It is the only conclusion I can draw despite the lack of evidence.....that there were two couples named William and Mary DREWETT. Both first names being common of course. It makes it excruciatingly hard when there are couples of the same name, same age group, same village/area etc.
When I said that Mary PHILLIPS is credited with being the mother of Rachel, I mean by others namely on certain website trees. Because of the children and baptism dilemma I have never been comfortable to espouse that theory.
In 2015 I received the following response from a researcher in regard to this matter.
“......I have also searched both the Oxon. and N. Berks, marriage indexes for a marriage of their parents, William and Mary in order to determine her maiden name, but have failed to find this in either index. I have also checked the Standlake register for any sign of banns being read there for such a marriage but found none. It would seem that they either never married, or else did so outside the county.
For interest, I have added DREWETT to the family migration map (address below). This appears to show that the DREWETT in the Shiplake/Henley area were incomers, appearing in 1789 with Henry's baptism, which strengthens the view that his parents married elsewhere.”
Spelling variants included in this search (most frequent first) are:
DREWETT, DRUET, DREWET, DRUETT, DREWITT, DREWIT, DRUAT, DRUIT, DROUGHT, DRUITT, DREWEATT, DREWAT, DREWATT, DREWEAT, DRUATT, DREUATE, DREUET, DREUT, DREWST, DREWT, DROUET, DRUEAT, DREWART, DREWATE, DREWETE, DREWIIT, DREWITT?, DREWITT-NUTT, DREWTT, DREWYTT, DROIT, DROUETT, DROUT, DRUATE, DRUETTE.
Another researcher I employed on this same paradox concluded that she couldn't find them and agreed with me that the baptism dates of the children of the Shiplake and Winchcombe couples (as I outlined last night) was untenable if they were one and the same.
Perhaps the parents of Rachel and indeed Hannah (if Hannah is the mother of George) will remain a mystery which is unsolvable.
There was something else I wanted to mention but have forgotten it amidst my angst of Will and Mary!!