Green families farming in the Bolnhurst area. Were they related?

[perthman]

As you say, Hemmum, it does appear likely that the Green family were NC.

Maybe two John Greens really were born in the local area in 1789 and it is the John mentioned in the will who was my g.g.g.granddad.

Coincidences happen. Being the son of a Dyer wouldn't be a great qualification for becoming a farmer; being the son of a farmer would.

I wonder if we can extract anything useful from the will besides the names of the family?

* The will refers to 'my' wife, 'my' William, 'my' John, 'my' Samuel and 'my' daughter Ann, but 'our' Mary. PERHAPS this indicates that current wife Anna was a second marriage? He also says: "I give unto my said wife Anna Green all those two bedsteads with the bedding and furniture thereto belonging which belonged to my said wife before her marriage with me". Is that normal?

* Would it be usual to list the sons in order of seniority, implying William was older than John who was older than Samuel?
Ann was born in 1782 and John in 1789. PERHAPS we should be looking for William born before than 1789, Samuel born after 1789?

* As the sons are executors, does this mean they are all 21 or over in 1813, and all born in or before 1792?
PERHAPS William made his last will in 1813 because his youngest son became 21 then?

* William gives to 'my' wife Anna Green ... my Messuage cottage and tenement at Keysoe in the county of Bedford now in the occupation of Simon [George].
Does this mean he is a land owner and in turn does this mean he is eligible to vote, and will appear in poll books?

[Hemmum]

The 1861 census includes Thomas Howkins, age 39, farmer at Bury Farm (of 620 acres employing 24 men and 6 boys). That is a big farm.

A Lellice(?) Howkins, widow aged 50, was head of the family there in 1841.

I think you need to find the  marriage of William Howkin. Below are the registration of his and Lettice's children;

John Howkins the son of William and Lettice of Thurleigh Beds born 7 Jan 1813.
Also: Elizabeth Howkins born 7 Mar 1814. William born 22 May 1816. William born 22 May 1816. Emma Howkins born 7 Feb 1818. Ancestry NC births. Bedford, Old Meeting House, Mill Lane (Independant). Then registered as baptised 26 Dec 1827. Ruth Howkins born 22 Sep 1819, Thomas Howkins born 24 July 1821, Ann Howkins born 26 Jan 1824, Lettuce Howkins born 25 Dec 1825, Hannah Howkins born 25 Apr 1827. All of Thurleigh etc

There was also a Soloman Hawkins who as a farmer in Keysoe registering children around the same time, who was also a baptist ministier who moved to Blunham. Not sure if he is relevant

[johnP-bedford]

* The will refers to 'my' wife, 'my' William, 'my' John, 'my' Samuel and 'my' daughter Ann, but 'our' Mary. PERHAPS this indicates that current wife Anna was a second marriage? He also says: "I give unto my said wife Anna Green all those two bedsteads with the bedding and furniture thereto belonging which belonged to my said wife before her marriage with me". Is that normal?

It was Anna's second marriage & the "bedsteads with bedding which belonged to my said wife before her marriage to me" were from her previous marriage to Samuel Bowker who she married in 1774 & he died in 1777 & who William Green of Nether Dean married in 1781. Their first child Anna was born 1782 & she married John Hartop in 1807. Their childrens' non-conformist baptism states her mother was Anna Green. Next child was John 1790, next came Samuel 1799 & then William 1801.

Think you should pursue the Bowker name; while the 'my' daughter & sons were from the union of William & Anna, he could not put Mary Bowker as 'my' daughter as she wasn't his; so she either was his step-daughter via Samuel & Anna or his illegetimate daughter by Anna Bowker !

I say forget the Howkins possibility

[perthman]

Thank you John. Great detective work. It is very satisfying to be able to step back one generation into the 1700's.

I was lucky Mary Bowker was in the will. I suspect that without her we would never have got back to William of Nether Dean. But we are probably not related. For my family tree she is a footnote. The main game now is William Green of Nether Dean and Anna Bridgeford of Easton. Where did they come from and who were their parents?

The Howkins are interesting but they are for another day.

The one thing that puzzles me is the birth dates of the sons Samuel and William. Even if Ann Bridgeford married young, say 18, she would have been 43 when Samuel was born and 45 when William was born. And both boys would have been minors when the will was written and indeed when it was proved. Were minors allowed to swear oaths to prove a will back then?

[johnP-bedford]

William Green's wife/widow Ann/a was age 85 when found on the 1841 census at Mavorn, Bolnhurst with widow Anna Hartop & family. I have found a possible burial for her at Bedford St Peters on 5 Feb 1850 where an Ann Green aged 90 has her abode as St Peters. Thus Ann was born at the earliest in 1756 & thus married Samuel Bowker when she was 18 & married William Green when she was 25.

I've also found a possible burial of William Green born 1801 again at Bedford St Peters on 5 Aug 1827 age 26 where his abode is Bedford.   

But not found burial of William Green, farmer of Bolnhurst whose will was proved Dec 1818. 

[perthman]

I trace my family history to John Green of Crowhill Farm through his second son Samuel, who was at Crowhill in the 1841 census and still there in 1881.

In 1850 Samuel married Mary Ann Eads from Yelden, which is right next door to Nether Dean. PERHAPS the center of gravity of the family back then was not Bolnhurst but Nether Dean? PERHAPS there was a family plot there and William was buried there rather than Bolnhurst?
 

[bedfordshire boy]

Perhaps he's one of the family of the many Greens buried at Dean, which you will  find at http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/parish-records/baptisms (the burial section). But there's no William. And as there are only two Green burials in Bolnhurst perhaps you might be right that Bolnhurst wasn't the centre of the Green universe.

[johnP-bedford]

Went to Hunts Archives this morning;
(1) Spaldwick marriage on 27 Feb 1781 William Green of Nether Dean, Beds to Ann (signs Anna) Bowker, otp, widow. Witness Thomas Green.
(2) Easton marriage on 4 Apr 1774 Samuel Bowker bach, otp to Anna Bridgeford, sp otp; witnesses David Bowker, Sarah Taylor, William Taylor
(3) Easton baptisms. 18 Oct 1774 Samuel, son of Samuel & Hannah Bowker. 29 Jan 1776 Mary daughter of Samuel & Hannah Bowker
(4) Alconbury cum Weston burials. 18 Nov 1777 Samuel, son of Samuel Bowker & his wife. 17 Mar 1776 Samuel Booker. The Alconbury PRs link Bowker with Booker & I was concerned as to the burial of the adult Samuel Bowker until I saw the transcribed Monumental Inscription at Alconbury of Samuel Bowker who departed this life on March 15th 1776 age 28.

So it looks like William Green of Bolnhust who died 1818 was 'of Nether Dean' when he married Anna Bowker at Spaldwick and took on her daughter Mary born 1776 who would be 37 in 1813 when he made his will.       

[perthman]

John, marvelous stuff. Thank you.

The Bedfordshire Pollbook 1784 records a Thomas Green residing in Dean Neather in his own house and on his own land. So he was fairly wealthy.
[http://abacus.rabancourt.co.uk/bedfordshire-pollbook-1784]

Our William Green of Nether Dean was fairly wealthy when he died in Keysoe. Surely the two gentlemen must have been related?

And
> (1) Spaldwick marriage on 27 Feb 1781 William Green of Nether Dean, Beds to Ann (signs Anna) Bowker, otp, widow. Witness Thomas Green.

Father and son?

Is there a will that has survived for Thomas, or an Admon ?