So I know this is a better problem to have than there being
no surviving records, but I'm currently struggling with how to deal with a part of my tree where there are seemingly endless possibilities.
I've been looking into the Smallmans/Smalmans of the area of Monkhopton/Ditton Priors in Shropshire in the 18th century and there are absolutely
hundreds of them running around the place. This is perhaps unsurprising as they'd apparently been in the area for hundreds of years.
I have 100% confirmed this part of my tree back to my 4x grandmother Mary Smallman and her marriage to a Richard Davies in 1787. Along with this, I've confirmed two of her siblings via shared witnesses, later census return links, etc.
What I'm having problems with is going back further. There seem to be no lack of records, with the survival rate being very good across the board, but that's almost the issue. Not only parish BMD records, but also various court records and other documents, there are plenty of Smallmans to choose from. Almost too many!
My suspicion is that Mary might be the daughter of a Thomas and Mary Smallman, based purely on age and the link to Monkhopton. There is a Mary that would fit, but sadly the surname wasn't recorded in the register. All three confirmed sisters were married by license, so I've reached out to the relevant record office to see if there are any surviving associated documents.
So partly this thread is me getting this stuff off my chest, but I wondered if anyone else here had found themselves in a similar situation and had tips for how to move forward.
Thanks in advance!