Continuing to extract information on the Pencombe family and its derivatives

 There are 225 matches with a slightly different criteria and I think I will stay with this criteria as it collects more information. So using a + or - 40 years over a time period around 1520 gives me 1480 to 1560. A perfect expanse for what I am looking at in the records. You can adjust the display by clicking on year at the top and that will have the years beginning with the oldest and numerically following that. 

So continuing today and I have almost completed the first three pages of the sort. Some repetition from yesterday and the day before but I believe I am capturing more of the records this way. I am into the John Pyncombe family at South Molton and it is a difficult one even in the 1500s but I believe I have it sorted now. John Pincombe Senior son of John Pencombe (son of John Pencombe who arrived in 1486) outlives his son John Pincombe Junior and it is John Pincombe Junior that marries Amy Doddridge. I am thinking that it was a second marriage for John Pincombe Senior at Bishops Nympton in 1598 (Margarett Stephan). That one has always been a slight source of confusion. 

The drive itself from South Molton to Bishops Nympton is a lovely scenic route which sits somewhat above the surrounding land and you sort of swoop into Bishops Nympton suddenly as you round a curve. The Church at Bishops Nympton is simply beautiful and it is not that far from South Molton having driven from South Molton to Bishops Nympton in 2008 with  my cousin. It was my cousin who spotted the gravestone of my 3x great grandfather Robert Pincombe and his wife Elizabeth (Rowcliffe) Pincombe firmly attached to the outside wall of the Church but behind a small Yew tree so was slightly hidden. On the road (away from the main  highway and to the south of it) into Bishops Nympton right at the outskirts is the farm/home known as Park where Robert and Elizabeth raised their eight children. That is what has really saved this family because in this generation three of the four boys including Robert had huge families and the one sister as well. The second sister died quite young in childbirth.  John Pincombe and Mary (Charly) Pincombe had 36 grandchildren with quite a number of sons compared to daughters. And so the Pincombe name was propagated quickly throughout the British Isles in this generation with William's line going to Australia and Robert's line going to America and Canada. However quite a few remained in England to keep up the name there and I did find a lot of Pincombe matches at Living DNA, as well as FT DNA, Ancestry, My Heritage and 23 and Me. Now all of these matches carry the Pincombe spelling and it was just during a period between the late 1700s and into the 1800s that one saw some using the spelling of Pinkham particularly if they were from the Barnstaple area. It has helped with noticing who kept the spelling as they, I believe, are likely descendant of the John Pyncombe family at South Molton perhaps by his son Christopher. Part of doing all this extraction is to see if I can build the line and see where I can go with it. It is handy having the Charts from the earlier researchers as I tend to be able to separate the Pinkham from the Pincombe although in essence because they chose a surname that is a village in Herefordshire there could be a number of descendant lines not yet noted in the DNA groups. But for the moment it appears to be only two and I do suspect that the Pinkham family of the United States is descendant of the line at Bondleigh where Roger de Pencombe received land grants in the early 1300s (they appear to disappear but that can happen in the records especially as most of them were destroyed in 1942 when Exeter Record Office was demolished). Not seeing them on the 1332 Devon Lay Subsidy means I couldn't find them in the index (just one at Molland, John de Pencomb'). But finding John on the wrong page from what was in the index I probably need to read the Subsidy for that area and I will eventually as part of the study created by Galen and Richard. Fascinating really all of this sleuthing but they do share this history that was created by the earlier researchers in this study - Galen Pinkham in the United States and Dr. Richard Pinkham in England (I have not located him on any of the charts but I am about to do a more thorough perusal through them as I proceed through this data). 

I record all of this in case one day my Sleep Apnea or whatever  takes me out sort of and my daughters would give my research away for sure. They helped their Dad with his graveyards tours as children and did not acquire an interest in genealogy. Since I didn't have one either I can understand completely. So I am trying to write up as much as I know so that in the future someone might run with it to learn more about our shared ancestry which was brought together by the two original researchers in the Pincombe/Pinkham family at the Guild of one-name Studies. But my research materials (parish register fiche in particular will go the Anglican Church Archives) as I agreed when I purchased them that they would be placed in a suitable repository. 

 I digress and I continue on the John Pyncombe family at South Molton which included two known sons John and Christopher. The puzzle is not Christopher who died before or during 1585 when he was at least 61 as he would have been an infant possibly on the Devon Lay Subsidy where he appears but likely older just unknown how much older. It is John Pyncombe Senior that is the question as he does not appear on the Subsidy so born after 1524-7. There is one likely daughter Margret who married in 1539 to Philip Kingdon at North Molton (the item to remember is that North Molton was the wealthier of the two Moltons in this time frame) and her age could be as young as 16 perhaps. Another possible daughter Marye Pencombe who was buried 4 Feb 1563 at North Molton. Establishing this third generation is interesting for sure and lots of data flowing by and trying to figure it all out. But noting that most data is centralized in this North Molton/South Molton area so the family Pynkeham at Tawstock/Bideford is small probably since there are few records. We also know that it exists before Richard Pencombe (son of Thomas, grandson of John (in North Molton in 1486) arrives in Bideford. So lots gained in all of this working through the data. 

