Marriage & Wills of Anthony Hodgkins & Meriell of Barcheston/Willington

[roselamont]

Anthony Hodgkins b.1580 Barcheston married a woman called Meriell and they baptised several children in Barcheston between 1605 and 1631.

There isn't a marriage for them in Barcheston; can anyone find one please?

Also, they vanish from the Barcheston PRs & CW accounts after 1631; I can't see any wills for them online but there are a lot of spelling variations for the name so could have missed it. Where did they go?

[jim1]

Pure conjecture but there's just 1 Meriell born in the area & that's this one:
Meriall Bennett Bapt. 26/12/1582 Bourton-on-the-Hill Gloucs. father Thomas Bennett.
Barcheston was on the borders of Gloucs,Oxon & Worcs. & about 10mls. from Bourton.
There's 1 sibling Joan Bapt. 1/10/1588 same place & a marriage:
Thomas Bennett = Joyce Clarke 24/7/1581 same place.
So a possible wife.
I'm not convinced the children born to Anthony Hodgins 1605-31 are all his unless Meriell was his 2nd. wife.
The reason being that there's a large gap between the first 2 births & it's highly unlikely a woman would have children over a 25 year period at this time.
I can't see an Anthony Hodgkins birth 1580 Barcheston.Where has this come from?

CW accounts

What are these?

[roselamont]

I'm not at all any good with where places are in Warks but when you search for Merrells born bef 1650 on the IGI you get several returned such as:-

Merriall Eddes     22 March 1578    LEA MARSTON
Merrell Symonds 8 August 1585    Dunchurch
Merrill Holmes     4 August 1561    ALCESTER

Seeing as the IGI coverage drops rapidly before 1600 it must have been a not uncommon name in the area? There was also a Meriell Colborne born between 1581-1598 in the area. She is also a strong contender to be Anthony Hodgkin's wife as the name Colborne was used as a forename by the Hodgkins family.

re. Anthony & his children I noted from a microfilmed copy of the Barcheston PRs the following:-

bapt. 1580 Anthony Hodgkins s. of Richard
bapt. 1605 William Hodgkins s. Anthony of Willington
bapt. 1606 Mary Hodgkins d. Anthony of Willington
bur. 1609 Mary Hodgkins d. Anthony
bapt. 1610 Ann Hodgkins d. Anthony
bapt. 1618 Joanna Hodgkins d ?
bapt. 1620 Anthony Hodgkins s. Anthony
bapt. 1622 Richard Hodgkins s. Anthony & Meriall
bapt. 1624 Mary Hodgkins d. Anthony & Meriall
bapt. 1629 John Hodgkins s. Anthony
bapt. 1631 Katherine Hodgkins d. Anthony

If the Joanna born in 1618 was Anthony's then there is only an 8 yr gap, and yes it could mean that Meriall was Anthony's 2nd wife. Alternatively they may have wandered to other parishes for a while; Barcheston is bordered by 7 other parishes which do not seem to be included in the IGI results?

There is a will for Richard Hodgekins Snr, Yeoman of Willington 1593 listed in the Worcestor wills index which looks to be Anthony's grandfather. I will get a copy of this but it is too early to help with the Anthony/Meriall marriage. Would Anthony & Meriells wills definitely be in the Worcestershire court wills or could they be elsewhere? Lichfield? Gloucs?

P.S. CW Accounts = Churchwardens Accounts

[roselamont]

Anthony & Meriell had the following additional child baptised in Burmington just south of Barcheston:-

bapt. 1635 Colbourne Hodgkins s. Anthony & Meriall

Meriall's maiden name was almost certainly Colborne but where is the marriage to prove it?