I am interested to hear what other Rootschatters think of the following theory:
I am descended from an Isaac Belsey Reynolds who was baptised on 24 May 1795 at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney, London to "James" Reynolds, "gent" of "MEOT" (Mile End Old Town). He married Ann Woodruff on 31 December 1816 at Walmer, Kent, with witnesses John ?Pittock and Susannah Woodruff.
I suspect that there could be some kind of error in the baptism record for Isaac Belsey Reynolds and that his parents were the "Thomas" Reynolds and Mary Belsey who married at St Katherine Creechurch London on 27 Feb 1785.
Thomas and Mary may have had the following children (parents all listed as Thomas & Mary):
1. Richard bap St Katherine Creechurch born 1 Mar 1785 bap 8 Apr 1785
2. Thomas George bap St Mary Whitechapel Stepney Nov 1786 (parents at Swan Street)
3. George Frederick bap St Mary Whitechapel Stepney Jan 1788 (parents at Swan Street)
4. Mary bap St Mary Whitechapel Stepney 20 Feb 1791 (parents at Prescot Street)
5. Henry bap St Mary Whitechapel Stepney 4 Jan 1793 (parents at Prescot Street)
6. Susanna bap St Dunstan Stepney 5 Mar 1797 (father of Mile End Old Town gentleman)
7. Samuel Bawtree bap St Dunstan Stepney 11 Aug 1799 (father of Mile End Old Town gentleman)
As noted above Isaac Belsey's father was also described as a gentleman of Mile End Old Town in his baptism in 1795, like the 1797 and 1799 baptisms above.
Isaac Belsey also had a son named George Frederick Reynolds with his wife Ann Woodruff (bap 27 Dec 1822 St Mary Whitechapel). He also had a daughter Mary Susanna.
I also think the Mary Belsey that Thomas Reynolds married in 1795 may have been the Mary Belsey baptised 1766 at Canterbury to Isaac Belsey and Mary (Pain). There appear to have been three Reynolds-Belsey marriages around the same time with connections to St Katherine Creechurch London, Adisham Kent or Nonington Kent:
1. John Pilcher Reynolds of St Katherine Creechurch married Elizabeth Belsey of Adisham at Adisham 1782 (licence record: "John Pilcher Reynolds of St Kath Creechurch London seedsman wid & Eliz Belsey of Adisham sp (23), at A. 14 Jan 1782.")
2. Henry Reynolds of Adisham married Judith Belsey of Nonington at Nonington 1784 ("Hy Reynolds of Adisham yeo bach (27) & Judith Belsey of Nonington sp, at N. 06 Jul 1784.")
3. the marriage of Thomas Reynolds and Mary Belsey at St Katherine Creechurch 1785 mentioned above
I suspect it may have been three brothers or kinsman who married three sisters. The women in the marriages fit nicely with the children of Isaac Belsey and Mary baptised at St Andres. Canterbury:
1. Elizabeth bap 3 Nov 1758
2. Judith bap 4 Oct 1763
3. Mary bap 23 May 1766
Two of the men fit nicely with the children of Thomas Reynolds and Elizabeth of Adisham, who also had a son called George Frederick in 1765 (like Thomas & Mary in 1788 and Isaac Belsey & Ann in 1822):
1. John Pilcher bap 30 Dec 1754
2. Henry bap 16 Feb 1757
I suspect the Thomas Reynolds who married Mary Belsey in 1785 was also connected to this Reynolds family.
I also have one other bit of quite speculative evidence - I have done an Ancestry DNA test and have been matched as a distant (5th to 8th) cousin of someone whose tree records that they are descended from a Thomas Belsey of Kent who married an Elizabeth Bass, but whose tree ends there. Other trees trace this Thomas Belsey back to the marriage of John Belsey and Mary Pilcher in 1672 in Kent, and a number of trees also trace the Isaac Belsey who married Mary Pain and had Elizabeth, Judith and Mary back to the same couple.
I am wondering if anyone can find any evidence to support (or disprove) my theories? I should note that other researchers have the May Belsey baptised 1766 marrying a William Bowman in Kent, which would disprove that theory.
Any thoughts very welcome.