Cornwall Blake family in the 1841 census

Working away on the 1841 census and have complete the first 40 families on Find My Past. I was not able to place nine of these entries into my family tree file. But the 1841 is the most difficult as place of birth is not given nor is any relationship stated. Find My Past has 409 results with 20 to a page. Fortunately entire families can be discovered with just one entry which lets me skip by them later.

Still mulling around how I will display the results of bringing together all of this information. The Blake family is large in Cornwall and already I can see that there is a distinct Blake family in Cornwall and that the Devon Blake family has crossed into Cornwall through the years. Likely the Cornwall Blake family has moved the other way into other parts of England and the census will show that. This may still work moving across the counties towards Hampshire picking up Gloucestershire as I move because there was a lot of movement between Wiltshire/Somerset/Gloucestershire as well.

I also want to continue working on the Irish Blake family to get the census done for the Blake family there as well. But gradually I can see that there are some things that I will accomplish in the next five years that I will continue with the Blake one name study and some things that I will not touch. Interesting emails from people though on the Blake family.

I think that the only way to really understand the Blake family is with yDNA testing and family finder. With 106 people in the Blake project it is interesting to see how some of the areas are coming together. As more work is done on the Deep Ancestry of the various haplogroups that too will let us better understand Blake I rather think.

The Kent family and the Blake family of Cornwall and others - my work at the moment

I have Grace Kent married to Robert Siderfin 5 Feb 1752 at Selworthy. The only Grace I was ever able to find that would fit in was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Kent and she was baptized 25 Apr 1731 at Selworthy. I really had not moved beyond that in all the years since I first found this information back in 2005 whilst working on the Pincombe bio for the Westminster and Delaware History books. So I decided to have a look at the 14 wills of the Kent family that I brought back from Kew in 2010 and have been busy transcribing them along with looking at the Porlock Parish Registers as some of the children of John and Elizabeth Kent were baptized at Porlock and some at Selworthy or there are simply two John and Elizabeth Kents but I suspect the earlier that they baptized some children at Porlock. I can not find a marriage for John and Elizabeth Kent. I did find a possible baptism for John 28 Jan 1708 at Porlock son of John Kent and Joan Beague. but no further progress than that.

Grace is my next 52 ancestor challenge and I am looking once again at all the proofs that I used to work my way back to Grace and trying to learn more about Grace.

I seem to be in this lull at the moment with respect to the Cornwall Blake family. I need to get back to extracting the census for Blake in Cornwall and will do that shortly. I find this family in Cornwall extremely intriguing. I am faced though somewhat with a sort of moral issue. Should I be producing these extensive charts of families that are not my own? When I started my blog it was to be my living memory and I never really dreamed that anyone would read it other than myself. Not that I mind; I have on occasion had really good comments and suggestions that led me to a correct path like the Question family that I would not have likely ever discovered and lately a correction on my Routledge family (parents of my Grace Routledge - 4x great grandmother). All comments received and appreciated.

But also I have had a comment on the Cornwall Blake family with regard to their having been emigrants in the early 1500s from Bretagne. Since the British Isles was covered with ice during the last ice age no one lived there but that is 15,000 years ago and there have been people living in the British Isles from at least 10 or 12 thousand years ago (including my Blake possibly). Would I be upset to learn that my Blake emigrated from France? No, not really but my families all emigrated to Canada in the last two centuries (five waves of them at various times - 1818, 1832, 1850, 1908, and 1913). So I am not bothered at the idea that my roots are not quite as deep as I might have thought them to be. But do I have the right to come up with these ideas where other people are concerned? I think that is part of the slowdown process for me. I do not wish to upset people in that regard and really why should I? In time it will all come out in the history books one might say but does it need to be at this time and in this place? That is my quandry and may eventually send me back to just looking at Hampshire for my own Blake line.

I would then collect up all the information that I have collected on the various Blake families and deposit it so that others could make use of it and extend it some day when the idea occurs to another around the world.

I ran into a similar problem with my Pincombe/Pinkham study because the yDNA didn't match. This is different though I have decided. I didn't ask anyone particularly to test and the results of DNA are what they are - indisputable. Lately I now have Pincombe and Pinkham results that do match and thus verify the premise of the original study at the Guild which I 'inherited' so to speak. I will move on with that research.

So that is my quandry at the moment. Do I proceed with the Cornwall Blake family and publish what I find? or do I move on back to Hampshire and continue with that Blake branch as I still have a lot of material to transcribe and collect in order to "follow the land" so to speak and put together all the Blake lines that I am able to there.

John Rew/Rue (1730-1771)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 43

Blake, King, Coleman, Pearce, Farmer, Mary (unknown), Lambden, Sarah (unknown), Knight, Ellis, Knight, Vincent, Butt, O'Ford, Arnold, Molton, Cotterell, Bartlett, Alderman, Shepherd, Sherwood, Elizabeth (unknown), Happerfield, Collins, Rawlings, Tanner, Dove, Morgan, Lywood, Lanham, unknown, Peck, Pincombe, Charley, Rowcliffe, Pearse, Rew, Moggridge, Siderfin, Kent, Gray, Hilton, Cobb, Sproxton, Routledge, Tweddle, Routledge, Routledge, (unknown) Buller, unknown, Beard, Hemsley, Welch, Brockhouse, Cheatle, Woodcock, unknown Taylor, unknown, Harborne, Lewis, Roberts, Croxall, Lawley, unknown

My 2x great grandmother was Elizabeth Rew and she was baptized 20 Dec 1801 at Minehead (her parents lived at Bratton just outside of Minehead) twin daughter of John Rew and Elizabeth Siderfin. Fortunately John Rew left his will and mentioned his daughter Elizabeth Pincombe otherwise I may never have discovered this Rew line. Along with that he asked to be buried near to his wife at Selworthy Somerset and that let me find the marriage of John Rew and Elizabeth Siderfin 30 Jan 1792 at Selworthy. Discovering the parents of John was assisted by the fiche for Selworthy which I do happen to have. The marriage lines for John and Sarah (John signed as John Rew) read: John Rue and Sarah Moggridge were married with Banns the 25th of June in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Sixty one by me Nath: Brice Curate. This marriage was solemnized between us John Rew Sarah Rew in the presence of Betty Brice and William Hide.

John Rew married to  Sarah Moggridge was one of my 4x great grandfathers. In the past I have him as being baptized 1 Dec 1722 at Wootton Courtney son of John Rew and Anne Vickery who were themselves married 30 Apr 1720 at Wootton Courtney. I do not have the fiche for Wootton Courtney but have found Martin Southwood's excellent parish transcriptions online. They begin in 1720 with the baptisms, 1720 for the marriages and 1730 for the burials.

Rew found at Wootton Courtney in Martin's records:

Baptisms:

Mary Rew daughter of John junior and Ann baptized 25 Feb 1721
John Row son of John and Anne baptized 1 Dec 1722
Joseph Rew son of John and Ann baptized 29 Dec 1724
Robert Rew son of John and Ann baptized 17 Aug 1727
Ann Rew daughter of John and Ann baptized 14 Feb 1730
Benjamin Rew son of John and Ann baptized 21 Oct 1733
Sarah Rew daughter of John and Ann baptized 12 Sep 1736
William Rew son of John and Ann baptized 15 Jun 1741

Now why did I choose Wootton Courtney as the location for my John Rew's family? If I look at Selworthy and the Rew family there aren't any records of baptisms for them at Selworthy prior to 1761. Selworthy is just three miles from Wootton Courtney and actually Minehead is just three miles from Wootton Courtney. I think at this time I should rework this link back to Wootton Courtney from Selworthy for the baptisimal place of John Rew married to Sarah Moggridge. I need a John Rew/Rue born circa 1720 to 1740.

Using Martin Southwood's transcriptions I found the following entries in this general area of Selworthy

Parish           Distance (miles)    Rew/Row/Rue

Alcombe 4          Brendon 9          Brompton Regis 10         Carhampton 7          Countisbury 11         Culbone 5   none Cutcombe 5    none Dulverton 12  John Dunster 6            Exford 7    none Exmoor 11            Exton 9            Hawkridge 11         * Leighland 10  John Litton 12            Luccombe 2    none Luxborough 7    none Lyncombe 7              Minehead 4             Monksilver 12  none Nettlecombe 10  none Oare 7    none Old Cleeve 9    none Porlock 2    none Sampford Brett 12  none St Decumans 10  none Stoke Pero 4    none Timberscombe 4    none Treborough 9          * Watchet 11            Williton 11            Winsford 8           * Withiel florey 10         * Withypool 9          * Wootton Courtenay 3    John

* registers begin too late

Baptisms located
John Rew son of John and Melior baptized 8 Nov 1730 at Dulverton
John Rowe son of Samuel and Joan baptized 8 Nov 1722 at Leighland
John Row son of John and Anne baptized 1 Dec 1722 at Wootton Courtenay (family usually Rew)

Parishes not found in transcriptions: Alcombe, Brendon, Brompton Regis, Carhampton, Contisbury, Dunster, Exmoor, Exton, Litton, Lyncombe, Minehead, Watchet, and Williton, I have the registers for Minehead and will check those again. The bolded parishes are all 10 or more miles from Selworthy. Brendon and Exton are nine miles from Selworthy. That leaves me with Alcombe, Carhampton, Dunster, and Lyncombe.

Checking family search for Alcombe, Carhampton, Dunster and Lyncombe:

I did not find any particular entries for John Rew/Rue/Row in these locations.

On Find My Past I did not find any records for these four parishes.

On Ancestry I found only the Dulverton record.

Going back to the Dulverton records on Martin Southwood's website, I checked for marriages of John Rew/Row/Rue and I did find the marriage of John Rew and Meliar Lafton (sp) 11 Dec 1725. They appear to be the only Rew family at Dulverton in this time frame. I think I have to find a way to determine which of these John Rew is mine in order to talk about my 4x great grandfather John Rew!

I do have the Overseer accounts for Selworthy commencing in 1739 and ending in 1782 and it was these records that I looked at originally but I missed an interesting burial record in that search back in 2006 and have not looked at it since.

In 1741 Mr Hoyle's bill at the sessions about John Rue 5 pounds 2 shillings
In 1741 there is mention of two of John Rue's children being taken care of for eight weeks by Mary POOR. Continuing in 1741 John Rue for keeping his children 3 weeks (other similar entries) and he has paid 3 shillings presumably each time. A further entry paid to Thomas Goodgroom for keeping John Rue's children 2 weeks 2 shillings.

