Comments

Hi,

Thanks for your email. I have searched through my data and have not found any reference to Clara Maria Day. My ancestor, John Day, was born in Shipham in about 1727 (baptised 20 Oct. 1727). He appears to have moved to Banwell where he possibly married in 1750. All of his ten children were baptised at Banwell. John died in May 1812 and his wife, Mary, died in July 1813 and both are buried in Banwell. It is possible that John had siblings in Shipham and that Clara Maria is a descendant of one of them. Do you think there is a possible connection with John Day and Clara Maria?

Best wishes,

Richard Melarange

You didn't mention his wife but on Scribes Alcove, a website covering a number of Gloucestershire parishes including Berkeley (her birthplace on the census entries)  there is this entry on the 22nd Dec 1852 of a marriage of a 24 year-old Sailor, Henry WITHERS - father William WITHERS, Builder, to a 20 year-old Eliza BRUTON whose father is William BRUTON, Pilot.

They are both said to be living at Wanswell which is between Berkeley and the Gloucester Sharpness Canal. At least this gives you Henry's father's name and occupation.

On the 1851 Census an unmarried 22 year-old Henry WITHERS, a mariner, is lodging in Bristol but his place of birth is said to be Bridgwater.  

There is a burial of a  17 month old baby called William WITHERS in Portishead in 1827 which looks as if there might have been a family thereat that time but as there are no other WITHERS recorded there it does seem that they were moving about a bit so although he thought he came from Portishead they might have only lived there for a very short time.

Thanks Graham, I would have expected that format for that period, but had been told that this particular register was in the old format, ie. minus the signatures and witness details.  I shall have to get myself some copies of  some marriage entries and see if it will confirm my theory.

Nicola

Yes the marriages between 1754-1788 does include either a signature or the mark (if they could not write) of both the married couple and witnesses.

Graham

Does the 1754-1788 Marriage Register include signatures please?  The reason I ask is that about 6 years ago I was told by someone unconnected to the Society, but who had a copy of the parish registers on microfiche, that Cheddar didn't start using the new style marriage register until 1789.  I was interested in the witnesses to a 1772 marriage which your transcripts do show.  If the registers do include the parties' signatures, then I need to try and get to see a couple of marriage entries from 1772 and 1773 to compare with a witness signature to a 1772 marriage in Banwell to see if it can help confirm the idendity of one of my ancestors whose been a brickwall for years.

Thanks

Nicola