I am trying to find out where Robert Cleeves 1748-1818 came from, he raised his family in Butcombe but I can't find his baptism. Does anyone have any advice?
Am I right in thinking that this is the Robert CLIVE (CLEVE) who married Anne or Anna FILER or TILER or TYLER in Blagdon on All Fools Day 1771? It looks as if his wife was baptised in Blagdon as Anna TYLER d/o John & Susanne 17th May 1747. As he was buried as Robert CLEAVE you will have to look for all the variants of his surname.
Somerset is particularly poorly represented on Familysearch but he might not have come from Somerset. Have you tried FreeREG which is becoming a very helpful tool to find Somerset baptisms? - I would look for baptisms between 1740 and 1750. Look at the names of his children - to see if there is a similarity with the names of possible parents. Have you any idea what his occupation was?
Be aware that there is a family tree on Ancestry which suggests that his parents were John CLEVES and Unity SUTTON but as they were not married until 1769 in Ditcheat and John (the father) was only 2 years older than Robert (the son) this looks highly unlikely!
Yes, this is the same Robert Cleve who married Ann Filer 1/4/1771in Blagdon. He was a labourer and they appear to be quite a poor family. I think one of his sons dies in a Bristol asylum for the poor. There are many Cleaves records in High Littleton (also a few in Long Ashton around this time) and I was wondering about trying to find the parish records for Nempnett Thrumbnett as it adjoins Butcombe.
I have seen the Ancestry tree and realised the dates are wrong the name Unity does appear amongst Robert's Grandchildren although that could be pure co-incindence.
I have checked FreeREG and I am beginning to think that Robert could be a brick wall.