Quested Marriage Check

[MattD30]

Hi all

I'm posting this as a follow up to some previous posts regarding my ancestors John Kennett and Mary Quested who were married in 1732 in Shadhoxhurst by licence. Since my original postings I have come across a possible puzzle regarding Mary's identity.

When John Kennett and Mary Quested married they were both described on the marriage licence as being widowed.

Now here's the puzzle. I thought that Mary was the widow of John Quested and the daughter of William Miller and Mary Essex. Mary and John were married in Mersham in 1698 and Mary was christened there in 1673.

Now here's the [two] problems I have recently discovered after looking through my notes again.

Firstly, Mary Miller who was born in 1673 cannot be the same "Mary Quested" who married John Kennett in 1732. Their first child (Mary) was born in 1735/6 and their last child (Luce-Beth) was born/christened in 1741. If Mary was born in 1673 she would be almost 60 when Mary was born and almost 70 when Lucebeth was born. So she is definitely not their parents.

Secondly, if the above Mary is not my ancestor [ie the Mary Miller who married John Quested] then who is?

Obviously Mary wasn't a Quested by birth as she is described as "Mary Quested, wid" on the marriage licence when she married John Kennett. Given when their children were born she was probably born in the 1700s.

Is anyone able to double check for a Quested marriage in the Mersham/Shadhoxhurst area between about 1700 and 1730 to a Mary who would have been old enough to be the mother of John Kennett's children?

I guess Mary was probably born no earlier than 1700 but I have no idea who she was, which "Quested" she married or when he died [or was born].

Can anyone help sort this puzzle out?

Many Thanks for any ideas.

Matt

[grandarog]

Theres a Mary Gilham to Thomas Quested  1722
And a Mary Moorland to James Quested 1729.
Both at St Mary the Virgin, Mersham/Willesborough.

There are about a 100 Mary's Marrying Quested in the area you quote between 1700 and 1740.

[MattD30]

Theres a Mary Gilham to Thomas Quested  1922
And a Mary Moorland to James Quested 1729.
Both at St Mary the Virgin, Mersham/Willesborough.

There are about a 100 Mary's Marrying Quested in the area you quote between 1700 and 1740.

Hi there

I presume you meant 1722 for the first marriage and not 1922 lol!

Definitely two worth investigating I think.

In relation to the second one there is a marriage licence for a Thomas Morley of Elmstead marrying Mary Quested [spinster] of Selling in the same year [1729] could she be related to the James Quested who married Mary Moorland? It wouldn't resolve my puzzle but the names might crop up somewhere.

Thanks again

Matt