Hi Terri
I have had another look at this one this morning, so to recap -
we have William's marriage certificate giving his father as Benjemin,
we have William in the census returns giving his approx year of birth 1815/1816 and in all but one the place is Wantage
There is a Benjemin & Sarah Lawrence having children baptised at Wantage from 1817
From the burials registers for Wantage Benjamin Lawrence died quite young aged 46 in 1823 - this ties in with a baptism in Wantage 1777 21st November of Benjemin s/o William & Jane Lawrence
This morning I found a marriage in the IGI in Wantage 2nd Dec 1826 of Sarah Lawrence to John Eustace, sadly the marriages in my transcripts only go up to 1813 so I can't see if Sarah was a widow, but there is not a likly baptism for a Sarah Lawrence in Wantage who would be marrying in 1826. So back to the burials John Eustace died in 1841 aged 79, Sarah Eustace was buried in 1862 aged 73, I was able to find her in all 3 census before her death in 51 & 61 she gives her place of birth as Abingdon. From the marriage registers of St Helens Abingdon 1814 October 10th Benjamin Lawrence to Sarah Wellman. I think it very likly that this is the Benjemin & Sarah Lawrence who were in Wantage having children, I also think it very likly that your William was their eldest son named after Benjemin's father, sadly though I still can't find a baptism for William (it is not in Abingdon) he might not have been baptised.
Debbie
