John Reynolds Chapman is elusive.
We know from the 1891 and 1901 censuses that he went by the name John Chapman, worked as a painter's labourer, was born about 1846-1847 and hailed from Liskeard, Cornwall. When he registered the birth (15 Dec 1872) of his daughter Margaret Emily Chapman, he gave his name as John Reynolds Chapman, a railway guard, and signed as J. R. Chapman. When his wife Emily Chapman formerly Jack registered the birth (30 Apr 1880) of another daughter, Emily, she gave his name as John Chapman, a coach builder. Their marriage (13 July 1872, Liverpool St Simon's) certificate has him as "John Raynolds", a railway guard, her as "Emma Jack", his father as "James Rynolds", schoolmaster, and her father as "Alexander Jack", cabinet maker; but there's something strange about his signature, as if he started to sign Chapman and then changed it.
We can find a James Chapman, sometime schoolmaster, his wife Maria formerly Tremayne, and their family in Liskeard (and elsewhere) during the 1840's. But there's no sign of John Reynolds Chapman, and we can't prove that he was connected to this family.
We have been unable to find a record of the birth of John Reynolds Chapman in Cornwall or Devon.
On 24 Oct 2008, Amanda visited the Cornwall Record Office in Truro, hoping to find a record of his baptism. The following is based on her notes. Needless to say, the search for John Reynolds Chapman continues.
Fiche FP126/1/4 Liskeard Baptisms 1831-1858. This fiche was very faded, and difficult to read. The master fiche was a little better, but the handwriting was something of a challenge. Amanda had intended to take photocopies of some entries, but ran out of time. It is possible, therefore, that she might not have noted down some details, such as father's occupation.
| Entry | Date | Name | Detail | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 394 | 8 May 1835 | ? Tremayne | Hatter | Mostly illegible |
| 509 | 22 Sep 1836 | James Ivey Tremayne | son of Richard * Tremayne, Hatter, and Susan | |
| 548 | 28 Mar 1837 | William Peryton Chapman | son of William Charles Chapman & Ann Dyer | |
| 643 | 25 Apr 1838 | Mostly illegible | ||
| 769 | 18 Nov 1839 | Emma Chapman | daughter of William Charles Chapman & Ann | |
| 994 | 25 Dec 1842 | James Ivey Tremayne Chapman | son of James Chapman & Maria of this borough | |
| 1327 | 6 Jan 1847 | William Thomas Reynolds | son of Thomas Reynolds & Mary Ann | |
| 1379 | 9 Jul 1847 | Susanna Chapman | ||
| 1932 | 12 Nov 1852 | John William Chapman | son of Jack Chapman | check this |
Burials, Liskeard Parish Chuch, Transcripts Vol. 4
| Entry | Date | Name | Detail | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 1853 | James Ivey Tremayne | of this borough, age 77 |
Menheniot Baptisms 1835-1944 FP144/1/11
| Entry | Date | Name | Detail | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug 1846 | John * Chapman | son of William Chapman, Menheniot, Miner, & Mary | ||
| 18 Aug 1849 | William Chapman | son of William Chapman, Menheniot, Miner, & Mary |
No Chapman or Reynold baptisms between 1842 and 1852 found in: