Thanks
I have spent a lot of time on this but nothing currently proven I'm afraid. I feel that Henry and William who appear in Beckford from 1729 have to be the Bishops Cleeve family as Edward Clements's sons Henry / Harry and William. Those 2 otherwise disappear without trace in Bishops Cleeve . I have traced and been able to exclude all other local Henry / Harry Clements in the period.
I have gone over the original Bishops Cleeve register in Gloucester records office very very carefully and documented all the Clements from about 1590 - 1700. Although there are various Clements in the BC register before 1678 , I cannot prove a link to John Clements there earlier than his marriage in 1678. I can speculate on various early links to Tewkesbury, Tredington, Ashchurch but its not proven. I have traced and ruled out other Clements in adjoining places like Didbrook
Henry's first son was baptised in Alstone; other children were in Beckford. The family seem to have then settled at Grafton and then used Ashton under Hill church more than Beckford. I have not been able to identify Henry's death or the death of John his son, but the burial of their wives Eleanor and Lydia is documented.
There were a lot of deaths in the village of Beckford in 1728 - must have been some sort of epidemic - ?? Henry and brother William moved there from Bishops Cleeve to vacant tenancies?
Maybe one could prove things in the Manorial court rolls for Grafton.
I would be interested to know what leads your father followed, and his conclusions /speculation on this, and any further thoughts you have.
