In my last message I mentioned that I would try to locate the parish registers of the 2 churches in Evesham, Worcestershire. As it turns out, the Mormons don't seem to have microfilmed the original parish registers from Evesham. I don't know the reason why, perhaps they are no longer in existence. In any event, the microfilms are not in the Family History Library catalog, so instead I have been reading transcripts from them that are part of the Richard Savage Collection at the Shakespeare Library in Stratford on Avon. Savage was a 19th Century Historian for the library who made transcripts of many original parish registers for the counties around Stratford. He did not copy every entry in the parish registers, but seemed to focus on several key families in each parish. However, the handwriting is very easy to read. The microfilm I have been reading is #0504474, which covers many parishes in Worcestershire, including Bengeworth, Evesham, Badsey, and Bretforton. In comparing his transcriptions of Bengeworth with the original parish registers of Bengeworth, it is evident that the percentage he copied was very small. In Bengeworth he copied only 1 Washburn entry, despite there being many. In Evesham it was equally disappointing. In Bretforton, however, he copied a lot of Washburn entries, and I believe there's a possibility that the two families are related. A look at the Phillimore Atlas of Worcestershire reveals that the parish of Bengeworth is situated in the south eastern corner of Worcestershire, on the border with Gloucestershire. Evesham's eastern parish, All Saints, is directly adjacent and to the north west of Bengeworth, just across the Avon River. Directly adjacent and to the east and north east from Bengeworth is the parish of Badsey, a distance of only a little over a mile. Badsey also adjoins the All Saint's Parish of Evesham. To the south east of Bengeworth directly adjacent is the parish of Wickhamford, also on the Gloucestershire border. Badsey stretches down on the eastern side of Wickhamford to the county border also. To the east of Bengeworth, on the other side of Badsey is the parish of Bretforton, about 3 miles east northeast of Bengeworth. Directly adjacent and west of Bengeworth, and south of Evesham, is the parish of Great Hampton, which was apparently formerly called Hampton near Evesham. North of Bengeworth on the other side of Badsey, about 3 miles distant, is the parish of Offenham. All these parishes in the south eastern part of Worcestershire are small, and in almost all the parish registers began in 1538. In expanding my search from Bengeworth I looked for transcripts from these parishes to see if they might contain any clues, before going back to the full parish register microfilms. I have found some interesting items that have led me to order the full parish register microfilms for Bretforton. According to the Family History Library Catalog, complete parish registers on microfilm exist also for Badsey and Wickhamford, but not Offenham. Transcriptions from the Richard Savage Collection at the Shakespeare Library, Stratford on Avon, England: Bengeworth, described as "a parish adjoining Badsey" Marriages 1545, Jan. 17 Wm. Whitehead and Joane Shepeye 1561, May 8 John Washborne and Jone Whithead Badsey Marriages 1541, Oct. 2 Wm Washborne and Margt. Harward plus LOTS of Taylors (I copied them down, but none were Robert or George Taylor. George Taylor was supposedly the grandfather of Ellen (Taylor) Moore, mother of Margery (Moore) Washburn, the immigrant ancestor.) St. Lawrence Parish, Evesham Marriages 1634, May 5 Richd. Hyde and Mary Washborne Burials 1640, Sept. 18 Richard Bushell All Saints Parish, Evesham Marriages 1631, June 12 Tho. Bushell and Bridget Vizo Hampden near Evesham Marriages 1564, Dec. 25 Thos. More and Katherine Byrte 1577, Jan. 31 Thos. Dugleis and Margarett Bushell 1615, May 17 Nicholas More and Jonne Webbe 