William Dove (1755 - 1829)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 36

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

The Dove family was a brickwall for me for quite a while. I had found the marriage of  Thomas Rawlins/Rawlence and Mary Dove 9 Dec 1807 at Woodford but was hesitant to use it. Why did Thomas go from Enford to Woodford? But his father Jeremiah had gone from Enford to Tilshead to marry. Gradually as I had a chance to go through the parish registers for Woodford and surrounding areas I realized that there weren't any Rawlins/Rawlings/Rawlence families there and that the Thomas Rawlence marrying there was likely my Thomas Rawlins. But that brought up a new mystery why the long period before any children were born to this couple (not before 1813)?

I had an email from a descendant of a Sarah Rawlins who had been born in North America (Halifax) daughter of Thomas and Mary Rawlins (circa 1812). I have been suspicious that Thomas had been in the army during the Napoleonic Wars with his cousin George Lywood but no proof has arrived in any of the online databases thus far. I continue to hunt out that information.

Scouring the parish registers of Woodford I did find  a Robert Dove baptized 14 Apr 1793 at Woodford and buried there 6 Aug 1793 son of William and Jane Dove. Hunting around for this couple I found a marriage 1 Jan 1783 at St Thomas Salisbury, Wiltshire for William Dove and Jane Morgan. I estimated the birth of Mary Dove to be circa 1786 as the marriage with Thomas Rawlins and Mary Dove was 9 Dec 1807 at Woodford. Searching through the Woodford Registers I could not find a baptism for a Mary Dove. However, I did find a baptism for a Harry Dove 5 Jul 1789. I found a burial for another child William 21 Jul 1807 for this couple. There is also a William Dove buried at the age of 73 years 9 Sep 1829 (died 6 Sep 1829) which would give him a birth year circa 1756. He lived at Heale, Woodford at the time of his death.

I did find a baptism for William Dove 4 May 1755 son of William and Mary Dove at Woodford. I found a burial for a Mary Dove (born circa 1719) 4 Jun 1787 at Woodford.  William (father of William, likely buried 21 Apr 1779) and Mary (buried 4 Jun 1787) Dove have records for five children at Woodford:

Henry baptized 24 Nov 1751
William baptized 4 May 1755 and married to Jane Morgan 1 Jan 1783 at Salisbury
Samuel baptized 27 Mar 1757 and buried 29 Nov 1758 at Woodford
Ann buried 30 Apr 1764 at Woodford
Robert baptized 30 Apr 1763 and buried 30 Jul 1769 at Woodford

That was all that I found for the Dove family at Woodford (I have a printout of the parish registers for baptisms and burials). But I also looked at the microfilm for Woodford at Salt Lake City in 2008. At that time I also looked at the marriage register but did not find a marriage for William Dove and Jane at Woodford. There aren't any records for a Morgan family at Woodford in the set of parish registers.

I have not yet investigated Find My Past for this family. I found the burial of Jane Dove 2nd quarter 1839 at Amesbury RD. This is perhaps my 4x great grandmother. I will leave Jane for the next challenge day however as that will be her turn. There is a William Dove baptized 19 Jan 1718 at Tilshead son of Henry and Sarah Dove. Could this be the father of William baptized 1755? This William named his first son Henry.  The Tilshead is interesting as that is the location for the marriage of Jeremiah Rawlins and Sarah Tanner.

Family Search has a number of baptisms:

Henry Dove son of Henry and Sarah baptized 28 Mar 1715 at Shrewton (3 miles from Tilshead)
James Dove son of Henry and Sarah baptized 13 Jun 1716 at Tilshead
John Dove son of Henry and Sarah baptized 31 May 1717 at Tilshead
William Dove son of Henry and Sarah baptized 19 Jan 1718 at Tilshead
Thomas Dove son of Henry and Sarah baptized 27 Jun 1720 at Tilshead
Sarah Dove daughter of Henry and Sarah baptized 18 Mar 1721 at Tilshead; buried 6 Oct 1723

There is also a baptism for a Henry Dove son of Henry and Mary Dove 26 Dec 1688 at Woodford. Evidently I did not go back far enough in the parish registers in 2008!  I found a Mary Dove buried 30 Oct 1733 at Woodford and she is perhaps the mother of this Henry.