In 1748 there is mention of an "indenture for Thomas Rue at Blue Anchor and our expenses six shillings 2 pence"

In 1750 Boarding and attendance of John Rew 12 weeks 1 pound 16 shillings
In 1750 Payment to persons in distress: John Rew

In 1750 Fortnightly Pay: John Rew 2 shillings (part year)

In 1757 payment to persons in distress: John Rew

In 1761 John Rew his bill for shoes for the poor 13 shillings 4 pence

In 1762/3 John Rue his bill for shoes for the poor 13 shillings 4 pence
In 1762 for laying forth John Rue and shrouding and cider 2 shillings 6 pence

In 1763 John Rue his bill for the poor 3 shillings 14 pence

In 1764 John Rew's bill for shoes 1 pound 10 pence

In 1765 John Rew's bill 1 pound 5 shillings 6 pence

In 1766 John Rew, his bill, 4 shillings 6 pence

In 1767 John Rue his bill 14 shillings 2 pence

In 1768 John Rew's bill 18 shillings 6 pence

In 1769 John Rue 17 shillings 1 pence

In 1770 John Rew his bill for shoes 13 shillings 1 pence

In 1771 John Rew his bill for shoes 11 shillings 7 pence (last mention of John Rew)

First mention of Sarah Rew is in 1771 as a person in distress (John Rew married Sarah Moggridge in 1761 at Selworthy)

In 1772 Sarah Rew is receiving fortnightly pay

In 1773 Sarah Rew is receiving fortnightly pay

In 1774 Sarah Rue is receiving fortnightly pay

In 1775 one pair of shoes for Sarah Rue's child 2 shillings 2 pence
In 1775 payment to person in distress: Sarah Rue
In 1775 fortnightly pay to Sarah Rue

In 1776 Fortnightly pay to Sarah Rew

In 1777 Fortnightly pay to Sarah Rew

In 1779 1 shilling for a man and a horse to go to Minehead for the doctor for Sarah Rue

In 1881 Wm Rue for Jenkins shoes 2 shillings 4 pence

In 1881 payment to person in distress: Sarah Rue

Apprenticeship:

John Rew apprentice to John Clarke junior in 1741
Jane Rew apprentice to John Hensley in 1741
William Rew apprentice to Thomas Greenslade in 1743
Thomas Rew apprentice to John Tayler in 1748
Mary Rue apprentice to John Giles in 1773
John Rue apprentice to Thomas Giles in 1773
William Rue apprentice to Isaac Clarke in 1775
Elizabeth Rue apprentice to William Stoate in 1777

Selworthy Census of 1811
Thomas Rew 1 inhabited house 1 family 1 family in trade 4 males 3 females

This helps me to link Thomas Rew to being a shoemaker as he is in trade. By this time my John Rew is living at Bratton.

Records at Selworthy for Rew/Rue:

John Rue married Sarah Moggridge 25 Jun 1761
Mary Rue baptized 26 Jul 1762 daughter of John and Sarah
Sarah Rue baptized 7 Feb 1764 daughter of John and Sarah
John Rue baptized 27 Feb 1766 son of John and Sarah
William Rue baptized 13 Dec 1767 son of John and Sarah
Betty Rue baptized 26 Dec 1769 daughter of John and Sarah
Thomas Rue baptized 5 Apr 1772 son of John and Sarah

William Rue married Mary Horn 30 May 1769
Thomas Rue baptized 1 Apr 1781 son of William and Mary
Joan Rue baptized 7 Sep 1783 daughter of William and Mary

Thomas Rue married Deborah Snow Aug 1772
Deborah Rue baptized 10 Apr 1791 daughter of Thomas and Deborah
Betty Rue baptized 2 Feb 1794 daughter of Thomas and Deborah

John Rue married Betty Siderfin 30 Jan 1792
Sarah Rue baptized 6 Oct 1792 daughter of John and Betty
Thomas Rue baptized 20 Sep 1794 son of John and Betty

Thomas Rew married Ann Horn 25 Oct 1803
Jane Rew baptized 1 Jan 1804 daughter of Thomas and Ann
John Rew baptized 10 May 1807 son of Thomas and Ann
Mary Rew baptized 27 Jul 1810 daughter of Thomas and Ann
William Rew baptized 15 Jan 1813 son of Thomas and Ann of Allerford Shoemaker
Henry Rew baptized 1 Jul 1815 son of Thomas and Ann of Allerford Shoemaker

Sarah Rew married William Bricknole 19 Sep 1798
Betty Rew married John Kent 8 Jun 1805

Meliar Rue buried 16 Aug 1741 (this burial does give me the thought that the mother of John Rew married to Sarah Moggridge was the Melior Lafton (sp?) married to John Rew 11 Dec 1725 at Dulverton rather than the John Rew married to Ann Vickery in 1720 at Wootton Courtenay)

This couple baptized the following children at Dulverton according to Martin Southwood's transcriptions (a check on Family Search had the same two baptisms):

Mary baptized 25 Feb 1728
John baptized 8 Nov 1730

Burials at Selworthy:

Joan Rue buried 3 Apr 1758
John Rew buried 6 Feb 1762/3 (this fits in with the overseer records)
John Rue buried 11 Sep 1771 (this fits in with the first mention of Sarah as needing assistance)
John Rue buried 13 Apr 1783 son of William and his wife
Thomas Rue buried 31 Dec 1791 a young man
Thomas Rue buried 2 Jul 1797, infant son of John at Minehead
Mary Rew buried 25 Nov 1801 wife of William
Sarah Rew buried 31 May 1807 widow (my 3rd great grandmother)
Henry Rew buried 29 Oct 1815 infant of Allerford 4 months
William Rew buried 17 Apr 1819 of West Luckham 84 years
Elizabeth Rew buried 20 Dec 1818 of Bratton in Minehead 69 years

Looking again at the Dulverton Parish Records:

The surname for Melior is perhaps Loften as that is the only one that appears when I do a search on Find My Past as a possibility. I am unable to locate thus far any further information on the mother of John Rew.

It would appear though that John (5x great grandfather) married to Melior Loften was first at Dulverton and then later at Selworthy (there was some discussion in 1741 on him as mentioned in the overseer's records. His son John (my 4x great grandfather) married Sarah Moggridge and was a shoemaker at Selworthy (again the overseer's records are helpful in that regard). Their son John (my 3x great grandfather) married Elizabeth Siderfin who inherited some property at Bratton which enabled them eventually to establish their son Thomas at Sheepwash near Bishops Nympton Devon as a farmer. The sister of Thomas, Elizabeth Rew, married John Pincombe at Bishops Nympton. An interesting saga of a family's move through time! Why Sheepwash one might wonder? Was the Rew family originally from Devon? A mystery in all of that I am sure! And definitely another brickwall now at the sixth great grandparents level for the Rew family as I have no ideas on where John who lived at Dulverton and then at Selworthy was born/baptized.

Ancestry of John Rew/Rue:

1. Elizabeth BLAKE
2. Helen Louise PINCOMBE (b 18 Oct 1916) - Westminster Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
3. John Routledge PINCOMBE (b 10 Sep 1872)- Lobo Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
4. William Robert PINCOMBE (b 11 Jun 1837)- Molland Devon England
5. Elizabeth (Betsey) REW (b 20 Dec 1801) - Selworthy Somerset England
6. John REW (b 27 Feb 1766) - Selworthy Somerset England
7. John REW (b 8 Nov 1730) - Dulverton Somerset England
8. John REW

Abstracts of Somerset Wills. Series 1-6, F. Brown

Abstracts of Somerset Wills. 1st Series. Brown, F.
Thomas Siderfin 84 (Indentee, no family value)

Abstracts of Somerset Wills. 2nd Series. Brown, F.
no entry

Abstracts of Somerset Wills., 3rd Series. Brown, F.
Ann Siderfin 90, 91
Ann Siderfin, of Lambeth, widow. Will dated Mar 22, 1686-7, proved Mar 5, 1706. To be buried at Lambeth near my husband and mother. My Aunt Gee and her two sons Orlands and John Gee. My cousin Gilbert East, etc.

Christian Siderfin 90, 91
Christian Siderfin, of Luxboro, Somerset, widow. Will dated Nov 28, 1644, proved July 4, 1648. My daughter Mary Gyldes of Dunster, widow, My sons, William, Thomas and Robert Siderfin. Wilmot Siderfin, my daughter. Thomas and Philip, sons of my son Thomas Siderfin.
Joan Siderfin 90

Katherine Siderfin 90
Katherine Sidderfin alias Graves, of Croydon, in Carhampton, co Somerset, but dying at Exeter. Admon. Nov 23, 1686 to her husband Robert Sidderfin.

Mary Siderfin 90, 91
Mary Siderfin, of Luxborough, Somerset, widow. Will dated Nov 19, 1689, proved Oct 10, 1693 [Taunton Registry] My grandchild Susanna Worth, 100 pounds at age of 21. Her sister, a silver tankard and gold ring. My grandchild Christian Worth, 200 pounds at age of 21. My grandchildren, Mary Worth and Sarah Worth, 100 pounds each. Residue to my daughter Christian Worth.

Thomas Siderfin 90
Thomas Siderfin, the elder, of Luxborough, Somerset, gent. Will dated Nov 6, 1675, no proof [Taunton Registry] To be buried at Luxborough. To the poor, 10 pounds. Johan, my wife. My son Robert Siderfin. To my son Thomas Siderfin, 50 pounds and all my law books. To all my children on peece of Barbary gould. My grandchild Da.... and Johan, my wife, Exixs.

Thomas Siderfin, of the Middle Temple, London, Esq. Will dated Mar 17, 1678, proved June 15, 1681, by Ann Siderfin the relict. To my wife Ann, George Evelyn and Henry Pollexfen, of the Inner Temple, Esquire, and my brother Robert Siderfin, my Messuages of Crodon, Manors of Exton and South Quarme [in Exton], lands in Carhampton, Somerset, and in Lambeth etc for 100 pounds a year to my wife and my daughter Anne 50 pounds per annum. If they die the premises in Somerset to my brother Robert Siderfin. My honoured Mother Ann Hinde [erased].

Thomas Siderfin, of Luxborough, Somerset, deceased. Admon Nov 4, 1687 to his relict Mary Siderfin and his daughter Christian, wife of John Worth.

William Siderfin 90, 91
William Sidervin, of Luxborough, Somerset. Will dated Aug 20, 1568 proved May 16, 1572. [Taunton Registry] To be buried in the Chancel. Residue to Wilmot, my wife, to dispose of any goods as shall seem best to the pleasure of God and the weal of my Soul. Mr Alexander Sydenham, a Witness.

