John Chadney and Ann Williams both of the Parish of Lugwardine were married in the said Parish Church on the 5th day of April One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Eight by me John Chappell(?) Curate

This marriage was solemnised between: John Chadne (he signed his name and there was no y) the mark of Ann Chadne late Ann Williams

In the presence of: the mark of James Williams, the mark of Elizabeth Bailey

Baptism Records from the Parish of Lugwardine

1769 John son of John and Ann Chandler
1775 Thomas son of John and Ann Chadnor

Baptism Records from Parish of Hampton Bishop, Herefordshire

9th June 1776 Mary daughter of John and Ann Chadney
13th June 1777 James son of John and Ann Chadner
18th October 1781 Sarah daughter of John and Ann Chadney (this had an (r) written over the top of the 'y' indicating there was some doubt about the spelling of the name)
10th November 1782 Susanna daughter of John and Ann Chadney
8th May 1785 Catherine daughter of John and Ann Chadney
 

Chadney and Chandler

Hereford Record Office searched the Herefordshire Parish records but could not find any trace of the Chadney name prior to the marriage of John Chadney to Ann Williams in 1768.  There is a record on familysearch.org, submitted by a member, that says John Chadney was born in 1743 Lugwardine but since this record also states that his wife's name was Lillian because they have read the '& Ann' on the original record as 'Lilian', I strongly doubt this record. Instead, I have found a Christening record for a John Chandler born Hampton Bishop in 1738 with father Thomas and mother Elinor. My guess is that John was not from the Parish of Lugwardine and his writing skills were not good, hence why he wrote his name Chadne - was he trying to write Chandler? At this time, some people, although illiterate, were taught to write their name but because they could not read or write, they had no idea of what they were writing.  He definitely did not write a 'y' and it seems the Curate, when writing up his notes, decided the name that John was trying to write was Chadney. The local dialect may well have been a mixture of Welsh and Country, so did they pronounce the name Chandler as Chandley = Ch-arn-dley - and this was misheard as Ch-ard-ney and spelt as Chadney?

The Christening record for John and Ann's first son was actually recorded as Chandler which is strong evidence that John's name was Chandler.  We know that a John Chadny (no e) married Ann Boskett in Calwall near Ledbury, Herefordshire in 1795 and that he died in Ledbury in 1833 aged 63, meaning he was born in around 1770. We know he was John and Ann's first son.  The approximate year of his birth, 1770, accords with the Christening record of a John Chandler, son of John and Ann Chandler, b. 1769 in Lugwardine.  The record was in the same handwriting as John Chadney and Ann William's marriage entry but this may have been the Parish Clerk writing up the records, or it may have been the Curate who, on getting to know the family, realised his mistake on the marriage record and wrote Chandler for the first son's name.  The next Christening entry, in 1775, is in a different handwriting and the spelling of the name is Chadnor.  The fact that the Curate in Hampton Bishop wrote an 'r' above the 'y' for Sarah Chadney's Baptism record in 1781, proves the name was still in some doubt and the Chadner and Chadnor were in fact Chadneys but should have been Chandlers.

There were burial records for a Richard Chadney aged 70 died 1818 in Ledbury, meaning he was born in around 1748 and Ann Chadney who died in Ledbury in in 1822 aged 73 and so was born in in 1749. Although there are no Christening records for a Richard Chadney or a Richard Chandler, a Richard Chandler was married in Eastnor in 1753 and Eastnor is just 1.5 miles from Ledbury, so there's a good chance Richard was born slightly later than 1748 and that he and Ann were Chandlers.

There were three burials of other Chadneys in Worcestershire in the 1700s but on checking these, they also appear to have been Chandlers and none had children with the name Chadney. There were also burials in Suffolk of a couple with the surname Chadney but again no children with that name. In fact, all Christening records for children with the name Chadney can all be directly traced back to John Chadney and Ann Williams.

To confuse matters, however, there were a number of Chads in Herefordshire but as this is an established name with its own origins and history, it is unlikely it is inked to the Chadneys or Chandlers.

Thomas is the name of John and Ann's second son and this suggests John's father's name may have been Thomas and again points to the probability that Thomas and Elinor Chandler were the parents of John Chadney.