I went out raked and it may be that it is too much for me to do the yard work. We will see. I did just one bag of leaves. There are likely two more. I will investigate having a company come in the spring and do the cleanup and cut the grass. I did sort of do that thing last year but decided to work away at it but I do think it is too much for me. My health although good is fragile somewhat due to my crashing out at 29 or I am still recovering from my puncture wound which is all healed; we will see. 

I am still sorting the John Pyncombe members at South Molton. There are according to the Visitation of 1620 five in a row. The first one died by 1571. I think I have now determined that the second one died by 1605 and the third one died by 1604 although his initial will was dated 1593 (he was married to Amy Dodridge). The fourth one I am still working on and there is a fifth one who died young and the line then daughtered out in that generation. A trust was established and which provides financial assistance and welfare grants to needy, serving clergy of the Church of England (I was not quite right about the purpose earlier). But Christopher and his descendants still remain and it is that information that I am pursuing as I believe that one of the members of our yDNA match is a descendant of this family which would then prove that these two lines are descendant of John Pencombe (in North Molton in 1486) coming down from the two sons John and Thomas and that is hugely amazing to be honest. I am very pleased with the process thus far. The family lore points to the South Molton family being also in the Barnstaple area.

I was in communication with a Pincombe descendant in Chittlehampton (he was fairly old in 2007 and the lines dropped maybe ten or  more years ago) who had not been able to trace his Pincombe line because there were too many so the hope is that as I move forward I will be luckier. We will see how that transpires as that is the purpose of this digging forward into 50,000 records.  I have sorted out the beginning so now I just have to push forward with my checking all these matches. As I mentioned, I will pull the Pinkham as well as I move along and enter them into my Legacy file. Eventually I will burn that to a DVD and make it available to anyone in the family that wants it. It will only carry information up to the beginning of the 1900s (my uncle and mother will be on it). This is a memory of John Routledge Pincombe who died much too young at 53 years of age. His life was sad but he had a joy in his children and he and my grandmother had a good marriage. He loved to argue politics which she did not like but other than that their life together was full of joy she told me. 

 There does appear to be a problem with the Visitation and I note that it was prepared by William Pincombe (descendant of  Thomas) and in 1620 he was 54 years of age although he did live at South Molton at this time it was only because he was Coroner as his usual abode was at East Buckland. I think he has an extra John Pyncombe in the list and does not know what has happened to Christopher's son John. They are second cousins and what I did learn was that this was not as close a relationship as first cousins especially with William normally living at East Buckland and this John Pyncombe family was at Poughill, Devon and the distance is 44 miles from South Molton which is substantial and how often would they see each other. However I will continue observing the results. I also have a copy of the 1620 Visitation with additions which removes that extra John (forgot I had that).  The footnote for this updated Visitation reads:

The portion of this pedigree printed in italic is a copy of the Original Visitation of Devon, Harl M8, 1163, fo. 95b  and not signed. Additionally six items were used to make these changes:

 1. The Visitation of Devon 1564 contained in Harl. MS. 1080, fo. 64 b, commences with this.

2. The Original Visitation begins here. 

3. Washfield Parish Register.

4. Southmolton Parish Register.

5. Crediton Parish Register.

6. Barnstaple Parish Register 

 I did look at this on my blog years ago but had forgotten that I saw it then. So the one problem solved but still I need to pursue the records to see if I can bring Christopher's family down in the records. I did find it interesting that John Pyncombe married Amy Dodridge at Barnstaple although I need to see that record but it is mentioned in this footnote. 

Quitting time and I must be quick  to get my steps for this hour. 

Solitaire puzzles to do; forgot them today.  

 

 

 

 

Working with the AI for a bit today

 Today ends my one week looking at the old records and contemplating just what the one liner in the heading of the Visitation of 1620 Devon for the Pyncombe family really meant. 

Point one: The logic of choosing Pencombe as a surname with a village called that in Herefordshire was fairly common when surnames first came into being. generally it was de Pencombe so "of Pencombe" leaving one with the impression at least two sets of people from Herefordshire were in Devon in the 1300s - early 1300s Bondleigh (Roger de Pencombe) and as an Assessor on the 1332 Lay Subsidy for Devon at Molland (John de Pencomb'). Were they related? Then we have the third Pencombe family in 1486 at North Molton (one hundred and fifty years later) but they use the surname Pyncombe on the Visitation of Devon  1620. 

Point two: The only Pencombe/Pincombe/Pyncombe family members on the 1524-7 Devon Lay Subsidy are living in the North Molton area. I did try a number of spellings including Tencombe which has been suggested to me but on the early records it was spelled Teigncombe like the river nearby where they were and considerably further away from the Pencombe than Bondleigh was.  I have eliminated that line as being Pencombe. 