William Siderfin, of Minehead, Somerset, gent. Will dated Mar 9, 1716, proved Dec 17, 1723. [Taunton Registry] My niece Rachael Clothier 5 pounds. Residue to Mary, my wife, Exix.
Wilmot Siderfin 90

Abstracts of Somerset Wills. 4th Series. Brown, F.
Robert Siderfin 78
Richard Blackford of Dunster Somerset one of the King's Masters Extraordinary in the Court of Chancery. Will dated Jan 8 1688 proved Apr 4 1689 by Elizabeth Blackford, the relict. My son William. My daughter Sidwell Blackford. My sister Mary Coffin. My sister Christian Blackford. My cousin John Quirck. My cousin Robert Siderfin. My sister Hawkins. My son in law Edward Dyke. My daughter Elizabeth Dyke.

Abstracts of Somerset Wills. 5th Series. Brown, F.
Alice Siderfin 65
Robert Siderfin 65
Walter Siderfin 65
Mary Quirke, of Periton, Minehead, Somerset, Widow. Will dated Mar 3, 1728 proved Apr 29, 1730 [Taunton Registry] My son in law Walter Siderfin. My grandson Thomas Quirke. My daughter Mary Question. My daughter Alice Siderfin. My sons John, James, Robert, and Thomas.
Robert Quirke, of Minehead, Somerset, Gent. Will dated July 19, 1731, proved July 9, 1731. [Taunton Registry] My uncle Mr Robert Siderfin, Exor. To Robert, son of my kinsman Mr Walter Siderfin, all my estate in Old Cleeve.

Abstracts of Somerset Wills. 6th Series. Brown, F.
no entry

Blake - Sedgwick and autosomal DNA

One of the most amazing extras of doing autosomal DNA is proving lines or at least finding matches that can best be explained because of a paper trail. I have five Sedgwick matches on my AncestryDNA account and all are Distant Cousins (5th to 8th cousins). The Sedgwick connection goes all the way back to William Blake Andover, Hampshire, England married to Dorothy Madgwick of Overton, Hampshire, England. Their son William is my ancestor and their daughter Johanna is the ancestor of the Sedgwick family. Johanna married Major General Robert Sedgwick 6 Jan 1634/35 at Andover.

We would be 9th cousins which isn't too far off the estimated 5th - 8th cousins.  Now I am assuming that Ancestry organizes people in terms of decreasing shared centimorgans and these five matches can be found on pages 6,  7, 14, 15, and 37. Looking at all the shared surnames in each of these five it is likely that I have other matches with the two on pages 6 and 7. For 37, no other matches likely. But finding Sedgwick matches is quite phenomenal.

I have been happy with the trace back on Blake this last couple of years as everything fits together very well. Finding others descending from other couples in this line would be very interesting. I really haven't looked that carefully yet at my Ancestry matches because they were primarily Americans but they have Irish and English matches in there now so must have a look. My number of matches has nearly doubled in the last couple of months at AncestryDNA.

Stepping out of my Conservative box

I usually avoid politics partly because I am a Conservative and by nature that is something really personal and I prefer to just get along with it and vote that way and have done so for most of my voting career. Occasionally I step outside of that box very cautiously and in wonderment that I could possibly vote for something that is simply not a part of my life. Liberalism just seems to be a big step away from the way that I think. But Dalton McGuinty gave me that thought that we should force the Provincial Conservatives to redo the party; get rid of the top echelon and let the grassroots Conservatives come to the forefront once again. Hopefully that is now happening provincially because I am not really caring for the present Liberal government or how the McGuinty era ended. A very promising beginning he brought in a Health Tax that saved our hospitals from becoming unable to manage. I was working in the hospitals in those days and had this notion that a Health Care Tax would be the way forward and shared it in my own quiet way. Not likely that it was original with me but I was really happy to see it happen and I see the way forward once again as increasing that Health Tax by 5% a year for at least four years in order to shore up our hospital finances. Having worked with residents over the years when I was working in the hospitals I am really disliking this present stance against the doctors. It was hard work to keep our doctors once graduated here in Ontario and I would rather not see that undone because the present Liberal government has to balance the budget after their wastes of the last couple of years. Balancing it on the doctor's backs just isn't fair and they are willing to have the next two years with no increases. Perhaps they would like to consider forfeiting some of their own salary to make up for their actual losses over the past six years! The increasing costs of health care are a result of an aging population. This idea that the cost of services has to somehow be offset is something that I can not accept in some cases particularly in the case of health care.

Another place in which money needs to be spent is in the preservation of our national heritage; our identity; what makes us Canadian and I am earnestly hoping that Library and Archives Canada can once again be brought back to its former position at the forefront of that collection.

The needs for health care will grow exponentially as the baby boomers reach into their old age. Fortunately a lot of the baby boomers have saved their money and are content in retirement and can afford to pay for an increase in the Health Tax. It isn't a lot of money but multiplied by millions it provides an infusion into the hospitals to keep them current and viable. All of the hospitals; not just a few chosen ones!

But I set aside my dislike for the provincial Liberals and voted for Justin Trudeau's party and in my riding that is Andrew Leslie and he has won. An excellent person for us to send to the House of Commons and I see a brilliant career for him following his own brilliant  career in the military. I was happy to see the numbers climb for the Liberals and their majority government. I look forward to seeing Justin Trudeau work towards his goals for Canada.

Philip Rowcliffe (1721 - 1802)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 42

Blake, King, Coleman, Pearce, Farmer, Mary (unknown), Lambden, Sarah (unknown), Knight, Ellis, Knight, Vincent, Butt, O'Ford, Arnold, Molton, Cotterell, Bartlett, Alderman, Shepherd, Sherwood, Elizabeth (unknown), Happerfield, Collins, Rawlings, Tanner, Dove, Morgan, Lywood, Lanham, unknown, Peck, Pincombe, Charley, Rowcliffe, Pearse, Rew, Moggridge, Siderfin, Kent, Gray, Hilton, Cobb, Sproxton, Routledge, Tweddle, Routledge, Routledge, (unknown) Buller, unknown, Beard, Hemsley, Welch, Brockhouse, Cheatle, Woodcock, unknown Taylor, unknown, Harborne, Lewis, Roberts, Croxall, Lawley, unknown

Philip Rowcliffe was baptized 4 Apr 1721 at Merton the son of Andrew Rowcliffe and Joan Harvey who were themselves married 8 Jun 1720 at Merton. Philip married Martha Pearse 9 Apr 1760 at South Molton and their daughter Elizabeth (baptized 20 May 1777 at Bishops Nympton) married Robert Pincombe  7 Jun 1803 at Bishops Nympton.

Philip and Martha had four children, two baptized  at Bishops Nympton:

Philip born circa 1767 and married Joan Rock 2 May 1803 at Mariansleigh (descendants of this family also emigrated to Canada and were known to my Pincombe ancestors)

George baptized 9 Jul 1774

Elizabeth baptized 20 May 1777

William  born circa 1780

Even now looking more than 10 years later for an actual baptism for the other two children I do not find one for Philip or for William.


Philip was the son of Andrew Rowcliffe and Joan Harvey who were themselves married 8 Jun 1720 at Merton. They baptized five children at Merton:

Philip baptized 4 Apr 1721 and married to Martha Pearse 9 Apr 1760 at South Molton, buried 22 Mar 1802 at South Molton
Mary baptized 30 Apr 1723 and married to William Smale 9 Dec 1754 at Merton
Elizabeth baptized 16 May 1727 and married to Thomas Fraine 25 Jul 1763 at Merton
William baptized 9 Mar 1730 and married to Elizabeth Spare 22 Feb 1764 at Merton, buried 12 Jul 1811 at Merton (82 years of age)
Andrew baptized 11 Jun 1732 at Merton and married to Wilmote Leverton 28 Oct 1766 at Merton

Thinking about these two lines of Smale and Fraine I have never attempted to trace them down so perhaps I will look at that for Philip's siblings. Plus I have not really noted the descendants of Philip, my ancestor, other than my own line. I think that I will create a Rowcliffe tree in Legacy.

The Rowcliffe family is rather interesting Andrew Rowcliffe was likely the Andrew baptized September 1761 at Merton son of Andrew and Mary Rowcliffe. Andrew is likely the Andrew buried 3 Feb 1687 at Merton. Linking this family back to the known Rowcliffe family in Devon has not been accomplished by me. I have gathered a little information however on this family at Merton as I have the Parish Registers for Merton. They begin rather late in 1693

The ancient family of Rowcliffe was found at Yarnscombe which is eight miles from Merton. William Rockley of Yarnscomb married Jone Bagbeare of Bagbeare and they had four sons and one daughter:

Thomas Rocliff of Yearnscomb married to Christian Horne and this is the line that is recorded in the Visitations of Devon 1620. I do not find my Andrew in that line and suspect that he was not descendant of Thomas.

George Rowcliffe living in 1555 and buried by 1620 had two daughters

John Rowcliffe had three sons

Aldered Rowcliffe had four sons

Emme married to unknown

There is a will for Samuell Rowcliffe, yeoman of Merton, probated 24 Jun 1657 which is a must read and will transcribe for this blog post. At a quick glance he has sons named George, Richard and Samuell and a daughter Jone. No mention of Andrew is this will. Could he be a son of George, Richard or Samuell? Of note, George is a forename that was used in the Rowcliffe family along with Philip and William.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Date: 18 October 2015
Source: National Archives of the UK - PROB 11/265/584
Testator: Samuell Rowcliffe, Yeoman
Location: Merton, Devon
Date of Will:  25 Nov 1650, Probated 24 Jun 1657

