Cleaning Day Three and then on to Research Days

 Yesterday Cleaning Day Two accomplished along with completing Chromosome 12. Staying inside means more time for research although it has been lovely skiing this year. Once we get sufficient snow  the skiing will be back. In the meantime the cold weather saps the water out of all of that ice. 

Chromosome 12 with twenty known matches went very smoothly and just some work on the Buller/Taylor and Rawlings/Cotterill matches to be done. I may resolve both of these unknown lines - Ellen (Taylor) Buller my maternal grandmother's mother and unknown Cotterill (although several testing companies have selected an individual) my paternal grandmother's father. It does add a sense of mystery to these two lines for sure. Although I was hesitant to work on my paternal grandmother's father's line that is passing in my mind although I will always remember that she loved her step-father very much. She lived with her maternal grandparents when she was quite young (from birth until five years of age) until her mother married William Taylor 11 Feb 1882 in Ludgershall, Wiltshire (a short distance from Kimpton, Hampshire where she was born and baptized). She is found on the census of 1881 with her grandparents William Rawlins and Elizabeth (Lywood) Rawlins at Collingbourne Dulcis, Wiltshire. 

 I did start Chromosome 11 and there are seventeen known cousins for this chromosome with Blake/Knight and Pincombe being particularly well represented but there are matches for all four of the grandparent lines. Buller has just one and this cousin shares X DNA inherited from Sarah (Cheatle) Welsh's mother (still not entirely sure of her surname but she was married to William Cheatle father of Sarah). This was the first chromosome that I ever phased more than a decade ago now. At the time I was amazed at what one could do with all of those matches acquired at that time. Now with  1500 matches over four grandparents the process is a lot less complicated. The methodology has evolved as well although I tend to use several different sets of data to work on crossover points including the original GedMatch setup that was commonly used back a decade ago. I find that the testing companies using different chips does give a slight variance on these crossover points and one must select the best point bearing in mind that this is not yet the exact science it will be one day. 

Having five sibling results makes a large difference but I am about to begin working on my husband's crossover points using just his results, his daughters results and many many 2nd, 3rd and 4th cousins. I suspect it will be possible but will write it up as I proceed. It will be a slower process as I need to get back to writing the books as well. Once I have completed the great grandparents then a portion of each day will go to writing of either the Blake or the Pincombe books. I have given myself until 2028 to complete these two books and will then move to Buller  and a fourth one not yet selected. 

I will never write up Edward's family as I am not familiar enough with his lines - in terms of DNA lots of familiarity and I will do that but I do not know any family stories so will leave that to whomever one day picks up his work where he left off.  He was happy with his final version of his tree although was sad not to have discovered Isaac Kipp's parents names. There were possibilities but he did not feel there was adequate proof for any of them at this time. That his yDNA leads back to Hendrick Hendricksen Kip was adequate for him as the years passed although he was in touch with several researchers in The Netherlands and a trip was planned but COVID-19 break definitely discontinued that possibility. The work on the autosomal DNA was his although I did collect the data into excel files as I did my own but now I will pick up the traces of that work that he did and move it forward with this attempt to phase his grandparent's DNA and then perhaps take it to great grandparents. He has many many more matches than I do although with Living DNA growing that could change in the future - hard to say. 

Still not much work done on the photo albums; perhaps in the New Year I will try again to work on that.  

Time to get back to my morning exercises. I always do them with a short break. Then tea time and solitaire puzzles.  

 

Not enough doctors

 While I cleaned yesterday I continued to think about 3 million Ontarians not having a family doctor. When we were young there was a doctor on every corner nearly it seemed in the suburbs. They mostly had their offices in their homes in those days but everything has become so much more advanced toolwise that one needs an office in an area where everything is very accessible and close to hospitals too. Most of the patients were children for sure; the growing up days of the baby boomers. Although I was born just at war's end I went to school with children born during the war because I skipped a year ahead from 3 to 5. But we could see that huge group coming along behind us.  

Life was harder for doctors way back then; my husband's uncle was a family doctor and he died relatively young (in his 60s I think). His hours were very long and his patient load quite heavy as he was outside of the city in a small town (not a huge change for physicians in rural areas except the hospitals are better equipped than in the 50s for sure). But now the family physicians in the city are experiencing these enormous case loads and long hours plus the cost of maintaining an office is very large. So Edward did make an effort when Gordon asked him to go to the Ottawa Branch Meeting of the OGS way back in the early 80s with him. It wasn't something that we ever did; Edward and I. We liked astronomy and were members of the RASC in London and then again here when we first arrived along with the Ottawa Field Naturalists Society. My parents visited right away and took us off to the local Anglican Church (not surprising!) although I had already found it but I knew Edward wanted a United Church. Gordon and Edward did seem to enjoy the meetings of the Ottawa Branch and for the next fourty years that pretty much occupied Edward's spare time (although he was pretty involved in his United Church as Treasurer and singing in the Choir as well!). 

Personally I do better in didactic situations not social; I tend to find social situations to be a nightmare to be honest. I was volunteer secretary at Edward's Church (I didn't actually volunteer). The bonus was I was behind a table and could mostly be away from people and just be helpful if needed. After all religion was part of my very being which I knew very well and I had my own deep seated Anglicanism as my support in time of trial. But I had promised to go to Edward's Church with our daughter. Learning Edward's ancestry of dissenters opened my eyes actually and let me see my Anglican Church through Edward's eyes; not that I agreed with him (my faith is very different from his approach to faith although towards the end of his life he did come to see that my faith was a strength that he could hang on to); I do not think I have a Protestant bone in my body; Catholic through and through. With people like Roger Williams, John Bowne, Hannah Feake, Elizabeth Fones, Anne Winthrop, Rev Obadiah Holmes etc. (the reach back into history in his line was formidable in terms of the talent that was there coming down to him and it expressed itself in him as a scientist although the opportunities (unless one went to the United States) were not overly available at that time. He just really wanted to stay in Canada although as we traveled more and more to the United States one could see that he was rethinking some of that and was very supportive of any such thoughts in our children (although they prefer Canada as well but one has to go where the opportunities are for sure as is the case of my older daughter). One could also see where he got his Protestantism from (I was amazed at all the dissenters in his tree actually as he moved back in time)! But I do believe that families should worship together and whatever works for them is great (I am pretty much a wishy washy person and go with the flow unless I have a strong opinion which does occur but I could be a closet Anglican (still went to early Church at the local Anglican Church for a number of years) and in a way I am back in that closet again except I have You-Tube Services!). For Edward I think he felt the need (plus he did go to the United Church when we first met and I did go to Metropolitan United with him in London when we lived there) as we moved through parenthood and he was following in his father's footsteps (he was only two when he died) and being treasurer and in the choir; it was definitely good for his view of himself to seek that association out I think. Edward was a strong person actually; very capable and really quite brilliant and along with his classmates Canada definitely failed them back in the 70s by not hiring their own students first to academic positions in the universities. Edward's father was also an elder but that is no longer quite the same in the United Church. My maternal uncle was also an elder actually as well as being involved with the Missions and Services in the United Church in both London and Toronto. Plus Edward's father was a farmer and Edward did love his hobby of tilling the soil. I had not thought to do any writing up of Edward's work because he felt he had done all that he wanted to do. But I could go back to reprinting items on his blog I am thinking from his many talks. I was doing that but then got back into my own one name studies. But perhaps that would be a good idea and I would be more relaxed about any missing ideas that he expressed but did not write up on his website. A contemplative day I guess as I move forward in my own research but thinking of ways to keep Edward's research in the present. Most of his American ancestors came to Canada as settlers in 1800 and after. The latest one was in the 1820s - William Rathbun - at the annual reunion of that family he learned that William was said to have "an itchy foot!" which was really something quite stunning to learn from the members of the American family actually. William was remembered and that was 150 years later perhaps.

Although the girls did try hard to be with him for his genealogy endeavours it wasn't easy to be young in so many graveyards but they did their best including writing it all down for him from the stones that he selected. When he received his Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for all of his volunteer work but especially his genealogical work they were pleased to see that all that work that he did was rewarded.  

I am very busy working away on the books for my mother and my grandfather. As a member of the Guild of one-name studies we have a newsgroup that keeps us attached as a group and people often share ideas and thoughts. We were into mediaeval tracing the other day and that is basically where I am at with both of these books at the moment. It is exciting times in England between 1200 and 1500 and then you start to see more wills, the parish registers and land documents but there is still a surprising amount of material to pursue before 1500 although it is in Latin and so I continue learning Latin and it is amazing how much I am able to do with it. Published genealogies and Pedigrees can be somewhat suspicious and we did discuss that. It is hard to undo what has been in print for hundreds of years but correct the errors of Horatio Gates Somerby I will do and a few other items which simply do not make sense. But the Somerby work is the greatest problem because it has been copied so many times especially by Blake descendants in America.

