Googling..... a copy of Abel Wood WATKINS Will was sold on ebay on the 29 November 2009 (3 pages long).

I'm unable to locate this information by doing a Google search.

Do you know if the copy of the Will was one like you would obtain from Gloucestershire Archives or was it an actual copy which was written at the same time as the original?

Did you note the sale price it sold for on eBay?

I'll be getting in touch with the Records Office shortly to send me a copy. Regards, Allyn.

Year: 1849
Surname: WATKINS
Forenames: Abel Wood
Gender: U
Parish: St Briavels
Reference: 1849/10
Occuapation: Yeoman
Catalog: Wills 1801-1858

The Record Office charge a minimum of £5 for copying and posting. Have found this service only takes about 5 days.

Certificate of acknowledgment of a deed by a married woman
These parchment certificates can sometimes be found attached to conveyances, or occasionally on their own, having become detached from the relevant deed.
The earliest certificates date from 1833. They were brought in thanks to a clause in the Fines and Recoveries Act of that year. A married woman selling or mortgaging property jointly with her husband had to be interviewed separately by a public official to certify that she was 'of full age and competent understanding', to confirm that she was not being forced into agreeing to the sale.
The background to this procedure was that any land or property owned by a woman became the property of her husband on their marriage. Therefore, if she had inherited a house from her parents, her husband could sell it. However, under common law she was required to be a party to the deed. The acknowledgments represented an attempt to prevent husbands from abusing their position as owners of property which had come to them through their wives.
The Married Women's Property Act of 1882 gave married women the same rights over their own property as single or widowed women, and did away with the need for acknowledgments.
Purpose
Confirmation that a married woman was fully consenting to the sale of property.

Unfortunately, only a viewing of the document file is going to give any further information. However, Abel Wood WATKINS was a farmer as well as the "Keeper of the Prison". He is identified as such on several baptism certificates of his children in 1824 and again on the marriage record of Susannah and GEORGE HALFORD IN 1846 at Parkend Chapel. It seems logical that he may have bought, sold or rented land during this period. Abel Wood would have been abt. 65 when the document was dated so it could be that he had decided to retire from farm work and was selling all the assets with his wife's consent. He died in 1848 at St.Briavels so it looks as though a 'will' could also be helpful.

It seems as though a visit to the Gloucestershire Archives may be the only way froward in order to find out anything more definite. Unfortunately I live abroad so this may have to wait until my next visit home.

Sorry Sylvia, but your GWILLIAM and POWELL connections don't tie in to my WATKINS tree at the moment. I'll be aware of them from now on just in case the names appear in relation to any other members of the family.

Thanks to everybody for getting the grey matter working again! It's much appreciated.
Allyn.

Certificate granted by the Commissioners for taking the acknowledgements of deed by married women.

Mary - wife of Richard WILLIAMS
Jane - wife of Thomas TAYLOR
Sarah - wife of John MADDOX

Relating to the deed to which Thomas BROWN, Abel WOOD WATKINS, Susan WATKINS, Richard BENNETT and Thomas PORTER were also party.

Source of acquisition: 37 files deposited by Albert GWILLIAM, George GWILLIAM per Dr Cyril Hart. **

other documents mention FOD families.

** Dr Cyril Hart OBE

www.fweb.org.uk/dean/towns/colefordproject/people/hart.html

However, user beware. Like using every search engine, I've found that you have to be very imaginative in the way you enter any information. Several initial attempts to find individuals failed when I knew the record had to be there. The search result is only ever as good as the transcription. Sometimes I find that 'less is more'. Time now to revisit that search for his parents.

Thank you once again, Allyn.

Using the Advanced Search on the FOD records - we have children of Abel WOOD WATKINS and Jane as:

Jane WOOD WATKINS 11 February 1801 - Whitecliff - Parish Newland
Abel WOOD WATKINS - 12 February 1804 - Highmeadow - ditto
John WOOD WATKINS - 5 December 1805 - Highmeadow - ditto
William WOOD WATKINS - 18 May 1807 - Highmeadow - ditto
Christiana WOOD WATKINS - 1 December 1808 - Highmeadow - ditto

and then a family baptism on 18 July 1824 at St Briavel - Abel (Farmer)

Abel
John
Susanah
Martha

1841 Census St Briavels

Abel WATKINS - 25 Y
Eliza - 25 - N
Celia - 5
Richard 3

Two: Abel Wood WATKINS deaths, 1846 and 1848

There are two children of a John WATKINS born English Bicknor (no mother)

John son of John - 18 April 1756
Sarah - daughter of John - 17 September 1758

Abel Wood (60)
Jane (60) - wife
Jane (30) - daughter
Susanna (20) - daughter
John (25) – son

The Staunton Parish records show Abel Wood was born to John & Susannah and baptised on 16 Apr 1780. Other probable siblings baptized at the same chapel are:

Mary - Bapt. 15 Mar 1761
Hannah - Bapt. 12 Feb 1769
Elizabeth - Bapt. 17 Dec 1771
Hesther - Bapt. 23 May 1774

From the available records John WATKINS and Susannah STEPHENS (married 20 Jun1754 in English Bicknol) appear to be the only possible match in the area.

Is anybody else reseaching this line who can confirm my theory, or offer any other information that may be helpful? Prior to this period I have some well resourced information that I am willing to discuss and share with interested persons.

Fingers crossed,
Allyn.