On 04 Feb 2011 Josephine wrote: I have just finished watching today's Bargain Hunt from Shepton Mallet on BBC One television. One of the items purchased for auction was an oval brass tobacco tin with an inscription to William Harris of Wadeford Chard Somerset. I've been to Chard, but was unfamiliar with Wadeford so I've just looked up the location of this village in my atlas. So that's another new thing discovered today. The tobacco tin possibly dates from late Victorian or early Edwardian times. Hi Josephine, I too saw the programme, in which the pronunciation of the village name was Wod*e*ford; but note, locals know it as *Wodford*. The village is largely a part of the parish of Combe St Nicholas, but confusingly, the boundary, as far as census returns are concerned, has 'wobbled' over the years. Thus said William HARRIS is to be found within Chard returns in the 1901 census and in Combe returns ten years earlier. To be fair, the family moved home in those intervening years, from 'Lower Wadeford' to 'Rackstile, Wadeford'; but that's a move which I believe to be only about a quarter of a mile (towards Chard). Listers may be interested to know that my family history studies embrace the entire population of Combe St Nicholas. My database has no fewer than four with the name William Harris, but there is little doubt (in my mind) the tobacco tin was given to the William who was born in 1860 at Bishop's Lydiard. He married Grace Ann PLAYER whose roots, on her mother's side of the family, were in Combe St Nicholas going back at least to the 17thC, with surnames such as BETTY, FOWLER, MANNING, PAVEY and FURBER featuring: all names well associated with the neighbourhood. On her father's side of the family there are connections to Bishopshull which is only about 3 miles from her husband's birthplace. Her paternal grandmother was Ruth CROKER (1792-1864) who was the subject of a (complicated) removal order in 1829. It seems Ruth was married, to James HAYNE, for about 6 years, 1812 to 1818, during which time she had three children, before her husband deserted her. Several years later she married again, to Jacob PLAYER, and had two further children. During the removal proceedings, her first husband, James Hayne, upon oath saith: " .... 17 years ago I married Ruth Croker at Bishops Hull in the County of Somerset my present Wife and who I believe is living. She has five children as I have heard born since our marriage, the three eldest Jane aged 16 William aged 15 and Betsey aged 13 upwards I believe to be mine the other two she had by another man to whom I have heard she was married four years ago. I left her 11 years ago and have neither seen nor heard of her since until within these few days .... ". This statement raises a question which I'm wondering if any lister might answer. This woman was deserted by her husband, and seven years later she married again, presumably unaware whether or not her first husband was still alive. In fact he was still alive and living, as it happens, in Streatham more than 100 miles from Bishopshull. Was her second marriage bigamous? Regards, Jenny

Hello Jenny, ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Davis" <jenny.davis@zen.co.uk> To: <BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 11:54 AM Subject: Re: [B&S] William Harris, Wadeford, Chard, Somerset -- tobacco tin > Listers may be interested to know that my family history studies embrace > the > entire population of Combe St Nicholas. My known interest in Combe St Nicholas is the family of William Farrant (c.1800-1875) a shoemaker from Axminster, and Hannah (probably MARKS) (c.1810-1888) his wife, who I know from census data lived in Combe briefly in the 1840s. Perhaps you have come across them? Some of their children may appear in the Combe registers - possibly Thomas bap 1837 Churchstanton but disappears after 1841, Samuel b.c.1840 Combe, Henry John b.c.1843 Combe, Mary b 1844Q2 Combe (GRO Chard 10/378). The next child I have for them is Susan b 1849Q4 by which time they were in Chardstock. Regards Peter