A rush of Edneys to the 'ead

[Phoenix]

John Edney married Elinor Strugnell in Titchfield in 1753:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/62421/images/62421_314054000109_1140-00511?pId=90015259

They appear to have had a daughter Rebecca, born about that date, of whose baptism, no trace, who marries Joseph Dawkins in 1776. I suspect the witness, John Edney, is her father. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/62423/images/62423_48021001947_2508-00058?backlabel=ReturnSearchResults&queryId=d1726eeaea3dc205061c303960acad51&pId=90226253

In July 1786, John Edney marries Sarah Price. Witness Joseph Dawkins
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/62423/images/62423_48021001947_2508-00132?pId=90226475


On Christmas Day 1786, John Edney marries Sarah Edney. Witness Andrew Strugnell https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/62423/images/62423_48021001947_2508-00137?backlabel=ReturnSearchResults&queryId=20d4cbb99ece36dd741242f9001ecd9b&pId=90226489


Then in July 1795, John Edney widower of St Marys Portsea marries Elizabeth Price
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record/browse?id=s2%2fgbprs%2fportsmouth%2f007907180%2f00 598


I think the two Price girls married the same John Edney. I think that that John is the son of John and Elinor, bp February 1763. (Damage to the register means you cannot see the Christian name, but it ties up with age at burial) as Joseph Dawkins witnesses another Edney sibling marriage.


But what is that Christmas marriage? There only appears to be one Edney family in Titchfield. Is it John bp 1763 and Sarah Price reaffirming their marriage? Or a different couple entirely?


Please would you look at the signatures, and see what you think.

[Merry]

I replied to this yesterday, but I don't know where my post is now!! lol

I totally agree that the sigs on the 1786 and 1795 marriages have a very similar feel to them. The sig of John Edny at the Christmas marriage looks a lot more casual - I don't think it's the same person. Did people reaffirm marriages back then? The only time I've seen that is when there's been two ceremonies in different religious establishments, or where the groom appeared not to have had the correct permission from his army commanding officer the first time round.

Yo say there was only the one Edney family. What happened to the original John and Elinor? Is that John's death in 1789? Did, or could have, Elinor pre-deceased him? If she did, could he have remarried?

[Merry]

I suppose if there's only one Edney family, the other question is who is Sarah Edney at the Christmas marriage!! How many Sarah Edney's were buried?

[Merry]

I see there's a burial for SE in 1794 which I imagine is Sarah Price.

Then there's another Sarah Edney burial in 1808. Could this be the bride from the Christmas marriage?

[Phoenix]

The previous curate was conscientious and recorded marital state. Which would have helped. No sign of elinor being buried or remarrying. One child is baptised as of George and Elinor. I feel there are a lot of omissions.

[Phoenix]

;(I see there's a burial for SE in 1794 which I imagine is Sarah Price.

Then there's another Sarah Edney burial in 1808. Could this be the bride from the Christmas marriage?

Yes she could be. Or John junior 's daughter dying as a child. There just isn't much evidence to help.

[kiterunner]

There is an Elizabeth Edney, daughter of John and Sarah, baptised 6 Oct 1793 at Titchfield - https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/62421/images/62421_314054000109_1141-00182?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=UMN82773&_phstart=successSource&pId=20834

Ancestry also has transcriptions of the baptism of a John Edney, son of John and Sarah, on the same date at St Mary, Portsea, but I haven't managed to find it on FMP or FamilySearch, nor an image to check whether it is correct. If it is then there would have to be two different families, with the father on the Portsea baptism presumably being the John, widower, who married there in 1795.

[kiterunner]

OK, I have finally managed to get the same transcription (John Edney son of John and Sarah, 6 Oct 1793) to come up on FamilySearch and it says it is from the BT's.

[Phoenix]

Apologies for not coming back to this sooner. I'm struggling to get my head round this.

I have DNA matches with Ann bp 1788 and John bp 1791, children of John and Sarah in Titchfield. (and masses with my ancestor James, son of John and Elizabeth)

However, I also have a false DNA match with Thomas bp 1797, son of John and Elizabeth. False, because he went to London with his brother John, married and had a son there in the 1830s. Their Thomas is from a different village.

My Dad's cousin used to walk from Fareham to Portsmouth well into her eighties, so it's quite feasible they could have turned up to hear the banns read. It's clear from entries in St Mary's registers that in so populous a parish, the authorities knew very little about those who presented themselves for marriage.

The two baptisms on the same day are quite baffling. 6 October was a Sunday. Mass baptisms in Portsea, so the date will be correct. It's the only John and Sarah baptism in Portsea. It has to be a different couple, but not likely to be a John who married in Titchfield. Ooh, to have been a fly on the wall!