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I don’t think we’ve seen any evidence that Joseph was working after 1773. All the legal references (about the land he inherited) mention attorneys appointed to act on his behalf. He doesn’t appear in person.

So your idea about health is a good one. It sounds as if Joseph (with or without Elizabeth) accompanied his son Harmer to Wales so forget the partnership hypothesis. Doesn’t add anything to finding Elizabeth

What will make a difference with these references to Elizabeth is what the source is for the documents. If they’re related to inheritance through her family (Rippingale/Havett), then she’ll probably be mentioned as Joseph’s wife. If they’re related to Joseph’s inheritance from the Harmers, she may not be included.

Understand your frustration!

Regarding Kidwelly, there’s a history of Kidwelly website which mentions that there was a Rogers family driving the tin mining industry there in the same period. However they sound like a local family from the county town of Carmarthen who share a relatively common surname.

http://www.kidwellyhistory.co.uk/Industry/TinWorks.htm

I skimmed some of the articles but couldn’t spot any professional or entrepreneurial reason Joseph and Harmer would have been attracted to move to the area around 1776. Just a correction - his son Harmer (aka John?) was about 23 and presumably already working in the medical profession, so they may have been in partnership.

It’s a good idea to try to ‘disprove’ the Elizabeth Rogers 1777 Laugharne death hypothesis.

Agree with you about the Norfolk deaths. She could have been visiting a family member somewhere outside the county (her sister was in Suffolk, for example). Unfortunately there are gaps in the newspaper archives over the period - in particular some of the Norfolk Gazette. Even if Elizabeth’s death was in the paper, the announcement may not have survived.

George s of George and Mary bapt 29 Dec 1685

The muffs might be locally caught animals (with heads) as you suggested? Silver foxes?

My (Lincolnshire) grandmother had two fox stoles which we thought were very creepy. She told us her husband-to-be, who was from farming stock, had the foxes made up into stoles for her by the local furrier.