Unknown Unknowns

Anne of internet fame along with a small group of Lincolnshire Family History Society members has a new mission. Once a month they congregate at the archives and check through the BTs. BT is short for Bishop’s Transcript, which is a copy of the parish register that was sent annually to the Bishop. They can be on parchment of various shapes and sizes, illegibility and condition. There are over a thousand pages of BTs sitting in the Lincolnshire Archives which do not have a name of a parish on them. The group is attempting to identify the parish to which they belong and in fact there are a few that don’t have a date either. This work will benefit all those with Lincolnshire ancestors. None of these BTs have been filmed and consequently the events in them may not appear on the IGI. They have so far positively identified about 50 different BTs. For more detailed information Dr Mike Rogers, Archivist in charge of this project, has written a short piece for the next Lincolnshire Family History Society journal about the project and what will happen to the BTs once identified. Anne came up with the bright idea of passing the transcript of some of the BTs that they are stuck on to the Lincolnshire List. She explains that “Where there is a burial of a child on a BT, but no baptism, the IGI is invaluable - finding the baptism usually leads to the correct parish, but not always. The census can be used for place of birth from BTs after about 1770, assuming that the child baptised lived to a good age. We are also using the marriage indexes (but need further verification from Parish Registers of Baptism & Burial on the same BT), Wills indexes, marriage bonds, names of vicars, curates etc. However, your combined personal knowledge may lead to short cuts.” To further the work she is sending details of some of the BTs for everyone to work on. An example BT is this - The year is 1765/6 and there are only two events on the BT. Ann daughter of Antony & Izatt Spur baptised 29 December 1765; Ann wife of William Barsley buried 4 Jan 1766.
The only one that I can find on the IGI is the baptism of an Anthony son of Daniel & Elizabeth spurr at High Toynton in November 1738. On the next item I have found the baptism of a William barrsely the son of William & Ann in 1748 at High Toynton. Could this be it? Or do you know better!! To carry these further I would need to check out the parish registers.
The main concentration of the SPURR surname can be found in Cornwall. There is a secondary concentration in the Doncaster area. I wonder why these two areas are so far apart? The surname comes from the holder who was making spurs for sale.
Barsley is more local with most of the people living in the fens. The indications are that it originates from a place name but I have been unable to find any likely candidates.
Bits and Bobs
THE TUESDAY EXPRESS – Kent - 7th January 1908 - A JANUARY HARVEST: The almost unprecedented sight of harvesting corn crops in January was seen in Lincolnshire on Saturday. Several fields of wheat, barley and oats in the Branston Fen, have been sold by auction as they stood in the fields. A Heckington miller purchased the cropping, and the frozen condition of the land enabled him to use the reaper with such good effect that the bulk of corn was gathered in on Saturday. It is proposed to celebrate the novel event with a harvest supper to the men engaged in the unseasonable work.
An early sign of global warming perhaps!!