[Merry]

I have copied most of the text from your last message here, so I can address each bit in turn. I've changed the colour for my replies!

Philip Dod was indeed christened at Harthill 13 Sept 1774. His parents were William and Mary Dod.

Yep, I agree with that.

(By the way, how did you know that all the births, deaths and marriages from Bickerton were recorded only at Harthill? Its witchcraft isn't it. Anyway.............)

I'm a bit confused by this comment. Isn't it normal for a baptism, marriage (except for the banns) or burial to be recorded at one church only? In this case the events took place at the church at Harthill (All Saints) but the vicar recorded the 'address' of the parties involved which was Bickerton. I knew this because the images of the Harthill parish registers are available to view on fmp. The address is not recorded on the available transcriptions.

Mary is almost certainly Mary Lewis, b. 16 Apr 1750 at Malpas, parents were Thomas and Jane Lewis. She probably died in 1789, registered at Harthill.

I thought that looked like a possible baptism, though it would have made her pretty young at the marriage. If this were my tree I would pencil her in and wait to see if any further evidence came along. I guess in my mind the name Mary Lewis is a pretty common name, but I don't know much about the frequency of this name in Cheshire. I've commented about the burial date further down.

William is certainly William Dod, probably b. 30 Nov 1733 at Tilston, parents were another William and as yet unknown woman. As yet, we have no idea when or where he died though Tilston looks a good bet right now.

I would be cautious about that baptism as there is a burial in 1735 at Tilston for William, son of William Dod of Tilston, so that child may have died as a toddler. More research required!

You have said before you don't know when and where William died, but I thought we had got that (otherwise you wouldn't know roughly when he was born to be looking for a baptism!) The burial is in the first post I put on this thread:

Burial in the parish of Harthill, Chester
William Dodd of Bickerton buried 31st Jan 1816 aged 86.



William and Mary were probably married at Malpas on 18 Nov 1765.

Yes.

Now for the issues, both of which you may have some advice about:

a. It bothered me that they married in 1765 but did not start a family until, I thought, with Philip in 1774, then Mary 1776, Elizabeth 1779 and Joseph 1781. However, if we take all the 'William Dod as father' births registered at Harthill starting in that marriage year of 1765 and ending in 1789, the supposed year of Mary's death, we have 11 children, all born between 1766 (Martha) and 1781 (Joseph). The problem? Which ones were Philips siblings? Not all, I know, but which ones?

Well I didn't find eleven (two missing). Perhaps you could post up who else you found other than these, below, so I can check the 'abode' for those I've missed. I found:

Martha 1766
John 1767
Hannah 1769
Mary 1771
James 1773
Philip 1774
Elizabeth 1779
Joseph 1781

all of whom were the children of William or William and Mary 'of Bickerton'. I only found one child that appeared to be of another family and that was Elizabeth bap 1773 (soon after James, above) where the family were 'of Burwardsley'. So, I would image all the above, other than the extra Elizabeth, belonged to your family. Note my next reply though.....

b. I decided the Mary Dod who died at Harthill, 16 Nov 1789, was our Mary. However, another Mary Dod, also wife of a William Dod, died there on 6 June 1777. I dismissed her and will continue to do so but I have a nagging voice saying, "What if she is our Mary and the one who died in 1789 is not?" This would mean that both Elizabeth (b. 1779) and Joseph (b. 1781) were not Philips siblings. Nor does it help with issue a.

I think I may have solved this bit!

The death in 1777 seems to be Mary Lewis ('wife of Wm Dod of Bickerton') and then we have another marriage, to another Mary!!

William Dod and Mary Wright both of Bickerton in this parish (the marriage took place at Malpas) were married by banns on 30 April 1778 (their conditions are not given). Witnesses Randle Tomlinson and Peter Barlow (serial witnesses - everyone signed except the bride).

So, after Philip's birth there is a gap whist the first Mary died, William remarried and went on to have two further children. Mary Wright then died in 1789.

You might think it odd that William had his children baptised at Harthill (presumably the church he attended for services) but each time he married he did so at Malpas, in each case to a bride from Bickerton. It's likely he used his official parish church (Bickerton being in the parish of Malpas) to save money as the banns would only have to be read in one church rather than at Harthill and at Malpas.