baptism of Rebecca CLARKE abt 1712

[Westy11]

Rebecca CLARKE married Joseph WHITMORE in Leicester in 1732 [cannot locate a narrower date]. The marriage record has Rebecca as born about 1712.

Rebecca was buried in Barlestone in 1737.

Any ideas please?

Westy

[DCB]

Looking at the marriage bond, her age looks more like 25 than 20.

If so, there was a Rebecca Clarke baptised in Barlestone, the next village to Joseph's abode of Newbold Verdon, in 1708, daughter of Thomas.

However, the transcription of the marriage in Leicester gives her surname as Fance, and the name on the licence doesn't look like Clarke either.

David

[Westy11]

the attached clipping is from the Licence which was the only record I have been able to locate.

Your thoughts?

westy

[Westy11]

It seems Rebecca died in Barleston and buried 16 Apr 1737.  Rebecca had baptised her third child William at Newbold Verdon 20 Apr 1736.

I looked again at the stated age and it does look like 25 making her birth about 1707. 

Westy

[DCB]

I got a bit muddled in my previous message. Rebecca Clarke was baptised in Ashby de la Zouch but the burial was in Barlesone.

Looking at the marriage register, her surname definitely begins with 'F'. The date figure of the marriage is transcribed as 24 and is similar to the figure for her age on the licence.

I was looking for possibilities and found some Franes beginning with 'Ff' which looks like the first part of the name on the licence. This would suggest that the name is Fa*e.

The nearest geographically, is a Fawxe family in Sutton Cheney, also beginning 'Ff', but no Rebecca. The name is probably a variation of Faux, possibly pronounced Fo/Faue, which is what the register looks like - but only guessing. The last child, Joseph, of Sutton Cheney in 1713, was Faux.

The surname of Susannah in 1698 is not too far removed from the name on the licence.

An Elizabeth Faux married in St Mary de Castro, Leicester, in 1709 - clearer handwriting.

David

[Westy11]

Hello David,

It certainly looks clearer.

Just to see the response I am going to post to the deciphering forum and see what the results from that are.

Westy

[DCB]

I found a couple more Ffaux/Faux, again similar except for the last letter.

The first one 1718 in Sheepy Magna, daughter of Job who also may the same father who baptised children in Barlestone. The second is of Frances Ffaux of Desford, the same village as Rebecca, who married John Taylor in 1687. Frances was Ffawkes on the licence.

No sign of Rebecca though, except a Rebecca Fawkes on the other side of the county in 1711.

David

[Westy11]

Hello David,

I apprenciate so much your assistance.

Many thanks,

Westy

[Westy11]

Hello again David,

I posted to the deciphering website.The last response is as below.

"Late to the party, but my vote would be for Rebecca ffane de Desford.

I don’t think it starts with H. Looking at the following bond – the body of which is in the same hand – the groom is Henry Sikes, and the H for Henry/Henricum is very different; the verticals are straight and not looped. So I do think this is ff = F.

The third letter is not r but n – compare with the letter n in Singlewo(ma)n (both in the middle and at the end).

Looking at the whole image, the top part of the bond is in Latin, where Joseph is de Newbold Verdon. The de matches well, and I’m confident that Rebecca is de Desford.

How the surname could possibly have been read originally as Clarke defeats me."

Your thoughts?

Westy