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Dear all,

Mary A (perhaps Ann[e]) Hocking was apparently born in Truro 5 May 1845 to John Hocking and ? I have this information from another researcher as part of their extensive tree. We connect a long time ago, but Mary Anne is a closer link to my family. Problem is I cannot verify her birth at all and my fellow researcher was unable to remember where they found this info.

Can someone please check the Truro parish record for May 1845 and let me know if there is a M A Hocking listed?

Thank you in hope.

Dear all,

On 3 October 1813 Thomas and Elizabeth Wooster had a son, Joseph, baptised in Turville. It is possible that this Joseph is my ancestor, and thus Thomas and Elizabeth, but then again perhaps not. The problem is that many correspondents have suggested that my Joseph was the son of Timothy and Selinor (or Selina or indeed Eleanor and variants as she appears on the parish register) and baptised in Ellesborough on 18 Oct 1812.

As yet I have never found a satisfactory reason as to why the Turville baptism has been discounted and have very little info on Thomas and Elizabeth, other than they are likely to have been married by license in Stokenchurch on 22 Aug 1805. I have a copy of the parish register entry.

I know that Joseph was living in greater Stanmore in in 1841 as he is on the census aged 25 and married to Rebecca with 3 children, Henry, Charles and Eliza. Eliza Wooster appears as a witness on Thomas and Elizabeth's marriage record so she may have been Joseph's sister

On the 1851 census Joseph is still in Greater Stanmore with Rebecca, but now aged 38 and listing his birthplace as Wendover. They now have Henry, Eliza, Charles, Albert, Louise, Emma, Ann Rebecca, Helena and James. (They end up adding Joseph, Elizabeth and Edith C to this list). So there is a child name connection to Thomas and Elizabeth as well.

Ignoring child names for a moment the only real info I have on Joseph is that he was born some time between 1813 and 1816ish somewhere in the Wendover area. Turville is and so is Ellesbourogh.

There are a *lot* of Wooster's in Wendover at that time and I went though the Wendover register recently noting them all in the hope that I might be able to untangle all this a bit.

The Timothy and Selinor correspondents suggest that their lineage goes back to Moses Wooster and that the families either liked the names Timothy and Moses or showed a singular lack of imagination when naming their offspring. There are 4 generations of Moses Woosters. They also say that Timothy was married twice.

As far as I can tell Timothy and Selina had; Mary (13 Feb 1803), William (30 Dec 1804), Eleanor (10 Jan 1807), Moses (20 Aug 1809), James (14 Nov 1819), Elizabeth (20 Dec 1823) and Timothy (28 May 1826) baptised in Wendover and Joseph (18 Oct 1812 - mother listed as Eleanor), Thomas (5 Feb 1815 - mother listed as Senedar)  and George (20 Jul 1817 - mother listed as Eleanor again) baptised in Ellesborough.

There is a Timothy Wooster aged 65 listed on the Wendover 1841 census with James (age 25), might be the James baptised 1819(?). This Timothy is still around 1851 aged 76, but now with his wife Lebender (aged 73).. Lebender? There are definite S's (eg Straw platter) on the census page but could that be Selender? There are definite l's as well (Ellen for example). There are no Lebinder Woosters listed on FreeBMD, but Selina has a death record for Wycombe for Sept 1859.

I have a number of wills for Timothy and Thomas Woosters. Timothy  - a wealthy landed yeoman - proved 28 Sep 1833 does not mention his wife but lists a number of children including William, Francis, Ann Allen (widow), Thomas, Job and Joseph. There is a couple, Timothy and Hestor in Wendover who have Mary (13 Oct 1799), Thomas (5 Jan 1801), Job (30 May 1802), George (26 Jan 1803),  Mary (again - 19 Sep 1806) and Joseph (6 Dec 1807). Selina cannot be this Timothy’s 2nd wife as Selena gives birth to Eleanor in 1807 and Hestor to Joseph in 1809. Thus the William mentioned in the Will cannot be the one that Timothy and Selina baptise in 1804, I could not find another in Wendover. As I suspect that Lebinder is Selinder (Selina) in the 1851 census with Timothy, her Tim cannot be the yeoman in the will. I do not think that the will Joseph  is my ancestor as the likely match was baptised 1807, a bit too early.

