The elusive Ellen Woollams

[Willow 4873]

Can anyone help find a baptism for my 5 x great Grandmother Ellen Woollams? she married Thomas Matthews 5.12.1785 in Cheswardine listed as a spinster and was buried 7.2.1833 aged 70 at Cheswardine residence listed as Soudley which would make her birth around 1763. The marriage register definitely says Woollams but she did sign with a cross. Banns were called and they are both listed as being of the parish

Been chasing this lady for years

Willow x

[QueenoftheWest]

I often find it helpful to start off by looking at the names of the couple's children. In this case (unless I've missed any):

Sarah (1789)
Thomas (1791)
Anne (1793)
John (1796)
Joseph (1798)
Francis (1801)

Looking at the baptisms for other Woollams/Wollams in Cheswardine, there is a couple called John & Parnel Woollams, who start having children in 1728 and many of them have the same names:

John (1728)
Sarah (1731)
Francis (1735)
Joseph (1740)
Ellen (1744)
Thomas (1746)

They had other children but I'm only including name duplicates.

Obviously, this Ellen is too old to be yours, but there must be a connection... I wonder if Ellen is the daughter of one of these children?

Queenie 

[Willow 4873]

Hi Queenie

Yes I had spotted the Ellen born in 1744 but I couldn't tie my Ellen into the family I suspect that she is the child of one of them but cant find any proof of her baptism

Ellen and Thomas Matthews also had

Henry - 1786
Ellen - 1806 - 1819
Elizabeth - 1809
Mary Ann - 1804
George -1811

I'll have to go a bit sideways and see if I can find the marriages of John and Parnel's children 

Willow x

[ciderdrinker]

Hello
It looks like the Woolam children about the right date in  Cheswardine are all illegitimate children of Margery Woollam born 1738 d of John  and Parnell-
Ann 1765 buried 1795
Hannah 1774 married 1798
Mary Buckley Woollam 1779
All born before Margrey's marriage by licence in 16 .11.1780 to William Buckley
Margery was buried 11.12.1815 age 78.

But john and Parnell did have quite a lot of children ,who all seem to have moved on except Margery. Francis born 1735 and Henry born 1742  are the only sons who live to grow up in case that helps.

Ciderdrinker

[Willow 4873]

Yes I suspect it might be Margery but Thomas and Ellen didn't name a child after her but there is a Henry so he might be her father (the other contenders are Thomas Robert Sarah Ellen or Frances) but I can't tie them down at the moment. John and Parnell are definitely her grandparents as far as I can see just missing a link/record in between

It doesn't help when they get mis-transcribed as Williams either

Willow x

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
I'd just like to say ,there are some bastardy exams for Margery
23.5.1764 child with Francis Adams of Brockton.
I'm presuming the child will alreay have been born so it can't be Ann.
XP58/L/10/8
Document Reference:
P58/Fiche 256
Finding Aids:
Former reference 4728/PB/51

9 June 1764 Bastady bond unborn so baby is on it's way. Ann bapt 17.11.1765 so not her.

Just in case you haven't seen them

Ciderdrinker

[Willow 4873]

Hi Ciderdrinker

Thank you for that no I hadn't seen them and that could well be Ellen as she was 70 in 1833 when she died giving us a birth year of c1763/4

I think the baptism is just unfindable at the moment

Thomas and Ellen did name one child Francis as well

Willow x

[Willow 4873]

Hi Ciderdrinker

Where can I find these records please?

Willow x

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Yes I should have said .They are at Shropshire Archives.They are open if you are anywhere near but you can also send for them.
There is also a bastardy bond for her daughter Mary with William Buckley if you do go in.
Search for Margery Woollams and the order and bond for 1764 come up(It doesn't if you put in Woollam).

All the best
Ciderdrinker