Rachel MEAD - Ilton Somerset, possible mistranscription

[ndmhine]

Hi All,

I'm wondering if anyone has access to the original images for the Ilton, Somerset parish records of the 1770s?

The reason is that I have an ancestor who I can trace quite well from marriage onwards but for whom I have no baptism record: Rachel Mead marries William Bond, 12 April 1796, has children with him including Letitia Adela Bond (1797) and William Mead Bond (1805). The husband William Bond dies in 1810 and Rachel marries Samuel Farrant in 1815, then Rachel dies in 1837 aged 66. This indicates birth in 1771. I would imagine in Ilton, Somerset, as that is where the marriage was, but at least probably nearby.

The transcriptions of the Ilton parish records do not have a Rachel Mead born at the right time. There is in freereg, however, a listing for a baptism of a

Rachel IETT, 14 Apr 1771, to John and Shuannah (Susannah?) IETT.

Now, IETT is of course not a real name so one presumes the transcriber has failed to read it properly.

Does anyone have access to the originals which could confirm if it is possible that in fact it might have said MEAD? The date, first name and length of word line up, so I am inclined to believe it could be her.

Many thanks in advance if anyone can help

[rosie99]

Another transcript of that baptism record suggests that the surname is Fort.  This would tie in with a marriage of John Fort & Susannah Stevens 10 June 1770 at Ilton

[ndmhine]

OK, that is definitely possible, and Iett is probably a more believable mistranscription of Fort than of Mead.

However, there is an appropriate marriage for John Mead and Susanna Bawler, in 1766 in the neighbouring village of Curry Mallet, so I am not keen to rule out my optimistic reading of the name  as a possibility until I have seen the originals.

As a side note, does anyone know why availability of images for Somerset records is so poor compared to neighbouring counties? Most of my family history research has been in Dorset and Devon, where images are available on multiple sites for most parishes, allowing resolution of mistranscriptions. However, for Somerset parishes there are never images, just transcriptions. Is there a reason for that?

[ndmhine]

Another reasonable supposition would be that Rachel born approx 1771 might have been the illegitimate, and hence unbaptised, child of Elizabeth Mead, who lived in Ilton and later married James Hazelwood in 1775, seemingly living there for the next 55 years before dying in 1831 and 1832 respectively. She seems to have had an illegitimate son who was baptised in Ilton in 1772 (James).

I think I will have to make a trip see the originals of baptism and marriage records to sort this one out.

[shirl100]

Another transcript of that baptism record suggests that the surname is Fort.  This would tie in with a marriage of John Fort & Susannah Stevens 10 June 1770 at Ilton

And another transcript which is nearer to the one freereg shows HOTT / IIETT?? parents John and Shuannah  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sarahhawkins/ilton_baptisms_1743-1812.htm

Shirl