For the next book after these two, I know my grandmother had no interest in writing a book on the Buller family but I may give it a go when Blake and Pencombe/Pincombe are done. She loved her father and mother very much (mother died when she was 11; three years before her father). But his injuries in the First Boer War made life difficult for him although he tried very hard she said. Her mother was just 37 years old and her father was 49 years old. So it would be interesting to put her family into words. They are in fact very interesting. My family would likely enjoy having all of that encapsulated into a book.

What would the second book be? I could consider Rawlings but one of my cousins in Australia has done a lot of work on that as well as our mutual cousin (John Rawlins has his MBE) who wrote me maybe a dozen years ago now and said who is Ada on the 1881 census with William Rawlins and his wife Elizabeth (Lywood) Rawlins (her grandparents actually who apparently didn't mind taking in their illegitimate granddaughter!)?  I had mentioned my grandmother Edith Bessie (Taylor) Blake aka Ada Bessie Cotterill Rawlings in a post that he saw and that began a detailed correspondence over nearly a decade so I think I should leave Rawlins to them. Although I do have a good writeup on my paternal grandmother already (about 120 pages actually). I will have to think of which surname to work on next. I am not that interested in collecting cousins, my sister does an excellent job on that. For me it is the deep ancestry that yDNA and mtDNA leads me to and the surname trail back into the past. Although I never really did any genealogy all those years that Edward did, I appear to be spending my retirement (was going to knit baby clothes for packages to the north; and some sewing as well) doing an entirely different thing than I had intended. 2003 was definitely a watershed year in my life when George DeKay (my cousin) asked me to write the Pincombe Profile. 

I shall have to think about a second book to write at the same time as Buller. - there are some interesting choices like Cheatle which is a Leicestershire name and pretty much only there until the 1800s. A Cheatle married a Welch and produced the wife of Henry Christopher Buller. Lawley in Shropshire is another one still on my grandmother's side (the name appears to have originated in Ireland and I do know there is a percentage of Irish as several of my siblings have between 11 and 18% Irish). Why did they come to Shropshire in the mid 1700s? One wonders that. But with my searching over the past twenty years I have encountered a number of these families written up and because we corresponded our line is included. Interesting to contemplate.

The cleaning all accomplished yesterday and on to Pencombe today. Exercise (I do think I am an addict) but then one of the first things that I did when we were in the process of moving here was to take a break from moving in and walk around the large block  (no sidewalks then and the road was incomplete) with my three year old. I decided that was going to be the greatest thing having that 2 km trek to do every day until my little one was off to school (and me to work or school to do my masters!). What a treat I thought. That was April of 1978; we moved here on the 26th of April. Some friends from London lived closeby (yes we did have friends when we moved here) and that was when we noticed these carriage houses (they also had one). I fell in love with it immediately and we have been here ever since (not  much ambition where houses are concerned; Edward traveled a lot then and it was just a comfortable size for me to look after when he wasn't there). I no longer do the walk around as my daughters do not think it is good for me to go alone and to be honest I agree (older people should not wander around alone but COVID did show us how much exercise we could create in our own homes and yards). I have my treadmill, my stationery bicycle, weights, yoga mat and runners so I can do it all inside or in the backyard and can walk/ski around outside when they are here. Teatime and Latin next. Then on to breakfast. 

My own English ancestry (grandchildren can inherit between 0 and 25%; and I am not sure that my grandchildren inherited very much of my English ancestry; the youngest perhaps as he has autism but mostly he reminds me of his mother (he has an enormous resemblance to her) but occasionally I get a glimpse of my brothers there; just rarely)). My English ancestry sinks rapidly into the past having merged with Edward's 9th and 10th generation mostly European and maybe 5 to 10% British Isles ancestry; then Edward's 8th and 9th early American colonial ancestry in our children and now with our grandchildren French Canadian ancestry merges in back into the early days of Quebec and our son in law's family has found First Nations ancestry in their lines (I do want to get back into that research as well! never enough time) so way back into thousands of years ago on this continent for at least one line. Amazing really when you think about it. Which reminds me that is exciting naming Louis Riel as the first Premier of Manitoba. We are, in my lifetime, seeing The First Nations and the settlers walking together just as Tecumseh and Brock walked together. Our Governor General Mary Simon brings the long history of her Inuit peoples to her capacity as the King's representative in Canada and she does it so very well. With three grandparents born and raised in England and a father born there I am likely going to be a royalist supporter for sure! Will we always have a King? I think having a Head of State that isn't political is better myself. Politics can be such a downer sometimes. Although Conservative most of my life; I have voted Liberal the last ten years. But frugality in government is needed; better management of money but that is also on the companies that do work for the government. Do not cheat; do the job or resign from it if you cannot do it - let someone else do it. COVID was a difficult time; decisions had to be made quickly. Things had to be cobbled together to get efficiency but cleaning it up should be a process begun in the past. Part of the problem is the negativity in Parliament. Get the job done; work together instead of trying to score points. I am not impressed by point scoring. I am impressed by good government; good management of money. And I continue to blame all of the parties for celebrating a Nazi  in Parliament. You do so much mud slinging surely you could have caught that before it happened. Stop concentrating on belittling Justin Trudeau; he has done the job for ten years and quite well actually. He was absolutely perfect during COVID. He brought his citizens home from around the world without really any problems. He organized that very well in terms of filing income tax for instance. I have to be honest it surprised me; Liberals can not generally be counted on to be efficient. That is the Conservative strength generally but Social Conservatism is dead in the water for me. I will not support it. Jesus said to love your neighbour as yourself and those words come from God. The prefatory of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms begins with "We believe in the supremacy of God and the rule of law." God has many terms including The Great Spirit, Creator. Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms represents the best wishes of a people for a government that supports all the people. 

Must get to work; the day moves onwards.

 

 

Shared Workaholic tendency and Monday morning

Edward and I share a workaholic tendency although he is more prone to being sociable than I ever was. For me, as a child, being sociable was what my mother requested of me and as an adult I have avoided social experiences in as much as possible. I love to read and work away at things although when my children were small I couldn't always do that and didn't as they came first. Learned that from my mother as well. But as luck would have it my children were quite amenable to an organized day so that by the time they were three they would sit beside me and do "their work" as they called it. The coffee breaks were longer for them for sure and generally involved a long walk to have a look at the world and discover birds, trees, plants along the way or watch favourite movies. I did take the girls to play group and my older daughter enjoyed it more perhaps because she was an only child for such a long time but my younger daughter on her first day there quietly confided to me that she would rather be at home working and we never went back! I do think we are all workaholics in this family as Edward has many projects but he put everything together for his various projects and passed them on before and during COVID and published everything that he wanted published. 

I am busy writing all of these books I have thought about since I ventured into Surname Studies back in 2003 and mostly when DNA became the driver of my genealogical pursuits around 2005 after the Pincombe Profile was completed. George DeKay would be amazed to see the result of his persuading me to write the Pincombe Profile for sure. The Siderfin book revised and published. Blake and Pencombe books in the starting phases. Buller book on the back burner. Rawlings being thought about occasionally but one of my third cousins in Australia has written up quite a bit on the Rawlings. Then I get back another generation and I have Knight (Winterbourne villages, Dorset), Cotterill (Kimpton, Hampshire it appears but not conclusive on the surname)?, Gray (Holme on the Wolds, East Riding of Yorkshire), Taylor (Birmingham family, shoe/boot maker - a small company, was contacted by a descendant which was interesting). Would I ever take up books on these four lines? The Gray is written up by my cousin George DeKay but  he wanted to revise and update it and I said I would help him if he wanted but he passed away and COVID did rather get in the way of that. That would mean a revise and update of his book but I wouldn't do all the families that  he did without other contributors - I do not know most of them actually. For me it would be a Gray-Routledge book perhaps looking at the descendants of the Routledge family here plus my research back in Bewcastle. My cousin though has a lot of work on line for the family beyond Bewcastle back into the Highlands of Scotland. There have been books on the various Knight families and I rather think I would need to be on the spot to do that one as there are a lot of Knight families and the same goes for Taylor I expect. The next generation (2x great grandparents - would be Farmer (Collingbourne Kingston, Wiltshire), Butt (Winterbourne villages, Dorset), Sherwood (Cotterill married Sherwood at Kimpton)??, Lywood (there is a one name study for Lywood and Warwick Lywood has done great work for sure), Rew (same areas  as Siderfin, have done some work on this line because of the Siderfin book and just interest), Routledge (my cousin (perhaps 7th) Thomas Routledge is doing a wonderful job with this family in England), Welch (huge family although I have traced my line back into Rugley Staffordshire several generations) and Roberts (Bickenhill, Warwickshire for a couple of generations before Birmingham). 

