Thanks to Gwynne and Shona!!

[Merry]

.......following reading Gwynne's thread on general about Sigismunda Beckford and Shona prompting me to remember I had a Beckford connected to one of my Harveys on my tree, I was having a little search around my Harvey lines and found a little conundrum from years ago that I'd never solved, but now have!

Thomas Dymond died in 1831 and in his will he stated:

".... By the Canon Law of the Church of England my marriage with my present wife Ann formerly Ann Harvey spinster is illegal and in order to prevent all claims which might hereafter be made by any of my relatives or other persons whatsoever to any part of my Estate or effects....."

In those pre-internet days I had never found a marriage for Thomas to anyone (including Ann Harvey!) and wondered what the situation had been.

Now the wonders of ancestry have shown me that in 1794 at Melcombe Regis Thomas Dymond married Elizabeth Harvey who was Ann's sister and Ann was one of the witnesses at the ceremony.

The marriage of Thomas and Elizabeth seems to have ended with Elizabeth's death in 1800. They don't appear to have had any living children.

In 1803 widower Thomas, his sister-in-law, Ann (who was probably pregnant for the first time and at least 38 years of age), and two of her brothers travelled from Melcombe Regis in Dorset to St Dunstan's church in Stepney (120 miles by stagecoach??) where Thomas and Ann were married by licence, witnessed by the two brothers. Thomas stated he was a bachelor otp at that time! (I wonder if he felt any guilt when he signed the marriage bond stating there was no known impediment to the forthcoming marriage, including consanguinity?!!)

After their illegal marriage Thomas and Ann settled back in Melcombe Regis where they had two sons. The first died soon after his baptism and the second lived to be 20, but still died before his parents.

This second child, Benjamin Thomas Dymond is one of the reasons I became interested in family history. I already had his records sorted out a fe years ago, but thought you might like to see his picture (clearly by a not particularly talented artist!)

On the reverse my 2xg-grandmother has written:

"This likeness of (Benjamin) Thomas Dymond was taken at the age of 3 years. He was 1st cousin (actually second cousin) of George Henry Buck (her husband) of Weymouth. He lived to the age of 20 years and 3 months when it pleased God to take him hence to the sorrow of his devoted parents."

Today I also found a photo of a plaque commemorating Benjamin and his parents and maternal grandparents in Fordington church in Dorchester.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....arvey1807.html

So, I'm very chuffed. Thanks Gwynne and Shona!!