Back to Find My Past to look at Henry Dove again. There is a will for Henry Dove senior a cordwainer who lived at Hamptworth Downton and left a will probated in 1703. I shall have a look for that to see if it has been scanned (not yet available). There is a marriage for Henry Dove and Sarah Elderton in 2 May 1714 at Andover Hampshire. Could this be the Henry and Sarah at Tilshead? This marriage date fits in with the baptisms. Another marriage of interest between Henry Dove and Mary Biggs 16 Jul 1684 at Durnford (2 miles from Woodford).

Always interesting finding families that link with places and there is this Dove family going from Woodford to Tilshead and then back to Woodford (are they one and the same?). At another time I must locate the marriage registers for Woodford again and Tilshead.There is a baptism for a Henry Dove son of Henry baptized 23 Jan 1656/57 at Downton (10 miles from Woodford). This Henry married Rebecca Mowdy 28 Jul 1656 at Downton.

I started the day with William Dove baptized 4 May 1755 at Woodford Wiltshire so the results have been most interesting. Perhaps a clue that one of his children was named Harry (a nickname for Henry!) leads me back to the grandfather of William baptized 1755!

Ancestry of William Dove:

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. William RAWLINGS (b 1825) - Enford Wiltshire England
6. Mary DOVE (b c 1790) - Woodford Wiltshire England
7. William DOVE (b 4 May 1755) - Woodford Wiltshire England
possibly
8. William DOVE (b 19 Jan 1718) - Tilshead Wiltshire England
9. Henry DOVE (b 26 Dec 1688) - Woodford Wiltshire England
10. Henry DOVE (b 23 Jan 1656) - Downton Wiltshire England
11. Henry DOVE

Will of Edward Blake, Sailor, North Fareham - National Archives PROB 11/122/492, probated 30 Nov 1613

The will of Edward Blake, Sailor, North Fareham, Hampshire was probated 30 Nov 1613.  Everything is left to his mother Edith Blake of North Fareham and it includes a number of interesting saleable items but the will is too early to give us a value of the goods unfortunately.

North Fareham near Portsmouth Harbour, 8 miles south of Bishop's Waltham and 12 miles south east of Southampton. The parish itself is called Fareham with North Fareham being a hamlet within the parish. Given the proximity to the Channel it is not surprising perhaps that Edward is a sailor. No ideas on his age as I can not find anything that will identify either Edward or his mother Edith. Alverstoke lies 6 miles south south east of Fareham. I suspect this is the Wiltshire Blake family moving south from Calne down to Salisbury and thence to the New Forest area and into Hampshire. Would love to put that all together and perhaps one day. I do have one correspondence who descends from the Blake family in New Forest who says one of these days he will get to his Blake family but his mother's family is intriguing him more at the moment. Since he lives there that would be a great bonus to the Blake family study.

It was possible to find a write up on the likely expedition that Edward Blake was on with Captain Downton of the Salomon:

