SPILMAN, Elizabeth b. 1740 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

[Lignumvitae]

Help appreciated on her ancestors for this newbie. She married Henry CLARKE of Lowestoft, 1725-1791. Their son was John Spilman CLARKE 1765-1835. The use of Spilman as a middle name continued in my family until 1922.
This suggests that Elizabeth SPILMAN was important or an heiress? Can someone help me navigate the numerous SPILMAN roots in Norfolk/Suffolk? Thank you.

[jim1]

Hello & welcome
Have you seen the marriage entry?
Are there any Spilman witnesses?

[Pennines]

It is always a good idea to check for all the other children born to a couple if you can find them.

Often the eldest daughter was named after the mother's mother. Christian names seemed to run in families.

Also check if you can find any Spilman Wills -- which may provide clues. There is useful information about the possible location of pre 1858 Norfolk Wills on the Family Search Wiki - which may be of help, now or in the future.

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Norfolk_Probate_Records

[Lignumvitae]

Thank you so much Jim1 and Pennines for your suggestions. I have been following your suggestions hence my tardy response.
Have not been able to find Elizabeth's baptism and so far no wills but enjoyed looking through them from your link.
I know she must have been important as SPILMAN was preserved as a family name until 1922 and my Father from her marriage about, say 1760.

Are there any Norfolk centered chats I should be looking at?

Thanks again to you both.

[Pennines]

There is a Norfolk Family History Society - it may be that they have a Forum, but you would have to join that Society. They may not have a Forum but you can contact them and ask.

http://www.norfolkfhs.org.uk/

[rosie99]

I know she must have been important as SPILMAN was preserved as a family name until 1922 and my Father from her marriage about, say 1760.

Not necessarily important     It was quite common for children to have their mothers maiden surname as a middle name.  The fact that it continued to be used is much the same as carrying on William or Thomas,  being named after a parent or grandparent.

[Annette7]

I don't wish to sound disparaging, but have assumptions been made here?

There is no baptism entry for a John Spilman Clarke who marries in this name in 1787 - there is a baptism for a plain John Clarke 13/4/1766 Lowestoft, son of Henry and Elizabeth and this seems to be the link to a Henry and wife Elizabeth.

However, unless you've found otherwise, there is no marriage anywhere in the country between a Henry Clarke and an Elizabeth Spilman??   

It seems to me that because John Spilman Clarke married in this name it has been assumed (as Spilman carried on within the family) that his mother must have been named Spilman, and assuming he was the John Clarke bp'd 1766 Lowestoft to Henry and Elizabeth that Henry's wife Elizabeth was formerly Spilman.

There seem to be no actual facts to back this up - all that is definitely known is that a John Spilman Clarke married 1787 but there is no baptism in this name nor is there a marriage between a Clarke and Spilman with any Christian names as far as I can see.

Annette

[larkspur]

There is a family nearby to me that uses my maiden name, the same way that Spilman is used here. Passed down the generations. It seems that an ancestor of mine left an ancestor of theirs money. Their family then went on to use the name in gratitude -I suppose.
Also sometimes there is simply no explanation. A 3x great grandfather of mine was baptised with the middle name Leland- not used anywhere else in the family. It was never used again, even when he married.

[rosie99]

Help appreciated on her ancestors for this newbie. She married Henry CLARKE of Lowestoft, 1725-1791.

Where and when did they marry