Mary who married James Willcocks

[lozaras]

After a bit more digging it would seem that Mary was a second wife and NOT mother to my ancestor. My ancestor's mother was probably Elizabeth - according to a christening record found on familysearch in Buckfastleigh.

Name - "official" name and what they were known as
Mary .....

Date and place of birth

Names of parents

Date and place of baptism - if applicable

Details of each of his or her marriages - if any
James Willcocks

Occupation(s) - if any

Addresses where they lived (including county if in UK) - and please list which censuses you have or haven't found him/her on (if s/he lived in census times!).
1841 Cox Hill, Buckfastleigh, Devon (HO107 246 b12 folio 21 p37)
Her husband is a widower on 1851

Date, place and cause of death
between 1841-1851

Date and place of burial.

Details of will / administration of their estate - if applicable

Memorial inscription - if any

This is her son: http://genealogistsforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=9529&highlight=george+willcocks

[Lindsay]

FreeBMD has a couple of deaths for Mary Willcocks in Totnes which covered Buckfastleigh - Q1 1847, and Q3 1848

[lozaras]

Thanks Lindsay :)

[kiterunner]

She's age 57 on the 1841 census so her year of birth should be around 1784, and she was born in the county of Devon. That's if I'm looking at the right Mary - she's on page 38, not page 37, but James (a carrier) is on page 37. Then there is a William age 20.

[kiterunner]

I'm sure you know this already, but loads of people on ancestry have George's mother down as Elizabeth Bowden. Doesn't mean they're right, of course!

[lozaras]

Thanks Kate.

I did find a Mary Furneaux that married a James Willcocks 04/09/1834. That would make her 50.

I also noted that James Willcocks' first wife was named Elizabeth and that she was buried in 1830 - but I'm such a wally that I didn't note where I found that - and it was only a week ago....I'm suspecting that it was from an unreliable source otherwise I'd have noted it on my tree....

So - it's not 'Mary someone that married James Willcocks' but 'Elizabeth someone that married James Willcocks'..... probably ;)

[lozaras]

ahhh - it was from Rootsweb chat in 2004...

[lozaras]

I'm sure you know this already, but loads of people on ancestry have George's mother down as Elizabeth Bowden. Doesn't mean they're right, of course!

I've been trying to get to the bottom of this.

I think the ancestry trees have all copied each other - look at the birth dates of the children to start with - (3 children, born in 1804, 1818 and 1822) a bit odd n'est ce pas?

I've been on the familysearch site and found 8 children to James Willcocks and Elizabeth in Buckfastleigh:

1804 Mary
1805 Ann
1807 William
1809 Susan
1811 James
1818 George (probably my ancestor)
1821 another William possibly denoting another family - I can't find any burial records
1822 Thomas

The marriage that's been attributed to my James Willcocks (to Elizabeth Bowden) was in Staverton not in Buckfastleigh - there are Bowden and Willcocks families all over that area, including a marriage between Elizabeth Bowden & William Barns in Buckfastleigh also a christening of Elizabeth Bowden in 1792 (parents Richard & Dorothy) in Buckfastleigh.

I haven't seen the written records, which MAY state that James was from Buckfastleigh....although he married Elizabeth in Staverton, that's what's bothering me.... I can't see WHY they think that this marriage is the 'right one'.

Any thoughts, anyone?

PS - More checking reveals that they have him dying in Dorset in 1868..... I have his death cert, with the right occupation, in 1856, aged 78, in Buckfastleigh.

[kiterunner]

There is a baptism on FamilySearch for an Elizabeth Willcocks 25 Jul 1802 at Staverton, parents James and Elizabeth. But I can't see any other children of that couple, so it could be they moved from Staverton to Buckfastleigh in between Elizabeth's baptism and Mary's. I would think looking at the actual PR's would help, unless we can find fuller transcriptions of them somewhere else online, or of course, tie Elizabeth Willcocks born 1802 Staverton up with the Buckfastleigh lot.

[lozaras]

I saw that one too Kate, and was thinking about contacting the online parish clerk. What should I ask for though?

I'd love a browse through Staverton & Buckfastleigh records...

[kiterunner]

If it's the Staverton OPC, then a full transcription of the James Willcocks / Elizabeth Bowden marriage and the Elizabeth Willcocks baptism. If it's the Buckfastleigh OPC, I suppose they would need to look for a James Willcocks marriage to an Elizabeth in or before 1804.

[lozaras]

*ugger *ugger *ugger!!!

Neither Bickington not Staverton have OPC's....

:(