In tracing my Wiltshire ancestry, I have found a number of links with Tetbury. One such is the ESTCOURT family. According to "Richmond Family Records", vol. 2, p. 108, my forebear William RICHMOND alias WEBB of Battersea and Lydiard Millicent (Wilts) was the son of Ambrose RICHMOND als. WEBB and his wife Emma daughter of George ESTCOURT, gent., of Tetbury. The relevant documentary evidence is given: "By indenture dated 31 October 44 Eliz (1602) between William WEBB and John ESCOURTE of Tetbury and Edmund MASKELYNE of Pyrton (Purton, Wilts.) in consideration of a marriage to be had between Ambrose WEBB naturall son of the said William and Emma ESCOURTE one of the daughters of George ESCOURTE of Tetbury and of 100 marks, William WEBB granted to John and Edmund in trust meadow and pasture ground in Lyddiard Millicent (Lydiard Millicent, Wilts.) called the Hydes, of 20 acres and meadows or pasture ground called the Great or Further Lye, etc." There are several candidates in the various ESTCOURT pedigrees I have seen to be my George ESTCOURT. Judging from the date of the marriage settlement for his daughter's marriage to Ambrose in the very early part of the 17th century, it would appear that George was living at the end of the 16th century. Apparently Emma was one of several daughters, but I do not know their names, or whether she had any brothers, though one wonders if the John mentioned in the marriage settlement mightn't be one of them if her father George were already dead... My current theory posits that she may have been a daughter of a George ESTCOURT who was a churchwarden of Tetbury in 1594 according to Lee's "History of Tetbury" (p. 292, col. 2, George ESTCOURTE). Examining gleanings I have found in various sources I have constructed a possible family of origin for Emma, viz.: Johan ESTCORTE, of Westport, Wilts. widow is named in a Chancery Suit answer of 12 Feb. 1594/5 and appears in "Richmond Family Records", vol. 2, p. 55 as Johan ESTCORTE, a widow, who by an earlier marriage to John MOODY, of Westport (d. 4 Mar. 1549/50, IPM 6 Feb. 1550/1; see Visitation of Wilts., 1623, pp. 136-137, MOODIE de Westport pedigree) had a daughter Elizabeth who married Anthony RICHMOND alias WEBB of Manningford Bohim, Wilts. (who happens to have been Ambrose R als W's uncle). So sometime after the death of MOODY, Johan married an ESTCOURT (ESTCORTE) and was widowed again by 12 Feb. 1594/5, which is just in the nick of time to make it possible for her to have been the wife of George ESTCOURT churchwarden of Tetbury in 1594, though it does not prove this. In the ESCOURT pedigree in the Visitation of Glos., 1623, p. 57, a George ESTCOURT, no residence given, is said to have married "Joane daughter of ... STEEDE". Their issue is only shown as two sons: Edmond ESTCOURT who married Mary daughter of BERNARD and, perhaps significantly in regard to the marriage settlement, John ESTCOURT who married Grace daughter of LYGGON. So things seem to be hinting at the possibility that Johan former wife of John MOODY or MOODIE, of Westport, Malmesbury, and later widow of one ESTCORTE, was identical with Joane STEEDE who married George ESTCOURT. If this is the case, then it is another step to prove that the George ESCOURTE of the 1602 marriage settlement who is father of Emma is indeed the same man as the George ESTCOURT who married Joane STEEDE. The Glos. Vis. pedigree of ESTCOURT shows that this latter George ESTCOURT was the 3rd son of Edmond de la ESTCOURT and his wife Praxid [Praxed/Praxeda] daughter of William BUTTON of ... in com. Wilts. I already happen to descend from this BUTTON family [of Alton Priors, Wilts.] via my ERNLE descent, so this would be an interesting instance of further loss of ancestry through distant cousin marriage, an occurrence which was probably altogether common among the rural gentry of the 16th and 17th centuries. Any thoughts or input welcomed. Many thanks, Richard Richard Carruthers, M.A. (Oxon.) Vancouver British Columbia CANADA _________________________________________________________________