Achieving sufficient proof - Genealogists' Forum

Merry · #1 19-02-14, 07:30

I'm working on the origins of Henry Buck who was my 5xg-grandfather.

Background info........

Henry Buck married Dorothy Hellier in 1732 at Osmington in Dorset. Dorothy was baptised in Osmington in 1712, the dau of John and Susannah Hellier (I expect there will be a thread about the Helliers later!)

After the marriage John and Dorothy Buck moved to Wyke Regis (five miles from Osmington) where they had six children baptised:

Richard 1736
Thomas 1737
Henry 1741
Mary 1744
Charles 1748
Elizabeth 1751

All of these children lived to adulthood, married and had children. None of their baptisms give any additional info such as occupation of the father.

Their mother Dorothy Buck died in 1770 and was buried in Wyke Regis. The burial entry records her as a widow and also "(but died on Sat y 14th being Passionate)".

I have no burial record for Henry (he may well have been a mariner).

So, where did Henry come from? There is a baptism for a Henry Buck at Winterbourne St Martin (about seven miles inland from the other places mentioned) in 1708. His parents are Richard and Mary (nee Lake). Richard and Mary were both buried at Winterbourne St Martin, but Richard did have a second marriage (to Charity Elby) at Melcombe Regis (next to Wyke Regis) in 1710. Charity was also buried at Winterbourne St M and may have been baptised there too if she was a spinster at marriage, which I don't know. Richard is, of course, the name of Henry's first known child.

So, is this enough to say this is my Henry when the evidence is entirely circumstantial? I can't find any wills for these people - they are just in the right(ish) place at the right(ish) time.

I've investigated Henry's two siblings a little but that didn't seem to help.

How can I stop thinking Henry could have arrived by boat from almost anywhere lol! Ideas please

Shona · #2 19-02-14, 07:57

Henry's parish is recorded as Wecke Regis on the marriage transcript on FMP.

marquette · #3 19-02-14, 08:04

Seven miles does not seem too far to me, but then I live in Australia !

Have you found any other information which might relate to the Henry Buck bapt in Winterbourne St Martin ? Are there other Buck families around the area at the time ? All you can really do is try to eliminate any other possible Henry Buck?

Sometimes being in the "rightish" place is the only thing you can start with.

Di

Merry · #4 19-02-14, 08:16

Thanks Shona, forgot to mention that.

There are other Bucks about, but no baptisms for other Henrys. On the other hand other unlinked Bucks in the area are often missing a baptism or marriage as I think the vicars in Dorset were particularly poor at either record keeping or having legible handwriting or both.

I noticed an admin for a spinster Elizabeth Buck who died in Abbotsbury (v close to the other places) in 1745. She had a sister Eleanor Trenchard, wife of John and another called Mary O*iler (maybe O'Hiler or Offiler depending on where you look) - I've only found burials for these three woman. I would have liked them to be close relatives of Henry and Richard

. Trenchard is a Dorset name so I would have expected that marriage to have been in the county.

Shona · #5 19-02-14, 08:23

Oooh! Didn't realise there were lots of parish records for Dorset on Ancestry.

Henry and Dorothy's marriage from Ancestry.

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/22...nSearchResults

Possible Henry Buck baptism from Ancestry.

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/22...nSearchResults

Interesting that he was baptised privately.

Merry · #6 19-02-14, 08:26

Yes all on Ancestry now Shona, which is why I'm looking at this again.

OH got all the info from the Dorset CRO about ten years ago. It cost him about 5,000 miles in petrol and hundreds of hours of time. Finding the Buck/Helier marriage took about three months of weekly visits! Much simpler now.

Phoenix · #7 19-02-14, 08:41

Mariner

Have you tried Nova Scotia

Eldest surviving son and daughter named after his parents?

Are there similar patterns further down the line?

Chidlren not named after wife or wife's family?

And if you ever discover where we can find manorial records for Devon, do tell.

Paternal line may come from Dorset, but I have no natural affinity with the county. Every parish in which I have an interest seems to lose its records

Shona · #8 19-02-14, 08:47

Mr Google found this. Seems as if all the sons were mariners of had occupations connecting with seafaring.

http://www.archerfamily.org.uk/family/buck.htm

Merry · #9 19-02-14, 08:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shona

Mr Google found this. Seems as if all the sons were mariners of had occupations connecting with seafaring.

http://www.archerfamily.org.uk/family/buck.htm

That's our research - about seven years ago we shared a gedcom with a distant relative and they posted it online.

Merry · #10 19-02-14, 09:12

Quote:

Eldest surviving son and daughter named after his parents?

Are there similar patterns further down the line?

Chidlren not named after wife or wife's family?

Well that is correct if it's the right Henry!

Not particularly - names are reused but the order is completely variable.

Difficult to say when wives are called Elizabeth and Mary! By the third and fourth gen mother's maiden name becomes quite popular as a middle name.