Point three:  

 The 1524-7 Devon Lay Subsidy for 1524 has in the index Pencombe pages 89, 90, 91; Pincombe page 89, which results in South Molton Borough: John Pencome G 10; South Molton Parish: Chris Pyncombe G5; North Molton Parish: John Pencombe G5, Thomas Pencombe W 1 (one after the other), William Pencombe G2.  The 1620 Visitation of the County of Devon for Pyncombe was submitted by William Pyncombe of South Molton and East Buckland the son of William Pincombe and Emot Snowe with this William being the son of Thomas Pencombe as noted on the Visitation. The sons of John Pencome/Pencombe at South Molton were John and Christopher with each having a son John. So this second generation coming down is visible with this chart and leads into the third but rather inadequately given the actual parish registers that exist and the Devon Lay Subsidy of 1543-45 and the Devon Muster Roll of 1569. But it does serve to separate out the two son's lines since they are the only two of three sons with descendants coming down past the third generation. Christopher's line appears to disappear but there was family lore in the South Molton family that some members of the South Molton family moved to the Barnstaple area and the one tester who matches the other four has a family history back to Barnstaple and is the basis of my thought that the two lines continue to be represented to the current time. The only Pencombe in  Devon at this time appears to be at North or South Molton.

Point four:

The 1543 - 45 Devon Lay subsidy has entries for Pencombe pages 62, 63, 77, 86, 105; Pincombe page 61, Pinkham page 94. This results in South Molton Parish (1544): John Pyncome 13, Christopher Pyncombe 10; North Molton Parish (1545): Alice Pencombe 5 (one notes this does not say widow), William Pencombe 6, John Pencombe 4; (1544) William Pyncum 13; Nymett Regis (Kings Nympton Parish (1545) Richard Pencombe 1; Estbuclond Parish (East Buckland (1544) Thomas Pencomb 9; Tawstock Parish (1544) Philip Pynkeham 8 (who is he?); Bedeford Parish (Bideford 1544) Richard Pencombe 5. 

Summing up: I have looked at all this data a number of times but it was back in my much earlier days into genealogy. First things I noticed was the Snow family here and there although said to be Anstey for Emot Snow the wife of Thomas Pencombe (there was actually one at Bishops Nympton). I found my eyes wandering over the areas around North Devon and contemplated whether everything made it into the index since this was prepared totally by hand but knowing the ancestors they tended towards accuracy but having discovered the page difference in 1332 for John de Pencomb' I feel I should spend perhaps another week looking at all of this data. 

Point five:

The Devon Muster 1569 was also very interesting: Pincombe pages 147, 162, 164, 165: East Buckland William Pyncomb G7, William Pyncombe pikeman; North Molton John Pincomb (presenter sworn); South Molton Parish with the Towne Christopher Pincomb G7, John Pincomb G6, John Pincombe G7, John Pincombe pikeman. Pinkham page 141 Yarnscombe: Richard Penkham pikeman;  A little more time on this database is needed as well.  (Yarnscombe is near Barnstaple). 

The one week revealed a few weaknesses in my work although I did review the Early Chancery Proceedings going backwards from 1486 and then forwards from 1486 but did not locate anything on the Pencombe (or any derivative spelling) in these records. 

Point six: 

The Purcome family on the 1543-45 Devon Lay subsidy I have eliminated in the past at Blackawton Parish. I could revisit that although I do not think they are the same family as they are in Exeter which is too far away for either of the two de Pencombe members found in the 1300s I still think.

Conclusion on the one week for me:

As suggested by the AI, the use of Pyncombe of Northmolton may have hinted at prior knowledge of Pyncombe elsewhere in Devon. It was not possible to link the two records from the 1300s with the family in the late 1400s. It was not that unusual for people to pick a place name as their surname. I think I will spend another week sorting and entering in all the information for the first three generations at North Molton. The line at South Molton was considered to have died out in the male line so will have to look at that carefully to see if indeed this line coming down into the 2000s is totally descendant of Thomas Pencombe son of John Pencombe. All testers match so one must be careful to consider all the written thoughts on the family at South Molton having moved there from North Molton in the early 1500s. 

Time for a bit of exercise. Breakfast finished and solitaire puzzles complete.  

 Put my points into my chat window with the Co-pilot and we agree. Another week still trying to locate information on Pencombe in Herefordshire or Devon. The importance of the la Zouche family in all of this is the location of Northmolton being in common to both at this moment in time and that the arrival was simultaneously occurring at the same time - the reason unknown and without reading into the la Zouche family papers I think that I would not find it. A number of young men were executed after the Battle of Bosworth Field and it is highly likely that anything that saved a youth in a family was probably kept pretty tight in the family. Releasing it in this way over one hundred and thirty four years later was likely considered to be history and the English are sticklers for history having grown up with two English born and raised grandparents and coming from families dating back hundreds of years and perhaps thousands. The English do appreciate their history and have been very speedy at saving it electronically for the generations ahead to enjoy. The lessons of the Second World War were well learned. Moving ahead in some terms with actually creating the three generations coming down from John Pencombe and possibly his wife Alice. The lack of the word widow in the record is troubling but at no point do we see a daughter in that second generation. The  name Alice was a popular one within the family in those generations along with Johane. 

I must continue to hunt out the mystery of the South Molton Pencombe family. Christopher and his son John disappear. John and his son John continue the line and it is well known and published. The wealth of that family became the Pyncombe Trust and has been very well utilized through the centuries in the village concerned. I have a Philip Pynkeham at Tawstock that is very interesting. 