Perhaps one can go to far back! I think at this point (3x great grandparents) I would become selective and pick some of the unusual 4th great grandparents and further back surnames and work on them - Cheatle (Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire), Croxall (Bickenhill, Warwickshire), Lawley (Wellington, Shropshire), Hemsley (Southwark, Surrey), Sproxton (Hutton Cranswick, East Riding of Yorkshire), Charlie/Charly (Combe Martin, Devon) and the list keeps going back! But there is just one lifetime for each of us and we do what we get done for sure. I did learn that from Edward who enjoyed the OGS now Ontario Ancestors Ottawa Branch so very much. He never really missed a meeting all those years before COVID taking me along after he got tired and his friend became ill and he found the drive home long. He loved being able to go and do the things he wanted to do anytime that he wanted knowing I was quite content that he enjoy his life. I loved all that precious time at home after I retired working away on Surname Studies which in itself is rather amazing being very late to arrive at an interest in such things. His greatest regret was not traveling across the ocean much much earlier - like when I proposed we backpack around the British Isles and Europe after he finished his PhD in 1970. It would have been fun for sure.

On to the day. This is basement cleaning day and today work on the Blake book - looking at Andover and area. 

Another beautiful spring day

Golden sunrise and fairly clear skies with a temperature at 7:00 am of minus nine degrees celsius. Not a return to winter even though we did have snow yesterday; just a typical spring day in Canada. Spring is coming it is just a very short season in Canada as we quickly go into summer and heat! The winter does last a long time in Canada with snow coming as early as late October or early November (not a lot just a taste mostly) and then we still have quite a bit of snow on the yards and the piles along the streets edge are melting but they too are still there. This year mid April may see us free of snow or perhaps a little earlier but no promises on that; one never knows if there will be a good snowfall in April. But today it is clear and no snow in the forecast but it may be a cool one since we are only promised zero degrees at the warmest part of the day and a little cloud. Friday mentions snow so March may go out the way it came in - like a lion.  

Yesterday I continued to work on the Ancestry matches and pulled out the Rawlings matches that we (the four of us) share. There are two nice sized ones. One known to me is a half second cousin once removed so I know she is matching me on the maternal side of my paternal grandmother. Since she has tested at several sites I also know where she is matching me. We share 1.1% which isn't bad for a half second cousin once removed. I also have another cousin, not on ancestry, known to me and he too is a half second cousin once removed and I share 1.82% of my DNA with him but significantly different sharing as he descends from one generation earlier so that there is more random selection at play. The two of them do give me a well rounded look at my great grandmother's line (mother to my paternal grandmother). But returning to Ancestry as I would like to learn a little more about this line that does give me quite good-sized matches on occasion. The other match that I have shares 2% of DNA with me and is estimated as a 2nd-3rd cousin by Ancestry. She also matches my known Rawlings cousin at Ancestry so does not give me any information on the father of my paternal grandmother. But the match does let me see that the match is stronger on the Lywood side of the Rawlings family (my paternal grandmother's grandparents were William Rawlins and Elizabeth Lywood). Using these matches I am able to look at the Rawlings matches that do not match these two individuals. That little group is slowly growing but a lot of them are Americans so I can not be sure if they are sharing DNA that is simply hardier coming down from further back - the two strongest share 1% of their DNA with me. I am now up to six individuals that all match each other and share 1% of their DNA (I am looking at half cousin relationships so (half 1C2R, half 2C, half 2C1R, half 3C, half 3C1R and it continues). Going by ages (the children from the three marriages of the possible father were all younger than my grandmother (would be her half siblings)). My father would be a half first cousin to their children and I would be a half second cousin to the children of their children). Some of these people have large trees but spotting the relationship has not yet happened. I shall have a look but probably I will just for the moment continue extracting the information for the two siblings not yet finished to 25cM and then set it aside as I have some work to do on other items. But it is interesting. I do tend to have to set aside projects on occasion but it does give me the opportunity to mull them over a bit before I actually get back to them again. Ancestry, having the largest database, does seem like the right place to look at my paternal grandmother's father. The other side of this, was it correct when both the baptismal record and the civil registration listed Cotteril as the likely surname of the father?

Blake Newsletter all organized and ready to go. I will publish it on Saturday the 1st of April. I have an article that interested me in this one. I was going to continue with James Blake at Knights Enham but I received a submitted article from one of the members of the yDNA Study at FT DNA so gave it the first spot and wrote a shorter article looking at two Latin wills from the 1520s relating to the Andover Blake family. I believe I may have resolved a descendancy issue with these two wills using the Latin Translator and the latin that I have managed to assimilate thus far. Another back-burner project which I hope to work on this summer a little. 

Nice to see King Charles III in Germany (too bad the French side of the trip had to be cancelled). The Royal Family has roots in Germany from the 1700s to the  early 1900s and roots in France from the 1000s to the 1400s. It is good to see that relationship continuing even though Brexit happened. I suspect that it will be the Prince and Princess of Wales who come to Canada one of these days. It is a lot though for them to leave their three children for an extended trip especially now that they are in school all day. I am still very much in favour of having the King as our Head of State (it is neat and tidy and non-political). I tire of the negative attitude of the present Conservative Party - we do need a refresher there and more Progressive Conservatism with an eye on being fiscally sound for all of Canada. The last time the Conservatives were in power they did not properly support Ontario preferring to put all of their support behind the oil industry only. I believe in the oil industry as it is an important commodity for Canada but the other provinces also have important commodities and the support should be equal across the country. 

On to Breakfast and the day. It is a beautiful one thus far - sun is coming up brilliantly in the east. There will be a lot more melting today. The spring flowers are lovely.

 

Chromosome 23

I still do not have that perfect match that will let me formally accept my phasing of my grandparents chromosome 23 that was passed to myself and my siblings. I know the one length of course which was inherited from my father since my sisters and I all receive his X chromosome which was passed to him from his mother. If ever I get matches on the Rawlings line then it is somewhat easy to place them as they match my two sisters and I and not my two brothers. Thus far I do not know if any of these matches are from my grandmother's father's line. Although she received the second middle name of Cotterill/Cotterell I am only penciling in the thought that her father was George Cotterill who was also born at Kimpton. This was the only Cotterill family there. The priest has baptized the baby with that middle name and the baby was registered also with that name. My great grandmother elected to keep her child and on the 1881 census my grandmother was finally discovered after several years and a number of certificates living with her maternal grandparents William Rawlins and Elizabeth (Lywood) Rawlins. Not long after I discovered a cousin in Australia had put together his family tree and he included Elizabeth with husband William Taylor (married in 1882). One of his first questions to me when we met on line was "who is Ada Rawlins on the 1881 Census with William and Elizabeth Rawlins?" By then I could respond that I believed she was my grandmother.

But back to the phasing of my grandparents Chromosome 23. To really perfect this phasing I need a match with one of my second cousins (I do not have any first cousins) where we share the Buller line or the Gray line of my maternal grandfather John Routledge Pincombe's mother Grace Gray. The Buller line looks easier because one of my grandmother's sisters had daughters. But to date none of them have tested. I have tried to find descendants of my mother's first cousin but no luck thus far. On the Gray side, Grace's two older sisters died in childbirth leaving just one daughter who has had children but thus far the DNA shared is too small to definitively declare that one of my two versions is absolutely correct.

Working with the data from the other chromosomes where I have known matches with cousins who also share DNA has helped to create these two scenarios. I await the chance that one of these days one of my second cousins will test.

And it continues to snow. Since it is nearly 2 degrees celsius the snow is fluffy and wet looking not our usual dry stuff that we get at 10 and 20 degrees celsius below zero! There will likely be snowmen if the children can find excitement in yet another snowfall. We are definitely waiting for spring.

One does wonder if 150 years later people can be content with just accepting that children were born out of wedlock. I am most accepting of that. People did not marry for a number of reasons and babies were created in an unplanned way just as they are these days! I am glad that we are more accepting of how life flows.

Chromosome 23

Still I am perplexed by Chromosome 23 and how to divide up the maternal portion I inherited from my mother. I have two known matches by 4th cousins but the length is really insufficient to say positively that I have phased this Chromosome 23 correctly between my two maternal grandparents lines - Pincombe and Buller. I have one match on my Routledge line (my great grandmother Grace Gray married William Robert Pincombe and this match descends from a sister of Grace's mother Elizabeth Mary Ann Routledge). I have one match on my Welch line and in this case the descent is from the twin sister of my 2x great grandmother Anne Welch who married Henry Christopher Buller. The amount shared is 10cM for the Routledge match and 8 cM for the Welch match. Fortunately they do not fall in the same area but they confuse a phased X chromosome which I produced prior to knowledge of these two matches. Do I go with the matches or do I go with the carefully thought through phasing that I did before the matches appeared? I am ambivalent. I wish I could find one of my known 2nd cousin Buller as their grandmother was my grandmother's sister. Likely we will share some X chromosome enough to convince me one way or another on how we have inherited our X chromosome from our mother. The paternal X chromosome is, of course, easy as that is inherited entirely from my father who received it unchanged from his mother and it was inherited by her from her parents - William Rawlins and Elizabeth (Lywood) Rawlins.

