Lucy MARSH

[rosie99]

True, and, if that's what happened here, Lucy's parentage will forever remain a mystery.

Where did her name originate, and why was her first daughter named Phoebe?

As I mentioned in reply 3 The Downer family did not seem to follow any naming pattern rules

[garlands]

Rosie

Thanks. That confirms that this death is that of James's wife.

I am still unable to find either the death or marriage of their daughter, Phoebe.

[rosie99]

The trouble is that not all parish records are online and Phoebe could have moved anywhere.  We cannot just assume that because we cannot locate a burial or marriage that she has morphed into Lucy as much as we would like to. 

I suspect it is a case of just chipping away at it, Sorry.

You are not alone.  I have a female grandparent born around the same time as Lucy and I cannot locate a baptism for her.  Like Lucy she married before 1837 but I am possibly lucky as there is a flourishing signature of a possible father (he was a schoolmaster). I have set up a separate tree for this possible father and his children / wife etc and she would fit nicely in a gap but all of the others were baptised.  I have been firmly stuck with her since the mid 1990's 

[garlands]

Lucy DOWNER (nee MARSH) baptized her first daughter Phoebe, in 1823.

In 1823, there were approximately 1 500 000 baptisms in England, of which just under half were of girls, say 700 000. Of these, about 1500 were named Phoebe, so the chance of a girl being randomly named Phoebe were some 470:1. Statistically, these odds are highly significant, and imply that there must have been a very strong reason for choosing that name. In all probability, therefore, there must have been a very strong familial connection between Lucy and an elder Phoebe, probably Lucy's mother.

The only elder Phoebe we have come across is the wife of James. If James & Phoebe are Lucy's parents, why was she not baptized as such, and how can another daughter, allegedly born in 1798, be fitted into the family?

[garlands]

If you  mean lot wont let me merge Phoebe and Lucy into one, I thought I'd be greedy and have 'em both anyway, viz:-

      James MARSH (bachelor) married Phoebe SLAUGHTER (spinster) on 19 Feb 1798 at Stoke next Guildford.

      First witness:  Lucy SLAUGHTER

      Phoebe bap 13 Jul 1777 to James & Ann SLAUGHTER in Worplesdon

No sign of Lucy as yet.

[garlands]

Great! Now I have 2 untraceable Lucys !

The only baptism of a Lucy SLAUGHTER I can find in England is 17.07.1767 in St Sepulchre (London), to Timothy & Mary, so obviously not Phoebe's sister and, anyway, she married in 1792, so could not be the witness to Phoebe's marriage in 1798 even if she were a cousin.

I have been unable to find a marriage between Lucy ? and a groom named SLAUGHTER anywhere in England. Also, Phoebe appears to have had only one brother, James, who died in infancy.