Hello from a cool Whakatane NZ. I am looking at the PIKE/PYKE families from Great Somerford to see if there is a connection to the Malmesbury PIKEs that I am descended from. GS is close to M after all. There is a lot of pre-1837 birth material in Hugh Wallis but few marriages, especially of males, and, of course, no deaths. I wondered if anyone has access to the GS PRs and can find any more marriages and deaths for me please. Thanks. Mike

Hi all, I'm currently chasing my GGG grandfather Joseph WHEELER's second wife Ruth AISHER(?). That name was read from the Dilton Marrriage PR's recently, but the transcriber said it was difficult to read, so is open to question. They married on 12 June 1803. She didn't have any children, and married Joseph when he was in his early 60's, so it's not unlikely she was in her 40's at the time of her marriage. I've found a Ruth AISHER on the IGI, born Market Lavington 1762, the daughter of Thomas AISHER and (probably) Mary HOLT married 11 Nov 1744. Market Lavington is 12 miles from Dilton. Other children born to Thomas were: Richard 1745, Thomas 1747, John 1750, Caleb 1755, Thomas 1756, Sarah 1757, Jane 1758, William 1760, and William 1764. No mothers names were given, but it's likely they were the same Thomas going by the sequence of birthdates. Does anyone have any connection with this family? Any info would be appreciated so I can potentially discount or confirm this Ruth. BTW, my Ruth WHEELER nee AISHER later married Jeremiah SINGER of Rodden as a widow in 1819, if you can tie her in there. I have her age as 70 in the 1841 census, making her approximately 77-82 on her death in 1848. If she was born in 1862, she'd actually have been 85... but ages were wrong more often than right! Val Burge, Sydney, Australia