I'm not falling about laughing at this hypothesis!
What are the facts:
- Francis Sabey was baptised as an adult in 1790, at the same time as he married. The vicar may have insisted on it as he was under target that year, and he'd not have got his performance related bonus if he missed his target. He was said to be aged about 30. If he'd have been asked his age surely he'd have said 30 or 27 or whatever. "About 30" sounds like the vicar's guesstimate.
- on burial his age was given as 67, implying a birth in 1766. Again though, the age is someone else's idea, so may be inaccurate
- he was non-conformist
- he lived in Bolnhurst
Other known facts:
- Francis Elms and Mary Saby single woman of Bolnhurst were about to produce an illegitimate child in May 1767
- if Mary was of another parish Bolnhurst overseers would have removed her to her home parish pretty smartly, so it looks look fairly clear that her parish of legal settlement was Bolnhurst
- Mary Sabey could have been (I know, this isn't a fact!) an unbaptised daughter of John Sabey, a non conformist resident of Bolnhurst, of the Baptist persuasion who didn't do infant baptism
- in 1750 a census was taken in Bolnhurst which showed 8 persons in John Sabey's residence. Thus far I can only identify four, so Mary could well have been another child
- IF Mary Sabey, dau of John, gave birth to an illegitimate son in 1767 he wouldn't have been baptised as they were Baptists, so there'd be no record of him, as there isn't with Francis.
- IF Mary was a member of Keysoe Brook End Baptist Church she'd have been kicked out for fornication. Need to check the church book.
- IF Mary was the one buried in Thurleigh in 1774 and following John's confirmation, I think she was she wouldn't have been mentioned in John's will even if she were his daughter
Whilst hard proof may be impossible to come by, I think a good case can be made for Francis being the illegitimate son of Mary, who in turn was an unbaptised daughter of John the baptist.
And good luck when it comes to finding who John was!
David