William French/Freanch - a few gaps

[Rick]

The completist in me wants to fill in a few gaps in my knowledge, but I'm struggling and could do with some help. I'm missing his mother's name, his place of birth and the maiden names of the two widows he married.

Here's the timeline of what I do know:

1711 His father, James Fransh son of Joseph baptised Clyst Honiton, Devon
1721 His aunt, Sarah French dau of Joseph batp Clyst Honiton
1746 approx. William French/Freanch born.
1753 Aunt Sarah marries Giles Theyer, a joiner, in Bishopsgate, London
1761 William Freanch, son of James, a farmer of "Crishoniton" apprentice to Morphew Yerraway, Citizen & Clothworker. Morphew is a timber merchant by trade.
1770 Burial of James French, Clyst Honiton - presumably his father, but no age given.
1772 William Freanch marries the widow Ann Kerby or Kirby in Islington
1772 Sobieski Clementina Freanch, dau of William & Ann baptised in London
1774 approx. birth of Ann Margaret Freanch, dau of William & Ann
1775 Probate of Giles Theyer. £20 in will to nephew William French to carry on his trade and business
1790 Death of Ann (Kerby) Freanch reported in The Gentleman;s Magazine
1794 William Freanch marries the widow Elizabeth Spencer in London
1806 Probate of William Freanch. Will mentions wife Elizsabeth and his two daughters
1823 Burial of Elizabeth (Spencer) Freanch in Ruislip, aged 69 (so yob approx. 1754)
1823 Probate of Elizabeth Freanch. Will names several daughters which help to identify that her first husband was William. Earliest baptism of a child I have found is William in 1781

There are a few candidates for Ann Kerby and Elizabeth Spencer, but nothing compelling. I've also seen the marriage of James French to Elizabeth Weeks in Devon and the baptism of a William in Dunchideock in 1748, but I'm not particularly drawn to them.

Any suggestions welcome.

[kiterunner]

Witnesses from the two weddings:

Marriage to Ann: Thos White, Tho Warboys, Eliz Gosling
Marriage to Elizabeth: George Hudson, Elizth Flower

[ElizabethHerts]

Clyst Honiton burials:

1710 Joseph ye son of Joseph Fransh was buried Sept ye 3
1716 Mary the daughter of Joseph French was buried April 17
1732 Mary the Daughter of Joseph and Sarah French of this parish was buried Dec 28
1759 Sarah wife of Joseph French was buried May the 24th
1766 Joseph French was buried March ye 31st
1770 James French was buried Octr 4th

[ElizabethHerts]

Clyst Honiton marriages:

1709 Joseph Fransh & Sarah Sanders were married November ye 5th day

1747 Samuel Diamond & Elizabeth French were married Novr. 5th

1770 Susannah French married William Simmons 21 Jan (no image)

[ElizabethHerts]

Clyst Honiton baptisms:

1710 Joseph ye son of Joseph Fransh was baptized Agust ye 27th

1711 James ye sone of Joseph Fransh was baptized Sept ye 16th

1714 Mary the Daughter of Joseph & Sarah French of Pinhoe was baptized July ye 18

1718 Mary the Daughter of Joseph & Sarah French of Pinhoe was baptized May 11th

1721 Sarah the Daughter of Joseph French was baptized October 12

[Rick]

Thank you Elizabeth. They are all in my tree except Susannah - not sure who she is. Elizabeth was baptised in 1724 and mistranscribed as Fench.

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch has the baptism of a William French 27 Mar 1748 at Dunchideock (Duchideock in my road atlas), Devon, parents James and Elizabeth. Dunchideock is a few miles south west of Exeter while Clyst Honiton is a few miles east of Exeter.

[ElizabethHerts]

Rick, they are on FMP and the Susannah marriage doesn't have an image, which is strange.

Edit: Aha, there are two entries - one with an image and one not.
The one with an image is from the banns register. Date of marriage 21st January 1770.

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch has the baptism of a William French 27 Mar 1748 at Dunchideock (Duchideock in my road atlas), Devon, parents James and Elizabeth. Dunchideock is a few miles south west of Exeter while Clyst Honiton is a few miles east of Exeter.
And if it is the same couple, they had a son Joseph christened 5 Sep 1742 at Alphington which is just outside Exeter on the way to Dunchideock. Also a daughter Susanna baptised 14 Oct 1744 at Dunchideock. Having a son named Joseph looks hopeful for it to be your family, doesn't it?

Edit - d'oh, just saw that you mentioned the Dunchideock baptism in your first post, but why don't you think that's him?

[ElizabethHerts]

Dunchideock and Clyst Honiton aren't too far apart, but Exeter is in between.

Clyst Honiton is well known to me as I grew up in Honiton and travelled to school in Exeter by train for 10 years. When we used to drive to Exeter we had to go through Clyst Honiton. It's very small, but the airport is there nowadays and it has expanded since I was little.

[ElizabethHerts]

You have to be careful in Devon as there are two places with the same pronunciation - one Alfington, the other Alphington.

Alfington is close to Ottery St Mary.

Alphington is now part of Exeter but used to be a village. I know it well as I used to stay with a school friend there. It's a shock going back there as it has changed so much.

[Rick]

And if it is the same couple, they had a son Edit - d'oh, just saw that you mentioned the Dunchideock baptism in your first post, but why don't you think that's him?

Just one of those not quite right feelings :d But that's changed now we have a Susanna too. The baptism for William is a bit late - 1748 - for the 1761 apprenticeship. The Custom of London dictated an apprentice was over 14 and under 21 and in my experience it pretty much always meant 15.

[Rick]

Dunchideock and Clyst Honiton aren't too far apart, but Exeter is in between.

Clyst Honiton is well known to me as I grew up in Honiton and travelled to school in Exeter by train for 10 years. When we used to drive to Exeter we had to go through Clyst Honiton. It's very small, but the airport is there nowadays and it has expanded since I was little.

I used to work in Chard and we did a lot of business in Honiton. Not that I remember it very well - twas a very long time ago.

[kiterunner]

The fact that James and Elizabeth's first son was named Joseph does make me think it is the right family.

[Rick]

Rick, they are on FMP and the Susannah marriage doesn't have an image, which is strange.

Edit: Aha, there are two entries - one with an image and one not.
The one with an image is from the banns register. Date of marriage 21st January 1770.

Labelled as banns, but the image is really the marriage register. Is that top witness Joseph Scarlett ?

[Rick]

The fact that James and Elizabeth's first son was named Joseph does make me think it is the right family.

Yes - I'm on board now. Elizabeth French died in 1748 and I tried to trace James on the assumption he would have needed to remarry with such young children. Couldn't find anything close by and we know he was of Clyst Honiton in 1761, so that put me off. I should have trusted my first hunch.

[Rick]

Thanks Kate & Elizabeth. That has really helped - you sometimes can't see the wood for the trees when you're looking too deeply yourself.