Researching family history of the STEVENS in the TROWBRIDGE area of WILTSHIRE

My Gt Grandmother Eliza Macey arrived in N.Z. in 1865 with her husband William Hayter. Eliza's Mother was a Jane Stevens who married James Macey. I am having trouble locating their marriage and also Jane's parentage. Eliza and William lived in Fonthill Gifford before their departure to N.Z. Jane would have been born c.1815. Can you help please?

My husband's great grandfather was born in Brokenborough in
Wiltshire from a John Stevens and a Mary Prior. He ended up living in Oldbury on the Hill near Didmarton where he married a Mary Biggs and became a veterinary surgeon. I am
trying to trace relatives in Wiltshire at the moment.
Happy searching
Frankie Stevens

I am seeking information on my Great Grandfather/mother -
James Stephens and Sarah Anne, who were born in Compton & Charlton. Small villages, I believe, just south of Trowbridge. about 1820. They were possibly from canal families. The Census for Bristol 1881 has them living at Chapel St Bristol caring for my grandfather - Joseph Farr and his brothers.Would like to hear from anyone who has connections with either families.

I have a Elizabeth Stevens who married a Paul Weston 11/11/1663 - in Salisbury Wiltshire who produce an know ancestress Mary Weston born 23/02/1671 in Bishops Cannings. This Mary married a Matthew Bruges who died 1729. I would grateful for details of any connections.

Also I have a John Stevens who married a Susan Burges 28/04/1625 in Steeple Ashton. Susan was the daughter of John Burges and Edith Jakes

Dear Peter

These are probably red herrings but the apparent connections are interesting:

I have one Thomas Weston [c.1750] in Bishops Cannings, whence he married Mercy Pierce from Wedhampton by Bishop's Licence at Salisbury. They settled for a time in Urchfont. Their son, also Thomas and my ggg grandfather, took himself to Bristol to make his fortune but retained strong links with the area. I wonder what relation your Mary Weston is to Thomas snr.

Bearing in mind the strong links between the Bristol and Wiltshire families that were sustained over at least 100 yrs, I am also wondering what connection, if any, one ?Yate Stevens has with your Stevenses. This Yate Stevens married Thomas jnr's daughter [possibly Rebecca] c. 1860 and begot Sir Joseph Weston-Stevens [b. 1861]

Another probable red herring - but an interesting speculation perhaps - Burges Salmon is a large law firm in Bristol. The original Mr Burges came from Wiltshire I believe. A Weston-descended cousin of mine was a senior partner at the firm until his retirement over a decade ago.

Best wishes
Candida Weston

Dear Peter
Many thanks for your rapid response. This is all very fascinating. [The 'Innes' is definite red herring as far as our present discussion is concerned, but see my comment in parenthesis later].

So much genealogy is speculative, but making links has to start somewhere! I think there may well be a link with Paul and his son John. I have in front of me a copy of the Marriage Bond that Thomas [b.c.1750?] and Mercy Pierce contracted. The 'bondsman' or witness, I imagine, signs himself John Weston. It is tempting to speculate that this John was Paul jnr's son and thus Thomas's father - certainly, it fits chronologically. Thomas is given as 'of the Parish of Urchfont in the County of Wilts late of the Parish of Christ-Church Bristol'. There was obviously much Weston traffic between Wiltshire and Bristol. It doesn't seem likely that the Thomas W mentioned in the 1715 land deed is the same as my Thomas, but perhaps he was an uncle or, alternative to Paul, grandfather? I shall have to see whether there are any directories giving details of Paul 'of the City of Bristol' before 1741.

May I ask if Paul jnr's trade is apparentfrom his will? From what seem to be humble beginnings, the Bristol Westons went on to become an engineering dynasty, which is another interesting connection on which to speculate in the light of Charles Ernest Bruges' famous work. [They worked their way up from chandlery and ironmongery to founding such as the Bristol Ironworks, the Leadworks, the Bristol Tramways Company etc. and were ship owners. Many of these businesses were inherited by Guest Keen and Nettlefold, later GKN Sankey. 'Weston' is still one of their brandnames I believe.].

