Pescod

[Mimmi]

I am trying to find the birth of my ancestor William Pescod  who was born about 1660 in Sussex, possibly Midhurst.  I know it is a long shot, but can anyone help,please ?

Mimmi

[sillgen]

There are no male Pescod marriages on the SMI around the Midhurst area at that sort of time but it is easy to mis-spell the name.  There is a Jean Pescod marrying Edward Fuliam in Midhurst in 1654.
Andrea

[Mimmi]

Andrea,

Thanks for that. I wonder if the parents were married elsewhere and  had moved to the Midhurst area by the time of William's birth. It is possible,however, that he was born elsewhere in Sussex. The only actual information I have is that he was married by licence in 1689 at Chichester to Mary Gosden of Lodsworth.

I think that maybe I am clutching at straws to find his birth and details of his parents.

Rosemary

[sillgen]

 Generally on the Sussex Marriage Index as well as the licence there is another entry showing that the marriage took place and where.  There does not appear to be a marriage entry in this case - only the licence application.    Mary is from"Lodsworth" at the time of the licence.  Have you seen the actual marriage in a register in Chichester.
Andrea

[Mimmi]

Hello Andrea,
Thanks for your help. No, I haven't seen the actual marriage certificate, just the information  that they were married by licence at Chichester and  that William may have come from Midhurst and Mary definitely from Lodsworth. All a bit vague,I'm afraid. There is firm evidence that their 4 children were christened at Lodsworth between 1694 and 1712 although the name is recorded as Peascod(that is an alternative spelling and often occurs). I wonder if the marriage of William and Mary  could have taken place elsewhere. I think we are up against a brick wall here.

Rosemary

[sillgen]

Actually, to be pedantic,  you only have the proof that they were granted a licence.  Not that the marriage took place.   Sometimes although the licence was granted the marriage never actually took place.   There is no marriage in Sussex on the SMI which is usually very accurate.  I wonder if they might have married in Surrey or Hampshire?   Both very close to Lodsworth.
Andrea

[Mimmi]

 Many thanks for all your help. I suppose it's possible that the marriage never actually took place and their children were all born out of wedlock but ,in that case, would they have been christened? However, I'll do as you suggest and try the Hampshire records as later generations of the family were to be found in Odiham.
Another possibility has occurred to me.  The family had strong links with 2 Catholic families and a later generation became recusants so I suppose it is possible that it was a Catholic marriage.

I'll keep on trying !!

Rosemary

[sillgen]

Seems odd to go to the trouble of getting a licence and then not marry - especially as they were together later so I am sure the marriage will be somewhere!
Andrea

[Little Nell]

1660 - end of the Commonwealth period - but still a potential hole in the parish records.  It is possible that he was baptised but the fact was not recorded.  This is a time of great upheaval in England and (from experience) I know that some Sussex registers were poorly kept.   

A possibility, perhaps.

Nell