JOHN HOOKE WEST - HAVE I FINALLY FOUND HIS BIRTH?

[Les de B]

I've been researching my ancestor John Hook(e) WEST of Taunton, Somerset, for many years now. I have his marriage, children, death, Will, but his birth has always elluded me............until now?

I found this birth/baptism on Ancestry last night, and am wondering if it is my John? It indicates John Hook b.17/6/1777 and bapt 27/6/1777 to John WEIT and Ann FOSSEY. Ancestry had 2 entries for this baptism, one was just text and indexed as WEIT, while the other was the original record indexed under WEST. Family Search also has it indexed under WEST, however, the original does appear to read WEIT. I've found a relevant marriage index for John WEST and Ann FOSSEY in Sidmouth in 1775.

Although my John Hooke WEST (mostly spelt Hooke but sometimes Hook), married/lived in Taunton, Somerset, he actually died and was buried in Sidmouth, aged 45 i.e. b.abt.1776, which fits in with the birth of 1777 on the Sidmouth record.

Do you think I have enough "circumstantial evidence" for this baptism record to be for my John Hooke WEST?

[lizdb]

Yes, I would say that is him.

Maybe it does say West, and the dot that appears to be over an "I" was just a mark or slip of the pen.
Or maybe the vicar wrote up the register at a later date and misread his initial notes as Weit not West.
With the added evidence of the West/Fossey marriage I would say you have the right baptism and the name is West.

[Cas (stallc)]

I would agree with Lizdb,

Think it is not an 'i', looking at the end of the capital W you can see where the flourish ends in a dot made by the quill.

Think you have your man, backed by other evidence that fits.

Cas

[trish1120]

Congratulations you've got him

[alpinecottage]

Also, if you look at the word "parish", it too has a skinny, poorly-formed s at the end.

[Les de B]

Thanks to ALL for your encouraging replies. I've just found some more encouragement having now located his original 1805 Marriage Record, and the surname WEST looks very similarly written as his Baptism Record was written some 28 years earlier 

Les