Robert Pincombe (my 3x great grandfather and his wife Elizabeth Rowcliffe Pincombe) had eight children and the daughter was named Elizabeth; the seven sons were named (birth order) Robert, John, William, Thomas, George, Richard and Philip. Interesting that but Elizabeth's father's forename was Philip and her brothers' forenames were Philip, George and William so not referring back in time perhaps very far. The interesting part of all of this was I discovered Rowcliffe cousins in Huron County, Ontario. 

Must check on lunch.  

 

 

 

Continuing with Early Chancery Proceedings

 I did spend yesterday reviewing all of my datasets that pertain to the Pencombe/Pincomb/Pyncomb family of North Devon to ensure that I had added in all occurrences of the surname in the Devon area and not ignoring individual Devon references that were out of the North Devon area that I do tend to concentrate on. In fact I had collected all of them. But it was a good idea to check. 

I remain with my thought which I shared with the AI that the reference to John Lord Zouch in the 1620 Visitation of Devon was primarily to say where and when their Pencombe/Pincomb/Pyncomb family line originated in Devon and attaching it to John Lord Zouch a not unusual designation given the presence of the Zouch family as Lord of the Manor in days past which was probably considered to be a recognized individual. By stating that they arrived with Lord Zouch that supported their ability to settle in this area at this time. I suspect if one thinks it is difficult to emigrate to a new place in this time period it was very difficult in 1486 I strongly suspect. It is possible that John Pencombe arriving at North Molton in 1486 had no idea that a Roger de Pencombe had lived at Bonelegh (Bondleigh) in the early 1300s or that a John de Pencomb' had been an Assessor for the 1332 Lay Subsidy of Devon for Mollond (Molland)  (this is 150 to 200 years later).  England now has a Tudor King having defeated Richard III at Bosworth Field in 1485. It was the AI that suggested (and I agree actually) that I should observe if there is a continuous line of Pencombe/Pencomb' in Devon since I did find this surname in the times mentioned above. It is good research to eliminate possibilities. Therefore I continue in these days to read through the Early Chancery Proceedings working backward from the end of the reign of Richard III. I will read forward into Henry VII but first I want to get back to the 1100s and see if there is anything that would add to the information I already have on the Pencomb family in Herefordshire mostly living at Bromyard although also Pencombe much earlier. I will have then done due diligence such as I can and feel satisfied with my result. 

The intent on my part was always to start the genealogical tree at John Pencombe in 1486 living in North Molton; however finding some of this earlier information told me that I should consider looking at this material not so much to trace the line back further but rather to clarify perhaps if this is actually the same family. We are in a time of change as the English did not have surnames when the Normans arrived in England with William the Conqueror and selection of a surname could have been duplicated by unrelated people quite readily. I do have a good chapter on the Pencombe family of Herefordshire but for completeness I should attempt to find all the information that is available to me readily. I do need to complete the latin transcription of the Inquisition Postmortem for John de Pencomb with a son Thomas born circa 1350 and Thomas appears later in other documents in the 1390s as mentioned. I do not however have a link to a John Pencombe descendant of this Thomas and arriving at Northmolton in 1486 - one notes he would likely be a grandson or great grandson of this Thomas. But it is interesting that this family uses the forenames John, Thomas, William over the time period that I have found them in Herefordshire (very common in the early Pincombe family but also common in the rest of England for sure) whereas a Roger de Pencombe is at Bonelegh (Bondleigh) Devon in the early 1300s. 

Another aspect of this yDNA study aside from the excitement gained from having five members all matching and known to be descendant of the two sons of John Pencomb (1486 arriving in Northmolton), is the Pincombe one-name Study actually includes the spellings Pincombe and Pinkham. Members of the very large American Pinkham family do not match the yDNA results of the Pincombe family which includes one of my third cousins who lives in the United States and one of my fifth cousins who lives in Australia (matches but not part of the yDNA study).  The other four members of the study that do match my third cousin are descendant of Thomas Pencombe or John Pencombe sons of John Pencombe. Indeed the two individuals who started up this study are both surnamed Pinkham and unfortunately the one member from England did not test his yDNA before he passed away. My thought on this I will share at a later date because I think the answer may well lie in Roger de Pencombe at Bonelegh (Bondleigh)  and his selection of the surname in his line was pure chance that he chose Pencombe perhaps or an ancestor did that. Dr. Richard Pinkham, the other member of the original Pincombe study lived in Gloucestershire but his work as a physician did take him into Devon where he interviewed many Pincombe members and they shared their family trees with him. I have all of that work that he did. He did not know his line fitting into the other lines in Devon/Somerset/Gloucestershire and London/Surrey where the Pincombe family still does live. 

Continuing with my reading as I hope to get through this Book 2 and into Book 1 which takes me back as far as those records exist. I will then pick up Book 3 and read forward to see if there are any records in that section. The index which I have is from 1385-1467 and has one Pencomb listed in this index so I thought I would try to locate it. It is a slow process although the scanning of the books is excellent on Internet Archive. My Pincombe family was in general from Devon for the most part but also Somerset but going back through the generations in Devon with surnames: Rowcliffe, Charley, Pearse, Manning, Harvey, Hobbs, Stanbury, Quythers, Vicary, Tapp, Blackmoore, Upcott, Thomas, Saunders, Bray, Whetstone, Snow, Burges so am taking advantage of all the Devon results as I move my way back. I am also looking at Hereford. I find that I need to just concentrate on one line though when I do something like this and the odds of having to repeat for another county; hard to tell but I am a here and now person.  

