Baptism record for Caroline Pearkes or May in St John Bedwardine: :
"Caroline Pearkes daughter of Susanna May (illegitimate)
FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
SUSANNAH MAY
Susannah was
christened 5 January 1777 in Britwell Salome, Oxfordshire, the
daughter of Henry and Mary May. Britwell Salome is a village in
Oxfordshire, not far from Watlington. Britwell may mean a spring
or stream of the Britons, from the Old English Bryt wella.
The town was known as Brutwelle in 1086. Salome is a manorial
affix from the de Suleham family dating from the 13th century.
It was known as Brutewell Solham by 1320, and later on as
Bruttewell Sulham. (http://www.ontaworld.co.uk/england/oxfordshire/britwellsalome/)
Susannah later married William Cullis 25 May 1801 in
Whittington, Worcestershire, when Caroline was three years old.
The Whittington parish register reads "William Cullis of
this parish, batchelor and Susanna May of the same, spinster,
married in this chapel by banns this 25th day of May 1801."
Whittington is also nearby the city of Worcester. This William
Cullis is likely the same man who acted as a witness at
Caroline's wedding to William Wishaw.
Susannah was mentioned in the will of her uncle John Knapp,
gentleman of St. Martin in the city of Worcester in 1827:
Susannah and William Cullis then had the following children:
1. Betty,
buried 25 July
1802 in St. Nicholas, Worcester.
2. Sarah, christened 19 April 1803 in St Nicholas, Worcester.
3. Frances,
christened 10 March 1805, St Nicolas, Worcester.
4. Eliza, christened 10 May 1807 in St. Martin,
Worcester.
5. Jane,
christened 18 July 1809 in St. Martin, Worcester.
6. Maria,
christened 1 July 1811 in St. Martin, Worcester.
7. Henry,
christened 17 March 1813 in St. Martin, Worcester.
8. Charlotte,
christened 23 Aug 1815 in St. Martin.
William died 23 September 1835 in St. Andrews parish, Worcester.
Susannah and her daughter Maria were listed in the 1841 census
in Worcester.
1841
census, Worcester
Address: Countrey
Shambles, St Swithin, Worcester, Worcestershire
Susan Cullis,
female, age 60, birth year 1781 in Worcestershire
Maria Cullis, female, age 25, birth year 1816 in
Worcestershire
Susannah died the next
year at the age of 65, and was buried on 31 July 1842 in St
Andrews parish in Worcester. Her birth year was listed as 1777.
SOURCE: IGI,
Claines parish register, FHL# 352033; Whittington parish
register, FHL# 435353; Bedwardine parish register, FHL#
350860; St Andrew parish register, St Nicolas parish register; National Burial Index;
1841, St Swithin parish, Worcester; wwwfindmypast.com; will
of John Knapp of St. Martin, Worcestershire, 1827,
Prerogative Court of Canterbury. .
FAMILY
GROUP RECORD OF
HENRY MAY AND
MARY KNAPP
Henry May was christened 15 October 1725 in Watlington,
Oxfordshire, the son of Henry May and Elizabeth Rose. Watlington
is a parish about one mile from Britwell Salome.
Henry married Mary
Knapp 16 October 1761 in Oxford, St. Martin, Oxfordshire, a town
about 17 miles from Watlington. Mary was the daughter of John
Knapp and Anne Smith of Eynsham, Oxfordshire, and was christeneed 9 September 1739 in
Eynsham.
Mary's family was
mentioned in the will of her uncle John Knapp, gentleman, of St.
Martin in the city of Worcester, written in 1819 and proven in
1827. He left five guineas to his nieces Susannah Cullis and
Fanny Key, and fifty pounds to his nephew Henry May.
Henry died and was
buried 24 December 1797 in St. Andrews parish, Worcester city.
Mary died and was
buried 13 March 1814 in St. Andrews parish, Worcester city, at
the age of 75.
Henry and Mary had the
following children:
1. Mary,
christened 3 October 1762 in Britwell Salome.
2. Jane,
christened 22 January 1764 in Britwell Salome.
3. Ann,
christened 2 February 1766 in Britwell Salome.
4. Sarah,
christened 10 May 1768 in Britwell Salome.
5. John,
christened 20 January 1770 in Britwell Salome; buried 7 June
1771 in Britwell Salome.
6. Mary,
christened 2 August 1772 in Britwell Salome; may have died
young.
7. Mary,
christened 20 November 1774 in Britwell Salome.
*8. Susannah,
christened 5 January 1777 in Britwell Salome; mother of Caroline
May; married William Cullis 25 May 1801 in Whittington,
Worcestershire.
