Looking for Mary Nottage - Elsenham or nearby

[LizzieL]

Mary Nottage married Samuel Griggs in Elsenham on 13 Oct 1759. They baptised 9 children there between 1760 and 1777. Mary was buried on 2 Jun 1790.
Samuel Griggs was baptised in Elsenham on 11 Apr 1736 son of Thomas Griggs and his wife Elizabeth. After Mary's death he married Sarah Turner in Elsenham, with whom he had an illegitamate daughter just before the marriage.
I can't find Mary's baptism in Elsenham, but the parish records only start at 1731, so if she was born some years before Samuel in Elsenham the record would be lost.
Assuming Mary was a similar age to Samuel, then the best candidate I have is Mary Nottage bapt in Hatfield Broad Oak base born daughter of Thomas Nottage and Rachel Crowe on 17 Apr 1737.
Can anyone find a better candidate or find the HBO Mary Nottage elsewhere (married or buried) and eliminate her as Samuel's wife. Mary and Samuel's first child was called Rachel.
Shortest route from Elsenham to HBO is 7.4 miles, but would probably be less then as they wouldn't have to go around Stansted airport.
It looks like Rachel Crowe had an earlier illeitimate child with Nash Parsons who I think might be from Takeley.

[emeltom]

There is also a baptism for a Mary Nottage in Ashdon 2 September 1739 to Henry and Eliz. Ashdon is about 8 miles east of Elsenham.

Emeltom

[LizzieL]

A possibility, but looks like shortest walking route between Ashdon and Elsenham is almost 13 miles, but I can't find anything to definitely eliminate the Ashdon Mary either.
One of the staff at the Essex record office, Saffron Walden access point, told me people walked surprisingly long distances then, particularly to a market town like Saffron Walden. Newport was probably quite important then before the M11 was built, it would be on a major route.

[robesur]

Although both Elsenham and Hatfield Broad Oak are both in Essex their nearest market town is Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire which is only about 3 miles from either. Likewise Takeley is even nearer. It is quite possible that a couple could meet up there, you could search in Hertfordshire records for a possible link.

I would definitely ignore the Ashdon link unless you have other evidence, although I have found that my relatives from the Ashdon area seemed to have clandestine meetings in BS. BS was on the main road from London to Cambridge, Newmarket and Norwich, with regular coaches passing through it.

[LizzieL]

Thanks, I think location certainly favours the HBO  Mary. But would she be called Mary Nottage or Mary Crowe? Her baptism record says "Mary base born dr of Rachel Crowe and Thomas Nottage" so it doesn't actually give Mary a surname.
Nash'd baptism says "Nash base born son of Nash Parsons and Rachel Crowe" again no surname for Nash jnr.