Thanks once again Chris. I accept your mild reprimand re Mary Dear. The truth is that your knowledge of where to look for facts coupled with your ability to dig them out just leave me standing!
I have been trying to understand this child called Science. My record of John's children is of Jane 1804, Marry Anne 1806, Robert 1807, William 1813, John 1816 and finally my great, great, great grandfather, Thomas Totty in 1823. Where does Science fit in I wonder? Perhaps he was the first born, with Mary pregnant at the wedding and hence the reason a licence was required. He also seems to have 'disappeared' quite quickly and the rather unusual name was never, to my knowledge, carried over in the family.
Within the John's children, there are two obvious gaps in otherwise fairly regular births, between 1807 (Robert) and 1813 (William) and then between 1816 (John) and 1823 (Thomas T). This second gap could indeed be accounted for by the death of the first Mary and a possible remarriage in 1822.
Thanks for Berks Records Office details.
Tony