Rob & Sarah Ashby married 28 July 1793

[jbml]

If these are your ancestors then there is a MUST HAVE artefact for sale ... but you will have to move quickly!

It is a Queen Anne crown of 1706, engraved with the date of their marriage and the births of their children:

Harry R** Ashby born 31 May 1794
Sarah Spilsbury Ashby born 31 May 1794
William May Ashby born 22 June 1795
Rob Strasford Ashby born 30 November 1796
Washington Cambridge Ashby born 23 November 1800
Martha B O Ashby born 10 July 1808

There's some pretty distinctive names in there ... so if it's your family, you'll know.

It's on sale for £395 plus postage ... but is currently ONLY being offered to Coincraft Blue Card Flyer customers (of whom I am one) ... so if you want it give me a shout and I shall try to buy it on your behalf.

But be quick ... these things generally sell pretty fast, and I'd HATE it to go to a general collector, rather than someone whose family history it properly belongs to.

[jbml]

I'm getting intrigued by these now ... particularly since they have those distinctive names!

My own Ashby ancestors are a LOT further back than this, and in north Essex. I don't think these are going to link back into my line ... but you never know!

The Robert & Sarah on the crown appear to be Robert Ashby who married Sarah Raban in Whitechapel on 28 July 1793 (that's the easy bit ...  the date checks out with the date engraved on the crown!) BUT ... and here's the thing ... it looks like a marriage by Vicar-General's licence. Interesting. I wonder why?

Well, the why would appear to be that Robert Ashby is Robert Ashby, son of Harry & Sarah, who was baptised in Westminster on 9 October 1774 ... so if this was an infant baptism, he was under-age when he was married.

His parents appear to be Henry Ashby, widower who married Sarah Spilsbury, widow at St Andrew, Holborn by licence on 23 November 1769 (tying up nicely with the daughter Sarah Spilsbury Ashby, whose birth on 31 May 1794 is recorded in the engraving on the Crown).