I have a new match on Ancestry lately which is also descendant of my Buller side likely back to my 2x great grandmother Anne Welch. It would be interesting to see if this individual has an X chromosome match with me. However, I have not yet written but will contemplate doing that to see if it interests him to pursue the match. It is a large match. Another similar match at 23 and Me is likely Welch-Buller with a 1.2% match and in this case the chromosomes have not been shared. I did write to this individual and verified our descent from the Welch family as being our most recent common ancestor. Perhaps over time she may share her chromosome results and again a strong possibility that there would be X chromosome results of a length sufficient to name the phased portions of the X chromosome with more accuracy.

Ancestry DNA Circles - # 3

Although I like all the testing companies for various reasons, Ancestry's DNA Circles are a real treat for me. When I started my research no one had researched my lines other than the work done by my Pincombe cousins as far as I knew. As I moved backwards in time, my parent's stories and then my grandparent's stories aided me when I had to make choices. When those avenues ran out DNA suddenly started to be rather interesting keeping me on the narrow path backwards.

With 3 DNA Circles I am now looking backwards to my 4x great grandparents and being assured that in those three lines I have been accurate.

That includes my Pincombe line which has Robert Pincombe as my 3x great grandfather and that is certainly true and my 25 cousins that have now tested very much verify our relationship. The matches recently with cousins have extended this line back to the late 1500s and my 9x great grandfather Richard Pincombe but more on him another time.

It also includes my Blake line which has Maria Jane (Knight) Blake my great grandmother and wife of Edward Blake. Her paternal Knight line goes back to Ellis Knight and Eleanor Knight (likely 2nd cousins) who were my 3x great grandparents and their line easily goes back another two generations with the parish records (and paper trails). In this case, my latest DNA Circle is capturing her maternal line with her mother having been Louisa Butt daughter of Charles Butt and Hannah Arnold. Charles Butt, my 3x great grandfather, is my third DNA circle.

Also including my Rawlings line with my great grandmother Elizabeth (Rawlings) Taylor daughter of  William Rawlings and Elizabeth (Lywood) Rawlings. With the help of the Lywood research project and other Rawlings researchers this is taken back quite readily to William Rawlins who married Mary Foord and they are my 5x great grandparents. The circle itself is based on Jeremiah Rawlings their son and my 4x great grandfather.

That leaves my maternal grandmother's line where I am able to trace her father back several generations but her mother is somewhat of a mystery due to the inability to locate the marriage record between Edward Denner Buller and Ellen Taylor. Perhaps one of these days a DNA circle will emerge as I have a number of DNA matches with Buller cousins but not so many at Ancestry.,

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

Elizabeth Lanham (1754 - 1829)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 39

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

Perhaps one of my greatest discoveries of this past year was the correct spelling of the surname of the wife of George Lywood. Listed as Canham for all the years that I have been researching; finding it to be Lanham has been a breakthrough. I discussed my breakthrough earlier in the year as it was a random search that disclosed it to me:

 http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2015/05/52-ancestor-challenge-benefits.html

Doing the search for the surname Canham and ending up looking for Lanham was a completely random happening which yielded great results. Then entering the corrected surname into my tree at Find My Past was an avalanche of new results permitting hopefully the linkage back to the father of Elizabeth Lanham as Joseph Lanham/Lannum. The marriage of George Lywood and Elizabeth Lanham 18 Jul 1780 at West Harnham fits so clearly into the records for this family. Their children were baptized:

Jane Lywood (no baptism found), married James Tyneham 9 Aug 1797 at West Harnham
John baptized 22 Jan 1784 at West Harnham
George baptized 7 May 1786 at West Harnham (my ancestor)

Elizabeth Lanham could be baptized 12 Aug 1754 at Melksham daughter of Joseph Lannum and Elizabeth Willmore/Wilmar. They themselves were married 22 Sep 1752 at Melksham. Elizabeth was a widow at the time of her marriage.

This Joseph could be the son of Joseph Lanham (clothier) and Hannah Grimshire and they were married 30 Jun 1695 at Amesbury. I have not yet found a baptism for either Joseph or for Hannah who was buried 30 Sep 1739 at Melksham. A Joseph (possible son of Joseph and Hannah) married Agatha Stevens 3 May 1728 at Bradford on Avon. There was a Joseph Lannum baptized 17 Sep 1729 at Melksham son of Joseph and Agatha Lannum. Do these all link together? I had a match on AncestryDNA with another Lywood descendant and I wrote to mention my latest find. He checked it out and came back with "In agreement." But now I would like to look at it in more depth.

Now for a little geography just to make sure that all of these places are in a reasonable distance from each other. The search engine at Find My Past revealed these possibilities to me and I now need to give them a longer look.

Melksham where an Elizabeth Lanham was baptized is 30 miles from West Harnham but Bradford on Avon is closeby Melksham. Amesbury is close to West Harnham. Is it practical to think of Elizabeth as being baptized at Melksham in 1754 and married to George Lywood in 1780 at West Harnham? The marriage of Joseph Lanham and Hannah Grimshire (grandparents of Elizabeth) at Amesbury lends credence to this possibility. Hannah (married at Amesbury) is buried at Melksham where they are living at that time.

Can I find a baptism for Hannah Grimshire? There is a baptism for a Hannah Grimshire 12 Oct 1678 at Amesbury daughter of Thomas and Hannah Grimshire. That would have her only seventeen years old when she married Joseph Lanham at Amesbury and 61 if this is her burial 30 Sep 1739 at Melksham. There is a Thomas Grimsheere married to Hannah Jarvis 25 Nov 1677 at Amesbury. Hannah appears to be the only baptism for this set of parents. Interesting that the spelling of the Lanham name is that at Amesbury but at Melksham one finds Lannum and Lanham.

Another interesting commonality is in the naming of the children of Joseph Lannun (baptized 17 Sep 1729 at Melksham son of Joseph and Agatha Lannum and married to Elizabeth Willmore/Wilar 22 Sep 1752 at Melksham) all baptized at Melksham:

Elizabeth Lannum no baptism found but  buried 20 Jan 1753 at Melksham
Elizabeth Lannum baptized 12 Aug 1754
Agatha Lannum no baptism found but buried 7 Jul 1756 at Melksham

No other children found for this couple. Elizabeth would have been sixteen years of age when her father was buried 6 Apr 1770 at Melksham.

There are no wills for Lannum but there are wills for Lanham at Melksham and other places:

Ref No    Title    Date    Name    Occupation    Community       

P1/12Reg/296B  Will  1770  Lanham, Joseph  Melksham
   
P1/1843/18  Will, wrapper  1843  Lanham, William Randell  Tailor and draper  Salisbury
   
P1/L/257  Administration bond, inventory  1708  Lanham, William  Whiteparish
   
P1/L/487  Will  1770  Lanham, Joseph  Innholder  Melksham
   
P2/1806/57  Will, wrapper  1806  Lanham, William  Cooper  Upavon
   
P2/1819/64  Administration bond  1819  Lanham, Hannah  Widow  Bishopstone, South
   
P2/1820/22  Administration bond, wrapper  1820  Lanham, Edward  Bachelor  Bishopstone, South
   
P2/2Reg/99A  Will  1550  Lanham, John  Martin 

P2/L/102  Administration bond, inventory, will  1605  Lanham, Robert  Martin 
   
P2/L/111  Administration bond, inventory, will  1607  Lanham, Robert  Husbandman  Bishopstone, South
   
P2/L/176  Account, administration bond, inventory  1629, 1630  Lanham, William  Martin  

P2/L/211  Inventory, will  1636  Lanham, Gabriel  Bishopstone, South 
   
P2/L/266  Inventory, will  1661  Lanham, Thomas  Yeoman  Bishopstone, South
   
P2/L/345  Inventory  [1676]  Lanham, William  Lace maker  Martin
   
P2/L/384  Commission, inventory, will  1685  Lanham, John, senior  Broad weaver  Wilton
   
P2/L/458  Inventory, will  1703  Lanham, John alias George  Broad weaver  Wilton
   
P2/L/504  Inventory, will  1712  Lanham, John  Cheesemonger  Wilton 
   
P2/L/518  Administration bond  1713  Lanham, Joseph  Amesbury
   
P2/L/601  Will  1734  Lanham, Thomas  Yeoman  Bishopstone, South
   
P2/L/800  Administration bond  1793  Lanham, Henry  Bachelor  Market Lavington
   
P25/1774/4  Administration bond  1774  Lanham, Henry  Westbury
   
P25/1815/2  Oath, will  1815  Lanham, William  Tiler and plasterer  Westbury
   
P4/1718/18  Two inventories, will  1718  Lanham, Philip  Cooper  Salisbury
   
P5/15Reg/320B  Will  1715  Lanham, Mary  Spinster  Heytesbury
   
P5/1690/28  Inventory, will  1690  Lanham, Mary  Widow  Heytesbury
   
P5/1712/34  Administration bond  1712  Lanham, William  Heytesbury
   
P5/1715/23  Will  1715  Lanham, Mary  Spinster  Heytesbury
   
P5/1749/33  Will, wrapper  1749  Lanham, Richard  Heytesbury
   
P5/1756/20  Will  1756  Lanham, Alice  Widow  Heytesbury

I need to learn more about the Lanham family and why their surname was Lannum at Melksham in the parish records. I did find the Lannum spelling on Family Search. In Find My Past it appears to be Lanham for the same individual. The marriage bond for Joseph Lanham and Elizabeth Wilmar (widow) at Melksham of 1752 lists John Rutty as bondsman. Why are there two wills listed for Joseph Lanham in 1770 at Melksham? Are there two who died in the same year?

