Martha CUSS and her children

[Greaves]

I can trace my line back to William BALLENGER and Dinah CUSS, who married in Cricklade in 1807. I know that William died in Latton in 1858 and that Dinah died in Latton in 1860.

Dinah seems to have been illegitimate, as does her sister Mary. Their mother was Martha CUSS, who appears to have been the "mistress" of one Morgan BYRT.

I am having difficulty finding out much about Martha. I'm not even sure how many children she had and with whom. Did Martha have children with several partners? And when did she die?

I would appreciate any information about Martha and her children. Whilst I have some limited information about Dinah, I know next to nothing about other members of the family.

[Comberton]

Cricklade baptisms
Mother Martha Cuss
No fathers named

John 29-7-1770 St Mary
Dinah 1-7-1787 St Sampson
Mary 18-7-1790 St Sampson
Thomas 28-5-1796 St Sampson
and  a burial
Infant Cuss
24-10-1784
St Sampson
mother Martha Cuss
Added
Just found infant was named Martha

[Comberton]

Possible burial
21-3-1798
Cricklade St Sampson
Martha Cuss

[Greaves]

Thanks for these. Im a bit surprised by the gap between John in 1770 and Martha in 1784. Do you think that there are others yet to be found?

[Greaves]

I am rather confused. Does Mary CUSS = Mary DOWDESWELL = Mary JORDAN?

The info quoted from the Cricklade Museum seems to suggest so.

[Comberton]

Wonder if the 1770 birth mother may be another Martha or maybe she moved away for a while. Can' t find anything else. Have you got any dates for the 3 Mary names ?

[Greaves]

The only information I have comes from a document quoted on Ancestry, originally from the Cricklade Museum's website. The document clearly states that Byrt's daughter marries Robert Jordan, having earlier stated that Mary was Byrt's daughter through a liaison with his then mistress, Martha CUSS, which fits with the baptism of Mary CUSS. The problem is that Robert Jordan did not marry a Mary Cuss, but rather a Mary DOWDESWELL.

I can't find an earlier marriage of a DOWDESWELL to Mary CUSS, nor do I think it likely given the date of the marriage to Jordan. So I am totally confused. I have tried to contact the Cricklade Museum, but that has not borne any fruit given the lockdown situation.

[youngtug]

From the Wiltshire 0pc transcription of the Cricklade PRs;= Robert Jordan married Frizwith Collier. 7-Feb-1819

 From igi, not in PRs;= Stephen Hinton married Mary Cuss. 9-July-1814

PRs;= Herbert Jordan married  Mary Dowdeswell. 20-Dec-1807.

PRs;= William Ballenger, of Down Ampney. married Dinah Cuss. 16-Sep-1807

PRs;= John Fluester. of Highworth. married Mary Dowdeswell 19-March-1798

And for good measure;= William Herbert, of Marston Maisey married Friswith Collier 24-May-1797.

There are other Cuss/Dowdeswell/Jordan/Collier marriages, amongst others. Has you can see, the same names crop up often and there are several families of the same name living there.

[Greaves]

All useful, so many thanks.

I was aware of the proliferation of names. I was also aware of the Ballinger + Cuss marriage, as they are in my direct line.

But whilst useful, none of the above resolve the conflicting information given by the Cricklade Museum. If it wasn't for that document, I would probably have accepted that Mary married Stephen Hinton in 1814. So despite your good efforts I still remain confused.