Eleventh Voyage of the East India Company, in 1612, in the Salomon.[103]
Kerr, Robert, 1755-1813, A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09, Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time, Language     English, LoC Class     G: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation, Subject     Voyages and travels, Category     Text, EBook-No.     13055, Release Date     Jul 30, 2004. Copyright Status     Public domain in the USA.
We sailed from Gravesend on the 1st February, 1611, according to the computation of the church of England, or 1612 as reckoned by others. We were four ships in company, which were counted as three separate voyages, because directed to several parts of India: The James, which was reckoned the ninth voyage, the Dragon and Hosiander the tenth, and our ship, the Salomon, as the eleventh.
[Footnote 103: Purch. Pilgr. I. 486. This unimportant voyage is only preserved, for the sake of continuing the regular series of voyages which contributed to the establishment of the East India Company. We learn from Purchas that it was written by Ralph Wilson, one of the mates in the Salomon, who never mentions the name of his captain. This voyage, as given by Purchas, contains very little information, and is therefore here abridged, though not extending to two folio pages in the Pilgrims.--E.]
I would advise such as go from Saldanha bay with the wind at E. or S.E. to get to a considerable distance from the land before standing southwards, as otherwise the high lands at the Cape will take the wind from them; and if becalmed, one may be much troubled, as there is commonly in these parts a heavy sea coming from the west. Likewise, the current sets in for the shore, if the wind has been at N.N.W. or W. or S.S.W. And also the shore is so bold that no anchorage can be had.
The 18th October, we espied the land, being near Celeber in the island of Sumatra, in about 3° of south latitude. The 2d November, coming between Java and a ragged island to the westwards of the point of Palimbangan, we met a great tide running out so fast that we could hardly stem it with the aid of a stiff gale. When afterwards the gale slacked, we came to anchor, and I found the tide to run three 1/2 leagues in one watch. I noticed that this tide set outwards during the day, and inwards through the night. This day at noon the point of Palimbangan bore N.E. by E. three leagues off, and from thence to the road of Bantam is five leagues, S.S.E. 1/3 E. The latitude of Bantam is 6° 10' S. and the long. 145° 2' E. This however is rather too much easterly, as I think the true longitude of Bantam is 144° E. from Flores.[104]
[Footnote 104: The long. of Bantam is 106° E. from Greenwich. That in the text appears to have been estimated from the island of Flores, which is 31° 20' W. from Greenwich, so that the longitude of Bantam ought to have been stated as 137° 20' E. from Flores, making an error of excess in the text of seven or eight degrees.--E.]
The 7th March, at five p.m. while in lat. 20° 34' S. we descried land nine leagues off, N.E. 1/2 N. The S.E. part of this island is somewhat high, but falleth down with a low point. The W. part is not very high, but flat and smooth towards the end, and falls right down. The south and west parts of this island is all surrounded with shoals and broken ground, and we did not see the other sides; yet it seemed as if it had good refreshments. The longitude of this island is 104° from Flores, but by my computation 107°.[105] In these long voyages, we do not rely altogether on our reckoning, but use our best diligence for discovering the true longitudes, which are of infinite importance to direct our course aright.
[Footnote 105: No island is to be found in the latitude and longitude indicated in the text.--E.]

No entries for an Edward Blake or an Edith Blake in the IGI that would fit with this time frame.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 11 Oct 2012
Source:  The National Archives, PROB 11/122/492
Name of testator: Edward Blake, Sailor
Place: North Fareham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated:, 24 Aug 1613, probated 30 Nov 1613
Read: Electronic file images
Condition: 17th century, elaborate script, middle English, quite legible
[In margin] T[estator] Edward
[In margin] Blake

1    In the name of God amen the fouer and twentite
2    daye of August one thousand sixe hundred and thirteene I Edward Blake of
3    North Faram in the Countie of Southampton Sayler sicke of bodye but of good
    [Page 2]
4    and perfect memorye (god be praised) do make this my last will and testament in manner and
5    forme folowinge First I commend my soule into the handes of Almightie god my maker
6    hoping assuredlie thoroughe the only merittes of Jesus Christe my Savvyore to have life
7    everlasting And my bodye I commend unto the Earthe whereof yt is made Item I geve
8    and bequeathe unto my Mother Edithe Blake of North Faram aforesayed one peece of fyne
9    duffie and eight blue striped handkerchers and one white girdle all of India stuffe
10    Item nowe tenne poundes of pepper or therabouts Item allso aboute one pounde of
11    Nutmegge and halfe a pounde of Synnamon Item more three wicker dishes of China
12    Item nowe one bagg of Rice conteyning aboute _______ poundes and one quittasalla and whatsoev[er]
13    more I have Item now I sent unto my Mother by John Lamen of Gosp[or]t Sayler Gunners
14    mate of the Salomon one peece of gyne duffie one pounde of pepper and one spanishe
15    shillinge Item I give allso and bequeath unto my sayed mother Edith Blake all such
16    wages as shalbe due unto me from my Master Captayne Downton (except sixteene
17    shillinges which I give and bequeath unto George Downton to make hym a Rynge for
18    a remembrance} And of this my last will and testament I make and ordayne my sayed
19    Mother Edith Blake my sole executrix revoking and adnulling all former willes bothe in
20    deede and in Law In witnesse whereof I have set my hand and seale the daye and
[margin]    Item one quillasoll and whatsoever more I have was interlined before those alonge ______
21    yere aforesayed in presence of Richard Pitt and Robert Myce ^ Edward Blake his marke
22    Sealed and delivered in the presence of those whole name as underwritten p[erso]ne
23    Richard Pitt [signed] Robt Myce [signed]