Joseph Lanham married at Rowde Hannah Banks of Lacock 23 Aug 1738. Joseph was of Melksham but I am suspicious that his wife Agatha was deceased as no more children after the burial of Agatha.

I also found the Marriage Licence Bonds transcription for Joseph Lannum 3 May 1728 at Amesford with marriage at Bradford. He was a cloth worker living at Amesbury and Agatha Stephens was of Melksham. So it would appear that the Joseph Lannum/Lanham at Amesbury is also the Joseph Lannum/Lanham at Melksham where he was a clothier. Another interesting record for a baptism of Joseph Lanham 6 Oct 1754 at Market Lavington son of Joseph (no other details).

Do I have enough evidence to show that the Joseph Lanham at Amesbury was also the Joseph Lanham at Melksham? It would appear that the marriage bond does give sufficient information. I need to purchase the wills (both are available) although Elizabeth his likely daughter was not married until 1780 so will not likely show any relationship to the Lywood family into which I postulate she married. However did George and Elizabeth meet one is left to ponder but losing her father at 16 years of age probably changed her life especially as that father had gone bankrupt as a clothier in Melksham. If I could learn more about her mother perhaps I could learn more about the daughter and where she was located after her father's death.

I did not yet purchase the wills but will do so eventually.

Ancestry of Elizabeth Lanham:

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. George LYWOOD (b 7 May 1786) - West Harnham Wiltshire England
7. Elizabeth Lanham (b 12 Aug 1754) - Melksham Wiltshire England
8. Joseph Lannum (b 17 Sep 1729) - Melksham Wiltshire England
9. Joseph Lannum
10. Joseph Lanham

New York State Family History Conference - 17-19 Sep 2015

We have been away most of September although I have actually blogged quite a bit compared to this past year. The beginning part we were down to Stratford for the Stratford Shakespearian Theatre and it did not disappoint. We saw three great plays; something my husband has always wanted to do through the years and we just never got to it but now this is the third year that we have done that. An absolutely unforgettable experience as the stage at Stratford is phenomenal allowing for the feeling of being right there with the players. I especially enjoyed our last play - The Physicists. It was a most interesting look at nuclear power and how it corrupts but yet it has been a life saver for others in health implications. Harnessing the atom has both its dark side and its extremely bright side.

Then we had our annual Schultz Family Reunion and talking about the Family Tree and testing DNA which was a theme which carried itself on into the next couple of days as we visited several groups of cousins trying to interest them in DNA testing. My husband has had good luck with his mother's side in terms of finding matches and proving lines but wanted to do the same for his father's side of the family. Matches are slowly growing there now and hopefully more. But one side of his mother's family, my husband's maternal grandfather is still lacking any coherent knowledge of the genetic accumulation and so we hope that this visit will result in several people testing and letting us learn more about the Link family which Ed has traced back to Tuningen, Schwarzwaldkreis, Wurttenberg in the late 1600s.

Then we were off to the New York State Family History Conference at Syracuse New York. An excellent conference and of course Ed is still searching for his elusive connection between Isaac Kipp born in 1764 in New York area and Hendrick Hendrickson Kip an emigrant to New Amsterdam/New York in the latter part of the 1630s. Other interests as well but principally solving the Kip line is high on  his agenda. He attended a lot of lectures on searching the early records and what might be there to help you in your quest.

For the most part I attended lectures on DNA and these were given by Blaine Bettinger and Judy Russell, two not to be missed giants in the field of DNA. I attended four of their lectures in total. Two others that I particularly found interesting were given by Matthew Knutzen. He provided two tantalizing lectures on the map collection at the New York Public Library and a crowdsourcing project that has produced interesting results. We have spent many hours at the New York Public Library and their collection of genealogical material is incredible. The map collection completes this textual collection in amazing ways. I also attended a lecture on the records of the DAR as I think they might help to solve the dilemma of Isaac Kipp. One day we must get to their library in Washington although things are coming online rapidly there as well.

The DNA lectures on autosomal DNA by both Blaine Bettinger and Judy Russell were most interesting. I am into autosomal DNA these days and I think that is the direction that family history research will move to for the most part although yDNA is still the leader in strictly surname research. I want to do more with all the autosomal DNA matches that I have been accumulating and I am slowly working through that process. My matches with the Lywood family have proven to be quite interesting even though I already knew that line back into the 1500s. Revealing the matches helps with the sidelines that feed into this family line and that, to me, is the great benefit of autosomal testing. For males I think testing their yDNA and autosomal is an absolute necessity to have it available to pass on to future generations. The mitochondrial is interesting but the other two are imperative. For women the autosomal testing is essential and the mitochondrial again interesting especially if you are brickwalled with your female line back.

The biggest most important item that came out of these talks was the absolute necessity of testing all of your siblings if that is possible and trying to phase your parent's/grandparent's DNA. Blocking them into familial lines is my aim ultimately and I did not see a lot of that discussed but I think it too is the future. No better gift to give to one's parents even though deceased that the ability of their descendants to have at hand all these tools to do as complete family research as possible. One doesn't know who will pick up the threads of one's research in the future so providing them with as many tools as possible is the best way forward.

George Lywood (1750 - possibly 1796)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 38

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

This is the one member of the Lywood family for whom I do not have a death date. The last child of George Lywood and Elizabeth Lanham (married 18 Jul 1780 at West Harnham) was baptized  7 May 1786 at West Harnham. Their other two children Jane baptized 17 Mar 1783 at Stapleford (7 miles from West Harnham, 2 miles from Fugglestone where her father was baptized) and John baptized 22 Jan 1784 at West Harnham.

There is a Lywood one-name study at the Guild of One Name Studies and that was my introduction to One-Name studies actually. Warwick Lywood sent me  an eight generation chart for my Lywood family starting with George baptized 7 May 1786 and going back to John Lywood who died at Compton Chamberlayne and whose son Robert was born at Fovant Wiltshire circa 1581. I was amazed as that was, at that point in time, my furtherest back tree.

George, baptized in 1786, is my Waterloo Veteran. I was very excited to find him. He was also my first ancestor to set foot in Canada as he served at the Halifax garrison in the early 1800s before moving on to the Peninsular Wars and from there to Waterloo with the 23rd Regiment of Foot.

But what of his father? I know absolutely nothing and searches occasionally online have not brought up any particular information. A search on the Wiltshire and Swindon Wills Search  reveals four wills:

Ref No    Title    Date    Name    Occupation    Community       

P2/L/563  Inventory, will  1725  Lywood, William  Burcombe
P2/L/574   Administration bond  1727  Lywood, Andrew  Fugglestone St Peter
P4/1718/21  Administration bond  1718  Lywood, Charles  Salisbury
P4/1727/16  Will  1727  Lywood, Mary  Stratford-Sub-Castle

 William Lywood whose will (not yet available on the Wiltshire site) was probated in 1725 is my 7x great grandfather. He was married to Mary Deart 15 Jun 1686 at Fovant, Wiltshire. They had three children: William (my ancestor) baptized 18 Dec 1687 at Fovant (and married to Sarah Bryan 27 Sep 1710 at Idmiston, Wiltshire), Mary baptized 2 Jun 1689 at Fovant and married to Alexander Marten 2 Apr 1711 at Ebbesborne Wake, Wiltshire and Susannah baptized 8 Mar 1690 and buried 13 Nov 1697 at Fovant.

