Hi, At last, some people I know about... The FRANCOMBE family and the FORTUNE families are both connected to my HESKINS family of Wotton-under-Edge. Reference: GRO D11 93/16/1 [Deeds of the Ram Inn] - Brice FRANCOMBE had the feofeement of half a tenement and garden and orchard (with others) 12th May 1572 I don't have a note but I think that he was charged with deer hunting. From Wotton-under-Edge registers: Thomas, son of Brice FRANCOMBE baptised 8th March 1578 Katherine, daughter of Brice FRANCOMBE baptised 25th March 1581 Brice FRANCOMBE buried 12th January 1605 Edith FRANCOMBE buried 27th June 1581 Thomas NELMES married Edith FRANCOMBE 22nd August 1608 I have a copy of the will of Edith FRANCOMBE made on February 2nd 1609. She refers to a table board, lying at Richard DAWE's. This, plus other items she bequeaths to Ellinor HESKINS, wife of Nicholas HESKINS and to Richard {HESKINS} her son. She bequeathed some items to Edith NELME, her mother in law. She bequeathed some items of clothing to her sister, Katherine FRANCOMBE. Some more of her goods were lying at the house of Nicholas HESKINS and were given to his son, Richard. So, it looks as if Edith could be another of Brice FRANCOMBE's daughters and that she died soon after her marriage. Moore FORTUNE was the vicar of North Nibley. Walter FORTUNE married Katherine MEADES at W-u-E on April 21st 1681. [I believe that Walter is the family member who moved to Monmouth.] William FORTUNE [clothier] married Elizabeth HESKINS on May 17th 1692. They had a son called Weeks FORTUNE who was baptised and buried on thesame day, according to my notes, March 21st 1701. I have a note of the burial of Wickes FORTUNE, son of William and Elizabeth on May 13th 1702. The use of the name Weeks or Wickes presumably looks back at the surname of William's mother. One of the daughters of Elizabeth and William FORTUNE, Mary I think, married one of the PHILLIMOREs of Cam. Elizabeth lived with her daughter and died at Cam in her late seventies. Cheers, Janet Heskins (Surbiton, Surrey)

Wonderful pieces of puzzle coming out here on these lines! :) They truly are interconnected in more ways than I think meets the eye! I have replies first to Janet and then to Patsy (with mentions of Carole, Robert and Phil too!) :) Yes Janet, I too have Moor FORTUNE as vicar in North Nibley. I have, specifically also, a record that he was the "Perpetual Curate" when he died in 1663. There is a document at the GRO that may be of interest to you in your FORTUNE researches if you don't have it already: Reference D2957/216/104 Date: 8 and 9 November 1703 Lease and Release (1) Brice WEEKES of North Nibley, yeoman (2) Tobias RUSSELL of Wickwar Tenement: orchard with the Home close (4 acres), Sturtesmead (4a.), Boxwill Hill (7a.), Spittle Croft (4a.), all in Swynhay in North Nibley. Note of livery of seizin endorsed Consideration: 5/- and £350-15s Witnesses: John NELMES, William FORTUNE, Thomas ROUS Notice that William FORTUNE signed as witness for Brice WEEKES et al I have seen the data for Wickes FORTUNE's birth and decease before and mused over its probable connection but had not followed it up - so - thankyou for that. :) You may find it interesting to note that my FRY line of Tormarton, along which line I have a 3x gt grandmother Sarah DANCEY, was sister to John DANCEY who married Frances FRANCOMB (who in turn connects to Robert MILLARD's DANCEY line). Do you connect to Robert's FRANCOMBS as well? Patsy, Your links are just as intriguing! I tend to agree with David Wicks on the connection for your Joyce WEEKES of Kilcott. He and I have been doing WICKS research together for a number of years now. What is interesting in your data is the connection to WITCHELL since my George WEEKES married Mary Witchell WATTS in Sherston M. Her parents were Nathaniel WATTS and Elizabeth WITCHELL. Elizabeth's parents were John WITCHELL and Ann HALL of Yatton Keynell and Alderton respectively. The WATTS line wanders in and out of Sherston M. and Hawkesbury through various generations. Carole and I have had exchanges in attempts to sort them out. Phil and I have exchanged data on the WITCHELL lines and their wanderings on a similar level. Oh what a mighty web these ancestors weave! (For the clothier lines this is a great play on words) It would be interesting for all of us to do DNA tests and compare photos, etc. to see just how alike we all really are! lol Ronda WICKS Ontario, Canada -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.3 - Release Date: 4/25/05