Searching for Martha....possibly from Soham ?1715-1752

[Kylie B]

I am trying to find out who Martha was.....

She appears to have married Simon Wilkin of Burwell around 1734 as they have 2 confirmed sons- Simon b1735 and Joseph b1739.

Simon Wilkin died in 1739 and Martha remarried as Martha Wilkin to a William Kidman in 1743. They apparently married by licence in Chippenham, Cambridgeshire although I have not been able to trace the marriage licence or marriage.

Martha and William Kidman then have several children-
Lydia 1745-1747
John ?- 1808
Lydia 1749
Elizabeth 1750
Hannah 1752

I have found a burial in Burwell in 1752 for a Martha Kidman that I think may be her, but no age or other details so unconfirmed....

Any advice on how to find out more about Martha please??
Kyllie

[Selina]

Hi Kylie,

Not much help I am afraid but I can confirm the marriage at Chippenham of Martha Wilkin and William Kidman by lic on 30 January 1743/44.  There is no further information on the record.

Selina

[Kylie B]

Thanks Selina
Were you able to look at the actual PR? I was hoping it would at least confirm Martha was a widow or that there might be some witnesses names that might help somehow.

Do you know if the marriage licence would hold any other info? and where I might access it?? I have looked previously for the licence without success, but its been a few years so maybe might have surfaced now?!

Thanks!
Kylie

[bedfordshire boy]

In 1744 you're lucky to get anything more than the two names.  It wasn't until Lord Hardwicke's 1754 Marriage Act that witnesses were required and the status of the two parties was added.

I'd try Cambridge Archives to see if they hold marriage licence allegations for that time.

[Kylie B]

THanks Bedfordhshire Boy- I'll try the archives
Kylie

[Selina]

Hello again Kylie,

I looked at the PR transcript but as Beds Boy says there is rarely any additional information at that date.

This Cambridgeshire Archives site gives information plus a PDF to search, I couldn't see what you are looking for but you can double check.  http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/directory_record/4160/marriage_licences

Also on there is a link to the Cambridge University Library where the Ely Diocesan Records are deposited.  I visited there many years ago and was lucky enough to find the allegation and bond of the marriage I was looking for.

Regards,
Selina

[Kylie B]

•   Hi there
sorry for the delay in replying- I have been following up....

I contacted Cambridge archives-who agreed with the suggestion the licence was issued by Bishop of Ely and therefore contact Camb Uni archives as holder of Ely diocese records.

I contacted them and their archivist advised Chippenham was part of Diocese of Norwich and Archdeconry of Sudbury, therefore I contacted the Norfolk Record Office. They advised they did not hold anything so I went back to Selina's link on the Cambridge archives site, and noticed down the bottom it mentions the Archdeaconry of Sudbury records- including the parishes of Burwell, Soham and Chippenham are held by the Suffolk Record Office.

So! I have contacted them and are now awaiting a reply with my fingers and toes crossed!!

I'll let you know if I have any luck.
Kylie

[Selina]

Thanks for the update.  You have had a run around!  Hope you get a positive response from Suffolk Record Office.

Selina

[Kylie B]

Heard back from Suffolk- sadly no marriage licences for those names..... they suggested that given there wasn't one, that the groom may have come from elsewhere and brought the marriage licence with him and that Chippenham was the brides parish.
Which leaves me totally lost as I have no idea where William Kidman may have come from- I only know that he and Martha appear to have lived in the Soham/Burwell area as Martha lived there with her first husband and I think is buried there.... and then the Kidman children at least appear to have all been living in Maddingley at the time of their marriages in the 1770's-80's...

So any further advice on how to trace Martha- perhaps through her first marriage to Simon Wilkin circa 1734? I have not found that marriage, nor baptisms for Simon and Joseph the sons- they are confirmed by later family wills and I suspect that Joseph may have been born around the time of his fathers death or even just after...

Or how to confirm the burial in 1752 is her....

Or any other suggestions at all!!??!!
Kylie