Andrew Lywood and Charles Lywood I believe are sons of John Lywood and Cicelie Smith who married 21 May 1657 at Compton Chamberlayne. This John Lywood being the son of John Lywood and Sibbell Martin who married 14 Apr 1634 in Compton Chamberlayne. Again this John Lywood was the son of John Lywood  and unknown. One more generation back the father of John was also John Lywood married to Edith Thayer. This couple were initially listed as my 10x great grandparents but for the moment I trace back to Robert Lywood and Alice Baylie who married 10 Jan 1624 at Fovant. Was Robert a son of John Lywood and Edith Thayer, I do not, at present, know the answer.

Mary Lywood at Stratford Sub Castle is unknown to me.
   
The National Archives (UK) has six wills and to the best of my knowledge none of them is related to me but I will look at their wills today:

PROB 11/1776/81  Will  3 Sep 1830  John Lywood  Barton Stacey  Hampshire
http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/04/will-of-john-lywood-esquire-barton.html
PROB 11/4576/280  Will  7 Oct 1700 John Lywood, Mariner On Board HMS Queen
http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/04/will-of-john-lywood-mariner-on-board.html
PROB 11/1137/330  Will  28 Jan 1786  Lady Maria Lywood, Widow of Amsterdam
PROB 11/918/271  Will  9 May 1766  John Lywood, Gentleman Romsey Hampshire
PROB 11/2196/161  Will 11 Aug 1854  Leonard Lywood, Gentleman Barton Stacey Hampshire
PROB 11/713/578  Will  27 Nov 1741 Hugh Lywood, Cooper St Mary Matsellon otherwise Whitechapel, Middlesex

I have put in a link to the blog where any of the wills can be found already transcribed.

The will of Lady Maria Lywood (widow of the Reverend Johannes Christophous Morchard) does not add any details to the Lywood family. The next will for John Lywood, Gentleman, Romsey Hampshire refers to his daughter Mary Morchard and details the Capital Stock in the Bank of England which she mentions in her will. He mentions a grand daughter Anna Anthonietta Helena Morchard.

The will of Leonard Lywood (son of John Lywood at Barton Stacey) and I know is not linked to my George Lywood at this point in time. The ancestry of this Lywood family may go back prior to the 1600s but unknown to me. Contact Warwick Lywood at the Guild of one name studies for more information as he may be able to help with that.

I do not have anyone with the forename Hugh in my Lywood lines but will have a look at his will as well. The parish of St Mary Matfelon is popularly known as St Mary's Whitechapel. He only mentions his wife Sarah in the will (Hugh Lywood married Sarah Prosser 26 Oct 1733 at St Goerge in the East, Middlesex). He is possibly the son of William and Eliza Lywood baptized 19 Aug 1711 at Saint Anne Soho, Westminster. On Family Search there is a son Benjamin Reader Lywood baptized 16 Jul 1740 at St Botolph without Aldgate, London son of Hugh and Sarah Lywood. Looking at the marriage of William and Eliza[beth] Lywood it is likely that they baptized a number of children at Saint Anne Soho namely:

Elizabeth baptized 21 Feb 1700
Mary baptized 30 Jan 1703
Rose baptized 4 Oct 1705
William baptized 19 Sep 170/ buried 9 Dec 1741 St Anne Soho
Hugh baptized  19 Aug 1711
James baptized 25 Feb 1719

and at St James Westminster, Middlesex

Robert baptized 5 Dec 1699

Giving a possible marriage date by 1699 for William Lywood and Eliza[beth] unknown. 

There was a William Leywood baptized 16 Sep 1672 at St Sepulchre, London son of William and Elizabeth Leywood.  There is a burial for William Lywood 21 Nov 1729 at St Anne Soho.

Interesting the extra e in the baptism of 1672. Is this family related to the Lywood family of Wiltshire/Hampshire? It is a fairly rare surname managed by Warwick Lywood at the Guild of One Name Studies.

Using the Public Profiler site (http://www.publicprofiler.org/) and going to Great Britain Family Names Lywood was most commonly found in Wiltshire on the 1881 census with some in Hampshire and a very few in greater London (Twickenham and Croydon). Then looking at the World site Lywood is found in the United Kingdom and Canada with the highest frequency per million in Canada (2.52 as compared to 2.01 in the United Kingdon).

But I did not find a burial for George Lywood, my 4x great grandfather, in this 52 ancestor challenge. I think he may have been alive in 1791 as I find an outpatient admittance in Salisbury 11 Jun 1791 and again 17 Mar 1792. A record I found earlier was for a George Lywood born in 1778 who was buried 15 May 1796 but I can not find a George who fits into that in West Harnham where my Lywood family lived. I wonder if it is an error in transcription and that this George was actually born in 1750 and was 46 when he died. Perhaps one day I will have a look at the original Wiltshire parish registers.

 Ancestry of George Lywood:

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. George LYWOOD (b 7 May 1786) - West Harnham Wiltshire England
7. George LYWOOD (b 11 Nov 1750) - Fugglestone St Peter Wiltshire England
8. George LYWOOD (b 12 Feb 1723) - Fugglestone St Peter Wiltshire England
9. William LYWOOD (b 18 Dec 1687) - Fovant Wiltshire England
10. William LYWOOD (b 22 Oct 1665) - Fovant Wiltshire England
11. Robert LYWOOD (b 1 Mar 1628) - Fovant Wiltshire England
12. Robert LYWOOD (b c 1581) - Fovant Wiltshire England

One year hence

It is interesting to look at the past year of my life and my research for they are forever entwined. I entered this past year with back trouble resulting from two falls about two weeks apart. I learned a great deal about my character as a result of those falls. I can be an absolutely very stubborn person and it was that absolute stubbornness that resulted in my basically standing for six months whenever I was awake and thus my back healed with careful exercises which initially did not appear to be working although I have done my yoga exercises for over 45 years. I had to finetune them to work with a healing back and so I did and the net result was amazing in retrospect. Six months after the accident I was able to return slowly to my research and sitting at the computer for longer than a couple of minutes. I still did do some research but not to any great extent. It gave me a great deal of time to think about where my research was going and the activities with which I was involved. The two were in a hopeless collision that I had to resolve and it took me the other six months to resolve that and to train my mind not to become involved in projects that did not directly lead to more information on my two one name studies or to enhancing my own family research. It has been difficult to keep myself from becoming distracted by other interesting ideas but as I turn 70 in just a couple of days I think that I am now facing forward and thinking clearly in terms of how to accomplish the most out of my research days to both compliment my one name studies which do quite fascinate me and my own family research which has changed in some ways this past year.

First of all, my DNA studies are now completely integrated with my family research. Although I still do all that paper research (while mostly microfilm records either online or as fiche that I have purchased), I am now looking keenly at all the autosomal data that I have accumulated by testing both myself and my brother at most of the companies. Me, I am tested at every main company except for National Genographic 2.0 and Britains DNA and my brother is tested at every company except AncestryDNA which I intend to resolve in the next month or so. I am somewhat overwhelmed with dna data at the moment and about to get another deluge of information from 23 and Me so will wait on that test for another month. I also want to do the Full Genome of my brother who has been so willing to be tested. He has been grand. But now I am able to produce these interesting tables combining all the companies results and my known cousins and triangulate results to give me a peek into the past.

Secondly, I have determined that five years is the length of time that I will spend on the Blake and Pincombe one name studies. I will still maintain them after that date but I will not actively research other lines than my own after I am 75 years of age. I hope that in the five years I will find someone younger/willing to take on the one name studies and give them all my acquired material or I will donate it to a local repository to be available to anyone who wishes to use it.

Thirdly, I will from now on have a 52 ancestor challenge beginning each new year where I selectively work on family lines  - next year is already dedicated to the 4x great grandparents of our grandchildren and many other grandchildren as their descendants number in the tens of thousands on their French Canadian side and their Colonial American side. My side, English, has considerly less descendants due to very small families in some of my lines that went on to produce offspring. The two World Wars were particularly hard on many of my family lines in the southern part of England. But even before that I have a number of only children in lines in more than one generation.

Fourthly, I need to plan (with my husband of course) several research trips directed at learning as much as I can about several lines that are quite veiled to me although the DNA results are certainly showing that I am looking in the right direction. I just need to read what is available in a couple of particular repositories.

Fifthly, I have a couple of large scanning projects that I want to complete this next year. I will redo my calendar to suit these changes in my thoughts. I will turn two half days into scanning days.

Since my dedicated research days on particular family lines (namely Monday although that occasionally comes a little earlier) is not involved with my own family lines I need to have some "spare time" built into my calendar plan to accommodate DNA research with respect to my personal family lines. I have started to write to cousins to see if I can persuade any of them to test for particular lines. My mother's side now has a couple of interesting results that let me look back into her lines but I still have very little on my father's side of close family relatives so that I have a control group to look at other matches as they drop into my various matches at the many companies. He was an only child and I only have a few 2nd cousins on his side.

