Bishops Transcripts and Archdeaconry of Dorset

[MattD30]

Is anyone able to do some look ups in BTs for Shaftesbury for me or does anyone know if they are online?

Also does anyone have access to (or know where I can access) an index for wills proved in Dorset?

Hope someone can help.

Matt

[pinefamily]

Have you checked on Ancestry and FindMyPast?

[MattD30]

Have you checked on Ancestry and FindMyPast?

Both of those have the Parish Registers but I don't think I saw Bishops Transcripts.

Ancestry does have an index to the wills in Dorset though.

Matt

[pinefamily]

Do you have access to Ancestry? If not, post who you are looking for, and I will have a look.
Alternatively, the Dorset OPC has PR records for three Shaftesbury parishes.

[MattD30]

Do you have access to Ancestry? If not, post who you are looking for, and I will have a look.
Alternatively, the Dorset OPC has PR records for three Shaftesbury parishes.

Unfortunately I don't have access to Ancestry at home but have found several records of the Bennetts in the Dorset Parish Registers and wills proved in the PCC (both on Ancestry) but I've not seen Bishops Transcripts or indexes to local wills on there.

One person I'm keen to find a baptism for is Frances Bennett born c1730-1745.

I'll post anyone else I can think of later.

Matt

[pinefamily]

Seeing as you mentioned Shaftesbury, I checked the transcripts for the three parishes on the Dorset OPC page. The only parish that had any Bennet(t) baptisms between 1730 and 1745 was Shaftesbury Holy Trinity; between 1730 and 1739 a Walter Bennett had children baptised, but no Frances.
You may need to widen the search, and check surrounding parishes on the above site.

[MattD30]

Seeing as you mentioned Shaftesbury, I checked the transcripts for the three parishes on the Dorset OPC page. The only parish that had any Bennet(t) baptisms between 1730 and 1745 was Shaftesbury Holy Trinity; between 1730 and 1739 a Walter Bennett had children baptised, but no Frances.
You may need to widen the search, and check surrounding parishes on the above site.

Hi

I've done exactly the same as you and checked all the Shaftesbury parish churches but found no record of Frances. I think you are correct about widening the search and I'm now looking at the parishes surrounding it.

I have found what appear to be a number of interrelated Bennett wills with some of the same people mentioned in them (relatives, and friends) as beneficiaries, witnesses, overseers or executors. From the parish registers of St James and from the info in Barnaby's will I've narrowed Frances's father down to one of two people Rev. Benjamin Bennett and another brother William Bennett as the other brothers and sisters all died young. Benjamin is the less likely of the two as he died in the 1730s and Frances was probably born in the 1740s.

Off now to extract more details from the wills to see if they help.

Matt

[Redroger]

I believe that the wills for Dorset were destroyed in WW2 along with those for Devon and Somerset.

[MattD30]

I believe that the wills for Dorset were destroyed in WW2 along with those for Devon and Somerset.

Yep I think you're right there. It's a real shame though as wills are a real goldmine of information. I'm sure though that there are alternative sources I can investigate.

Matt