Aquilla Wanser

[Pigeon63]

I am struggling to distinguish between two ancestors both named Aquilla Wanser.
I have two birth dates, 1654 and 1660 and one death date of 1680. I am guessing a child was named after one who had previously died. Parents are listed as Henry Wanser and wife Alice /Alise.
Spellings vary, I have found Wanser, Wansor and Wanfor, Aquila, Aquila and Agnila.
Mother’s maiden name is unknown. They lived at Wells next the Sea, Norfolk.
Help appreciated.

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
It looks like the first child died as a baby.
Aquilla bapt 13.7.1654 but died the following March 6.3.1654.
It looks like earlier because the Georgian calendar was April to March  1654
So we have
William 3.3.1649 -9.6.1659
Henry 17.2.1651-6.5.1663
Aquilla 13.7.1654-6.3.1654
Ann 9.1.1655
Alice 12/18.4.1658
Aquilla 8.7.1660-13.2.1680
Robert 27.1.1662-2.2.1662
Priscilla 5.9.1664-3.5.1667

Ciderdrinker

[Pigeon63]

Thank you so much Ciderdrinker. I wasn’t aware of a different calendar being used at that time which is why the dates were confusing me.
That’s a great help.

[jonwarrn]

To be honest the name seems to be Wanfer, not Wanser. Yes, there may be variation pronunciations and spellings, but perhaps some transcribers have mistaken the f for a long s (which, looking at some of the entries, it clearly isn't)

[Pigeon63]

Yes, you are right jonwarrn, there seem to be quite a few transcription errors. I have tried to correct them on Ancestry .
Would you mind letting me know which sites you used to find the information Ciderdrinker? I am trying to find the maiden name of Alice/ Alise who married Henry and is mother of Aquilla.

[jonwarrn]

Hi
I can't see a marriage, perhaps ciderdrinker can conjure something up. But it can be harder to find them back then, and potentially here execerbated by being during the Commonwealth period.

Aquilla is quite a rare name, perhaps it came from Alice's family, so you could have a look and see if there were any around in Norfolk pre the Wanfer ones.

From a quick look at free indexes, in Wells there was a family with one, that of Henry and Priscilla Cleydon / Clayton, who had a son Aquila in 1644. Followed by Priscilla junior (1646) and Robert (1648). After a couple more children, Henry has one more (Margaret) by a new wife, Katherine.

According to Henry's will, proved 1661, he had three older sons, Henry, Joseph and John. They seem to have been baptised in Kings Lynn.

In his will, Henry does name a couple of brother in laws, but I don't think your Henry and Alice are mentioned.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39Z-5H9V

I can't find a marriage of Henry Clayton/Clayden, etc. to Priscilla. There is a marriage indexed in King's Lynn, 4 Dec 1636, Henry Clifton and Priscilla Gold. Maybe that's a possibility.
I don't think this has helped very much.

Hang on, I've got a new idea!

[jonwarrn]

Hang on, I've got a new idea!

OK, from FreeReg, a baptism at Little Walsingham, very close to Wells
5 June 1625
Alice
(daughter of) Aquila Cotten
https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818d586e93790eca3eb1b45

What happened to her?

Is this the father?
NROCAT has this record
Cotton, Aquila, of North Barsham
Archdeaconry of Norfolk original will, 1651-1652 no. 31
https://nrocatalogue.norfolk.gov.uk/index.php/cotton-aquila-of-north-barsham

[jonwarrn]

Well that will of Aquila Cotton is on one of the few ANF microfilms we can see at home.
Seems to be wife Joane, son John, daughters Frances and Anne
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS62-7XQS

[Pigeon63]

Thank you yet again. I think you’ve solved the puzzle. The names Aquilla and Priscilla seem to be family names used through the generations.
I looked up the names Priscilla and Aquilla , they were missionaries of St Paul in the New Testament .