My 7x great grandfather's bad handwriting

[ayling1]

Can anyone decipher the words (?) in this document (see URL below) relating to Thomas Ayling? This is a Churchwarden Presentment for Stedham parish in West Sussex dated 1726. I read:

"Thomas Ayling ? ? Churchwarden of Stedham the ? at Chichester on Friday the 12 day of this ? August."

The document can be viewed here (higher resolution):

http://mediasvc.ancestry.com/v2/image/namespaces/60623/media/d485fb18-69f6-4dbc-925a-3fcf18b9d2be.jpg?client=Boards

Any assistance would be most appreciated. Thanks!

Chris Ayling

[ElizabethHerts]

Hi, Chris!

It looks like :

"Thomas Ayling N-? Emes Churchwardens of Stedham the Visitacon at Chichester on Friday the 12 day of this instant August"

I keep on seeing "Nicholas Emes" but it doesn't actually say Nicholas.

[Merry]

What if it was this chap?


Nicholas Eames bap 24 Jun 1688 at Stedham, Sussex, parents Thomas, Mary

[ElizabethHerts]

Well done, Merry! I'm cooking at the moment so I keep popping in and out!

This Thomas is also my 6x-great-grandfather.

http://www.genealogistsforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=22551&highlight=Thomas+Ayling

He has been causing us problems.

[Merry]

If boiling some pasta is cooking then so am I!

This mentions both of them:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/73def586-ce65-4794-91a4-a6e2db4a003e

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, Merry. This is one of the many pieces of information I have on Thomas Ayling. The one thing that is eluding us is his baptism/parentage!

Now I know why I so readily though of "Nicholas Emes" - I must have seen the name many times before.

[ElizabethHerts]

Chris, I wouldn't be so sure it is Thomas Ayling's handwriting.

[ayling1]

Thanks, everyone. It would be Nicholas Eames. He is on the baptism page where Thomas should be as well, but is not. Agreed it may not be Thomas himself writing. Catchy title to capture interest :) Nicholas does partially address my wariness that this Thomas Ayling, my and Elizabeth's forebear, was Thomas (1689-1759) as being too young. James and Richard are both part of our larger AYLING tree. However, why four churchwardens? Seems a bit excessive for such a small parish. What is "visitacon? Is it that Tom and Nick went to Chichester for a bit of fun...?

[ElizabethHerts]

There are two wills for men called Nicholas Eames. Both of Stedham. One in 1738 and the other in 1747.

[ayling1]

Two private trees on ancestry for Nicholas. I've messaged the owners to see if any AYLING folks on their trees. They are both listed on a 1729 tithe document for Stedham (as well as James Piggott and Richard Ayling).

[Sussex Maid]

"The one thing that is eluding us is his baptism/parentage!"
- There is a baptism for a Thomas Ayllinge s.o Thomas 22 Mar 1688/9 at St Mary Easebourne (approx. 3 miles from Stedham), with further baptisms
1690 John Ayllinge s.o Thomas and Ann
18 Apr 1693 William Ayllinge s.o Thomas and Ann
21 Jan 1695/6 Richard Ayling s.o Thomas and Ann
Possible? Or have they already been discounted?
Regards

[ElizabethHerts]

Hi, Sussex Maid. Thanks for flagging those up. We already have these baptisms and they are highly possibly related to our Thomas, but apart from the baptisms we have no other supporting evidence.

There are also some Ayling baptisms just over the county border in Frensham, Surrey:

Baptisms - all with father Thomas. No other baptisms at Frensham

John 28 Mar 1661
William 1 Jun 1666
Jane 28 May 1673


This little group:

Sarah 19 Feb 1683
John 9 Oct 1686
Thomas 3 Apr 1689

These Aylings don't seem to have stayed in Frensham parish any longer - perhaps they went back to Sussex?