Hi keldon,
Found those two Lt Ashen references very interesting indeed.
My Searles line moved around in the Bardfields, Salings, Eastons and later the Leighs, a John Searle born around 1420 was appointed Keeper of the Great Park at Gt Bardfield.
An ancestor sibling named John Searles was baptised 1707 in Great Easton and married a Mary Thrubshoe 1735 in Witham, the marriage entry stated both were of Little Ashen, hence my interest in Lt Ashen. John's younger siblings were baptised in Lt Easton so the reference which possibly links Lt Ashen with Eason is interesting, I have seen in a parish register somewhere Easton written as Eason. I would imagine that someone living in Witham who probably never heard of Ashen or Lt Easton could easily come to grief with the place name spelling, then of course there's the Essex dialect!
Out of curiosity I'm currently trawling Ashen to see what I can find in the way of Searles or other names of interest, yesterday I started at 1560 and to date have reached 1723, not a Searle to be seen. Found a couple of Theobalds, Tebbole 1587 and Tibbal 1702, both too early to be of use but perhaps one day......
Thanks for your input
Regards.