Incidentally, when Sir Joseph Dodge Weston [grandson of Thomas and Mercy] died in 1895 the Times wrote that he was 'of an old Liberal Wiltshire family' - even though the Westons had obviously been in Bristol for over a century and a half by then! Where in Sussex are the Bruges and Westons to be found?

[Another lovely connection for me is that the Marriage Bond was sworn before the Surrogate/Suffragan Bishop, Edward Innes and his wife Eliza. Edward and Eliza are also my 4x great grandparents from a completely different line and their connection with the Westons is entirely coincidental -traceable back to 170AD, the Innes line went off c. 1890 to Germany and a descendant, my grandmother, met up with my Weston grandfather on a trip to London in the 20s! It's a small world...]

Whatever, if it's alright with you, I should like to let my cousin have a copy of your message - he is the ace genealogist, has done a lot of digging around in Wiltshire. Also, as a lawyer, he has been able to access old wills and such. It may be that he will know how to access the Paul snr./Elizabeth Stevens wills if they exist. I also have another Weston-descended cousin in Canada who makes her living as a genealogist - she may be able to shed some more light. I would also very much like to look at the Bishops Cannings/Trowbridge records - where are they housed?

Perhaps I can email you a copy of the Weston tree we have compiled as well as a copy of the Marriage Bond [scanner permitting]? You may recognise names and other details etc. [e.g. 'Thomas' is a name that has survived in the line to the present - one of my sons is thus named.]

With best wishes
Candida Weston

Dear Candida

I have a copy of the will of Paul Weston of Bristol. He was the brother of my proven ancestress Mary Weston. Paul was born 24/09/1673 in Bishops Cannings Wiltshire and he died 1741 in Bristol. In his will (probated London) Paul described himself as being of the City of Bristol. Paul and Mary's father was Paul Weston who married an Elizabeth Stevens. Mary Weston married Matthew Bruges who may have been Burges at birth. Matthew and Mary married in Bishops Cannings 19/03/1693. Paul Weston of Bristol married an Anne and they produced a John and an Anne.

The Bruges family were commonly called Burges in the 1500/1600 until about the time of Matthew who reverted to Bruges.

Now just to complicate matters a John Stevens married a Susan Burges 28/04/1625. Susan was a daughter of John Burges of East Town and Edith Jakes. Susan Burges was definitely one of ours. Her grandfather as Anthony Burges.

Also, an Anna Stevens married an Edmund Burges 05/04/1636.

Now closer to home a Beatrice Stevens, born 1907 married Charles Eric Long Bruges in 1929. He was the son of Charles Ernest Bruges a famous engineer and genealogist!

There are other connectons between Matthew Bruges and Westons including a land deed (15/04/1715)in the Trowbridge Records Office that relates to property in Bishops Cannings. There is a mention of a Thomas Weston!!!!

The Bishops Canning register is fairly good so you should be able to tie up a number of loose ends. I have an earlier connection with Westons in Sussex to a Burges and perhaps that's where some of the Bishops Cannings'lot came from.

Obviously there are many connections. I must admit that I would like to find a copy of the will of Paul Weston Senior or his wife Elizabeth Stevens as they could hold critical information.

Regards

Peter Bruges

Well, this looks like a good place to enter into this discussion. Candida, you have not mentioned the "unusual/fortunate" practice of our Weston ancestors of using surnames as middle names: as in Thomas Rowe Weston; Laura Eliza Stevens Weston; Beatrice Isabella Houston Weston; Joseph Dodge Weston; John Davis Weston.

Now, I know that Thomas Rowe Weston was named after his mother Mary Rowe, and Isabella Sophia Martin's mother was Sarah Houston ... and Isabella was the wife of Thomas Rowe Weston, the parents of these well-named children.

I DO NOT KNOW where the Stevens comes from ... but Peter, your Elizabeth Stevens sure seems like a good possibility!

I also had a letter years ago from someone whose name was Audrey May Weston Harris ... wondering if there was any connection, and she did not know how she got the 'Weston' in her name! She comes from Bristol, so is probably involved with this family in some manner.

Just a quick one for the moment - but I just have to say that this gets more and more fascinating! The Weston crest- as emblazoned on my grandfather's silver and signet ring - is a griffin with crossed swords [with a motto which apparently reads 'Semper ?Sarum', although why they should so support Salisbury is a very moot point!]
Will respond more fully later
Candida Weston