Wilcock marriage c 1650 info please.

[bbriann]

hi.......     Thomas wilcock ,  born in chorley area 1635,     Probably married   about  1650,
usual sources give no info about a marriage.
I don't know how to do this,  can any one help?      Thanks for your  time,    B.

[sarah]

Hi Brian,

Gosh this is many, many years ago !

Have you managed to find a baptism for Thomas Wilcock this may indicate the Parish where he could have possibly married.

Sarah

[Little Nell]

Hi there,

Do you have any details of the children from this marriage - it would help to look for a date more precisely.  Although I have to say, you're heading into the 'Black Hole' of the family history world i.e. the Commonwealth period, when parish registers got into a right mess for one reason or another.  If he married in an area where the locals supported Parliament and there was no parish priest to try and carry on the religious duties as before, then you may never find his marriage.  Was he well-off - might he have left a will at all?  That could help.

Nell

[bbriann]

Nell,...   thanks for that info,  that probably indicates why we are having trouble.   You mentioned wills.   I hve a sneaking  feeling that they could have been reasonably well off at that time, because the next generations are  property owners in and around Chorley and Rivington.  I feel that there were resources. WILLS...   how to and where?   could you help me, please?   Thanks, Brian. 

[bbriann]

Sarah,    thanks for the info,  we  "new-chums" need all the help we can get.    Thomas remains a mystery,    only indication is a christening in the Chorley area,   so we will continue !    Thanks   Brian.

[Little Nell]

Hi again,

On the Familysearch site, there is a christening recorded of Tho. Wilcock on 24 May 1635 in Chorley, father Alexander Wilcock.  It is an extracted entry so fairly reliable.  However, you have no way of know  if this is the one you are looking for without some more information.  There is also a marriage for Alexander to Anne Finch/Fynch on 6 Feb 1629 in Chorley, but this is a member-submitted record and therefore less reliable, although it may well prove to be correct.

For wills, you need to check either those proved at Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) and available to search online at:
http://www.documentsonline.nationalarchives.gov.uk

If you find one you wish to view, it costs £3.50 to download.  I have paid for several and it has nearly always proved very valuable (provided you can read the writing of course!)
or for northern parts of the country then they could be in York or at other local record offices.  Some of the Lancashire wills are held in Chester and others in Preston.

I have just done a quick search of the online index and neither Alexander nor Thomas appears - shame.

We haven't really got very far, but I hope this all helps.

Nell

By the way, where did you find the info about his possible christening date? that may be of further use to you.