1.   In the name of God Amen
2.   I Samuell Rowcliffe of the Parish of Merton in the Countie of
3.   Devon Yeoman being att present in perfect health and sound of
4.   memorie and minde (thankes be unto Almightie God) doe make
5.   and ordaine this to be my last Will and testament in manner
6.   and forme following Imprimis I recommend my Soule unto the
7.   hands of Almightie God my Maker and Creatour of whome I have
8.   to finde mercie and forgivenes of my sinnes in and through the merritts
9.   of Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer And I bequeath my Bodie
10. to Christian buriall in the parish Church of Merton aforesaid whensoever it
11. shall please God to call me out of this miserible World Item I give and bequeath
12. unto my Wife Jane the Tableboard which stands in my hall and the
13. bord Bedstead and the furniture thereunto belonging which is in the
14. under Roome adioyning unto the Hall and the Ammory which stands in
15. the saide Roome and all the fyrewood which shall happen to be in my
16. Towne place att the time of my decease Which promisses my will is
17. she shall inioy upon Condition that she suffer my Children to inioy the proffitts
18. of my Tenement one Quarter of a yeare after my decease and thereto
19. have her dett of them during that time and not otherwise Item I give
20. and bequeath unto my daughter Jane Thirtie pounds lawfull English
21. monie to be paid her within one yeare after my decease Itemn I give
22. and bequeath unto my daughter Joane Thirtie pounds lawfull English
23. monie to be paid her within one yeare after my decease Item I give and
24. bequeath unto my Sonne George Tenn pounds lawfull English monie to
25. be paid him within one yeare after my decease Item all the rest of my goods
26. and Chattells not herein by me given and bequeathed as aforesaid both
27. moveable and immoveable I give and bequeath unto my Sonns Richard
28. and Samuell ioyntly and equallie whome I make and ordaine Executors
29. of this my last Will and Testament Item my will is that if it please
30. God anie or either of my three Children herein first named shall happen
31. to decease unmarried Then the Legacie by me given to the partie soe
32. deceasyng to be distributed to the Survivour or if two of them happen to decease
33. as aforesaid Then theire Legacies to be given to the Survivour of my
34. Three Children first in  theise presents named In Witnesse of the promisses
35. I doe publish this to be my last Will and Testament And have hereunto
36. sett my hand and Seale The five and twentith day of November An[n]o
37. domini One Thousand Six hundred Fiftie The Signe of Samuell
38. Rowcliffe Teste Thomas Bennett The Signe of Phillip Rowcliffe
39. The Signe of Thomas Upcott
40. Whereas I have by my Lifetime
41. already paid and secured to be payd The marriage portion of my
42. daughter Jone within mentioned my will is That all that Legacies
43.  with mentioned by me bequeathed unto her shall cease and be utterly void
44. from her and remaine due unto my Executors within mentioned And this I
45. doe hereby declare to be my Will and intent In witnesse whereof I have hereunto
46. subscribed The two and twentith day of March One thousand Six hun-
47. dred Fiftie two The Signe of Samuell Rowcliffe In the presence of Thomas
48. Bennett The signe of Thomas Upcott
49. This Will was proved att London The
50. Fower and Twentith day of June In the yeare of our Lord God
51. the yeare of our Lord God One thousand six hundred Fiftie and Seaven
52. before the Judges for probate of Wills and granting Administrations
53. lawfully authorized by the oathes of Richard and Samuell Rowcliffe
54. the Sonns and Sole and only Executors named in the above written Will
55. To whome Administration as all and singular the goods and Chattells and
56. deceased was granted and Committed they being first Legally sworne
57. by vertue of a Commission truly and faythfully to administer the same.

Interesting to find a Phillip Rowcliffe mentioned as a witness although not mentioned in the body of the will. Could Andrew be a son of this Phillip Rowcliffe in that he does name a son Philip? The wills for the Rowcliffe family were mostly lost in the Second World War with the bombing of the Devon Record Office.

There are four other wills that I will transcribe also at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

1. Thomas Rowcliffe yeoman of Kings Nympton probated 5 Jul 1658

Kings Nympton is just 11 miles from Merton and 6 miles from Bishops Nympton making it a rather interesting will to read as well.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Date: 18 October 2015
Source: National Archives of the UK - PROB 11/279/169
Testator: Thomas Rowcliffe, Yeoman
Location: Kings Nympton, Devon
Date of Will:  10 Mar 1657, Probated 5 Jul 1658

1.    In the name of God Amen
2.    the Tenth day of March in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six
3.   hundred fiftie and seaven I Thomas Rowcliffe of Kingsnimpton in
4.   the County of Devon Yeoman being sicke of bodie but of good and perfect
5.   memory thanckes be to God And Calling to remembrence the uncertaine
6.   Estate of this transitorie Life and that all flesh must yeeld unto death
7.   when it shall please God to Call doe make constitute ordaine and declare
8.   this my last Will and testament in manner and forme following revo-
9.   king and annulling by theise presents all and every Testament and
10. Testaments Will and Wills heretofore by me made and declared either
11. by word or by writing and this to be taken only for my last Will and Testam[en]t
12. and none other And first being sorrie from the bottome of my hart for
13. my sinns past most humbly desiring forgivenes for the same give and
14. Committ my soule unto Almightie God my Saviour and Redeemer
15. In whome and by the merritts of Jesus Christ I trust and believe assuredly
16. to be saved and to have full remission and forgivenes of all my sinns
17. And that my soule with my Body att the generall day of resurection shall
18. rise againe with ioy and through the merritts of Christ death and passion
19. possesse and inheritt the Kingdome of heaven prepared for his Flock and chosen
20. child my Bodie to be buried in such place where it shall please my Executor
21. hereafter named to appoynte and for the settling of my Temporall Estate
22. and such Goods Chattells and debts as it hath pleased God farr above my
23. deserts to bestowe upon mee I doe order give and dispose the same in manner
24. and forme following First I will that all those debts I owe in right or in Con-
25. science to anie manner of person or persons whatsoever shall be well and
26. truly Contented and payd or desired to be paid within Convenient time
27. after my decease by my Executor hereafter named Item I give and bequeath
28. unto Christopher Lymbre Elizabeth Lymbre and Marian Limbre Sonne
29. and daughters of Christopher Limbre deceased Thirtie pounds a peece
30. to each of them to be paid within one yeare after my decease (that is
31. to say) Tenn pounds a peece to every of them the said Christopher Elizabeth
32. and Maryan above the Twenty pounds a peece given them by their sayd
33. by theire said Father  Christopher Limbre Item I give and bequeath
34. unto Mary Limbre daughter of the aforesaid Christopher Limbre and
35. Isott Tipper daughter of Anthonie Tipper deceased by vertue of anie Lease
36. or Leases all the right Estate title terme and interest that I now have of and
37. in a Certaine Tenement Called or Commonly knowne by the name of
38. East heale situate lying and being in kingsnymptom aforesaid to be held
39. by them ioyntly during the terme of theire naturall lives yeelding and
40. paying yearely and everie yeare unto Elizabeth Rowcliffe my now Wife
41. the Summe of tenn pounds by fower even and equall portions the said terme
42. to Commence and beginne immediatelie from and after my decease and
43. if shall happen that the said Mary Limbre and Isott Tipper shall die
44. before Elizabeth my Wife my will is that my Land being the Sixth part
45. of the abovesaid Tenement called East Heale be charged with the above said
46. annuitie of tenn pounds a yeare hereby given and bequeathed unto Elizabeth
47. my said Wife Item I give and bequeath unto the aforesaid Mary Lymebere
48. and Isott Tipper the Inheritance of my Land in Eastheale aforesaid being
49. the Sixth part of the said Tenement (that is to say the said Inheritance
50. to the longest liver of either of them the said Mary Limbre and Isott Tipper
51. and to the heires of the Survivour of them for ever Item I give and bequeath
52. unto Ananias Kelly Frances Kelly Agnes Elyanor Joane Elizabeth and  
53. Sarah Kelly Sonne and daughters of John Kelly deceased the Sume of
54. Six shillings and Eight pence a peece to every of them to be paid within one yeare
55. after my decease Item whereas I have alone since given and bequeathed my
56. said Tenement unto Mary Limbre and Isott Tipper presently after my
57. death it is now my will and testament that my said Wife Elizabeth shall
58. have the use and proffitts of all the said Tenement for the terme of two
59. yeares after my death for the payment of my debts and Legacies anie
60. thing in this my will and Testament mentioned in anie wise not with-
61. standing Item I give and bequeath unto the poore of the parish of Kingsnympton
62. aforesaid the summe of twenty shillings to be imployed for them as a
63. stock Item I give and bequeath unto Daniell Rowcliffe William and Thomas
64. Rowcliffe Sonnes of William Rowcliffe deceased six shillings and Eight pence
65. a peece to every of them to be paide within one yeare after my decease and
66. alsoe I give and bequeath unto Anthony Tipper sonne of Anthony Tipper
67. deceased the summe of six shillings and Eight pence to be paid likewise within
68. one yeare after my decease Item all the rest of my goods and Chattells
69. not hereby disposed of moveable and immoveable I doe give and bequeath
70. unto Elizabeth my Wife whome I doe hereby constitute and appoynte to be
71. my lawfull and sole Executrix witnesse my hand and Seale the day
72. and yeare above said in presence of those whose names are hereunder
73. written the marke of Thomas Rowcliffe Witnesses hereunto Jenner Smith
74. witnes John Thorne John Cole Lewes Steeven
75. This will was proved in London the
76. fifth day of the Month of July in the yeare of our Lord God
77. One thousand six hundred Fiftie and Eight before the Judges for probate
78. of Wills and graunting Administrations lawfully authorized by the
79. oath of Elizabeth Rowcliffe the Relict and sole and onlie Executrix
80. named in the above written last Will and testament of the deceased
81. To whome Administration of all and Singular the goods Chattells
82. and debts of the said deceased was graunted and Committed she
83. being first legally sworne by vertue of a Commission truly and
84. faythfully to administer the same

Looking into Find My Past there are a number of interesting Rowcliffe entries at Kings Nympton including this family mentioned in the will above - father William Rowcliffe with sons Daniel, William and Thomas. Eastheale is mentioned in this will and will try to figure out if Little Heale where the Rowcliffe family lived near Bishops Nympton is associated with this property. The answer is no. Little Heale is close to Bishops Nympton and East Hele is north of Kings Nympton just below the highway to the west of South Molton.

