Cordwainer from Kingsbury Episcopi in Cerne Abbas

[Bruce42]

William Row, a cordwainer of Kingsbury Episcopi, in Somerset, was married on 19 October 1777 to Martha NORTHOVER, in his wife's parish, Cerne Abbas, Dorset, by licence.

Now Kingsbury and Cerne Abbas are a fair way apart!  It maybe that there was a family reason for travelling such a distance but I have found none.

As a Cordwainer, William would have needed a supply of leather.  I know that there were tanneries in Cerne but the more usual requirement for a cordwainer was Cordovan leather from Spain.

So, was Cerne a special centre for the supply of leather generally, in the late C18th – or was there some other reason? 

Any ideas, please?

Many thanks

Bruce42

[philipsearching]

Hallo, Bruce42

Do you know where William and/or Martha were baptised?  This might shed some light.

Alternatively, they might have met in a market town - Yeovil is roughly midway between the two parishes and was a centre for glove-making and leather products.

Good hunting.
Philip.

[Bruce42]

Martha was Baptised in Cerne Abbas but William Row is a complete mystery re-Baptism.  The only candidates appear to have died in infancy.

I think that she was a Cerne Abbas landlord's daughter (?) and she had to marry in haste (hence the licence)!

He is likely to have travelled to and through Yeovil but less likely for her to have done so.

Many thanks
 
Bruce42