William Winstanley from Holywell b. abt. 1778

[Rah1980]

Ahh thanks I am always curious about the old causes of death. I just assumed he put if still living because he wasn't expecting to die 11 days later and as it could be years before he did die it was possible the wife would die in the meantime (wishful thinking probably) Perhaps William and Sarah came to Holywell after he got her pregnant and to everyone around them (except enumarator) they were 'husband and wife'

Sarah

[lhughes]

Everybody, thank you so much for your help on this... I certainly have a lot of work to do!

Regarding Anne (the daughter on the 1851 census not mentioned in William's will) I wonder if she was actually a daughter-in-law of Margaret as I notice on the census there are grandchildren recorded on the census and in 1844 I have found a marriage between William Wood Winstanley and possibly Anne Davies. (I say possibly as there are other names on there)... Just a thought. 

Frustratingly, I cannot find Margaret & William's marriage - or record of birth for the legit children but I shall persevere!  Thanks for the link to Lancs OPC Peter, I had not come across this site before and have possibly found Sarah Bryce's baptism record on there.

I am puzzled why, like Tecwyn has said it took 4 years for the will to be proven. 

As for dropsy, it can be caused by other organ disease but according to what I have read, it usually is explained further on the death certificate.  My certificate just says Dropsy which can suggest it is all over - which can apparently be a symptom of blood poisoning, which could be nothing - a lazy registrar maybe... or could be very exciting 

Maidmarion, thanks for pointing out it was Margaret's death - I hadn't really considered that! Oversight I guess... was stuck on William so much!! 

Linzi

[Rah1980]

OH MY GOD - YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE ME!!!

http://www.clockswatches.com/foreign/showpage.php?em=2432

Hope it helps lol 

[lhughes]

OH MY GOD!! Yes I do love you... how do you find this stuff ?!!!?

[Rah1980]

Guess i am just lucky, seemingly more so with other people's family than my own! Glad to help, I know what it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Happy it was of use, and might explain why i don't have them in my records if they are roman catholics (didn't behave like a catholic did he!)

Sarah

ps you might want to contact the owners of that websit to see if they have found anymore and you can tell them what you know too sounds like they would be interested

[taidgazacaz]

Re: the 1844 marriage of William Wood Winstanley.

FreeBMD does show Anne Davies as a possibility (1 of 4) but CheshireBMD is clear. He married Ellen Hughes.

Something to confuse you even more (!). NorthWalesBMD shows a marriage at Gresford in 1842, of an Edward Wood Winstanley. Possibly related, but I don't suppose you want to go there just yet.

Tecwyn.

[lottielou]

Hi there
I am new to RootsChat and have just registered.  I often google the name Winstanley to see if any new information appears and this link popped up. 
I have been researching my family of Winstanley for the past year now, have been up to Holywell last year and have dug up as much as I can but have quite a few holes in the tree. 
William was indeed living with Sarah Bryce and their 3 children and was not married (because he was catholic that would have been difficult)  What is even more interesting is the background of the rest of the family.  John, his father, was a clockmaker and had property and land. His 7 sons and 1 daughter were due to inherit but he entrusted the management of his estate to the local priest (a Rev Briggs) who handled things badly and left the siblings quarrelling amongst themselves. There is a letter from Charles (one of the sons) at Hawarden register office, Flintshire to Briggs who has now risen in status to a Bishop pleading for the matter to be resolved as Edward is now dead in New York America  and William is "at deaths door through starvation" Son Thomas was in the County jail in Flint for debt. Another 2 members of the family have also died.
So all in all a juicy piece of family history don't you think! Regards Pam

[Rah1980]

Welcome to rootschat Pam, If you have any C of E ancestors I have transcript copies of some of the flintshire parish records (list of these in look ups offers) so if you want anything looked up and I can help, I would be happy to do so.

Sarah   

[lottielou]

Many thanks Sarah

I had no idea that there were so many links to Wales and I shall spend some pleasant hours trawling through them to see if there is any information on Holywell that could be useful.

I will certainly ask for your help if I have any c of e Winstanley's in Flintshire, but so far they seem to be mostly catholic,(unless you know differently) which makes searching for them quite difficult. The family was very large with many clock and watchmakers and living in Holywell, Mold, Flint and Wrexham and later moving into Lancashire

My biggest problem is that there is a large gravestone in St James Church, next to the site of St Winifred's Well in Holywell for John Winstanley born 1746 (I do not know where he was born, but not in Flintshire) and died in 1841 aged 95yrs in Holywell.  He is my g.g.g.g.g.grandfather and this gravestone states quite clearly that John was :
"grandson of Clement Winstanley esq. of Winstanley, in the County of Lancaster and Catherine, daughter of Sir F Willoughby, Lord Middleton of Parkam and Wollaston Hall in Nottinghamshire and of Middleton in the county of Warrick."

However there is no link that I can find for him to the (much documented) Clement Winstanley in Braunston, as Clement only had one son that is recorded (James, his heir) and this James did not have a son called John!

Any help would be much appreciated!
Kind regards
Pam