Although the idea of a combined book was discussed the main problem is the size of the Pinkham family in the United States and I am not going to do that research as an earlier book would need to be brought up to date. But the Pinkham family would definitely be a huge section of a combined book so I think it is better to do two books and I hope that over time that does happen with the Pinkham family of the United States. My Pincombe line did not arrive in Canada until 1850/51 with my ancestor's brother arriving at Genesee New York in 1835 and his descendants still live in the United States but in other areas of the United States. The other difficulty is the Pincombe family in north west Devon did use the Pinkham spelling when they moved to London some of them and also it was used in West Devon adding that complication to the mix although in general the surname tends to be spelled Pincombe these days and Pinkham is much less common than it was in the late 1700s and early 1800s in England.  There is at least one other tester in this line that came to the United States in the 1700s and is one of the matches with my cousin (his line is known and he does fit into the descendants of the North Molton line as far as can be determined (yDNA results)). 

 Woke up in the night contemplating the records that I have reviewed and still have to do. A quick walk about and back to bed. Still need another few hours of sleep before contemplating a new day. It is Sunday now and Church in the morning. 

Dear Father hear and bless thy beasts and singing birds and guard with tenderness small things that have no word. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

Continuing with Ancestry matches

 I did manage to complete all but the last siblings matches in my Ancestry File so will finish that today. A couple of interesting matches and I do colour code where I recognize the lines that merge with mine in the past. It is the trees though that tend to be the most interesting with Ancestry although the amount shared is also meaningful along with the number of chromosomes shared. Just FT DNA to work on today and will work on that. I have decided that with these new books I will set them aside at the point where I am getting ready to publish and then a month later do my final proofreading. I suspect that in my rush to finish whilst my eyes were still handling somewhat the amount of reading I was doing I may not have followed through on my lists for proofreading which my daughter helped me to set up. Looking at the list yesterday I had not checked off proofreading the Index. The names in the index will be as in the text but I am somewhat concerned about the paging as I did not proofread the index. It was just a moment in my early widowhood when I was using James Sanders book that the thought came to me to revise it and it was never really a long thought out project but rather I dove in and did it and then my cataracts were dimming my sight somewhat, I just thought it was aging, and I rushed to publish it. Even the corrected version was part of that rushing after I completed the Companion Charting Book. An apology and a mention to any users that the paging in the indexes might be questionable because I did not actually proofread the indexes against the text. At some point I will do that and republish (there is more material that I could insert along the way although may just put it into my blog and let someone in the future carry on with a new revision). 

Once I have completed pulling the matches and entering them into my database I will return to my latin transcriptions of the wills and make a final decision on where to begin the Blake genealogical descent table for the Andover Blake family (I still tend towards Robert but should I mention Richard Blake found at Salisbury in the 1440s from Ireland). I think one contemplates whether he is English and his ancestral line went to Ireland earlier although I do not find anything in the Calendar of Patent Rolls. That he arrived twice (10 Jul 1440 and 7 Sep 1441) is interesting. Historically speaking in the 1440s the Normans are fully in control of England at this point and Henry VI is King (1422-1461 and 1470-1471). He is crowned King of both England (1429) and France (1431). By 1447 the term "The Pale" first refers to English rule and it was pretty much limited to areas within Dublin, Meath, Louth and Kildare.Ireland is seeing a change with a decline of centralized English control and the Anglo-Irish lordships are taking over control of Ireland. It could be mere coincidence that Robert has named his sons as Richard and Thomas. But I feel that I should mention this individual. Perhaps in time more British/Irish yDNA tests will come forth for the Blake family. There are a number of founding lines known in England already and the Emigrant's Database between 1330 and 1550 includes 50  Blake individuals (including three female Blake where it is not possible using the chart to determine if they were wives or Blake was their maiden name) coming into Britain but not all have a location of exit (i.e. the country they lived in prior to their arrival).  Using Paul Reed's papers and my own transcription and a couple of other items that support one thought or the other I will move to this next phase of the Blake book. It does occasionally cross my mind that my two brothers having tested their yDNA and the result being Western Hunter Gatherer it would be interesting to test my grandfather who was buried in London, Ontario at some point but at 80 probably it isn't going to be me I am thinking. It is his memories that I carry within my mind; he definitely did a good job of placing material within my brain which I have retained through these years because he said it so often and I loved him dearly and his words remain with me on many occasions. I still dream about Grandpa and I can remember that last day together when I was just past my eighth birthday. I found it hard to believe he was dead but I had kissed him goodbye lying there in his coffin. I just didn't want him to be but children grow up and accept the loss of loved ones slowly but knowing they are with God. He was born in 1875 in Upper Clatford. I think the future holds great excitement for those pursing the past in their family lines. I am fairly content with the first one hundred pages although will be reading it again and again. I need to complete my footnoting (I have done quite a bit as I have moved along but will footnote items that I may have missed). Already there are nearly 200 footnotes on the first 100 pages. Amazingly my sight is so much better now and the time taken after the cataract surgery not overdoing anything has given that to me I believe. I am still amazed that I now live a life without glasses except when I work on the computer or read a book. Wearing glasses everyday, all day, for 78 years does form habits that take time to change. Particularly putting your glasses on every day. I noticed that stayed with me; that hand movement for nearly two years.  

