I'm looking for information on my 4x great grandfather Thomas Rainbow. The only mention I have of him is in the baptism register of his son, also Thomas Rainbow 1808 St Alfege, Greenwich, England. His occupation is given as silversmith.

Thomas snr was married to Sarah. He is not mentioned on the 1841 census, but Sarah, aged approx 70 is living with her son and his family.

I can't find a marriage for Thomas and Sarah in Greenwich or nearby, and have no clues as to where else to look for their origins.

Having seen the wealth of Rainbow information on this board, I'm hoping that someone has come across a Thomas Rainbow who moves to London/Kent in the late 1700's/ early 1800's.

I don't have a candidate for your Thomas (although from a negative point of view that means I'm pretty sure he's not one of the Bedfordshire Meppershall/Arlesey branch of Rainbows), but have you thought of trying the archives of the Goldsmiths' Company (see http://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/thelibrary/archives.htm)? If your Thomas was a silversmith in London then he ought to show up in their records, and if silversmithing was the family trade then you may be able to get back several more generations through their records.

Thanks for your quick response, you're right it is also useful to know which branch of Rainbows are not the right ones, although Bedfordshire would be nice as it is where I am now living! In fact I came across a Rainbow in Meppershall cemetary with a link to Highgate London, do you want me to pass on the MI?

I will try and look at the Goldsmiths' archives too, I hadn't realised gold and silver smiths would have been covered by the same company.

Good luck with your research
Theresa

Thank you; that would be interesting, if you get the time. There is another branch (perhaps two; I've never traced them properly although have occasionally been tempted in an obsessive one-name study sort of way) of Rainbows in Bedfordshire, though, so you could still be in luck [smile]