9. Frances,
christened 21 Feb 1779 in Britwell Salome; married Henry Key 23
June 1801 in Whittington, Worcestershire. William Cullis and
Susanna May acted as witnesses for this marriage.
10. Henry,
privately baptized 31 December 1780, christened in the church 21
January 1781 in Britwell Salome;
married Harriet Reynolds 13 October 1816 in Worcester city; buried 26 October 1836 in St Martins
parish, Worcester city, age 56.
SOURCE: IGI;
Britwell Salome parish register, FHL# 95219; Whittington
parish register, FHL# 435353; Britwell Salome parish register
extracts on CD; A History of the Chief English
Families Bearing the Name of Knapp by Oswald Greenwaye
Knapp; will of John Knapp of St. Martin, Worcestershire,
1827, Prerogative Court of Canterbury.
FAMILY
GROUP RECORD OF
HENRY MAY AND
ELIZABETH ROSE
Henry May was
christened 20 May 1700 in Watlington, Oxfordshire, the son of
John May and Mary White. He married Elizabeth Rose 15 September
1723 in Watlington. Both were shown as being "of this parish".
Elizabeth was
christened 7 April 1700 in Watlington, the daughter of John and
Elizabeth Rose.
Henry's occupation was shown in the parish registers as a
cooper, or a barrelmaker. He appears in apprenticeship records
in Watlington.
Register
of Duties Paid for Apprentices' Duties, 3 September 1730:
9 - Henry May of Watlington, Oxon, Cooper - Francis: son
of Chas Longford of ditto, butcher 24 July"
Register
of Duties for Apprentices' Duties, 24 December 1735:
"12 - Henry May of Watlington, Oxon, Cooper - Will: son
of John Strange of ditto, maltster, Bedford, gent, Dec"
Register
of Duties for Apprentices' Duties, 24 August 1742:
"1 - Henry May of Watlington in Oxon, Cooper - Tho. son of
Thos. East of Alton
Register
of Duties for Apprentices' Duties, 30 September 1747:
"4 - Henry May of Watlington in Oxon, Cooper - Will. House"
Henry was buried 17 August 1768 in Watlington.
Elizabeth was buried a
few months later, 10 October 1768 in Watlington.
Henry and Elizabeth had the following children:
1. Henry,
christened 15 October 1725 in Watlington; buried 20 October 1725
in Watlington.
2. Elizabeth,
christened 23 February 1726 in Watlington.
3. Rose,
christened 10 June 1730 in Watlington; buried 30 January 1731 in
Watlington.
*4. Henry,
christened 26 February 1740 in Watlington; married Mary.
5. Martha,
christened 26 January 1742 in Watlington; buried 17 March 1742
in Watlington.
SOURCE: Watlington
parish register; IGI; Register of Duties for
Apprentices' Duties; www.ancestry.co,uk.
FAMILY
GROUP RECORD OF
JOHN MAY AND
MARY WHITE
*1. Henry,
christened 20 May 1700 in Watlington; married Elizabeth Rose 15
September 1723 in Watlington.
Baptism record for
Henry May in Watlington: "Hendry the son of John May, labr
& Mary his wife May 20"
2. John,
christened 21 February 1701 in Watlington.
3. Richard,
christened 6 March 1703 in Watlington.
4. Mary,
christened 26 January 1705 in Watlington.
5. William,
christened 12 April 1710 in Watlington; buried 11 May 1711 in
Watlington.
6. William,
christened 3 May 1713 in Watlington.
SOURCE: Watlington
parish register; IGI.
Earlier Mays in
Watlington records:
On 15 November 1705, a
Henry May acted as surety for a bastardy bond in Watlington: "Bond
of Henry May or his assigns to "acquitt dicharge and save
harmless: all and every the parishioners and inhabitants of
the parish of Watlington from all and every costs charges
troubles and expenses whatsoever for or by reason of the birth
and bringing up of the unborn child of Ann Browne, wife or
pretended wife of Thomas Browne of the parish of St. Mary Le
Bow in the county of Middlesex, which Ann Browne is now
abiding in the parish of Watlington." This Henry was too
old to be the Henry born in 1700.
On 2 July 1726, there in an apprenticeship indenture: "Indenture
for apprenticing William May, a poor child, with Richard White
of Henly upon Thomas in the County of Oxon, taylor, until his
full age of one and twenty years." John May's son William
would have been thirteen years old at this time, and may be the
child in the indenture. His father died when William was ten
years old, and his mother died when he was thirteen, just a few
weeks before the indenture.