2. Thomas Rowcliffe yeoman of Burrington probated 17 Aug 1653 PROB 11/228/447

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Date: 18 October 2015
Source: National Archives of the UK - PROB 11/228/447
Testator: Thomas Rowcliffe, Yeoman
Location: Burrington, Devon
Date of Will:  25 Nov 1650, Probated 17 Aug 1653

1.    In the name of God Amen I Thomas Rowcliffe of
2.    Burrington in the Countie of Devon yeoman being perfect memory doe publish
3.   declare and sett fourth this my last Will and Testament in manner and
4.   forme following Imprimis I give and bequeath my Soule unto Almightie God
5.   my Creator and my body to Christian Buryall Item I give and graunt
6.   deed and bequeath unto Latice my daughter all that messuage tenement
7.   lands meadowes pastures feedings commons of pasture in both Hetherleigh Moor
8.   and Totte and herbe garden thereunto belonging with theappurtenances in the present
9.   possession and occupation of Allexander Taylder or his assignees or assigne Scituae
10. lying and being within the foresaid parish of Hatherleigh and alsoe all that
11. Messuags Tenements Lands Meadows Pastures feedings and hereditaments common
12. of pastures in Hatherleigh Moor with thappurtenancs now in the tenure and
13. occupation of ____ Hatch gent or his assignees or assigne To have and to
14. hold the said Messuage Tenement Cottage and other the premisses with thappurtenances
15. now in the Tenure of Alexander Taylder imeadiatly from and after the
16. death or decease of Agnes Taylder daughter of the sayd Allexander Taylder
17. for and during the Terme of one and Twenty yeares from this time ensueing
18. fully to be constituted and ended by and under the year by rent of twenty eight
19. shillings and foure pence to be paid quarterly by equall porcions to be
20. devided and by and under the  repairing sustaining and mayntaininge
21. of all and Singular the said demised premisses in all needfull and necessary
22. reparations during the terme hereby granted And Alsoe the said Messuage
23. Tenement and premisses together with comons of Pastures in
24. Hatherleigh Moor with all and Singular thappurtances now in the tenure
25. and possession of _____ Hatch Imeadiatly following and after the death
26. decease or any other determination of Mary the now Wife of the sayd
27. Hatch and George Stablake Sonne of John Stablake late of Hatherleigh
28. deceased for and duringe the like terme of one yeare fully to be contracted
29. and ended by and under the yearly renting seaventeene shillings of lawfull English
30. money to be paid quarterly by equall portions to be devided by and under the
31. reparing sustaining and mainteyninge of all and Singular the said last Demised
32. premisses with needfull and necessary reparations when and another shall
33. require provided allwaies and my Will and meaneing is that if my sonne John
34. Rowcliffe who is my heire apparent doe  att any time within the time of two
35. yeares before he shall accomplish his age of one and twenty yeares Well and truly
36. Consent Satisfie and paye or Cause to be paid unto the said Latecia my
37. daughter and his sister soe much Current English money as shall accomplish make
38. of all and compleate upp the issues and proffitts which shall be payd and wherby
39. made. All payments Taxes and demands being deducted the Sum of one hundred pounds
40. out of the sayd Messuage Land and Tenement hereby mentioned to be Granted
41. shall be frustrated made voyd and discontinued to all intents and purposes Item
42. I give bequeath devise and Allott out Fortye pound to be Bestowed upon and in
43. some Messuage Land or Tenement for the use and behoofe therein expressed that is to
44. saye for the lives of Joane my Wife John Rowcliffe my Sonn and Latecia my
45. daughter and my Will is that the said Joanne my Wife is to enioy the Whole Estate
46. for and during her Naturall life provided allwaies that if the sayd Forty pound
47. be not bestowed in ___ within the space of three yeares after my death According as
48. that is above expressed that then my Will is that the sayd Somme of Forty pounds
49. shall be imployed for the best bennefitt of my Soone and Daughter for their
50. better Maintenance Item I give to Margeret Rowcliffe my Sister three pounds
51. To be paid Within two yeares after my death Item I give to Elizabeth Rowcliffe
52. my Sister three pounds to be paid to her Within two yeares after my death Item
53. I give and bequeath unto Arthur Rowcliffe my Brother three pounds to be paid
54. lhim Within the space of two yeares after my death Item I give and
55. bequeath unto John Rowcliffe my Sonne my best brasse pott Item I give
56. and bequeath unto Latecia my daughter my best brasse pann Item I give and
57. bequeath and doe alott twenty pounds to be Imployd for the best Bennifitts
58. ______ maintenance of my two children during their minoritye
59. and for what sums of money shall be left at the end Twenty pounds after
60. such time to my children shall be to gett them Maintenance my Will and
61. Meaninge is that the same shall be to and for the ______ sett and behoofe
62. of John Rowcliffe my Sonne wholly And I doe desir Arthur Rowcliffe and John
63. Delbridge to have the ordering putting fourth and employing the sayd summe of
64. twenty pounds for the best benefitt of my sayd Children And to be Trustees for that
65. purpose in the best manner they may Item I give to Thomas Delbridge my
66. Freind Twenty shillings to be paid within two years after my death
67. Item All the Rest of my goods and Chattells not before herein given and bequeathed
68. I give and bequeath unto Joane my Wife and her I doe make my whole and
69. sole Executrix to doe my desir paid my Legacies discharged and my Funerall
70. expenses freed Provided alwayes and my Will and Meaning is that in Case
71. that Joane my Wife shall Marry Within one and twenty yeares after my
72. death that then all such goods Chattells and moneys which shall be left and remayne
73. after such time as my debts Legacies and Funerall expences being paid and discharged
74. shall be to and for the use benefitt and behoofe of my two children John and Latecia
75. And the Survivor of them And I doe desire Arthur Rowcliffe my Brother and John
76. Delbridge to see how my last Will duly performed observed for wittnesse I the sayd
77. Thomas Rowcliffe to here unto sett my hand and Seale the eight day of June in
78. the yeare of our Lord God one Thousand Six hundred Fiftie and two the signe of
79. Thomas Rowcliffe Sealed Signed and declared and published in the presence of us
80. Henry underdowne the signe of John Alford the signe of William Penecott
81. of Burrington Arthur Rowcliffe
82. This Will was proved at Westmynster before the Judges for Probate of Wills and
83. granting Amons the 17th day of August 1653 by the oath of Joan Rowcliffe
84. Sole Executrix within named in the said to whom was committed Admon of all and Singular
85. the goods Chattells and debts of the sayd Thomas deceased she being first Sworne by Commission
86. duly to Administer the same.

This will also very interesting gives me a small family tree with Thomas the testator having a brother Arthur and a sister Margaret and his children Leticia and John. He is likely the Thomas Rowcliffe son of John Rowclyffe and Lattice Isaac who were themselves married  4 Feb 1600 at Atherington. I found three baptisms for this couple:

Catorne Rowclyffe baptized 22 May 1603 at Burrington
Margaret Rowclyffe baptized 3 Oct 1605 at Burrington
Elizabeth Rowclyffe baptized 24 Jan 1607 at High Bickington

There is an Ann Rowclyffe married to William Hearing 2 Jul 1638 at Burrington


3. George Rowcliffe yeoman of Bishops Nympton probated 28 Nov 1849 PROB 11/2103/230

Continuing on with the last two wills and this next one is for George Rowcliffe yeoman of Bishops Nympton and he is the son of  Philip Rowcliffe and Martha Pearse and hence my 3x great granduncle. He was baptized 9 Jul 1774 at Bishops Nympton and buried 11 Oct 1849 at South Molton.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Date: 18 October 2015
Source: National Archives of the UK - PROB 11/2103/230
Testator: George Rowcliffe, Yeoman
Location: Bishops Nympton, Devon
Date of Will:  2 Jan 1841, Probated 28 Nov 1849

1.   This is the last Will and Testament
2.    of me George Rowcliffe of Bishops Nympton in the County of Devon
3.   Yeoman I give devise and bequeath unto my Nephews John Rowcliffe and
4.   George Rowcliffe late of Woolfardisworthy in the said County Yeoman (Sons
5.   of my Brother William Rowcliffe and their respective heirs executors admin-
6.   istrators and assigns All those my messuages tenements mills and farms
7.   commonly called  or known by the names of Bridge Mole Mills Little Heale
8.   Mole Park and West Silcombe situated lying and being in the several
9.   parishes of Rose Ash and Bishops Nympton in the said County of
10. Devon or one of them And also all other my freehold copyhold and
11. leasehold messauges lands tenements and hereditaments and real estate
12. situated in the parishes of Rose Ash and Bishops Nympton aforesaid and
13. elsewhere And also All my Goods Chattles and Personal Estate
14. and Property whatsoever and wheresoever Subject nevertheless to and
15. charged with the payment of all my just debts the expences of my
16. funeral and of proving this my Will To hold the same (subject and
17. charged as aforesaid) unto and to the use of my said Nephews John
18. Rowcliffe and George Rowcliffe as Tenants in Common and not adjoint
19. Tenants and their respective heirs executors administrators and assigns
20. for ever And I hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said nephews
21. John Rowcliffe and George Rowcliffe Executors of this my last Will
22. and Testament And lastly I hereby revoke and make void all other Wills
23. by me heretofore made In witness whereof I the said George Rowcliffe
24. the Testator have hereunto subscribed and set my hand and seal this
25. second day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
26. hundred and forty one George Rowcliffe Signed Sealed
27. Published and Declared by the said George Rowcliffe the Testator as
28. and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us present at the
29. same time who at hios request in his presence and in the presence of
30. each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereto
31. J G Heard  James Pearse  J Galliford
32. This is a Codicil to the last Will and Testament
33. of me George Rowcliffe of Bishops Nympton in the County of Devon
34. Yeoman which will is dated the second day of January One thousand
35. eight hundred and forty one I give and bequeath unto my niece Betsey
36. Elworthy wife of Richard Elworthy of Bratton Fleming the sum of two
37. hundred pounds for her own separate use for which her receipt along
38. shall be a good discharge I direct the same sum to be paid by my
39. Executors in my said Will monies out of my residuary estates at the
40. end of twelve months after my death and which I charge with the
41. payment thereof I ratify and confirm my said Will in every respect
42. except so far as the same is hereby altered and I direct this Codicil
43. to be annexed thereto and taken as part thereof In witness whereof
44. I have hereto set my hand this twenty seventh day of August One
45. thousand eight hundred and forty nine The Mark of George
46. Rowcliffe Signed by the said George Rowcliffe the Testator as and
47. for a Codicil to be annexed to and taken as part of his Will in the
48. presence of us present at the same time who at his request in his
49. presence and in the presence of each other have hereto subscribed our
50. names as Witnesses J Galliford Wm Oram Jr
51. Proved at London with a Codicil 28th November 1849
52. before the Judge by the Oath of John Rowcliffe the Nephew one
53 of the Executors to whom Admon was granted having been
54. first sworn by Comon duly to administer. Power reserved of
55. making the like grant to George Rowcliffe the Nephew also the
56. other Executor when he shall apply for the same.

This was rather interesting about Betsey Elworthy as she was a daughter of Robert Pincombe and Elizabeth Rowcliffe (and my 3x great grandparent). Betsey and Richard Elworthy were to emigrate to Canada in 1855.  George, the testator, is 75 years of age at his death. Philip, his eldest brother is still living as is William father of George and John the legatees. Elizabeth Rowcliffe Pincombe died in 1823. This is a rather interesting family as the father of the testator Philip (and my 4x great grandfather) was 39 when he married and 56 when my 3x great grandmother was born. He was 81 years of age when he was buried 22 Mar 1802 at South Molton. His wife Martha Pearse was fifteen years younger than he was. The eldest son of Philip and Martha also Philip is the line that emigrated to Huron County by 1851. I haven't done any work on this family to determine when they did arrive. The next will is for Philip Rowcliffe.

