Dear listers, I have a conundrum and seek members input. I have a James Wheeler in my line who was born in Wooburn, 11/12/1757. Seeking to find his marriage separate branches of the extended family have attributed two different marriage options. They contend that either James Wheeler married Sarah Mortimore 29/3/1790 at Exeter in Devon OR James Wheeler married Elizabeth Browne 2/4/1782 at Taplow in Bucks. No documentation I can find to date allows me to establish the identity of the parents in either case. Is there any way forward? Awaiting the benefit of accumulated wisdom in such matters. Yours in OZ. Hugh Wheeler.

Hugh, Is this a Bucks family or a Devon family? Perhaps consider why a Bucks man would marry in Devon, or vice-versa. You might get the Exeter parish registers (if it hasn't been done) and look at a the marriage of James Wheeler to Ann Land in 1799 to see if that is a widowed James Wheeler remarrying. Also, does your James Wheeler actually remain in Devon? Do the two men (James and James) and two women (Sarah and Elizabeth) have children born at the same time? I would lay out both families in a diagram and see what results. Where do the children of your James Wheeler say they were born in the 1841 or 1851 census? You can see several children born to a couple called James and Sarah through 1794 in various parishes. Later, James Wheeler and Ann Land have children baptized in Exeter. James Wheeler and Sarah Mortimore md 29 Mar 1790 and had their first child in May according to extracted records. (If this is the same couple). Is that significant - other than the fact that they left it late to get married? Then, can you find the burials of James Wheeler, Sarah Mortimore and Ann Land? I would concentrate on that generation and their children, comparing children, places of birth, and burials, even names, etc. to see if the clue is there. There must be something to differentiate the two couples. If not, then perhaps look for a will in Devon that might mention James Wheeler. Liane

HI Firstly you could look at originals of both PR's for clues However it is quite unusual to wait for 8 years before children is born, I normally determine the date to look for a marriage by ascertaining baptisms of siblings of the person concerned. IF there are a number of children at a failry regular interval, then the year of the first and going back 4 years is a fairly good guide, allows for losing the first child. If there is only one child this won't work though Bob > Dear listers, > > I have a conundrum and seek members input. > > I have a James Wheeler in my line who was born in Wooburn, 11/12/1757. > > Seeking to find his marriage separate branches of the extended family have > attributed two different marriage options. > > They contend that either James Wheeler married Sarah Mortimore 29/3/1790 > at Exeter in Devon OR > > James Wheeler married Elizabeth Browne 2/4/1782 at Taplow in Bucks. > > No documentation I can find to date allows me to establish the identity of > the parents in either case. > > Is there any way forward? > > Awaiting the benefit of accumulated wisdom in such matters. > > Yours in OZ. > > Hugh Wheeler. > *************************************** > > BGS Website: http://www.bucksgs.org.uk/ > BFHS Website: http://www.bucksfhs.org.uk/ > Bucks Genuki Website: http://met.open.ac.uk/genuki/big/eng/BKM/ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BUCKS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >

Hi bob, Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons <g> Don't forget that not all children were baptised individually. I've seen records where 2, 3 or even 4 children were baptised the same day, but their ages varied by more than 4 years. Some later PR's give the DoB which is really helpful but I can't remember seeing a PR with a DoB back in the 1700's in my own research. Kind regards, Jon