Monday, April 25, 2011

Morgan family at Woodford Dorset

The Morgan family came to my attention because of the marriage of William Dove (of Woodford according to the parish register) and Jane Morgan 1 Jan 1783 at Saint Thomas, Salisbury, Wiltshire. William and Jane baptized a son Robert 14 Apr 1793 at Woodford and buried him 6 Aug 1793 also at Woodford. However, after searching the parish registers whilst at Salt Lake City I did not find any other baptisms for this family.

Mary Dove married Thomas Rawlins 9 Dec 1807 at Woodford but interestingly the priest has written the name as Rawlins in the Banns and Rawlence in the marriage registration. Since his father Jeremiah married at Tilshead I do not find it unusual that Thomas might marry at Woodford.

But I do wonder why no baptism for Mary Dove at Woodford. The priest records them both as "of Woodford" but I do not find any Rawlings in the parish other than this marriage in this time frame. There is a burial of a Mary Dove 4 June 1787 (65 years of age), a burial of a Robert Dove 30 Jul 1769, a burial of Ann daughter of William and Mary Dove 30 April 1767, a Samuel Dove was buried 29 November 1753, a Mary Dove buried 30 October 1733, a Susana Dove was buried 14 May 1717, a baptism of Robert son of William and Mary Dove 30 Apr 1764, the baptism of Samuel son of William and Mary Dove 27 March 1753, and a baptism of William son of William and Mary dove 4 May 1755.

The Dove family was at Woodford for at least the generation before William Dove married Jane Morgan in 1783 at Salisbury.Where were they from 1783 to 1793 when Robert was baptized at Woodford?

Other than sharing my finds at Woodford, I am not really solving the question as to whether this was my Thomas Rawlins at Woodford marrying Mary Dove in 1807. Definitely Thomas' wife was Mary by the baptisms of their children. I did try searching on the Chelsea Pensioner Records but did not find Thomas Rawlins there. The question is where were they from 1807 to 1823 when Jane was born at Enford (William in 1825)? Does it make sense to have this Thomas Rawlins as the husband of Mary Dove married at Woodford in 1807? If it is this Mary Dove then the likelihood of Mary being the child of William Dove and Jane Morgan is quite high given the identification of the groom as "of Woodford" in the marriage lines.

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