Betty Holvey, married 1776 - who is she?

[Helen Bedford]

Hi
I am hoping someone can help me with a knotty little problem please?
I have a marriage between Betty Holvey and Charles Flower in 1776 in Publow, but I cannot find any further info about her, and I have run out of ideas after trying baptisms (Charles was baptised 1755) and previous marriages. I am hoping she is the mother of Charles Flower (born about 1792 and son of Charles Flower baptised 1755). Help please?
Helen

[Jo Harding]

Hello Helen,

I did a search for Betty on Freereg but couldn't get her baptism. I suspect that the baptisms for Publow haven't been transcribed for the period in question. There were very few entries indeed. There are some clues in relation to the marriage of Charles Flower and Betty however. I note the marriage was By Licence, this suggests they were of some standing. Also, Charles Flower is shown as of Long Ashton parish.

Freereg has a marriage in Publow on 24/12/1784, William Holvey to Flower Ashton.

There are a few couples by the name of Holvey, Holvy etc baptising children in Publow in the 1780s, 1790s and 1800s. These were: William and Flower Holvey, James and Mary Holvy and John and Hannah Holvey. Both James and Mary and John and Hannah baptised children in Pensford.

There is a burial for James Holvey in Publow in 1840, he was aged 74. Mary Holvey, possibly his wife, was buried there in 1833, she was aged 68.

I think Betty Flower was buried in Pensford on 06/03/1834, aged 93. The Freereg entry shows her abode as Publow. That puts her year of birth as c1751. It is open to speculation as to whether she was the same Betty who married Charles Flower.

There is a burial for a Charles Flower in Pensford on 12/09/1812, he is shown as aged 85. That doesn't match with the baptism you have found.

The Publow PR transrciptions are on the Somerset OPC database:

http://wsom-opc.org.uk/index.php?id=39&k=465

I cannot find a baptism for a Betty Holvey. I suspect that William, James and John may have been related to her however.

Jo.

[Jo Harding]

It might help you to try and find the Licence of the marriage of Charles Flower to Betty Holvey. This may exist and would be in the Somerset RO in Taunton. There may be a Bond, or Allegation in relation to this. Sometimes there are details of family members with these.

Jo.

[Helen Bedford]

Hi Jo
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I think the next move would have to be to pursue the marriage licence and see what that tells me.
Unfortunately there is another Charles and Betty around the same time as there was a marriage in 1760 for Charles Flower and Elizabeth Friend in Publow, so she would be a better fit for the 1834 burial, although on looking at the burials on Somerset OPC there seems to be a large number to choose from, so I think I might never know!
Doubly unfortunately there seems to be several Charles Flowers around the area as well, as there are even more burials to choose from (I actually chose a 1817 burial as it was the most convenient with an age of 62), so I think that I might have to revise my estimates!
I think I will have to look at all the Flowers in the area - this is definitely a can of worms!!
Helen

[Jo Harding]

I don't know if you are a member of Genes Reunited but there are a couple of people on that site who have people by the name of Holvey from Pensford and Somerset in their trees. Their years of birth would be contemporary with that of Betty.

Jo.

[Helen Bedford]

That's a good thought! I keep forgetting GR! I am a member but I don't use the site very often as it doesn't seem to have as much of the material I need as other sites.
This is exactly why I asked the question, another pair of eyes on the question can often stimulate new directions - one can get too close to a problem!
Helen