4. Philip Rowcliffe gentleman of Mariansleigh probated 2 May 1851 PROB 11/2133/117

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Date: 18 October 2015
Source: National Archives of the UK - PROB 11/2133/117
Testator: Philip Rowcliffe gentleman
Location: Mariansleigh, Devon
Date of Will:  1 Jun 1848, Probated 2 May 1851

1.   This is the last Will and Testament
2.   of me Philip Rowcliffe of Mariansleigh in the County of Devon
3.   Gentleman I give and bequeath unto my   daughter Charlotte Rowcliffe
4.   and my Nephews John Rowcliffe and George Rowcliffe sons of my brother
5.   William Rowcliffe their executors administrators and assigns the sum of five
6.   hundred pounds upon the following trusts viz as to and concerning One
7.   hundred pounds upon the following trusts for my Son John Rowcliffe for his
8.   own use and as to and concerning the sum of one hundred pounds other
9.   part thereof Upon trust for my grand children John Rowcliffe James
10. Rowcliffe and George Rowcliffe (children of my said Son John) to be
11. equally divided between them as tenants in common and in case any or
12. either of my said Grandchildren shall be under the age of twenty one
13. years without having been married then Upon trust for the other or other
14. of my said Grandchildren and if more than one in equal shares and as to and
15. and concerning the sum of two hundred pounds (other part of the said sum
16. of five hundred pounds Upon trust to permit and empower my said daughter
17. Charlotte Rowcliffe to receive the annual income of the said sum or other
18. stocks funds and securities whereon the same shall be invested for the term
19. of her natural life And after her death then as to the said sum of two
20. hundred pounds and the stocks funds and securities or upon which
21 same shall be invested Upon trust for all the children of my said Son
22. John Rowcliffe to be equally divided between them as tenants in common
23. and if any of them shall die under the age of twenty one years without
24. having been married then Upon trust as to as well the share
25. originally limited under this Executory Trust to any and every child
26. so expired for the others or other of the same children and if more than
27. one in equal shares and as to and concerning the sum of one hundred
28. pounds the residue of the said sum of five hundred pounds and the stocks
29. funds and securities in or upon which the same shall be invested Upon
30. trust to permit and empower my daughter Betsey Buckingham to receive
31. the annual income of the said sum of One hundred pounds or the stocks
32. funds and securities in or upon which the same shall be invested for
33. the term of her natural life and after her death then as to the same
34. sum of One hundred pounds and the said stocks funds and securities
35. Upon trust for the child if only one and if more than one all the children
36. of my said daughter Betsey Buckingham to be equally divided
37. between them as Tenants in Common if any or eith of them
38. shall die under the age of twenty one years without having been
39. married Then upon trust as to as well the share originally limited
40. under the prepreceding trust as the share or shares eventually limited
41. under this Executory trust to any and every child so dying for the others or
42. other of the children of my said daughter Betsey Buckingham and if
43. more than one in equal shares I empower my said Trustees to invest
44. the said sum of five hundred pounds or so much and such parts or part
45. thereof as shall remain in their hands in their her or his names or name
46. in or upon any of the public stocks funds or securities of the United
47. Kingdom or in or upon any real or other good securities or security at
48. interest with liberty for the said trustees or trustee in their her or his dis-
49. cretion to vary and transpose the investments from time to time for any
50. other investment of the preceding description I give and bequeath
51. All my Goods Chattels and Personal Estate whatsoever (subject to
52. the payment of my debts my funeral and testamentary expences and
53. the said legacy or legacies unto my said daughter Charlotte Rowcliffe her
54. executors administrators and assigns for her and their own use I
55. appoint my said daughter Charlotte Rowcliffe Executrix of this my
56. Will and I revoke all other Wills by me made in Witness whereof
57. I the said Philip Rowcliffe the Testator have hereunto subscribed and
58. set my hand and seal this first day of July One thousand eight hun-
59. dred and forty eight Philip Rowcliffe proved declared published
60. and declared by the above name Philip Rowcliffe (the Testator) as and
61. for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us (present at the
62. same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of
63. each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereto
64. James Pearse South Molton Devon F Hartnoll Jr
65. Proved at London 2nd May 1851 befrore the Judge by the Oath of
66. Charlotte Rowcliffe Spinster the daughter the sole Executrix to whom Admon
67. was granted having been first sworn by Common duly to administer.

Again this is my third great granduncle. He married Joan Rock 2 May 1803 at Mariansleigh. The three children identified in the will:

Charlotte baptized 26 Dec 1804 at Bishops Nympton
John baptized 22 Oct 1810 at Rose Ash (he emigrated to Canada, was married twice and I have 15 children in total for him)
Betsy born at Rose Ash circa 1812 and married to Joseph Fairchild Buckingham 4 Apr 1831 at Mariansleigh.

The descendants of John with some born in Huron County (Usborne) and the rest in England would be my fifth cousins. I should do a bit of tracing down in these families as it could be accounting for some of my Canadian matches. John had an enormous family.

Solving my Rowcliffe line back before Andrew does not appear to be readily done. Interesting that there is a Philip Rowcliffe at Merton when Samuel signs his will in 1650. Andrew, the father of my Philip Rowcliffe would perhaps have been born between 1640 and 1660.  He is likely the Andrew Rowcliffe who was buried 3 Feb 1687 at Merton. Is Philip a brother to Samuel the testator in the first will transcribed above?

Find My Past has the following rather interesting entries for the Rowcliffe family at Merton between 1560 and 1640:

Will for Andrew Rowcliff 1687 Court of the Archdeaconry of Barnstaple
Burial for Andrew Rowcliff 3 Feb 1687
Burial for Samuel Rowcliff 2 Jan 1687
Will for Samuel Rowcliff  1692 Court of the Archdeaconry of Barnstaple
Burial for George Rowcliffe 27 Nov 1697
Burial for William Rowcliffe 10 May 1716

Both of these wills are lost in the bombing of the Record Office at Exeter unfortunately. Proximity is always interesting but can not assume this is all one family. If you then enter just Devon into the search engine for Rowcliffe on Find My Past between 1560 and 1640 there are 281 results but most wills for this family were lost in the bombing.

A search on Rowcliffe looking for something written earlier on the family and I disovered this book which is at the Devon Record Office presumably with the closure of the WestCounty Record Office:

White, D.M. A family record. Landford: The Author [1996] 1 vol: ill, maps, ports. [Raymond: Chapter on Routleff/Rowcliff/Rowtcliffe family of Devon] [Westcountry Studies Library sx929.2/ROU]

I have sent a note to the Devon Record Office and to the Devon research group on rootsweb to see if I might be able to discover more about this book.

In the meantime I can see my Rowcliffe line just so far and the rest is hidden to me but perhaps revealed one day.

Ancestry of Philip Rowcliffe:

1. Elizabeth BLAKE
2. Helen Louise PINCOMBE (b 18 Oct 1916) - Westminster Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
3. John Routledge PINCOMBE (b 10 Sep 1872)- Lobo Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
4. William Robert PINCOMBE (b 11 Jun 1837)- Molland Devon England
5. John PINCOMBE (b 5 Jul 1808)- Bishops Nympton Devon England
6. Elizabeth (Betty) ROWCLIFFE (b 20 May 1777) - Bishops Nympton Devon England
7. Philip ROWCLIFFE (b 4 Apr 1721) - Merton Devon England
8. Andrew ROWCLIFFE (pre 1687)
perhaps
9. Andrew ROWCLIFFE

Back to the Cornwall Blake family

Working on the 1841 census for Cornwall and extracting Blake entries and entering them into Legacy. This does appear to be working as I am finding most of the people on the 1841 census thus far. I worked my way backwards looking at everyone born at Landrake but it did not seem to be coming together in logical family lines as I worked back. Using Bodmin as a center does appear to be working much better.

Will use this post to add anything in that I need to remember and that I haven't been able to place into the Legacy File. 

Blake yDNA study at FT DNA

A new member of the team looking after the Blake yDNA study. Patti Blake Goff has family lore that her Blake line (father was a Blake) descends from the Blake family at Galway. She joins the team to look at the Blake family in Ireland gradually working her way into that post. In the meantime enquiries on the Irish Blake family should continue to come to me and I continue to be the main person working on the assigning of Blake members to groups. There is one new member that I need to assign and will get to that process.

Where am I at with my Blake one name study? I have had a really busy summer and gradually getting back into genealogy once again. I have a few new projects which will take up a little of my time at the moment. They are long term projects and of great interest to me personally. They will tend to predominate in five years time when I step away from my Blake one name study.

I want to get back into the Cornwall Blake line. I have had one email from an individual descendant of this line questioning my thought that Blake in Cornwall was an emigrant in the early 1500s. Certainly my grandfather when he spoke of his Blake line believed that they had been in the Andover area for ever and I think that most people think that way. I think they may well have been in that general area for the last eight thousand years and one day proof might arise to substantiate that thought. But the testing by BritainsDNA certainly points to a very ancient line for this haplogroup. The I2a study at FT DNA does the same placing this group in the British Isles well before 4000 years before the present. How to handle such emails? Should one abandon a project because it goes against the thinking of an individual writing to you? I really do not know the answer to that question. I am an outsider looking in; I live in a country which was populated probably twelve thousand years ago or more by emigrants from Asia who also feel the same way that their people have been here for ever. What is forever anyway? Is it more than four generations because by four generations back a lot of people have forgotten where their families live unless a consistent effort was made to pass that information down. I was lucky that way in that my parents constantly mentioned where their families had lived in England (my father came to Canada as a child) and my mother is my only Canadian line with myself, my mother, her father and his mother being my only ancestors born in Canada and to date I only have known ancestors born in various counties of England.

So who does genealogy serve? It should serve everyone as it is the story of our ancestral lines all of which eventually converge way back in time. There was a time when the first Homo species arose on the earth probably spontaneously and successively as each one fought to survive in the environment into which it entered. We now know that many did not survive and that eventually only Homo Sapiens (our species) survived to multiply and occupy this planet. Genealogy serves that group of people because we are all one big family and eventually we will lay down our weapons and live together as God intended. Not one of us is superior to the other; our DNA tells us that.

Off my soapbox and I will return to Cornwall Blake once again extracting all the Blake entries from the census beginning in 1841 and moving forward this time. I tried the reverse and it was meaningful but this time I have the parish records for the earlier Blake lines there so should be able to do some linkages and discover where various family members ended up as the census moves towards 1911. The 1939 Register is soon to be released to help bridge that gap and the 1921 census not so far away now. I hope to have a picture of the Cornwall Blake family available to look at by the end of the year. To the best of my knowledge no one has tested their yDNA with a proven line back to the Blake families in Cornwall; certainly the present day descendants could be from those early Blake lines in both Cornwall and Devon and perhaps further afield.