The Pincombe book appears to have drifted into some resting spot but actually I do think about it particularly with the Pincombe matches on Living DNA. These are the descendants of the Pincombe lines including common ancestry further back than John Pincombe and Mary (Charly) Pincombe.  The six children of John and Mary Pincombe all married but a number of them emigrated to British Colonies. My line (Robert Pincombe and Elizabeth (Rowcliffe) Pincombe) went to the United States and Canada as well as one son George who went to Australia (at least one of his descendants emigrated to South Africa). But two of their children (Robert and Elizabeth Pincombe) remained in England with the youngest Philip having a large family but living in Somerset. Looking at the six children of John and Mary Pincombe a number of their grandchildren/great grandchildren emigrated to various places including the United States, Canada, South Africa and Australia. I will return to Pincombe probably in May sometime. The newsletter for May 1 is for the Pincombe study at FT DNA. I am contemplating that newsletter. They are brief at the moment due to my working on these books. 

A cloudy day again and the slight wind in the trees tells me God is with us; at our side watching and waiting patiently for us to do the right thing in the world. Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and love our neighbour as ourself. 

Soon time for breakfast and the first day that is devoted to research; cleaning is all accomplished. I also have the car ready for summer and my daughter's return to do her research. This will be a busy summer for her as are all of them. But she gets a chance to kayak and enjoy the world around her and I suspect she worries that I will not be always here and at 80 that is a legitimate thought for sure plus she is my caregiver. But I try hard to take care of myself so that I can still be here until I am not. The wonder of the internet means that I chat with my daughters every day and I am blessed that I am able to do so. 

Blake Newsletter completed and in for review

 I didn't have a chance to work on Chromosome 8 yesterday as it turned out and I started into that right away this morning and completely forgot my blog. As I took my breakfast break I realized it and decided to write it now. 

Another good skiing day yesterday (4.5 km) but today it is going to rain (or perhaps a little snow, it seems ambivalent in the weather forecast). Nevertheless it is very overcast and there is definitely melting out there. The streets are awash somewhat here and there. 

Good work on Chromosome 8 earlier today and I have continued sorting out the mystery matches that are either Pincombe or Blake - I found many kits submitted to GedMatch which has made that sort easier. John Blake and Ann (Farmer) Blake had 54 grandchildren in the mid to late 1800s and their descendants are huge and all over the world. Combine that with the Pincombe line and in a similar time period Robert Pincombe and Elizabeth (Rowcliffe) Pincombe had eight children, 34 grandchildren and many many great grandchildren also all over the world. The matches continue to flow in and sometimes in the phasing when you see Blake and Pincombe and just one chromosome length it can be a huge sorting process. Other times they just fall right into place but this particular chromosome does happen to have a lot of singleton matches with Blake and Pincombe!

I discovered that I have acquired a lot more Blake matches on Ancestry in the trees - a couple of years ago I went through and marked all the ones that were descendant in my line but the number has increased enormously in that time period so will be doing that over the next while as I work on the Blake family tree in the 1700s/1800s and earlier and later. 

Now must do my solitaire puzzles and then back to work on the matches.  

 

 

"Elbows up" and on our way but the route is heavy going

 One thing I am sure about any one who can live in Canada through the winters is up to the job of "Elbows Up" to get the jobs done here in Canada to bring our country to its glory as a producing nation but in a kindly way that we have learned from the First Nations. The land is our wealth and our security and our life and we must protect it as much as one can but it will give up its goodness to support the people of the land. We just have to find the best ways to do that and those best ways must fit into a business plan. I note that Enbridge is supporting the pipeline from Edmonton to Houston, Texas which is a straight through flow of crude to the south and allows for a healthy increase in that shipment. Although I would love to see an eastern pipeline to Ontario and the East it is  highly likely that Ontario would be the only province that had an actual pipeline built in the east and that the St Lawrence Seaway would have to be the conduit for any going further east. Does Ontario use enough crude to justify a pipeline? That becomes the great question although shipments to Quebec for their usage (which is also significant) are possible by road and by the seaway. Probably those in the know are putting those numbers together to determine if re-establishing our refineries to save the 3x the cost of buying it back is a good business case. 

The Nickle mine I find to be such a good idea and so long in the  making - I believe it dates back to the early 2000s although I am not that knowledgeable. Governments have just ignored Northern Ontario and the wealth there for her people is huge in terms of jobs and actual second job creation effects by the mine itself. Once one mine is effectively created under this new attitude then others will follow in their season because the support will be there. In a way that compliments Northern Ontario creating jobs and the consequential offshoots of better educational facilities (more funding for them), housing and all sorts of good things for the people. 