For the remainder of this year, I will continue working on my 4x great grandparents - Jane Morgan is to come and I know very little about her. That will just be luck I think finding out more about Thomas Rawlin's wife's line. Then on to the Lywood family which has been well researched by Warwick Lywood with his one name study although the name of George Lywood's wife is Elizabeth Lanham rather than Canham which was a rather great find earlier in the year. Then my Peck line and Martha Peck's father was unknown and remains that way - was he a Napoleonic soldier? a great unknown but Elizabeth Peck will be written about. Then John Rew the grandfather of Elizabeth Rew my 2x great grandmother married to John Pincombe, the emigrant, and staying with the Pincombe theme I will look at Philip Rowcliffe father of Elizabeth Rowcliffe married to Robert Pincombe and Mary Charley my 4x great grandmother and mother of Robert Pincombe. Then back to Somerset and Grace Kent married to Robert Siderfin is my next 4x great grandparent. Up to the East riding of Yorkshire to write about Robert Gray and Jane Hilton my 4x great grandparents whose grandson Robert Gray Junior was my emigrant ancestor in that line. Their son Robert married Elizabeth Cobb and my next 4x great grandfather was her father John Cobb of Kilnwick ERY. Then finally on the homeward trek I reach into the family lines of my maternal grandmother looking at her grandmother's Welch family. John Welch married Margaret Brockhouse 16 Feb 1783 at Rugeley Staffordshire and they are my 4x great grandparents. My 2x great grandmother Ann Welch's maternal grandparents were William Cheatle and likely Sarah Woodcock married 23 Feb 1773 at Castle Donington. A recent DNA match may help to prove this line. Then the last ancestor challenge of the year is my unknown Taylor line written up something like I wrote up unknown Buller quite a while ago now. I suspect he is the father of Samuel Taylor married to Ann Lewis Harborne and one of these days I think the DNA matches will tell me part of that story. Was he Irish? I am curious about that as his wife was English going back another three generations. It will be an interesting last post of the year to write. That gives me a total of 16 4x great grandparents to write about in the 52 Ancestor Challenge and there are 16 weeks remaining. And Challenge 36 was published for this week  - William Dove.

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

Ada Bessie Cotteril Rawlings aka Edith Bessie Taylor

My grandmother Blake was always a shadow figure in my life as she died 5 years before I was born. I knew a lot about her actual life, what she liked to do, her character and her known relatives. But when I tried to find her in the records  prior to 1891 that proved to be an impossible task. She just appears in the records in 1891 as the daughter of William Taylor and his wife Elizabeth. Searching for their marriage  around 1876 was also non productive. Then, bolstered by my courses at the National Institute  for Genealogical  Studies, I started collecting information on her siblings four in number although only three survived to adulthood. Buying their birth registrations led to the discovery of their mother  Elizabeth's  maiden name Rawlings. That let me find the marriage of William and Elizabeth in 1882. With that piece of knowledge I knew then that my grandmother had likely been born out of wedlock and was not likely the daughter of William Taylor. He would have been 17 years of age when she was born. I further proved this to be unlikely as he was some distance from Kimpton in this time period. Plus he was not listed as her father although did sign the marriage registration as a witness when Edith married Samuel Blake my grandfather.

I then purchased the marriage registration for William Taylor and  Elizabeth Rawlings and her father was William Rawlings. Locating Elizabeth on the census in 1861 and 1871 I found her mother Elizabeth and her siblings but could not find Elizabeth in 1881 and still can not find her. I searched on William instead and up popped the 1881 census with the youngest sons David and Sidney and a grand daughter Ada Rawlings five years old born at Ludgershall. Finding the birth registration for Ada proved  to be remarkably easy  and I waited for yet another certificate. Looking today at Find my past for my grandmother born in 1876 is interesting as there are seven hits for Ada Rawlings born in 1876 but six are easily eliminated because I know she was born 1 April 1876 and thus is the only record that matches.

For some reason I am completely untroubled by my discovery. Illegitimacy  does not hold any horrors for me. Finding my grandmother back in 2005 proved to be a catalyst for all the research that has followed. I discovered that you really can prove your line. Unfortunately it is not likely possible to determine her haplogroup. My father was her only child. She had one half sister but thus far I have not found a female descendant. The Rawlings line quickly fleshed out back to the mid seventeen hundreds  and a recent post proposes  a further jump back in time. William Rawlings married Elizabeth Lywood and the Lywood family has been well researched as a one name study by Warwick  Lywood  who has taken it back into the fifteen hundreds.

The last few 52 Ancestor Challenges have looked at the possible ancestry of my grandmother's  natural father. The father she knew and dearly loved was William Taylor and I considered  just letting her never be found by me in my recordings. The Taylor family was her family.  My grandfather  had very efficiently laid out an ancestry for her that appeared to be quite solid but I could not find a birth registration that fitted. Was I being unfair to her memory? I finally  decided after l revealed her ancestry to all my siblings and they were excited  that she was found that her memory was better served by truth than fiction. We love her just for being our grandmother  nothing else matters. A few Cotterill, Cotterell, Cottrell matches on the various databases that I have tested tell me I am likely right but I will wait to see if they contact me.

I am mostly  of the opinion that one's  familial ancestry determines who you are really. One's  genetic ancestry may or may not coincide but it can not include those wonderful personal anecdotes that make up the story of a family. We genealogists in this time and place have a wonderful opportunity to tell the stories of our families in amazing ways for future generations that gives flesh to the bones. Our DNA is also wonderful to include and gives us both recent and deep ancestry.

In total I have now found two illegitimacies in my ancestry. Both occur in the same line. My grandmother's  grandmother was also illegitimate. I suspect that her father was a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. Martha Peck  married George Lywood a veteran of Waterloo and was the mother of Elizabeth Lywood married to William Rawlings. Not telling us the true story of our grandmother lost us the story of George at Waterloo. That story  has now returned  to our family history.

Jeremiah Rawlins (1755 - 1834)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 26

Blake, King, Coleman, Pearce, Farmer, Mary (unknown), Lambden, Sarah (unknown), Knight, Ellis, Knight, Vincent, Butt, O'Ford, Arnold, Molton, Cotterel, 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

Jeremiah (Jerome) Rawlins is another of my 4x great grandfathers. He has been known to me since the early part of my time in genealogy. I first met cousins online in 2006. From one of the cousins I received the fiche for Enford and I have imaged the records for the Rawlins family there. Jeremiah, unlike the rest of his siblings, was baptized at Netheravon instead of Enford. Fortunately my cousin had obtained that record as well and the priest has noted that Jeremiah was of Enford when he was baptized. Of note, the Rawlins family lived right at the edge of  the village of Enford close to Netheravon and perhaps on that day or at that time it was just more convenient to have Jeremiah baptized at Netheravon.

Jeremiah was married to Sarah Tanner at Tilshead 1 Nov 1780 and again the priest made a notation that Jeremiah was of Enford.

,

Note the spelling of Rawlins as Rallings. This Rawlins family did not begin to spell their name Rawlings until the early to mid 1800s. Some of my cousins still use the Rawlins spelling for their surname (particularly in Australia).

Jeremiah and Sarah baptized eight children at Enford, 1 baptism not found:

Elizabeth baptized 26 Aug 1781 and married to William Hurkett 10 Feb 1808 at Enford
Thomas baptized 20 Sep 1783 and married to Mary Dove 9 Dec 1807 at Woodford
Anne baptized 6 Dec 1785 and likely dead by 1793
John baptized 8 Oct 1786 (his only son William emigrated to Australia)
Jeremiah baptized 13 Feb 1790 (went to Australia)
Anne baptized 4 Apr 1793; buried 7 Dec 1793 at Enford
William baptized 5 Mar 1797
Anne baptized 5 Mar 1797
James born circa 1801 and married to Ruth Lay 24 Apr 1828 at Enford

My line descends down through Thomas married to Mary Dove and lately correspondence has indicated that my original thought that Thomas may have served in the Napoleonic Wars including being in Canada may be correct. There is a descendant of a child of a Thomas Rawlings born in North America. There is also a daughter Harriet born circa 1813 in Wiltshire but deceased likely by 1819. Thomas and Mary were married 9 Dec 1807 at Woodford. A search of this parish register does not show any Rawlins/Rawlings families there other than this marriage of Thomas and Mary. Mary was of the parish of Woodford although no baptism has been found for her there. They have six children known by me:

Harriet 1813
Isaac 1818
Harriet 1819
Jeremiah 1821
Jane 1823
William 1825 (and my ancestor)

William Rawlings married Elizabeth Lywood 22 Sep 1849 at Amesbury and they had seven children:

George born circa 1851 at Milston married Mary Ann Mead
Harriet born circa 1852 at Enford and married to Charles C Butler mar quarter 1869 at Devizes
Elizabeth born 19 Oct 1853 at Enford and married to William Taylor 11 Feb 1882 at Ludgershall
Mary Jane born circa 1856 at Enford
William born circa 1858 at Enford and married Jane Barlow jun quarter 1883 at Collingbourne Ducis
David born circa 1863 at Enford and married Hannah Elizabeth Broadhurst dec quarter 1891
Sidney Herbert born circa 1870 at Collingbourne Ducis and married Lily Sherwood 10 Oct 1892 at Abbots Ann

My ancestor was Elizabeth and she had a child before her marriage to William Taylor named Ada Bessie Cotteril Rawlings baptized 27 Aug 1876 at Kimpton, Hampshire. Bessie would marry Samuel George Blake 1 Jun 1903 at Kimpton and they were my paternal grandparents. On the 1881 census she is listed as Ada Rawlings living with her maternal grandparents at Collingbourne Ducis.

