Any way to narrow this down?

[peakoverload]

I'm trying to trace my 4x GG, I'm certain of his death and parts of his life but at that point the trail goes cold largely because he appears to have given different information on each census he's on (but I'm 98% sure it's the right person in each census as other family members usually appear with him)

So far I've only managed to locate a few possible lines to follow, most I was able to prove weren't correct but two are possible. One line I was able to trace back to the 1600's the other I'm just starting to look at. What I'm trying to do is to find anyway that I can prove or disprove either line of inquiry but I'm not having much luck.

What I know for certain is that my 4X GG was John Foster who was a cordwainer/shoemaker and that he died 07/03/1870 in the Rochford Union Workhouse which by that time was actually a hospital. As this name comes up frequently within the tree I shall refer to him as JF1. JF1 had a wife whose name was Martha or Patty and they had 9 children. On some of the childrens baptism records the mothers name is given as Martha, on others its Patty. For years I thought they were two different people but have since proved they are the same person. JF1 and Patty married in Clerkenwell on 13/05/1806. I've attached their marriage banns below. Can anyone make out what the marks are after their names, they don't appear on other banns on the same page?

On JF1's death certificate his age is given as 82 making him born 1788.

On the 1841 census in Rayleigh his age suggests he was born in 1783 and born in Essex.
On the 1851 census in Gillingham, Kent his age suggests he was born in 1793 and born in Chelmsford
On the 1861 census in Terling, Witham his age suggests he was born in 1790 and born in Rochford

I also know that he worked as a Cordwainer in Witham.

That is what I know for certain.

Searching all of Essex for baptisms of a John Foster circa 1788 I find only 2:

A baptism in 1788 in Blackmore
A baptism in 1794 in Woodham Mortimer

I know that John Foster died in 1870 and tracing the John Foster born in 1794 in Woodham Mortimer revealed that he was still alive in 1871 and was not a shoemaker so cannot be correct.

Therefore either JF1 was not baptised, his baptism record has been lost or he was baptised in Blackmore in 1788.

If that is correct then his parents were John Foster (JF2) and Mary Bolton. JF2 and they married 18/10/1870 in Doddinghurst. JF2 I believe was baptised in Writtle on 21/12/1754 and so the line goes back and back.....or so I thought.

I have just found a will for a John Foster (JF3) married to a Martha Foster who is a shoemaker in Blackmore. This can't be JF1 because this John Foster died 24/03/1803 nor can it be JF2. What is a little confusing is that written on the front page of the will it says John Foster but within the will itself it refers to John Forster and Martha Forster.

From what I can tell JF3 had a son called John Forster (JF4) who was baptised 04/03/1770 in Blackmore. There is a burial for a John Forster (JF5) in Blackmore on 27/03/1803 aged 55 meaning he was born 1748 so this can't be JF4 and possibly confirms that JF3 was actually a Foster and not a Forster.

There is a burial for a John Foster (JF6) on 27/11/1788 in Blackmore but the burial gives no additional information

I could go on but the number of John Fosters is already ridiculous.

There are 3 things I can't satisfy.

1. The similarities between JF1 and JF2 seem too big to be coincidence. Same name, same name of wife, same occupation and potentially the same home town. Whilst I don't think JF2 is JF1's father or even grandfather I wonder if he might be an uncle and that shoemaking was a family business.

2. I know JF1 lived for many years in Witham. If he was born in Blackmore, how did he end up in Witham some 35-40 miles away.

3. The JF2 line traces back to Margaret Rothing and the surrounding towns and to a very wealthy family owning lots of land, houses, farms etc with a number still existing today. To have gone from a very wealthy family to a shoemaker in 120 years is obviously possible but adds a bit of doubt. That said JF1's son, my 2xGG became a very wealthy landowner and business owner himself only for his son to loose it all after he died so it's certainly not impossible.

I'm just wondering if there any other resources etc I can look at to try and ascertain which line is more likely to be correct if indeed either are? I have searched extensively the ERO and have been going through the parish records and wills thoroughly.

[familydar]

Br (bachelor) of this parish & spr (spinster) of the same.  And it's licence not banns

[suzard]

[quote author=peakoverload link=topic=792185.msg6482900#msg6482900 date=1524429255. JF1 had a wife whose name was Martha or Patty and they had 9 children. On some of the childrens baptism records the mothers name is given as Martha, on others its Patty. For years I thought they were two different people but have since proved they are the same person. JF1 and Patty married in Clerkenwell on 13/05/180

Not helping with your present query but confirming the Martha /Patty name

My husbands Aunt (1912-2000) was named Martha but always called Patty by her parents and sibling - and this nickname apparantly goes back many years -we always called her Aunty Pat and were quite surprised when she died to find her name as Martha

Suz