Monday is coming and it is Budget Day. An election would cost a fortune and I hope that is on everyone's mind as the House sits in debate and then votes. There is no value in an election at this time; criticism without constructive plans is useless. We can not live in the past; the past has changed very radically in just this short time. One doesn't fight tariff - how one country does their business should not be allowed to put us into a crisis ever again. Time to come to our greatness as a producer. We already lived through a past Conservative government whose answer to a downturn was panic and balance the budget no matter what. We do not need to experience that again. The debt level at the end of the 1800s in Canada was huge when we built the railway and we survived and we will again. I prefer careful cautious finance but with opportunity underwriting it I can loosen up those thoughts and this is the time; it is Canada's time to blossom. It is a must; our youth need jobs that uses their skill sets or if they do not have the specific ones then they can retrain and quickly. Their minds are fast and alert. Canada is an extremely wealthy country both in natural products and in the ability of all her people. Yes it will be hard; young families may have to live with their parents for a longer time but that is life and for children exciting and wonderful. They have been doing it in Europe for centuries! My children were welcomed to stay as long as they wanted and we were blessed to have them stay as long as they did including all sorts of wonderful extras that made our life much richer. Edward certainly took advantage of that as we traveled so extensively when our children were living with us long into their adulthood. Life moved very fast in those days when I first retired as there were so many places he wanted to go.  

Worked on Chromosome 4 and probably one third of the way through the matches. Thus far eight crossover points are proven and eleven to go. This chromosome has fewer matches and they tend to be clumped over particular lengths particularly Pincombe (both older and more recent). It always give me pause to think about the breaking up of these lengths into Pincombe, Gray, Rew, Rowcliffe, Charly, Manning, Vicary and Blackmoore. With the Living DNA data I am probably finding lengths that reach much further back into the past to make their connection but only rarely as far back as Blackmoore and Vicary (6x and 7x great grandparents).  Occasionally I do see autosomal back that far but it is rare. They could be especially back to Manning and Charly. When I see Australia and New Zealand in the country of location then I know that Manning and Charly are a possibility for them. In the United States it is more likely Pincombe/Rowcliffe but also Pincombe/Charly. But these small glimpses on occasion of a match that is definitely Pincombe related the possibility of Vicary and Blackmoore is there. Thus far I would say more than 50% of the matches have been Pincombe (I haven't tallied it). 

This morning at just past 5 the sky was clear and the moon now in slipper mode accompanied by Venus shining brightly high in the sky.  What a gorgeous sight and it always reminds me of the early morning when Edward and I were camping years and years ago in the north waking up to the beauty of the morning sky. I was just in my early twenties and Edward in his mid twenties and time was ahead of us and we grabbed hold of it and ran with it all over the northern province of Ontario enjoying the goodness of the land and seeing so much in our cedar strip canoe. 

Time to get some work done. Tea drank and solitaire puzzles to do. First breakfast eaten a while ago now and starting to feel hungry for the second breakfast. One pound up and three to go. For me it is more of a need to eat as I get hungry rather than a fascination with eating.  

Harvey and Charley family

 I decided to type the book "The Romance of the Charley Family" since it was published in the 1930s and now out of print and copyright. It is really just for my own purpose anyway. I read the book perhaps ten years ago when I bought it from a small bookstore in Somerset online. My Charley family is illusive. The priest entering the name of Mary Charly/Charley was misread as Charlie leading me astray initially way back when I first found the marriage registration on Ancestry. I was also very new to genealogy and I knew her name was verbally Charly/Charley/Charlie because my mother knew her line back a considerable distance when I was a child having learned it from her father and other family members. My mother would actually be thrilled with everything I have found out about her family but I never knew of her interest in genealogy until I moved away with my husband to Ottawa. Then in her weekly letters she started mentioning some of the things that she was doing and there it was; the occasional trip to the Family History Library and talking about her discoveries. At the time I was not really very interested in genealogy from that perspective. It did take the advent of personal DNA testing to bring me into that fold!

I read through the foreword as I was typing the author mentioned that her great aunt Emma Charley of Blakeney, a sister to her grandfather George Charley, had a daughter who married a Harvey. That of course sent me into Find My Past and I found Emma Charley the daughter of James Charley and Emma Virgo at Blakeney Gloucestershire in the Non-Conformist Register. On the census in 1841 with her brother George three years younger. By 1841 Emma the eldest had six siblings younger than her. I found Emma's marriage to William No[a]kes at Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire December quarter 1856. Frank Charley Nokes was born Dec quarter 1859 at Bromsgrove. Rosa Clara Nokes was born Mar quarter 1864 at Bromsgrove.  Ernest William Nokes was born Jun quarter 1866 at Bromsgrove. Laura Emma Nokes was born Jun quarter 1868 at Bromsgrove. Kate Maud Nokes was born Mar quarter 1870 at Bromsgrove. 

One of these daughters married into the Harvey family. Laura Emma Nokes married Frank William Harvey Sep quarter 1892 at Bromsgrove. Most of the Charley lines in this book are tracing back to the 1840s when they arrived in Gloucestershire during the Irish Famine times and they were from Northern Ireland. 