William Rawlings circa 1902













William and Elizabeth Rawlings get my vote for best grandparents ever as they took in their grand daughter at some point after her birth and baptism at Kimpton (her baptism was five months after her birth at Kimpton) and she perhaps remained with her grandparents until after her mother's marriage in 1882. On the 1891 census she is listed as Bessie Taylor living with her step father, mother and siblings. She then married as Edith Bessie Taylor and I have it on good reference that Ada pronounced by a Wiltshire resident could well sound like Edith by the time it is recorded as such in Kimpton. My father mentioned that he had three grandfathers although only met the one shortly before he came to Canada. My grandmother did know she was illegitimate as her step father signed as a witness on her marriage registration and the name of the father was blank. Perhaps the families decided that they would not marry. Such information did not pass down in my family or in the family of her step siblings.But it all worked out for the best for all parties it would appear as each went on to have their families and were content.

Back to Jeremiah my 4x great grandfather and he was a labourer. His father was William Rawlins and the marriage which another researcher (paid by my cousin) felt with a reasonable search was William Rawlins and Mary Ford 30 Sep 1741 at Wylye and I agree that this is the likely marriage for this couple. They had eight children and five of them were baptized at Enford. For the eldest Mary I have not yet found a baptism; I am missing one for Edward and the youngest, Jeremiah, was baptized at Netheravon.

Mary Rawlings born circa 1742 married Stephen Cotterel 28 Jan 1764 at Enford ( A grandchild of this couple would marry in Australia her second cousin William Rawlins (son of John).)
William baptized 17 Nov 1743 and married Mary Dyke 25 Sep 1766 at Enford
Edward born circa 1745 and married Ruth White 20 Jun 1766 at Enford
Elizabeth baptized 26 Jun 1747 and married Thomas Hillier 31 May 1772 at Enford
Thomas baptized 14 Jan 1748 and buried 11 Jul 1758 at Enford
Martha baptized 23 Jun 1751 and married Robert Matthews
John baptized 22 Oct 1752
Jeremiah baptized 13 Apr 1755 at Netheravon married Sarah Tanner 1 Nov 1780 at Tilshead

At this point William Rawlins and Mary Ford are elusive. Mary was buried 10 Mar 1789 at Enford. My object today is to learn more about William Rawlins and Mary Ford as I have not looked at this family for quite a long time. Solving the mystery of my grandmother happened back in 2006 following the purchase of eight birth/marriage/burial registrations that then permitted me to fit the family of Elizabeth Rawlins/William Taylor together with proofs. At that time I hypothesized a possible ancestry for William Rawlins which I put together from Family Search but discarded it. I have not yet found information for Mary Ford.

Searching for William Rawlins on Find My Past does verify the marriage at Wylye for a William Rawlins and Mary Ford. That this is my William and Mary is mostly based on the best fit - the only couple in the area that fits the description.

There is a baptism of William Rawlings 5 Jun 1716 at Box son of William and Ann and there is a marriage in 1750 at Box of William Rawlings and Mary West which eliminates this William from consideration. There is also a burial in 1760 of a William Rawlings at Box but could be the father of this William. The other baptisms would be underage.

There is a burial in 1759 at Charlton near Pewsey (six miles from Enford) that could well be William Rawlins. The last child born was Jeremiah in 1755. Back in 2004, 2005, 2006 I did a search on the Rawlins family in Family Search and discovered a William Rawlins baptized 6 Apr 1722 at Steeple Ashton son of John Rawlins and Ann Carrington who had themselves been married 21 Dec 1722 at Trowbridge (3 miles from Steeple Ashton). I also found a Mary Ford baptized Nov 1722 in Edington daughter of William Ford and Sarah Harding who had themselves been married 14 Apr 1718 at Edington. These two places are only 2.7 miles apart and just 11 miles to Wylye. They are both underage at the marriage in 1741 but why did they chose Enford to live in. Since William was a labourer he could well have obtained a position in that area noting that Enford is just 14 miles from Edington and 15 miles from Steeple Ashton. At the time this seemed rather fanciful and I abandoned the thought until I decided to write up William Rawlins as my 4x great grandfather and revisited these possibilities.

Looking at Ann Carrington she was baptized 25 Mar 1690 at Holt (2.3 miles from Trowbridge) so a reasonable distance. She was the daughter of Thomas Carrington and Anne Drewett who were themselves married 1 Aug 1687 at Colerne. Colerne is just nine miles from Trowbridge so not too far away. Thomas Carrington was buried 22 Jan 1717 at Holt and Anne Drewett was buried 3 Jul 1722 at Holt.

Looking at William Ford  baptized 15 Jan 1698 at Edington and he was the son of George Ford.

There is a John Rawlings baptized 21 Sep 1696 at Colerne son of William. There is a William Rawlings baptized at Steeple Ashton 16 May 1669 son of William.

Also baptized at Colerne children of William and Ann Rawlings:

Ann Rawlings baptized 17 Nov 1686
William Rawlings baptized 9 Jan 1689
Elizabeth Rawlings baptized 12 Sep 1692
John Rawlings baptized 21 Sep 1696
Thomas Rawlings baptized 14 Jul 1700
 
John, William, Thomas, Henry, Joseph and Gifford Rawlings/Rawlins are all baptizing children in this time period at Colerne.However this is the only John that fits into the marriage of John and Ann.

Looking at the places and events in which I am interested, John Rawlings/Rawlins baptized at Colerne son of William would appear to be an interesting possibility. Then this William perhaps the William baptized at Steeple Ashton 16 May 1669 also son of William. There is a William Rawlings baptized 23 Jan 1624 at North Bradley son of James (North Bradley is just 3 miles from Steeple Ashton).

There are a couple of marriages at Collingbourne Kingston for a William Rawlins - 1684 and 1694 with Anne Farmer and Ann Piper (widower at the second marriage). But it is 24 miles away so reluctant to look at that one too enthusiastically. 

I think the scenario John Rawlings baptized at Colerne son of William baptized at Steeple Ashton son of William baptized at North Bradley son of James sounds like a more reasonable lineage than moving large distances.

Ancestry of Jeremiah Rawlins:

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. Thomas RAWLINS (b 20 Sep 1783) - Enford Wiltshire England
7. Jeremiah RAWLINS (b 13 Apr 1755) - Enford (Netheravon) Wiltshire England
On examination the following appears interesting
8. William RAWLINS  (b 6 Apr 1723) - Steeple Ashton Wiltshire England
9. John RAWLINGS  (b 12 Sep 1696) - Colerne Wiltshire England
10. William RAWLINGS (b 16 May 1669) - Steeple Ashton Wiltshire England
11. William RAWLINGS (b 23 Jan 1624) - North Bradley Wiltshire England
12. James RAWLINGS

This is exciting to look at Rawlins/Rawlings once again. The spelling appears to be somewhat interchangeable in the records with notations being made that it is Rawlins in the Register and Rawlings in the Bishops Transcripts for the same record.

Looking a little more at Mary Ford wife of William Rawlins and married at Wylye, I had found possible parents earlier and I rather think these parents work very well. I am always somewhat troubled when you do not see the forenames appearing later (Sarah does not appear but looking at the marriage of Jeremiah Rawlings to Sarah Tanner which is a solid paper trail and Sarah does not appear in descending families in my line).The parents of this Mary could be William Ford and Sarah Harding who married 14 Apr 1718 at Edington. William is baptized at Edington 15 Jan 1698 son of George. There is a George Ford baptized 8 Apr 1672 at Edington son of William Ford. No marriage for George Ford that is reasonable but there is a marriage for William Foarde and Anne Horte 27 Oct 1662 at Colerne (Colerne is 13 miles from Edington). Another day I must get back to the Ford family. I will also work on the Sarah Harding family. Another time I shall work on the Rawlings family to see if I can find siblings and spouses for the possible ancestors of William Rawlins baptized 1723 at Steeple Ashton..