I am looking for the baptism (and therefore the parents) of William DOWN(E). West/East Worlington & Witheridge area.
He was born c 1785 in Devon (1841 census). Living in East Worlington at the time of the census.
Died in 11 Sep 1841 in East Worlington. Age on death cert given as 56. Informant on death cert is ANCELLA HODGE.
Married JANE HODGE 1806 in West Worlington. Husbandman (more likely to have been a labourer). Witnesses William Anstice & Abraham Greenslade (I think he was the parish clerk).
I am descended from his eldest son JOHN, baptised 1808.
NDRO have a parish apprenticeship for a William DOWNE aged 8, apprenticed to LUKE HOSEGOOD in 1795 (West Worlington).I have not seen the original document as too fragile, but the NDRO staff told me that his parents are not named.
I have pieced together the DOWN families of the 3 villages mentioned above, and also those of nearby RACKENFORD.
I am particularly interested in JOHN DOWN b c1850 who married JOAN WIN(D)SOR. They had the following children: Grace 1782, Sarah 1788 (baptised in Cheldon), John 1792, and Mary 1796. Possibly another daughter Mary 1798. Quite a gap between 1782 and 1788? Could William be theirs?
I am also interested in a William DOWN (possible father) of NEWTON ST CYRES who married twice there and had several children, most of which disappear, including a son WILLIAM, baptised in 1784.
I have checked as many of the surrounding parishes as possible for 'my' William's baptism, visiting NDRO and DRO as well as searching online.
Have been reviewing messages which I have endeavoured to help with, now I have access to Ancestry via my library membership. Put in William Downe and he came up straightaway, someone from the Cross family has done research, and has him married to Jane, with his father being Josias Downe and mother Martha Philip and born in Milton abbot. Siblings are Simon Downe 1788-1855 Elizabeth born 1791 and Ann 1797. So not sure which line the Cross family come in on. They have William ad Janes children as John 1808-1881, Hannah 1811 1866 Sarah 1814-1817 Elizabeth 1816=1817 William 1821-1825 and ann1824- Is this a line you have explored? Stay safe, good luck.
Age at death means you can add another year therefore, death aged 56 means you can go back to 1784, which could tie up with the Newton St Cyres one. Or the apprentice aged 8 would be in his 9th year/ or just 8 so he could be born 1787, or if in his 9th year could be born 1786. Check genuki site for the parishes to establish whether on the I.g.i. (familysearch). Stay safe. Good luck.
Over the years, I have searched the IGI, the original registers (including BTs) and online for all the available parishes, radiating out from East & West Worlington and Witheridge. More than once.
All to no avail.
It is possible that he had sisters Mary & Sarah and a brother John. I have deducted this from newspaper reports relating to a court case of 1823. Hence my interest in the John Down/Joan Winsor family, though of course all of these names are quite common for the time.
could he have been illegitimate? perhaps baptised with his mothers maiden name, then she marries and he is known by the new family name. So if you look for a marriage of a Down, around 1786, and work from there? Have you found where he was buried? Ancella Hodge is Jane Down's sister in law, married to Richard, Jane born 1781 and Richard 1788 children of Richard and Mary. Looks as if you can go back on that line quite a way.
I had considered that possibility but found nothing so far.
I have looked at the HODGEs, including Ancella.
A RICHARD HODGE was a major witness in the trial of JOHN BRIGHT (alias RADFORD) who was executed for the murder of SARAH DOWN(E) in 1823. There are many newspaper reports which vary in content (it was either an accident or murder, as BRIGHT confesses to both eventualities).
Richard states he was SARAH’s brother-in-law. I have not found a marriage that proves that connection, but I know the term was used more loosely then than it is now. He could have claimed that to make himself more important, but he stated it in court under oath, so I am inclined to believe it.
Nevertheless, he was sufficiently close to the family to take it upon himself to visit BRIGHT (who was in a sort of relationship with SARAH) and try to find out where SARAH was when it was realised that she was missing.
Various reports mention her sister MARY, and one mentions a brother JOHN.
BRIGHT alleges, when SARAH tells him she is pregnant with his child, that it could be anyone’s, as she has 2 children born out of wedlock already. I have found one, a son William, baptised in 1808.
So if RICHARD HODGE is indeed loosely related to SARAH, then she could have been WILLIAM’s sister, by virtue of the fact that his sister JANE was married to WILLIAM. Does being WILLIAM’s brother-in-law allow him to claim that connection to WILLIAM’s siblings? I don’t know.
SARAH was born c 1788 (deduced from her burial record, which states she was single and was murdered). There are 3 possibilities (I mentioned in my original post that I had pieced together the DOWN families in the area). I am inclined to think that she is the one baptised in Cheldon, the daughter of JOHN & JOAN. Partly because the other 2 came from reasonably well–off families (family members made wills) and my WILLIAM was a labourer, and partly because of the JOHN & MARY siblings, which do not occur in the other 2 families.
There are, however, two RICHARD HODGES in the vicinity, which complicates matters.
Other interpretation of brotherinlaw could be step brother. I have had people who are step children being described as son/daughter-in-law. Sorry to add more work!!Very interesting case. Jane Hodge was baptised 1781 daughter of Richard and Mary, and brother Richard born 1788, also son of Richard and Mary, would think that the 1788 one is the one in the court case. Jane seems to be alive in 1861 giving her place of birth as Witheredge, which is where I found the baptisms. There is another one, Richard son of John and Mildred born 1787.also Witheredge You would need to check the marriage of these couples, might help. Stay safe