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Thank you - you have been very helpful. It looks like you were right on the money with John Thorp, the miller. I have transcribed the Inventory which must have been done after John's death and attached to his will. I presume that the 'J. Thorpe' who sign it was a son of the miller. William Hardwicke co-signed.  I found the registration of John Thorp's burial in the January of 1767. The inventory is dated May '67 which was probably when the will was 'proved'. I still haven't managed to find the marriage certificate. William Hardwicke and Mary Thorp had four children, but only one, Mary, survived infancy. She married William Holderness of Wilsthorpe, my great-great grandfather. Their two eldest sons emigrated to New Zealand and Robert, the second son, founded the New Zealand branch of the Holderness family. Several of our family members have, or have had, the name 'Hardwicke' as either first or second names.

I am a direct descendant of William Hardwicke who was the miller of Market Deeping in the late 1700s. I live in New Zealand, so getting first-hand information is a problem, but you could possibly help me. My great uncle, Hardwicke Holderness, did a vast amount of family history research around the Bourne – Market Deeping area in the mid-1900s, but he was never able to locate the marriage entry of his great-great grandfather. However, he suspected that William, who was born in Bourne in 1746, was apprenticed to the miller of Market Deeping around his marriage date of about 1776 and may even have married the miller’s daughter. William Hardwicke became the next miller of Market Deeping, so it may be reasonable to suppose that he took over the previous miller’s business (and daughter). You may be able to suggest how I would be able to find the name of the miller incumbent in the mid 1700s, or even the marriage bond itself. The only clue to his wife is that she was named ‘Mary’ on her tombstone in St. Guthlac's church which was, when Hardy saw it, against the east wall of the North aisle. It reads “Mary, wife of William Hardwick, died May 8th 1793 in the 40th year of her age, also two sons and a daughter who died in their infancy”.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Big mystery - Mary who?

Can anyone please help with finding the parents of Richard Garbett, b.1828 in Rushall, Staffs. I think his father's name was also Richard, born before 1815, but I have no dates or spouse. He was my g.g.g.grandfather.