Mmm,
Thought you might say that.
And thanks for posting the snippet as its interesting to see the original which explains why both familysearch and the Wiltshire Marriage Index list it as Lanson.
However, as you will know they married by licence. The Sarum Marriage Licence Index held at Wiltshire Archives (and I believe done by the FHS) lists John as Sanson. Both are listed as being of Liddington and the bondsmen was Joseph Murcock of Little Coxwell. I haven't seen a copy of the original to confirm this yet but it suggests the parish clerk misread the name when writing up the entry in the register after the event (as they did frequently).
That isn't the only evidence to suggest this is the correct marriage. Elizabeth Sansom of Little Hinton, daughter of James and Sarah (and granddaughter of John and Elizabeth of Shrivenham), married John Day at Little Hinton in 1789 by licence. The bondsman was one James Roseblade of Shrivenham. James Roseblade married Susanna Rowe at Oxford All Saints in 1775. I don't have the full details to hand but from memory I think it does say they were both from Shrivenham. Susanna was buried in 1789 at Shrivenham and James in 1812. Susanna was the daughter of John Rowe and his wife Elizabeth who married at Uffington in 1736 when Elizabeth married as Sansome. The entry says John was of Ashbury and Elizabeth of Shrivenham, by licence. The comment by licence is either incorrectly entered or the marriage licence does not survive as I have found no trace of it.
Annoyingly the marriage entry at Uffington does not give a marital status either for Elizabeth Sansome in 1736 but its interesting that she was from Shrivenham as that is where John and Elizabeth were. Added to this there is the entry in the Berkshire Probate Index of an administration of John Sansom of Shrivenham, yeoman in 1736. I've not yet seen a copy of this but it seems likely this is James Sansom's father John as he disappears after 1733 which would leave his widow Elizabeth free to remarry in 1736.
John and Elizabeth Sansom had four children, rather than just the two baptised in Shrivenham. There is the baptism in neighbouring Highworth in 1727 of a son John and in 1733 the baptism of a daughter Betty. There is a marriage of a Betty Sansom to Adye Ayres Anger at Shrivenham in 1761 by licence. The witnesses to the marriage and bondsman don't help but Betty is listed as 27 years old which ties in with the 1733 baptism as she was just shy of her 28th birthday. There is also a burial at Shrivenham which is interesting, albeit possibly containing an error. Ady (sic) Anger was buried 29 Nov 1797 at Shrivenham the daughter (sic) of John Rowe, aged 66 years. The age is out but Adye Anger was actually younger than Betty anyway, being baptised at Shrivenham in 1737. It seems likely this 1797 burial is probably Betty Sansom and tends to confirm she was John Rowe's step daughter.
The last piece of evidence that the 1727 marriage is correct is the Will of Grace Arden of Sevenhampton widow from 1746 in which she leaves a bequest of one shilling to her daughter Elizabeth Rowe. Grace was the widow of Thomas Arden who was buried at South Marston in 1712. They had a daughter Elizabeth baptised at Highworth in 1705.
All the evidence, to me anyway, tends to point to Elizabeth wife of John Sanson of Shrivenham and Highworth being Elizabeth Arden and after his death she remarried to James Rowe. I have not found yet in over five years of searching another suitable marriage, let alone one with anywhere near as sufficient circumstantial evidence to suggest that the 1727 marriage is wrong. Yes it says they are both of Liddington (which is what the marriage licence transcript says but doesn't again look like that in the original entry) but when you realise that son John was baptised at Highworth in September 1727, its not surprising they married away from Elizabeth's home parish. There is no sign of the Wanborough John and Elizabeth under either spelling in Liddington, Wanborough or a neigbouring parish as far as I've found.
I have yet to find anything on John Sanson/Sansom but its interesting he's listed on the administration (assuming it is his but I have nothing to doubt it as there is only one John Sansom in Shrivenham at that time) as a yeoman because I'm sure I've seen him refered to as a shepherd elsewhere.
PS. I think you probably are aware of the Sansom/Day marriage at Little Hinton as I note you have Day listed as a surname on your TribalPages webpage. Elizabeth and John Day were my 7xGGrandparents
