Marriage details for James & Eleanor Meaden, Shillingstone circa 1778?

[astromuzza]

Hello everyone!

I've been searching through the parish records in, and round, Shillingstone for marriage details for James & Eleanor Meaden who I strongly suspect are my 5x great grandparents.

I also suspect they were married about 1778 and have seen their surname also written as Meaton in their children's baptismal records.

However, after much exhaustive searching through Ancestry I have not been able to find anything and so turn to this forum for help...

HELP!

If anyone could give me some ideas on how I might track down their marriage details I would be very grateful.

Cheers,
Mario

PS I have their children as follows -
Kitty (I believe aka Christian & my 4x great grandmother) baptised on 27/10/1779 in Shillingstone with a surname of Meaton
James baptised on  20/02/1782 in Shillingstone with a surname of Meaden
Mary & George baptised on 23/03/1783 in Childe Okeford -with a surname of  Meaton
Ann baptised on 04/09/1785 in Ibberton with a surname of  Meaden
James (another one) baptised on 09031788 in Fifehead-Neville with a surname of  Meaden

[solidrock]

Elizabeth Meaden. baptised 24 Oct 1790. Fifehead-Neville, Dorset.

[emeltom]

What about this one from Dorset Marriage Transcriptions

30 April 1778 Hanford James Meaden and Eleanor Morris by Banns

Emeltee

[astromuzza]

Emeltee, That looks very promising! Solidrock, thanks for the extra child...

Cheers,
Mario

[nanny jan]

A useful free site for Dorset families:

http://www.opcdorset.org/index.htm

Not just Parish Registers and census!

[Richard Knott]

James' burial (1840 aged 88) gives him a birth date around 1752. There aren't many suitable baptisms, but one is the James Meaden s George and Christian baptised in Sturminster Newton in 1756, close to where your Meadens were.

IF this connection can be proved, an administration following the death of George in 1773 describes him as a yeoman (Christian died in 1783). The Meadens appear to have been in Sturminster Newton for some time, some leaving wills, making tracing back easier. However, there is the minor problem of establishing that this James is yours!

Richard

[astromuzza]

Richard,

Thank you very much for this information. As you say, all I have to do now is try and prove the connection!

Cheers,
Mario

[astromuzza]

Richard,

It looks like that James was born in Sturminster Marshall not Sturminster Newton. Still in the general area but the other side of Blandford from Shillingstone....

Cheers,
Mario