Mary Charley/Charlie (1738 - 1797 or 1803)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 41

Blake, King, Coleman, Pearce, Farmer, Mary (unknown), Lambden, Sarah (unknown), Knight, Ellis, Knight, Vincent, Butt, O'Ford, Arnold, Molton, Cotterell, Bartlett, Alderman, Shepherd, Sherwood, Elizabeth (unknown), Happerfield, Collins, Rawlings, Tanner, Dove, Morgan, Lywood, Lanham, unknown, Peck, Pincombe, Charley, Rowcliffe, Pearse, Rew, Moggridge, Siderfin, Kent, Gray, Hilton, Cobb, Sproxton, Routledge, Tweddle, Routledge, Routledge, (unknown) Buller, unknown, Beard, Hemsley, Welch, Brockhouse, Cheatle, Woodcock, unknown Taylor, unknown, Harborne, Lewis, Roberts, Croxall, Lawley, unknown

I have known the name Mary Charley/Charlie since childhood in terms of her being the wife of John Pincombe father of Robert Pincombe my three times great grandfather and the father of the emigrant John Pincombe who came to Canada with his family in 1850/51. It must have been a name that intrigued my mother because she retained that name from her childhood. Her father had died when she was just eight years old although it was likely reinforced by family gatherings during her childhood.  She remembered seeing a Family Bible which traced this Pincombe line back to John Pincombe and Grace Manning and their marriage took place at Bishops Nympton 20 Mar 1725. The thought crosses my mind that such a Bible would have had to cross with John Pincombe when he emigrated to Canada but the only Bible I have seen for the Pincombe family is held by my half-second cousin and I have copies of the family pages in that Bible. I do remember seeing that particular Bible as a child but do not recall anything other than the pages for which I have images. It is possible that there was a loose page in that Bible which showed the family line as this was a family that found their genealogical information to be very important particularly the spelling of their surname! There were three sons and two daughters of John Pincombe the emigrant (all were born in England) and I have never met most of the descendants. We did, some of us, get together to prepare a bio for the Pincombe Family when the Westminster and Delaware History Books were published and representatives of each of the sons were present at that gathering. I wrote the bio but had imput from everyone. The slant was basically on the Pincombe family which stayed in the Westminster area (my own line had moved into London, Ontario after the death of my grandfather in 1925). The two daughter's lines were not consulted mostly because none of us knew descendants that lived closeby.

I have had two recent communications from possible cousins on the Charley line. The first was as a result of an autosomal DNA match with an individual still living in Devon England where Mary Charley was likely born and certainly died. Mary was buried at Bishops Nympton Parish Church.The second is descendant of the Charley line in Jamaica and this line traces back to Combe Martin, Devon.

Information on possible Mary Charley from Find My Past:

Mary Charley baptized 11 Nov 1738 at Combe Martin daughter of Richard and Joan
Mary Chorly baptized 27 May 1741 at Tiverton St Peter daughter of William
Mary Chaarley baptized 5 Sep 1747 at Tawstock daughter of John and Grace
Mary Chorley baptized 15 Jun 1743 at Great Torrington daughter of George and Margaret

An exercise apparently not done by me earlier! at least not with varying the surname. Tawstock is 13 miles from Bishops Nympton where John Pincomb lived and where he married Mary Charlie in 1767. Tiverton is 14 miles from Bishops Nympton. Great Torrington is 17 miles from Bishops Nympton. Combe Martin is 18 miles from Bishops Nympton. All are within equal distance from Bishops Nympton and all are born in a time interval that would work for the marriage. Richard is a name that is used for the second last son of Robert Pincombe (third son of Mary). William is the name of her second son and John is the name of her first son and husband. George is the third son of Robert (third son of Mary). All the forenames do occur in the family. I will have to eliminate each of these Marys to see if that is helpful.

Mary signed the marriage register with a distinct hand but she signed it as Mary Pincombe unfortunately. The priest has written her surname as Charlie on both the Banns Register and the Marriage Register.

What happened to the four Marys listed above:

Mary Charley buried 3 Feb 1746 at  Parracombe
Mary Charley banns read at Goodleigh and the marriage 5 Nov 1759 to Robert Beard of Symbridge
Mary Charley married Joseph Jago 31 Jan 1765 at Kingskerswell
Mary Charley buried 15 Jul 1769 at Torquay St Marychurch
Mary Charley married at Tawstock 1 Sep 1772 a George Rogers
Mary Churley born circa 1740 and buried 7 Mar 1817 at Uffculme
Mary Charlie married John PIncomb 8 Nov 1767 at Bishops Nympton
Mary Churley buried 20 Jan 1792 at Uffculme
Mary Churly married 4 Jan 1771 to Robert Jordan at Culmstock
Mary Shirley married 26 Oct 1759 to John Whellan at St Andrew Plymouth
Mary Cherlie banns read at Bishops Nympton 27 Sep 1767 John Pincomb
Mary Chorley buried 13 May 1757 at Tiverton St Peter
Mary Chorley married 3 Apr 1763 William Mogford at Bampton
Mary Chorley married 26 Jul 1767 John Moore at Hartland
Mary Chorley married 8 Jun 1772 William Fulford at Tiverton

I am left with two of the Marys - one baptized at Combe Martin and the second baptized at Great Torrington. It is definitely interesting that a Mary Chorley married a John Moore in 1767 at Hartland. Hartland is 15 miles from Great Torrington and 2 miles from Bishops Nympton. The spelling of the surname is distinct for each of these marriages although Charlie is the priest's choice for the spelling as Mary signed her name Mary Pincombe. So is this my Mary?:

Mary Charley baptized 11 Nov 1738 at Combe Martin daughter of Richard and Joan

I never see the name Joan used in this family. I never see the name Richard used in this family until the grandsons of John and Mary are born to Robert Pincombe their third son and Elizabeth Rowcliffe and Richard and Elizabeth name their 5th son Richard. So a mystery there perhaps.  There is a Richard Charley buried 15 Apr 1765 at West Buckland (2 years before the marriage of John Pincombe and Mary Charlie). He left a will which was probated in 1768 and, of course, lost in the bombing of the Exeter Record Office during World War II. It might have been helpful if Mary Pincombe was his heir! There is another Richard Charley buried 16 Nov 1785 at West Buckland. I couldn't find a baptism for Richard Charley on the Find My Past website that would fit. West Buckland is 11 miles from Combe Martin and 8 miles from Bishops Nympton.

An earlier blog I had set my sights on Hugh Charley of Combe Martin as the father of my Mary but the records on Find My Past do not support this idea (they are shown on Family Search but are a patron submission). I have a published book for the Charley Family and there is mention of the Charley Family in North Devon. The chapter is interesting and written in a folksy style and mentions a couple of record groups including the Churchwardens at Combe Martin:

1699 John Charley
1714 Richard Charley
1729 Richard Charley
1730 Richard Charley
1814 John Charley
1815 John Charley
1820 John Charley
1822 John Charley

Evidence that Richard Charley was at Combe Martin along with the baptism of Mary. Nutcombe Farm at Combe Martin is mentioned and I did find the mention of a Nutcombe which is mentioned under Combe Martin on the Genuki site and 10 miles from West Buckland. Was Richard the father of my Mary; he appears to have had a son Richard perhaps as well. There were still Pincombe families in this area at this time who were related to my John Pincombe. Does location play into a decision?

All of the other Mary Charleys born in the right time period have been eliminated. This Mary baptized at Combe Martin appears to have survived. Marrying at her husband's parish might not be that unusual especially as her father is deceased. She could be living with relatives at Bishops Nympton as she is said to be of Bishops Nympton on the marriage registration and banns.

Is John Charley the father of Richard Charley? Is Hugh Charley the father of John Charley and the emigrant from Ireland mentioned in the book Romance of the Charley Family?

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/04/romance-of-charley-family-charley.html

The burial date for Mary can not yet be determined as there are two burials at Bishops Nympton in this time period and no age mentioned. Again so much material lost in the bombing of Exeter Record Office.

1. Elizabeth BLAKE
2. Helen Louise PINCOMBE (b 18 Oct 1916) - Westminster Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
3. John Routledge PINCOMBE (b 10 Sep 1872)- Lobo Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
4. William Robert PINCOMBE (b 11 Jun 1837)- Molland Devon England
5. John PINCOMBE (b 5 Jul 1808)- Bishops Nympton Devon England
6. Robert PINCOMBE (b 4 Oct 1775) - Bishops Nympton Devon England
7. Mary CHARLEY (b 11 Nov 1738) - Combe Martin Devon England
possibly
8. Richard CHARLEY

Elizabeth Peck (1758 - 1830)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 40

Blake, King, Coleman, Pearce, Farmer, Mary (unknown), Lambden, Sarah (unknown), Knight, Ellis, Knight, Vincent, Butt, O'Ford, Arnold, Molton, Cotterell, Bartlett, Alderman, Shepherd, Sherwood, Elizabeth (unknown), Happerfield, Collins, Rawlings, Tanner, Dove, Morgan, Lywood, Lanham, unknown, Peck, Pincombe, Charley, Rowcliffe, Pearse, Rew, Moggridge, Siderfin, Kent, Gray, Hilton, Cobb, Sproxton, Routledge, Tweddle, Routledge, Routledge, (unknown) Buller, unknown, Beard, Hemsley, Welch, Brockhouse, Cheatle, Woodcock, unknown Taylor, unknown, Harborne, Lewis, Roberts, Croxall, Lawley, unknown

I have two ancestors (thus far) born out of wedlock but raised by their mothers. Elizabeth Peck was the mother of my second one. Elizabeth was baptized at Milston Wiltshire 15 Apr 1758 daughter of Joseph Peck and Ann Holmes who were themselves  married 26 Jul 1740 at Milston and they baptized eight children at Milston:

John baptized 28 Apr 1741
Thomas baptized 15 May 1744
Samuel baptized 26 Apr 1747
Jane baptized 9 Feb 1751
Jonah baptized 27 Mar 1753
Anne baptized 30 Apr 1755
Elizabeth baptized 15 Apr 1758
Mary baptized 15 May 1761

Joseph was himself baptized 4 Apr 1718 at Milston (son of Thomas Peck and Johanna Holmes who were themselves married 13 Sep 1705 at Milston) and Ann Holmes was baptized 17 Jul 1712 at Figheldean. Joseph was buried 7 Oct 1791 at Milston and Ann was buried 5 Jul 1778 at Milston. An autosomal DNA match (actually several) link back to Thomas Peck and Johanna Holmes using Ancestry DNA. Being able to prove lines with DNA is a real treat. The paper trail looks excellent but verifying with an autosomal DNA match is one of the treats of DNA testing.

