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Thanks Alan,

Just checked the web site - only seems to be limited list of names in the current BRO index?

Unfortunately it doesnt include the one I am looking for.

regards,

John

Hi Everyone,

Its been a while since I last posted - I was hoping that someone may be able to assist with some erasearch I am doing on my Thatcher line in Uffington, Berkshire.

We (actually it was John Little - a local historian) have traced the line back to Thomas Thatcher who married Mary Warren on 18 Feb 1740 in Shillingford, Berkshire.

They were buried at the Uffington Cemetary:

"Near this place lieth the body of Thomas Thatcher who departed this life Nov 19 1802 in the 90th year of his age.  Also Mary wife of Thomas Thatcher who departed this life April 27 1789 in the 78th year of her age"

So that gives us some useful information to estimate the birth dates.

However - for Thomas - there are a couple of options:

Thomas THATCHER Gender: M Christening: 15 Mar 1713 Longworth, Berkshire, EnglandFather: Richard

Thomas THATCHER Gender: M Christening: 6 Oct 1717 Sparsholt, Berkshire, EnglandFather: Thomas, Mother: Elizabeth

Nothing listed in Uffington parish records.


Sparsholt is the closer of the towns to Uffington, however the Thomas from Longworth matches his calculated birth date much closer - (1712).  However Longworth is quite a distance to the North of Uffington and doesn't seem likely that he would have came from there and met his wife who was from Longcot.

Also - the Sparsholt Thomas is the son of a Thomas and Elizabeth, which matches the names of his children nicely, while the Longworth Thomas is the son of a Richard, (and he doesn't have a son named Richard)


Seems like the best fit is still the Thomas Thatcher born in Sparsholt in 1717 - but need something to prove the link.

Does anyone have access to the indexes of wills in Berkshire?

Also - may be some info in the Land holding / voter poll records if anyone can help?

regards,

John

Hi All,

After reading through this thead - I am somewhat confused as to which ancestors belong to which contributers?

Anyway - I am a descendent of George and Sarah Harding of Queenscliff (via their daughter Annie who maried Ernst Hinsch).

I have traced Georges parents as James Harding and Sarah Rixon of Cookham (although I understand James had other wives as well).

I believe James Harding parents were alos called James and Sarah.

Just wondering if anyone else is still researching this line and if they have managed to have any more luck getting back further?

cheers,

John

Hi KN,

Thanks again for all your help in the past.

Just wondering if you still have access to the Longworth Parish records?

If so - would it be possible if you could do a quick check to see if there are any marriage references for a Francis Fortescue and Elizabeth around 1690 - 1697?

Thanks in advance!

regards,

John

Hi KN / Debbie and Don (via seperate email),

Just saw your replies - great detective work!

Thanks again for your assistance with this - esepcially the Longworth voter's information that seems to definately tie the 2 Francis' together!

I think we are definately on to something here that sounds very exciting as I should be able to get this family back another generation . . . .

From your info below and the seperate email from Don - and ignoring the death date pencilled onto the will (I assume solicitors dont always have all the facts at their fingertips!) we can assume the following (and also ignoring the "Forstens" for now):

There were a Francis and Elizabeth Fortescue living in Longworth that also had land in Baulking and lived there as well for some period of time. 

They had the following children at Longworth:

Elizabeth Fortescue ch 13 Feb 1697    parents : Francis Fortescue
Francis Fortescue    ch    1 Jul   1700    parents: Fran Foscue and Elizabeth 
Mary Foscue             ch  16 Aug 1702   parents; Francis Foscue and Elixabeth             

(and possibly another daughter - Frances - who is mentioned in the will - and who fits nicely between the first 3 and the next 2)

Then it appears that the first son (Francis) dies at Longworth as an infant

Francis, buried March 18, 1704, s/o Francis, Chimeney in Bampton.

Then it appears that they had another couple of children at Baulking (registered at Uffington - same parish)

Francis Fortescue     ch  10 Apr  1709   parents  Francis Fortescue
Sarah Fortescue        ch  25 Oct 1713    parents: Francis Fortescue

(This next Francis is my ancestor and lives a healthy and long life, dying in 1793)

The parents (Francis and Elizabeth) are buried back in Longworth as follows:

1740 Aug 13, Elizabeth Fortescue
1755 Feb 28, Francis Fortescue

Assuming they started having children around 1697 - they may have been married around 1696 - which means they may have been born around 1675 which would make Francis about 80 when he died and Elizabth about 65.

So it all seems to fit rather nicely!

KN - FYI - Yes Fortescue is not a particularly common name - and all lines seem to come ulimately from the first ancestor as described in Don's Fortescue Web site (www.fortescue.org)

"Richard Le Fort was at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The legend is that he saved William, the Duke of Normandy, by use of his shield. He then adopted the name Fort Escu ( Strong shield ) and returned to France to found the French Fortescu Branch. His son Adam, who also fought at the Battle of Hastings, settled in South Devon near Modbury. All English Fortescues are descended from him."

The name "Francis" does seem to ve very prominany in my libe - with most generations using thename for the oldest son.  Just struggling to tie my line into the main family branches that Don has compiled on his web site.

Does anyone know if the cemetary inscriptions at Longworth are available?  They may give us some other pointers into where they came from or what they were doing?

kind regards and thanks again for your interest!

John