I could not find Timothy and Hestor's marriage but found bans for Timothy and Selena Jones for 10,17 & 22 Jan 1802.

I have two wills for Thomas Wooster proved  24 Sep 1840 and 15 Apr 1817 respectively. The 1840 will does not mention any children by name but does mention Thomas's wife – Elizabeth as well as two brothers Joseph and Job.  Not having any info on the Turville Thomas Wooster I cannot say for certain if he had any brothers. It could be that the 1840 will relates to Timothy and Hestor's son, bapt 5 Jan 1801. There is a couple in Wendover called Thomas and Elizabeth who have children from 17 May 1829 till 21 Oct 1832, though this could be the Turville family who have simply moved.

The 1817 will again mentions Elizabeth, but no children or brothers; stating that all should be given to Elizabeth or if she passes away to Thomas' sisters Emily Hawkins(?) and Alison Shaw(?) the handwriting is not clear. It is also very short and appears to have needed verification before being proved.

None of this is really helpful, other than I am now fairly sure that my Joseph is not a beneficiary of the yeoman Timothy Wooster's will. This is a pain a s there is a web site of Wooster's linked to that document. I am also still at a loss as to how to tie Joseph Wooster to either Thomas and Elizabeth or Timothy and Selina (or whatever she was called).

Has anyone got any information on Thomas Wooster of Turville that might aid me?

Dear all,

Can someone confirm a suspicion I have on the above. I believe that Sarah Floyd(e) was born around 1863/4 to John and Agnes Floyde (nee Floyde). I have a marriage certificate for them for May 2nd 1863 but at present have no connection. Given that Floyde is a very common name in that part of Somerset I could be completely wrong. According to free BMD there is a Sarah Floyde registered in Williiton in Sept 1863 which might be her. Alas I have not been able to get a birth cert from the GRO since the Family history centre closed, though at least I see the web site is now allowing you to again...

I have Sarah aged 17 living with John and Agnes in Selworthy on the 1881 census (RG11/2353) which is where the suspicion comes from.

If I am right then this ties up a loose end and a lot of head scratching (Floydes marring Floydes)

Here's hoping I am right!

John.

Dear all,

I'm stuck, I mean really stuck on this. 

Mary Ann(e) Shepheard (or Shapard or Shepard etc) married George Wooster on 25 December 1883 (never knew people could marry on Christmas day!) In the Parish Church of Pinner Middx.

I'm trying to find out where she was born and I'm stuck.

According to her marriage she was 20 in 1883 and her father was one Thomas Shepheard, Labourer. Problems start however when I look at subsequent census returns;

In 1891 the family is in Gretta Road, Pinner. Marry ann is now Annie, age 27 and her birthplace is 'Unknown' they have 4 Children, George Henry, Charles James, Ada and William Charles. (George's father was a Charles)

In 1901 they are in Headstone and Mary Anne is still Annie, age 38 but born in 'Bucks'. The family has grown (although they may have lost Charles) with George H, Ernest I,  Ada H (who is actually Ada Ellen), William C, Albert E, Alice A, Violet M and Beatrice.

If I take Annie's age as correct (always a bit dodgy) then she was born around 1863. The IGI suggests the following;

Mary ann 07 SEP 1862       Saint Paul, Chatham, Kent, England - Thomas and Eliza
Mary        17 JUL 1864       St Peter'S, Chester, Cheshire, England - Thomas & Catherine Walker Shep
Mary        21 AUG 1865       St Chad'S, Rochdale, Lancashire, England - Thomas & Jane

Mary Ann Eliza 14 JUN 1863       Saint John The Baptist, Shoreditch, London, England Thomas & Elenor
Mary Ann Frances 11 OCT 1863       Tong, Shropshire, England Thomas and Lucy Shipard (which of course could be a transcription error)

None are in Bucks, but given the first census of 1891 I guess that's not surprising.

Free BMD suggests 2 possibles in Bucks in 1862-
Mary ann Shephard Brackley 3b 1
Mary ann Sheppard Newprot P 3a 470

And a massive list (around 100) elsewhere. Ugh.

Has anyone got any suggestions how I can find which Mary Ann Sheppard (or combination) is mine? I have tried free reg but without much clue as to the county I'm very stuck, and since people often moved to a parish to get married I don't think that the register will help. She is living in Pinner Drive, the same as George at the time of her marriage.

J.