In answer to the question posed by Roy47, I think I have found the marriage of William Hardwick and Mary.
Whittlesey St Mary, Cambridgeshireshire:
1779 - William Hardwick and Mary Thorpe - 19th August
Mary was probably the daughter of William Thorpe and Jane Wittome/Whittham:
1755 - Mary Thorpe daughter of William and Jane - 30th December
Marriage:
1753 - William Thorp and Jane Wittome - 7th February
This ties in with the burial of William and Mary's first child, although I have not found a baptism:
Market Deeping - 1780 - William Hardwick son of William and Mary - 29th December
Also the age given on Mary's burial:
Market deeping - 1793 - Mary Hardwick age 38 wife of William - 10th May
There are two burials for William Thorpe in Whittlesey but no ages are given:
1st January 1785 and 15th May 1786
I am fairly certain that William Thorpe was the son of John, the Miller, and Mary of Market Deeping, and that the marriage was probably arranged.
William was probably one of the people who carried out and signed the inventory following the death of his brother, John, in 1767, which was witnessed by William Hardwick junior.
I have also found the marriage of William Hardwick senior to Elizabeth Thorpe, the sister of William and John.
I imagine that this was also arranged and took place in Fletton, which is about six miles to the west of Whittlesey
Marriage: 19th January 1742 (note Familysearch has 1741 but the old calendar 1741/42 was in use)
William Hardwick singleman of Market deeping in Lincolnshire and Elizabeth Thorpe of this parish singlewoman.
I took a copy of this marriage.
There are other Thorp(e) records indexed at Whittlesey St Andrew but they were not transcribed and so I need to look at these also.
Regards,
David