I have never done very much work on the siblings of my Peck ancestors or my Holmes. Were Joanna Holmes and Ann Holmes related? I have not solved that mystery yet either.

The daughter of Elizabeth Peck, Martha, married George Lywood a soldier returning from the Battle of Waterloo. That has always made me curious wondering if Martha's father was also a soldier who died in the Peninsular Wars. Martha Peck was baptized 1 Jul 1792 at Milston.

I have the parish registers (baptisms and burials for Milston) and will extract the information on the Holmes family to see if I am able to make any connections.

Milston Parish Register Baptisms
Robert Holmes baptized 11 Mar 1551
Nicholas Holmes baptized 11 Mar 1551
Jacob Holmes baptized 24 Dec 1556
Margery Holmes baptized 3 May 1559
Alice Holmes baptized 16 Oct 1564
Elizabeth Holmes baptized 24 Jan 1581 daughter of Nicholas
John Holmes 10 May 1588 son of Nicholas
Henry Holmes baptized 24 Aug 1591 son of Nicholas
Edmund Holmes baptized 22 Aug 1594 son of John
Margery Holmes baptized 2 Aug 1596 daughter of John
William Holmes baptized 5 Oct 1599 son of John
Elizabeth Holmes baptized 2 Oct 1601 daughter of John
William Holmes baptized 15 Apr 1614 son of Richard
Margery Holmes baptized 21 Sep  1614 daughter of John junior
Anne Homles baptized 4 Feb 1619 daughter of John Holmes ?
Mary Homles baptized 4 Feb 1619 daughter of John Holmes ?
Dorothy Homes baptized 16 Jul 1620 daughter of John
John Holmes baptized Oct 1622 son of John
Jane Homes baptized 17 Apr 1725 daughter of Thomas and Jane (Holmes BT)
Jane Homes baptized 17 Sep 1726 daughter of Thomas and Jane (Holmes BT)

Milston Parish Register Burials
Margery Holmes buried 10 Mar 1580
Elizabeth Holmes buried 31 Jan 1581
John Holmes buried 25 Feb 1581
Edmund Holmes buried 21 Dec 1596
Agnes Holmes 6 Feb 1600 (widow)
Alice Homes buried 16 May 1622 wife of Nicholas (Holmes on BT)
Nicholas Homes buried 7 Mar 1624
John Holmes buried 24 Jan 1631
Jane Homes buried 18 Apr 1725
Jane Homes buried 28 Oct 1726 (BT Holmes)
Jane 1754
Sarah 1780

Family Search
Thomas Holms married Jane Waterman 4 Apr 1716 at West Harnham

There does appear to be a family early on at Milston of:

Nicholas Holmes married to Alice (unknown)
Elizabeth Holmes baptized 24 Jan 1581 daughter of Nicholas
John Holmes 10 May 1588 son of Nicholas
Henry Holmes baptized 24 Aug 1591 son of Nicholas

The next family unit is for John Holmes as father and there may be two John Holmes at Milston at that time with one of them being possibly the son of Nicholas. However neither Joanna Holmes or Ann Holmes my ancestors are listed in these records.

There are many Holme families at Figheldean and Figheldean is just one mile from Milston.

Parish Registers Figheldean Baptisms

John Holmes
Susanna Holmes baptized 13 Apr 1610 daughter of John

Edward Holmes married Thomsan 
William Holmes baptized 20 Mar 1654
Sarah Holmes baptized 6 Jul 1656

Richard Holmes married Sarah
John Holmes baptized 15 Jul 1657
James Holmes baptized 18 Feb 1659

Thomas Holmes married Martha
George Holmes baptized 20 Sep 1659
Thomas Holmes 7 Jul baptized 1661
William Holmes baptized 22 Mar 1662
Charles Holmes baptized 22 Feb 1664
George Holmes baptized 15 Apr 1667
Alexander Holmes baptized 28 Dec 1669
Roger Holmes baptized 4 Feb 1671
Mary Holmes baptized 27 Dec 1674

George Holmes married Elnor
Elnor Holmes baptized 25 Dec 1660
William Holmes baptized 9 Mar 1667

William Holmes (junior) married Susanna
Alice Holmes baptized 20 Apr 1663
James Holmes baptized 17 Apr 1666
Margery Holmes baptized 27 Nov 1668

John Holmes married Mary Dory 5 Sep 1664 at Figheldean

George Holmes (junior) married Ann C 11 Jun 1666 at Figheldean 
Ann Holmes baptized 4 Jul 1669
Isabell Holmes baptized 31 Mar 1672
Thomas Holmes baptized 21 Dec 1674
Joane Holmes baptized 8 Jul 1676

Nicholas Holmes married Dorothy
William Holmes baptized 5 Sep 1668
Mary Holmes baptized 20 Aug 1671
Ann Holmes baptized 4 Jan 1673
Henry Holmes baptized 24 Jun 1677
 
John Holmes (and Ann) of Ablington
Anna Holmes baptized 28 Oct 1670
John Holmes baptized 8 Nov 1672
Ellen Holmes baptized 1 Jan 1674
George Holms baptized 4 Aug 1677
James Holmes baptized 13 Jul 1684

William Holmes married Catherine
William Holmes baptized 12 Jun 1672
Mary Holmes baptized 18 Dec 1673

Richard Holmes married Margaret
Margaret Holmes baptized 25 Apr 1684

Nicholas Holmes married Elizabeth Storrer 6 Aug 1683 at Figheldean
Nicholas Holmes baptized 8 Jun 1685

John Holmes married Edith
John Holmes baptized 7 Mar 1685
Anne Holmes baptized 22 Nov 1687
Jane Holmes baptized 20 Oct 1689
John Holmes baptized 31 Jul  1691
Thomas Holmes baptized 6 Aug 1693
George Holmes baptized 11 Nov 1695
Richard Holmes baptized 18 Dec 1698

John Holmes married Elizabeth King 16 Feb 1690 at Figheldean

Charles Holmes married Alice (husbandman)
Thomas Holmes baptized 24 Apr 1690
John Holmes baptized 18 Jun 1692
Richard Holmes baptized 4 Nov 1694
Mary Holmes baptized 22 Jan 1696
Anne Holmes baptized 9 Dec 1699
Ann Holmes baptized 19 Apr 1700
William Holms baptized 7 Dec 1701
Elizabeth Holms baptized 6 Apr 1704 (button maker at baptism)
James Holmes baptized 3 Mar 1706 (labourer at baptism)
Mary Holmes baptized 22 Jan 1709

John Holmes married Mary (carpenter)
John Holmes baptized 23 Nov 1693
Mary Holmes baptized 17 Jan 1695
Elizabeth Holmes baptized 13 Feb 1697
Nicholas Holmes baptized 31 Jan 1702
William Holmes baptized 25 Mar 1706
James Holms baptized 9 Apr 1712

Alexander Holmes married Sarah  (husbandman)
Alexander Holmes baptized 10 Feb 1693
Sary Holmes baptized 27 Nov 1697
Mary Holms baptized 29 Feb 1699
Mary Holms baptized 11 Dec 1701
Elizabeth Holmes baptized 9 Dec 1703 (labourer at baptism)
Rachell Holms baptized 6 Apr 1708
John Holmes baptized 29 Oct 1711

James Holmes married Eleanor (shepherd)
Sarah Holmes baptized 1 Oct 1698
Hester Holmes baptized 8 Jul 1701
Susanna Holms baptized 5 Nov 1704

James Holmes married Mary (carpenter)
Judith Holmes baptized 2 Jun 1699
Dorothy Holmes baptized 30 Oct 1700
Susanna Holmes baptized 20 Jun 1709

James Holmes married Mary (husbandman)
James Holmes baptized 1 May 1701
William Holmes baptized 20 May 1703
Mary Holms baptized 5 Apr 1705 (labourer at baptism)
William Holms baptized 18 Jun 1707
John Holmes baptized 18 Jun 1707
Sarah Holms baptized 1 May 1712 
Elizabeth Holmes baptized 29 Jul 1713
Thomas Holmes baptized 5 Dec 1715
Grace Holmes baptized 25 Aug 1717

George Holms married Elizabeth (shepherd)
Charity Holms baptized 13 Jun 1700
George Holms baptized 25 Oct 1701
John Holmes baptized 15 Nov 1703
Thomas Holmes baptized 22 Sep 1710
James Holms baptized 14 Feb 1714

John Holmes married Elizabeth (shepherd)
Dorothy Holmes baptized 17 Dec 1704
John Holms baptized 26 Oct 1706
Mary Holmes baptized 15 Aug 1708
Susanna Holmes baptized 15 Dec 1711
Hester Holmes baptized 18 Feb 1714

George Holmes married Abigail of Ablington
Mary Holmes baptized 16 Aug 1710
Ann Holmes baptized 17 Jul 1712 
Martha Holmes baptized 8 Jul 1715


Alexander Holmes married Elizabeth
John Holmes baptized 1 Jul 1714

BBS
Thomas Holmes baptized 15 Dec  1668
Charles Holmes baptized 9 Apr 1671
 
Although this information doesn't add to my Peck family at all, it does give me a look into the Holmes family. Ann Holmes (if this is the correct one) marrying Joseph Peck is older than her husband and rather elderly having her last couple of children. She would have married late but I have not yet found another Ann that would fit into this family. Finding someone whose tree matches me with DNA results would be rather interesting. The results show a possibility that Joanna Holmes was an aunt to Ann Holmes but further research is likely needed to really prove that line.

Ancestry of Elizabeth Peck:

1. Elizabeth BLAKE
2. Ernest Edward George BLAKE (b 20 Aug 1904) - Eastleigh Hampshire England
3. Edith Bessie TAYLOR (b 1 Apr 1875) - Kimpton Hampshire England
4. Elizabeth RAWLINGS (b 19 Oct 1853) - Enford Wiltshire England
5. Elizabeth LYWOOD (b 25 Dec 1826) - Milston Wiltshire England
6. Martha PECK (b 1 Jul 1792) - Milston Wiltshire England
7. Elizabeth PECK (b 15 Apr 1758) - Milston Wiltshire England
8. Joseph PECK (b 4 Apr 1718) - Milston Wiltshire England
9. Thomas PECK (b 19 Dec 1676) - Milston Wiltshire England
10. Thomas PECK (b ~1640) - Milston Wiltshire England
likely
11. William PECK (b 1605) - Milston Wiltshire England
12. William PECK (b 1576) - Milston Wiltshire England
13. John PECK