Looking back at my Harvey and Charley families; my Harvey family was at Merton Devon where Andrew Rowcliffe married Joan Harvey 8 Jun 1720. Their son Philip married Martha Pearse 9 Apr 1760 at South Molton. Their daughter Elizabeth Rowcliffe married Robert Pincombe 7 Jun 1803 at Bishops Nympton. It was Robert Pincombe's mother Mary Charly that had married John Pincombe 8 Nov 1767 at Bishops Nympton. This Mary Charly is likely the daughter of Richard and Joan Charley born circa 1738 at Combe Martin, Devon. The Devon Charley family was in the Combe Martin area from at least 1699 on as Nutcombe Farm near Combe Martin was in their hands at that time. There does appear to have been a problem with alcohol in the family and the family suffered losses at various times due to that. The family crest that they used is similar to the one used by the then present Belfast Northern Ireland family and the belief is that they came from Belfast before 1699 to this area of North Devon. A DNA study of the Charley family would certainly be interesting. I just found it interesting to see similar names in the two families. I missed that on the first read through. Of my five siblings, the ones that have Irish in their ethnicity as tested by the various companies also have larger and more Pincombe matches than say myself where I have mostly English ancestry with some Scot, some Swedish and Northern European but the English is prominent around 70 to 80%. My Pincombe matches tend to be the smallest comparing me to my four siblings that have tested. DNA does really simplify genealogy to some extent!

Pincombe-Pinkham - a singleton family?

As a child growing up my mother learned that there were several different Pincombe family lines. She did not think that they were related. During the 1840s and 1850s several distinct Pincombe families emigrated to Canada and lived in the London, Ontario area. They did not know if they were related and actually assumed that they were not. Now with the possibility of linking families with DNA I have been curious as to whether or not we can find that we do have a common ancestor.

The yDNA Pincombe study at FT DNA has found that there are a couple of distinct lines for Pincombe-Pinkham. The earlier researchers for the Pincombe-one-name-study had produced sixteen charts showing that the two names were used by similar family groups. For instance a Pincombe family at Barnstaple, Devon used the Pinkham spelling after they moved to London, UK. In another case a Pinkham family that emigrated to New Hampshire colony also showed the earlier Pincombe spelling and then later Pinkham.

The tester for my Pincombe line is a descendant of our mutual 3x great grandfather Robert Pincombe (married to Elizabeth Rowcliffe 7 Jun 1803 at Bishops Nympton, Devon). He is my third cousin once removed and my siblings and I match him as anticipated for a third cousin once removed (and better for some of my siblings). That gives us a baseline for the Pincombe family at Bishops Nympton from the latter part of the 1500s to the present. Going back one generation, the parents of Robert Pincombe were John Pincombe and Mary Charlie/Charley who married 8 Nov 1767 at Bishops Nympton. They had four sons and two daughters. A descendant of their son William has also tested his yDNA (fifth cousin to us) and he is a perfect match to my third cousin once removed thus moving back another generation the yDNA match.

My fourth cousin (daughter of the yDNA tester) also tested at Ancestry where there was a match with a descendant of Aaron Pincombe and Elizabeth Withicombe who married 24 May 1802 at St Giles in the Wood. I have not been able to find parents for this Aaron Pincombe but it is interesting that a descendant of this line matched my fourth cousin (but not myself). Unfortunately this kit has now disappeared at Ancestry.

Of interest, following back on my ancestral line takes me to William Pincombe who married Emotte Snow.  This William died in 1602 and was living at East Buckland when he wrote his will which named his seven sons and two daughters. I have only been able to trace down a couple of these sons - Richard (fourth son) is my likely line. I do not know the names of the husbands for the two daughters thus far. Given the number of sons, the possibilities for descendants is quite large in the Pincombe line. I am slowly extracting all the early Pincombe entries.

Lately I have been in correspondence with a possible descendant of Aaron Pincombe and his wife Elizabeth Withicombe although he himself has only officially traced his line back to John Pincombe and Mary Thomas. I suspect this John Pincombe is a son of Aaron Pincombe and Elizabeth Withicombe.

I often wonder how much interest there is within the Pincombe family to pursue a DNA study. It is a large enough family to have a good sized yDNA study but this study grows very slowly.

First DNA Circle at AncestryDNA

Finally I have a DNA Circle at AncestryDNA with the descendants of Robert Pincombe and Elizabeth Rowcliffe. Each of the members descends from three different sons of this couple. Robert and Elizabeth had eight children - 7 sons and 1 daughter. We descend from the eldest son Robert, the second eldest son John and the youngest son Philip. Richard, second youngest, did not have any children, William the third son died young. Thomas the fourth son died in a shipwreck with his wife and children coming to Canada. The only son not mentioned was George, the fifth son, whose family stayed in England while he went to Australia where he died. This is an amazing happening to have this DNA circle for the Pincombe family.

There are ten or more trees on Ancestry for the Pincombe family and it will be interesting to see the final DNA Circle once all that material is digested by the search engines. There are errors in some people's trees and perhaps this will be an opportunity to repair those errors if people wish to do so. One of the reasons for my doing the one name study of the Pincombe family is to clear up the mistakes that were created over time by various trees that were produced.

The next issue of the Pincombe newsletter should certainly have some interesting copy.

Philip Rowcliffe (1721 - 1802)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 42

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

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

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

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

George baptized 9 Jul 1774

Elizabeth baptized 20 May 1777

William  born circa 1780

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John Rowcliffe had three sons

Aldered Rowcliffe had four sons

Emme married to unknown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ancestry of Philip Rowcliffe:

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

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.