Eynsham Parish - LEACH

[Leanne68]

Hi,

I'm looking for the Eynsham Parish records for the following :

Marriage between :

Benjamin LEACH to Elizabeth ? abt.  1811
Benjamin LEACH to Ann MIDDLETON/OXENHAM abt 1815


Death/Burial record for Elizabeth ? above between 1813 and 1815

Baptism records for

a) the children of Benjamin and Elizabeth, including :

Edward LEACH 5 Sept 1813

and
b) the children of Benjamin and Ann, including :

Ann / Amelia LEACH in about 1817

Thanks in advance!
best regards
Leanne
in the Netherlands

[DebbieG]

Hi Leanne

Here are some of your answers

marriage Eynsham 1811 Feb 11th
Benjamin Leech bach to Elizabeth Douglas spinster
witnessed by Charles East, Diana Jarvis and Deborah Kerry

baptisms
1812 May 17th Fanny d/o Benjamin & Elizabeth Leech
              burial 1812 May 23rd Fanny Leech inf
1813 September 5th Edward s/o Benjamin & Eliuzabeth Leech - mason

burial 1814 November 24th Elizabeth Leech aged 21

marriage 1815 August 7th
Benjemin Lecch widower to Ann Middleton widow of St Giles Oxford by license
witnessed by Joseph West & Mary West

but I am afraid there are no further baptisms (or any register ) entries for the family of Benjamin that I could see - I think they may have lived elsewhere

 

Debbie

[Leanne68]

Hi Debbie,

Thanks for taking the time to look those details up. 

The first marriage to Elizabeth Douglas, that doesn't happen to have an abode/*of* for Benjamin does it?

I suspect that Benjamin may have come from Combe (I've just got back from a trip to the UK and visited that delightful tiny village and it really is not very far from Eynsham).  I see that the Combe parish registers have been transcribed by D.L. BOOTH but will need to spend some more time trying to hunt them down.

If you run across a burial for William or Martha LEACH/LEECH(possibly Benjamin's parents) in Enynsham after 1781 then i'd very much appreciate those details.  It seems that William and Martha had another son born in Combe, James LEACH who also married and had children in Eynsham.  Their other son, John LEACH seems to have stayed in Combe.

Thanks again!
best wishes
Leanne

[DebbieG]

Hi - me again

I have a copy of the transcripts for Combe that you refer to and there is indeed a baptism in them
1778 Feb 1st Benjamin s/o William & Martha Leech

there are also burials
1806 Jan 31st William Leech (no age given)
1822 June 29th Martha Leech aged 78

- there was no mention of this couple at all in Eynsham so perhaps they did stay in Combe

- the marriage of Benjamin & Elizabeth made no mention of any other places so I think he must have already been living in the parish of Eynsham at the time of his marriage.

It would be nice to find a burial for Benjamin - preferably with an age stated to see if the baptism year ties up OK - do you have any ideas about where he might have gone after Eynsham?

All the best

Debbie

[Leanne68]

Hi again Debbie,

The Benjamin LEACH who married in Eynsham emigrated to the Cape of Good Hope as part of the 1820 settler scheme.  The age given on the ship's muster roll and letters of application was 30, but i suspect he was actually about 40 (it has been proven that other settlers also misrepresented their ages to make their selection more likely)  If this was the case then the Combe birth of 1777/78 could well be *my* Benjamin. 

His second wife Ann MIDDLETON nee OXENHAM was born in 1784 in Devon, so whilst he would have been 15 years older than Elizabeth, he'd only have been 6 years older than Ann.    Theories and speculation rife of course!

I think my next step might be to try and trace a Will for William or Martha that might mention their son Benjamin. 

When Benjamin & Ann LEACH emigrated to the Cape, Benjamin's young son, Edward, from his first marriage to Elizabeth did not travel with them.     I'm trying to establish who he might have been left with.   Do you have a burial record for Thomas or Elizabeth DOUGLAS(Elizabeth's parent's per IGI) after  1793 in Eynsham?

(Are the records easy to check eg. alphabetically ... or do you have to search each entry?)

best wishes
Leanne
in the Netherlands

[DebbieG]

Hi

From the burial registers of Eynsham

1804 July 31st Elizabeth Douglas aged 53
1821 Nov 19th Thomas Douglas aged 79

From Index to Probate records of Oxfordshire 1733-1857
William Leech yeoman of Combe 1806 W 220.83;268/1/10

So yes there is a will left by William at Oxford R.O - I don't know wether they will do a copy and post it for you - some record offices require a copyright declaration to be signed - but there is no harm in asking - at least you know there is something there.  Incidentally I cannot see anything at Oxford for the Douglas's

Debbie

[Leanne68]

Hi Debbie,

Thanks a million for doing those lookups!  Having a death and probate record reference for William puts me a mile ahead of where i was before you helped!

The will for William won't mention the Cape as Benjamin only left in 1820, but might just help to determine if the Eynsham Benjamin LEACH and Combe Benjamin LEACH/LEECH are one and the same man.

Thanks again
Leanne

[Leanne68]

Debbie,

me again!  I've just searched the IGI records a little more thoroughly and have come across a record for the following children :

Caleb LEACH 1800 baptised in Combe
Dinah LEACH  1803 baptised in Combe

children of Benjamin LEACH and Jane ?

Would you be able to confirm any more details for the baptisms or a marriage in the Combe registers for any of the above records.

best wishes
Leanne