SOURCE: The People
of Watlington, citing bastardy bonds and apprenticeship
indentures.
FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
RICHARD
MAY AND
GRACE
FLIGHT
Richard May was born
in about 1640, the son of Richard and Anne May of Stoke Talmage,
Oxfordshire. Stoke Talmage was a parish about three miles
northwest of Lewknor. He married Grace Flight 11 April 1670 in
Oxford St. Clement, about 16 miles from Lewknor.
Grace and Richard had a baby, John in 1671. Grace died a year
later and was buried in Lewknor 27 December 1672.
Richard then married
Anne by 1680.
Richard and Grace had
the following child:
*1. John, christened 24 December 1671 in Lewknor;
married Mary White 4 October 1697 in Watlington; buried 17
June 1723 in Watlington.
Richard and Anne had
the following children:
2. William,
christened 28 June 1680 in Lewknor; buried 19 April 1682 in
Lewknor.
3. Joseph,
christened 24 November 1682 in Lewknor; may have died young.
4. Joseph,
christened 19 May 1684 in Lewknor.
5. Anne,
christened 22 February 1687 in Lewknor; buried 17 July 1693 in
Lewknor.
6. Elizabeth,
christened 27 November 1690 in Lewknor; buried 1 December 1690
in Lewknor.
SOURCE: Lewknor
parish register; www.ancestry.co.uk.
FAMILY
GROUP RECORD OF
RICHARD
MAY AND
ANNE ALNET
Richard May was
born in about 1618 of Stoke Talmage, Oxfordshire, the son of
Richard and Anne May of Ipsden, Oxfordshire. He married Anne
Alnet 23 May 1638 in Ipsden, a parish about twelve miles south
of Stoke Talmage.
Richard died in about
1683, leaving a will:
Will
of Richard May of Stoke Talmage 1683
In the name of God Amen
I Richard May ye elder of Stoke Talmage in ye county
of Oxon husbandman doe make this my last will & testament
in manner & form as followeth. First & principally I
bequeath my sould into ye hands of God Almighty my creator,
hoping by ye merits of my blessed Redeemer Christ Jesus to be
recievde into everlasting rest. My body I commit to ye ground
to be decently interred according to ye discretion of my
executrix hereafter named. And for ye small worldly estate
whereas it hath pleased God to blesse me I dispose of it in ye
following manner.
I bequeath to my son
Robert twenty shillings.
I bequeath to my son
Richard twenty shillings.
I bequeath to my
daughter Elizabeth twenty shillings.
I bequeath to my son
Mathew ye sum of ten pounds.
I bequeath to my
grand-son, John ye son of Richard May ye sum of ten
pounds.
I bequeath to my
daughter Anne ye sum of forty pounds.
And further it is my
will yt all these legacies above mentioned be payed within a
twelve moneth after my decease.
And lastly I do hereby
ordain & constitute my welbeloved wife Anne May ye
full & sole executrix of this my last will &
testament, giving & bequeathing to her all my goods &
chattles whatsoever; & appoinoting her to pay ye legacies
above said at ye time before mentioned, after my debts 7
funeral expenses are discharged.
In testimony whereof I
have hereunto sett my hand & seal the five & twentieth
day of August in ye year of our Ld God 1683.
The marke of Richard May
Sealed & delivered
in ye presence of
Nath: Penn
Robert May
Mary Higgins
Richard and
Anne had the following children:
1. Robert, married Susanna; died 1696 of Stoke Talmage.
Robert was mentioned in a history of Stoke Talmage: "A few
large farmers, moreover, such as Robert May, who died in 1695
and was described as a grazier, also kept sheep. May had a
flock of 122 sheep, 11 milking cows and 7 horses, valued at
£208 as against crops worth £121." (British History Online -
Stoke Talmage)
*2. Richard, born in about 1650; married 1) Grace Flight
11 April 1670 in Oxford St. Clement; married 2) Anne.
3. Elizabeth
4. Mathew
5. Anne, married George Eustace 2 September 1682 in
Oxford, St. Clement, Oxfordshire. Anne was shown as being of
Stoke Talmadge and George was of Stoke Grange.
SOURCES: Will of Richard
May of Stoke Talmage, 1683; Ipsden parish records;
www.ancestry.com; Oxfordshire Marriage Index; St. Clement
parish register, www.ancestry.com.
FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
RICHARD AND ANNE MAY
Richard May was born in about 1590 of Ipsden. He married Anne.
Richard died and was buried 1 August 1634 in Ipsden.
