Have developed a theory which I am testing on the OPC so will await feedback before posting [unless you want a good laugh].
Nothing in the way of feedback yet so will wait out the weekend before testing the waters here with my theory.
Googling the 4 parishes - Symondsbury, Netherbury, Bridport and Allington - it says, Symondsbury & Netherbury are adjacent and Bridport is 1.5 miles distant with Allington about .75 miles from Bridport. If this is correct then it makes my theory even more 'promising'.
I can now add Powestock, which is 5 miles distant from Bridport. If I limit myself to 5 miles of Bridport, can I ask for identification of any other parishes that fit within the area [5 miles] of Bridport? Answers with be welcome as today is Fathers Day here.
within 5 miles of Bridport as the crow flies -- not promising that it is an exhaustive list Walditch and Bradpole are very close Bothenhampton (now a Bridport suburb) Burton Bradstock and Shipton Gorge West Milton, Loders, Chilcombe, Chideock, Whitchurch Canonicorum, Askerswell Swyre and Puncknowle are about 6 miles away
Click on this GENUKI page for Bridport and then click where it says Nearby Places. It will bring up all places within 5 miles of Bridport.
I knew you could do that somewhere but couldn't remember ... so my list of places from memory is probably even more suspect now, though I did look at a map to help me --- only thing to remember Colin, not all places are parishes; the opcdorset homepage functions as a comprehensive list of parishes
On Tuesday last, I received a response from the OPC and on the basis of that response, I did some research and came up with a theory which I sent off on Thursday. I have yet to hear back, so am hopeful that she is still interested and looking into the possibilities. John and Lydia married 2 May 1777 and they had 3 children - Elizabeth, John and Robert - with Robert being the last born in 1782. See post #47 for the various parishes that are in close proximity to Bridport as well as posts #48-51. Now for my theory: Early Life of John Way. John Way son of Elizabeth Way was baptised in Netherbury on 7 October 1720. As there was no father named in the baptism it is likely he was illegitimate. There do not appear to be any further baptisms for children of Elizabeth during the 1720's. It appears likely that that Elizabeth was born about 1700 in one of the parishes nearby and possibly worked as a General or Farm Servant in Netherbury. On 4 October 1731, Elizabeth married Valentine Roper in Symondsbury, set up home and in 1733 [no date specified] they baptised a son - Simon. John Way was aged about 12-13 now and likely living with the family. On 21 January 1744 Valentine and Elizabeth buried Simon in Symondsbury. Simon would appear to have been their only child. John Way is now aged 23-24 and single. Later life of John Way. After the death of Simon, John surfaces in Netherbury - his place of birth - and on 29 May 1749 in Netherbury he married Mary Maber [or Mabey]. There is no indication as to whether Mary was a Spinster or Widow. They set up home in Netherbury or nearby but I have not been able to find a suitable baptism for any children of this union. Elizabeth Roper - his mother - had died and was buried in Symondsbury 21 December 1768. There is no age for Elizabeth indicated in the burial register. There is a burial for a Mary Way - wife of John - in Netherbury on 3 November 1776. The burial register indicated her age as 69. If this is accurate and was provided by her husband then she was 13 years older than John. John is now 56, a widower and apparently still childless. On the basis of what happened next, he obviously wanted a child to carry on the Way surname. He met a lady named Lydia Maby [or Mabey] who was aged about 23 and they were married in Allington 2 May 1777. He and Lydia returned to Netherbury and baptised 3 children: Elizabeth - named for John's mother - 28 December 1777 John - possibly named for either John's father or grandfather - 4 February 1780 Robert - possibly named for either John's father or grandfather - 10 May 1782. A few days before John jr. was born [6 January 1780], Valentine Roper died in Symondsbury and was buried 2 January 1780. There is no age indicated for Valentine in the burial register however he is indicated as a widower. It would appear that Valentine didn't remarry after the death of Elizabeth. On 9 May 1783, in Netherbury, Lydia buried her husband. She now had 3 children - eldest age 5 and the youngest age 1. She appears to have moved to Bridport to possibly live with a member of her late husband's family, appears not to have remarried and was buried in Bridport 29 May 1795. Lydia was aged 41. So that's the theory - what is the reality?
A possible link - to the naming pattern - but have sadly lost my way: There was John Way, son of Robert Way, bapt. Bridport 20 October 1648 who appears to have married a Julian [sic] Hill in Bridport 3 February 1671. They appear to have had a son John bapt. 31 October 1671 in Bridport. A John Way married Elizabeth Morse [or Morses] in Bridport 27 November 1691 but I cannot find any baptisms for this couple to fit. Is this a dead end?
I have enjoyed reading this discussions. I have a direct line Mabey and was exploring the Jonathan Mabey and Mary Ackerman line to try and connect my line. John Mabey (1616 - ) of Powerstock John Mabey (1638 - 1708) son of John Mabey Jonathan Mabey (1696 - 1744) son of John Mabey Jonathan Mabey (1725 - ) married Mary Acreman 20 Sep 1748 son of Jonathan Mabey Jonathan Mabey (1748 - ) Thankyou Trudy
Jonathan Mabey was baptised in Powerstock, 2 February 1748. He married Ann Dennet [baptised 15 November 1748 in North Poorton] on 18 April 1770 in Mapperton - witnesses were Mary TIZZARD and Elizabeth PAIN. I have baptisms for children in Mapperton: Jonathan - 15 August 1773 William - 21 September 1777 Thomas - ?? April 1780 Nanny - 5 January 1773 Joseph - 17 September 1786
