Enough proof to dig further? Mary Green

[Annie65115]

I did have some second thoughts insomuch that if Mary were born 1778, she would have been in her late 40s when she had her last child - not impossible but enough to strike a warning note.

I did think of Nicholas being a cousin but I have no idea how this is ever going to be proven.

It seems that the Green families of Baslow/Bubnell were stone masons and this links nicely with the Rudkins, into which family Mary married, as they were all builders.

I suspect I will never be able to find out which are her parents but actually the names are less important than knowing where she lived, what the family trad was etc -- lists of names don't mean a lot, lifestyles are much more interesting

[Galium]

In some of the Rudkin children's baptism records Mary uses the name Keightly (or variant). Going by other entries I don't think the register is one which gives the mother's maiden name, so presumably Mary is giving Keightly as one of her forenames. It seems to be significant to that family, as they continue to pass it on.
So they key to finding Mary's parents might be to find a family with a link to that name. (Not finding her baptised as Mary Keightly Green is not necessarily important, as she may have taken it later for some reason).

[Annie65115]

Lots of discussion on the leicester board about Keightley, but suffice it to say that it comes from her husbands side of the family; but thanks for the thought!

[Annie65115]

To summarise all the above - Roderick Rudkin m Mary Green of Baslow, as above -- but which Mary Green was it and was she really from Baslow?

Subsequent to previous chat I decided to "go with" Mary, daughter of Matthew Green, who had married Mary Wild from Curbar (won't bore you with reasons at this point, but I spent hours on the PRs).

Anyway, I've had my DNA done, and got a match back to Roderick and Mary Rudkin as shared ancestors, then another match to the Wild surname in Curbar, in the right era - haven't sorted out the exact link yet but this would seem to suggest I'm on the right track!

It takes years at times, doesn't it, but our research comes together in the end   

[ThrelfallYorky]

Well done, you! I had a similar problem some years back, and it took me five years of patient spade work, digging away, on and off, until it finally all wonderfully fell into place. As if that wasn't good enough, after that several other things popped up that confirmed it even more firmly.