Local knowlege please, Taunton area

[Romilly]

Kay
Thank you for saving me a wrestle with the system.  That is a very useful image, showing the other 'w'.  The next letter is surely an 'h'.
Romilly
If TNA are correct with their transcription, and no placename of 'Whoford' is shown in the various listings for the county, could it mean that the word is the name of a house or estate rather than a village or hamlet?
Ainslie (baffled)

There's another reference to it on this Site Ainslie:

http://www.londonlives.org/browse.jsp?div=wills_1780_1789_2531701_450032

I suspect that your hunch is correct, and that 'Whoford' is the name of a house or estate...

Have you found this chap on any other documents or Censuses? (Might give some clarification on his abode).

Romilly.

[ainslie]

The London link seems to point back to the PCC will.  I have nothing more about this Somerset man, but have a great deal about his nephew who is referred to in the will;  he was another Richard Peirce, a captain in the East India Company's maritime service, in command of the East Indiaman Halsewell, wrecked on the Dorset coast in January 1786 with much loss of life including the captain and two of hisdaughters.
Much has been written about this wreck, both at the time and since.  I am a descendant of the Captain and am trying to fill in some gaps and add to the captain's family.

A

[Romilly]

As you say, - there is a wealth of info available on-line about this wreck. (This is just one example, - you've probably seen it before).

http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/water/shipwreks/

You're very lucky that so much has been written about it. (My father was on a Ship that was torpedoed in 1917, & apart from finding a brief mention of the wreck site, and notes from the Ship's Log, - that's about it... Mind you, - so many Ships lost during WW1:-(

Romilly.

[Jo.]

Wonder if it could be Walford Cross a couple of miles outside of Taunton heading towards Bridgwater, there was an estate here as the mansion still exists...

[joboy]

If you are looking for a will to be decyphered in rootschatgo here;
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering
Joe

[ainslie]

Jo
That is certainly worth considering, thanks.
Joe
Thanks for that.  Kay has already posted the image of the queried word on page 1, but  I may ask the mods to shift this over.
A

[ShaunJ]

It is "Waford" in the very brief death report  in the Bath Chronicle (5 October 1786): "In an advanced age, at Waford, near Taunton, Mr. Richard Pierce".

[stanmapstone]

It is "Waford" in the very brief death report  in the Bath Chronicle (5 October 1786): "In an advanced age, at Waford, near Taunton, Mr. Richard Pierce".

Wonder if it could be Walford Cross a couple of miles outside of Taunton heading towards Bridgwater, there was an estate here as the mansion still exists...

Probably is meant to be Walford, just over 4 miles from Taunton  http://www.rootschat.com/links/01gm1/
There was/is a Walford House, perhaps he lived there
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sidebyside.cfm#zoom=17&lat=51.0490&lon=-3.0403&layers=171&right=BingHyb

Stan

[ainslie]

Walford seems to be what was meant, and strongly supported by its proximity to West Monkton, where other relatives lived or hailed from.  Thanks to all.

Ainslie