I thought perhaps I should make a little more of this.......
I worked quite closely with John Street for the Brixham Rowse family chapter, as you will see from page 365.
It is his conclusion that the Grace Rowse born in Widdecombe in 1756 is the most likely candidate to be the mother of Edward Langman Rowse.
The original Overseers documents held at the Devon County RO do have it that the pregnant Grace Rowse was a was a "widow" although I gather that particular word was used for any state of woman without a "husband" much as "spinster" was also used in various ways.
It is true that Grace married Henry Beedle at Totnes in 1779 and then apparently left the area, abandoning baby Edward.
Until I can find some word of her, post 1779, sadly, the end of the story will remain a mystery.
