Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Rawlin[g]s Family of Enford, Wiltshire

Depending upon which cousin I write to the spelling of this surname varies between Rawlings and Rawlins. My 3x great grandfather Thomas spelled his name Rawlins but his son William (my 2x great grandfather) spelled his name Rawlings. Elizabeth, the daughter of William and my great grandmother, spelled her name Rawlings.


Elizabeth Rawlings was born 19 October 1853 at Enford, Wiltshire the daughter of William Rawlings and Elizabeth Lywood who were themselves married 22 Sep 1849 at Amesbury, Wiltshire which is seven miles south of Enford or 3 miles south of Milston where Elizabeth lived. I suspect that they ran away to be married. William and Elizabeth had seven children: George, Harriet, Elizabeth, Mary Jane, William, David, and Sidney Herbert. Harriet married  Charles Butler and died in childbirth although her son Thomas Butler survived. Charles remarried. Mary Jane does not appear to have married but the four brothers all married. I have met several of their descendants online at Genes Reunited.

William Rawlings was born circa 1825 at Enford but I have not yet found his baptism. He died 10 Sep 1902 at Ludgershall after being paralyzed for three years from a stroke. A picture I have of him is below. William's parents were Thomas Rawlins and Mary Dove who were likely married 9 Dec 1807 at Woodford, Wiltshire. However my proof for this is rather weak. They had six children Harriet born circa 1813, Isaac born circa 1818, Harriet born circa 1819, Jeremiah born circa 1821, Jane born circa 1823 and William born circa 1825.



As I will mention later with the Lywood family where George was in the 23rd Regiment of Foot and served in the Peninsular Wars and at Waterloo, I wonder if Thomas was also in the military but have not yet found any record of that. The birth of Harriet in 1813 and then Isaac in 1818 as the first children is quite suspect for someone being away in the military. The first Harriet must have died as the second Harriet arrives in 1819. I do know that Thomas Rawlins was baptized 20 Sep 1783 at Enford and that his wife Mary died sep quarter 1849 at Enford. Thomas died march quarter 1866 in Pewsey Registration District (Enford is in Pewsey). I do have the parish records for Enford Baptisms 1635 - 1813, Burials 1722 - 1813, and Marriages 1722 - 1837. I know that Thomas was not married at Enford. According to the 1841 census Thomas and Mary were born in Enford and circa 1786 but this age was rounded up or down depending on their actual age in this case the implied age is rounded to 55 years so somewhere around that mark and I know that Thomas was born around 1783 so he was rounded down to 55 years when he was actually 58 years of age. Mary did not survive to the next census so do not have any record of where she was born. On the 1851 census Thomas states that he was born at Enford. Living with him in 1851 is William and Elizabeth Rawlins (spelled that way but in the 1861 spelled Rawlings). They do not have any children in 1851 as George was born after the census was taken (their eldest child).

But continuing with the Rawlins family and Thomas was the son of  Jeremiah Rawlins and Sarah Tanner who were married 1 Nov 1780 at Tilshead (image acquired at Salt Lake City). The priest having kindly recorded that Jeremiah was from Enford although he spelled his surname Rallings and indeed he was baptized 13 Apr 1755 at Netheravon (just two miles away) although all the rest of his siblings were baptized at Enford.

The Church at Tilshead is a Grade I listed building dating back to the 1100s
 http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-319876-church-of-st-thomas-a-becket-tilshead-

I acquired an interesting list of the Vicars at Tilshead whilst at Salt Lake City in 2008:

1317  Adam de Newenham
13..    Henry de Rowde
1348  John Scoter de Mershton
1361  William de Mershton
1393  William Baroun or Brown
1399   Roger Mey
1403   John Bulwere
14 . .   William Penne
1422   William Frye
1423    Thomas Pule
14 . .    William Francombe
1443   John Lorde
1448   John Hyllynge
1456   William Grove
1460   John Putwell
1462   Richard Belle
1469   Thomas Philippes
1475   Thomas Lorde
14 . .    John Holes
1495   William Okey
1522   Robert Counetable
15 . .    William Merchaunt
1529   John Hobbes
1575   Edward Colthurst
1598   Henry Moore
1623   Richard Foote
16 . .   John Thornborough
1661   Henry Hoskins
1663   Anthony de la Court
1711   Thomas Higgons
1722   George Jacques
1772   John Edwards
1783   Lewis Jones
1803 3 Aug   David Williams
1836   Joseph Holden Johnson
1884 27 May   Horace Vere Thompson
1899   Hugh Corrie Frere
1903   3 Mar   Bernard Barton
1905   10 Nov   Henry Emery
1939   24 Dec  Wilford Gordon Griffin
1945   20 Dec   William John Freeman
1954   8 Dec Arthur Samuel Berry
1959   1 Jun   Cecil Ayshford Duke Baker
1963   12 Mar   Frederick George Chamberlain

I know that Jeremiah was the son of William and Mary Rawlins who lived at Enford but searching back through the Enford Parish Registers William and Mary were not married at Enford nor were they baptized there. They may be the William Rawlins and Mary Foord married at Wylye 30 Sep 1741. Mary was buried at Enford 10 Mar 1789. I did not find a burial for William at Enford. They had eight children:

Mary (not baptized at Enford) married Stephen Cotterel 28 Jan 1764 at Enford, one son Stephen Cotterel.

William baptized 17 Nov 1743 at Enford and married Mary Dyke 25 Sep 1766 at Enford and they had three children Anne, Charlotte and William

Edward was not baptized at Enford but he married Ruth White 20 Jun 1766 at Enford and they had five children: Mary, Anne, Elizabeth, Mary and John

Elizabeth was baptized 26 Jun 1747 at Enford and married thomas Hillier 31 May 1772 at Enford and they had nine children: Elizabeth, William, John, Jeremiah, Letticia, Rebecca, Sarah, David and Rosanna of whom only five survived past infancy

Thomas was baptized 14 Jan 1747 at Enford and buried there 11 Jul 1758

Martha was baptized 23 Jun 1751 at Enford and had a son Jeremiah Rawlins (reputed father Robert Matthews)

John was baptized 22 Oct 1752 at Enford

Jeremiah was baptized 13 Apr 1755 at Netheravon and married Sarah Tanner 1 Nov 1780 at Tilshead. They had nine children Elizabeth, Thomas, Anne (died as an infant), John, Jeremiah, Anne (died as an infant), William, Anne and James. I have been able to trace down the families of Elizabeth, Thomas, John and James.

The next research day I shall have a look at Find My Past for the Rawlins/Rawlings family. I could consider transcribing the Enford Parish Registers or the Protestation Returns for this area as I have images for both of these.

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