Thomas and Elinor's other children all Baptised in Hampton Bishop were:

Thomas Chandler b. 1730 married Mary Stead in Stauton on Arrow in 1752 and lived in Titley and Staunton on Arrow
Andrew Chandler b. 1732 and d. in Hereford in 1814 aged (around) 86
James Chandler b. 1835 and married Elizabeth Burford in Ocle Pychard in 1759 and lived in Hereford
Jane Chandler b. 1745
Anne Chandler b. 1747

There may be more clues yet to be found but there is already strong evidence that the name was Chandler.
 

Baptism Records from Parish of Hampton Bishop, Herefordshire

8th February 1801 Harriet daughter of Thomas and Mary Chadney m. William Howells in Hereford St John in 1822 d. 1838 Hampton Bishop aged 37
30th January 1803 James son of Thomas and Mary Chadney m. Emily Derbyshire in 1830 Shoreditch d. 1842 Lambeth 1841 census states James born out of County in abt. 1806.
1st January 1806 Thomas son of Thomas and Mary Chadney m. Sarah Scaffold 1837 Mordiford, Herefordshire d. 1843 Hampton Bishop
4th October 1807 John son of Thomas and Mary Chadney m. Eliza Burchill in Stepney in 1827 in 1841 census son John Chadney aged 13 (b. 1828) can be found living with John snr's parents Thomas and Mary and his sister Lucy Lane confirming connection. 2nd wife Elizabeth Harriet Drake. d. 1862 Newington.
4th September 1808 William son of Thomas and Mary Chadney (privately - this was a Baptism that happened at home, generally due to the child being of ill health and not expected to live)
1st January 1809 William son of Thomas and Mary Chadney (publicly - a child had to have a public Baptism in a Church and so when the child had recovered, a public Baptism was organised). m. Margaret Larkin? In 1851 census states born Hampton, Herefordshire abt. 1811 d. 1867 Lambeth (record states b. abt. 1809)
13th June 1813 Lucy daughter of Thomas and Mary Chadney of Hampton Bishop, father's Trade or Profession, Shoemaker. m. Thomas Lane 1830 Hampton Bishop d. 1885 Hereford District.

In the Hampton Bishop Parish Records, there is a Richard Chadney Baptised 30th May 1803 in Hampton Bishop, son of Thomas and Ann - originally, I thought this was a mistake by the Parish Clerk who had meant to put Thomas and Mary but James was Christened on 30th January, so the Christening of another son just four months later is too soon, so was this Richard Chadney another Chandler? No further trace of him, though.

The Chadneys and the Mormons

The Mormons arrived in Herefordshire in around 1840 and converted nearly two thousand local people:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2005/04/06/mormon_orcop_feature.shtml

http://archive.thisisworcestershire.co.uk/2005/1/28/25281.html

It is said they were in Dymock in May 1840.  A quote of Brigham Young's states:

"The first thirty days after my arrival in Herefordshire, I had baptized forty-five preachers and one hundred and sixty members of the United Brethren….This opened a wide field for labor, and enabled me to bring into the Church, through the blessings of God, over eighteen hundred souls during eight months, including all of the six hundred United Brethren except one person. In this number there were also some two hundred preachers of various denominations."

There is also a strong link with Ledbury:

http://archive.thisisherefordshire.co.uk/2000/4/28/67019.html

James Chadney and Martha Hart's daughter Ann, born 1820 in Little Marcle, married William Wiltshire in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1853.  Mormon converts from Herefordshire were taken to Salt Lake City to build the Mormon temple, so we therefore know that Ann was among the converts.  She died in Circleville, Piute, Utah in 1882.

Another Chadney, Hannah Augusta Chadney was also said to have joined the Mormons.  The records submitted by an LDS Church member, claims her parents were William Chadney and Mary (formerly Nott) and that Hannah was born in Bosbury in 1827. I cannot find any actual Parish records for Hannah or her parents but Augustus and Augusta are names that feature in the Chadney family, so she may be connected.  If so, then my guess is that her father William was another son of John Chadney and Ann Williams and this would make sense as William is a common name in subsequent generations of the family.

Were any other Chadneys converted to the Mormon faith?