1617, Nov. 27 Richd. Taylor and Mary Stevens 1653, Sept. 8 John Kettle and Jane Washburne Burials 1559, July 19 Two wenches the children of John Bushell Bretforton Baptisms 1542, July 30 John, son Willm Washburn 1543, July 6 Agnes, dau. Will. Washburne 1544/5, Mar. 16 John, son Willi. Washburne 1546, Mar. 30 Katheryne, dau. Willm. Washburn 1547, Nov. 28 Esabell, dau. Will. Washburn 1550, Apr. 6 Jone, dau. Willm Washburne 1550, July 19 Agnes, dau. Willm Marres 1551, July 7 Elizabeth, dau. Willm Washburne 1552, Sept. 25 Agnes, dau. Willm Charlet 1553, Mar. 25 Elinor, dau. Willm Washburn 1554, June 23 Margt. dau. Willm Washburne 1556/7, Jan. 9 Willm, son Willm Washburne 1561, Dec. 19 Agnes, dau. John Marres 1562, June 14 John, son Willm Washburne 1566, Aug. 3 Agnes dau. John Marres 1567, Oct. 27 Elinor, dau. Willm Washburne 1582, Sept. 23 Wm, son Wm Washburne 1584, Nov. 5 Margt., dau. Willm Washburne 1586/7, Mar. 15 Thos., son Wm Washborne 1588/9, Mar. 12 Agnes, dau. Wm Washburne 1591/2, Jan. 19 John, son Wm Washburne 1594, Apr. 7 Mary, dau. Wm Washburne 1594/5, Mar. 18 Richd., son Wm Washburne 1596/7, Jan. 2 Phillip, son Wm Washburne 1599/1600, Mar. 20 Mary, dau. Wm & Ann Washborne 1601/2, Feb. 28 ffrancis, dau. Wyllyam Washburne Marriages 1540/1, Feb. 10 Wm Charlet and Alis James 1564/5, Jan. 24 John Smyth and Agnes Washburne 1571, Jan. 29 Georg Lea and Isabell Washburne 1571, July 3 Richd Pratte and Elsabeth Washburne 1573, July 15 Henry Byrde and Jone Washburne 1577/8, Jan. 23 John Honiburne?/Washburne? and Agnes Charlet 1581, July 27 Wm Washburne and ffrancis Wagstaffe 1594, June 17 Wm Washburne and Agnes Marres Burials 1542, Aug. 28 John Washburn 1544/5, Mar. 16 John Washburne 1553, July 11 Elinor Washburne 1557, June 26 Alis Charlet 1558, _____, Jone Byrd & Anthony Washburne? (marriage or burial?) 1568, June 1 Elnor Washburne 1568, Sept. 12 John Marres 1570, May 24 John Marres 1576, Dec. 30 Willm Charlet 1587/8, Feb. 3 Wm Charlet 1588, Apr. 21 Willm Washburne 1590, Aug. 7 Willm Charlet 1594, Apr. 17 ffrancis Washburne 1594/5, Mar. 17 Mary Washburne 1596, Sept. 12 Richd Washburne 1596/7, Mar. 14 Willm Washburn 1597/8, Feb 2 John Smyth 1602/3, Feb. 17 Anne Washburne 1612, June 24 Henrie Bird 1614, May 10 Henrie Bird Piecing these records into family groups, it appears that these Washburns of Bretforton could be the family of the brother of John Washburne (Jr.) of Bengeworth. John Washburne (Sr.) of Bengeworth, in his 1546 will, and his wife Emme, in her 1547 will, mention sons John and William Washburne. Since there is no record of William in Bengeworth, I believe that he could have been the William Washburne who married just down the road in Badsey in 1541 to Margaret Harward, and lived in Bretforton, where he finally died in 1588. William Washburne's son, William, appears to be the one who married first to Frances Wagstaffe in 1581, and secondly to Agnes Marres in 1594. There are also a few records of marriages of some of William and Margaret Washburne's daughters of Bretforton. Meanwhile, back in Bengeworth, John Washburne (Jr.) had married Jone Bushell in 1542. His second wife, Jone Whitehead, could have been the widow of William Whitehead, therefore born Jone Shepeye. John Washburne (Jr.) appears to have had 3 children by Jone Bushell, and possibly another daughter by Jone Whitehead. Their son John Washburne (3d.), born in 1551, may have been the man who married Agnes Charlet, daughter of William and Alice (James) Charlet, in 1578 in Bretforton, and returned to Bengeworth, where he had children Radegonno, Daniel and Mary. Agnes apparently died, and he remarried to Martha (Timbrell) Stevens, a widow, in 1596, by whom he had John, Jane, William, and Joan Washburne. These two youngest sons, John and William Washburne, were the immigrants, respectively, to Plymouth Colony and Hempstead. More to come. John A. Maltby Redwood City, CA [email protected]