I have traced my family tree back to the Forest of Dean and Edward Aston who Married Jane Phillips 2 July 1799. They had four children Thomas (21.11.1802 Hewelsfield), Edward (16.06.1805 St Briavels), Richard (Buried 7.11.1806 so believe still born) and Richard Edward (24.07.1808 Hewelsfield).

Edward died 15.02.1853 aged 89 and Jane 28.05.1866 age 88 and both graves are in the Churchyard of St Mary Magdelene at Hewelsfield.

The 1851 Census records Edward living at '18 Edward Aston - 88 Retired Inn Keeper'

So Edward was born approx. 1764 but I can't locate a record of his baptism in order to go back another generation. I have searched the Parish Records without success. Can anyone help me with a lead to break through another generation?

a possible :

Year: 1771
Month: Nov
Day: 2
Parents_Surname: ASTON
Child_Forenames: Edward
Fathers_Forenames: Phillip
Mothers_Forenames: Ann
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Clearwell
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P227 IN 4/1
Page_Number: 333
Parish_Chapel: Newland

Year: 1771
Month: Oct
Day: 30
Grooms_Surname: ASSEN or ASTON
Grooms_Forenames: Philip
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition:
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: Newland
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: BAYTON
Brides_Forenames: Anne
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition:
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Newland
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both mark
Witness_1: R Williams
Witness_2: Mark of Wm Doward
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: P Ball vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes: BT's state Aston
Register_Reference: P227 IN 1/7
Page_Number: 473
Parish_Chapel: Newland

**Can anyone prove or disprove whether Edward Aston, baptised at Newland in 1771 while his parents lived at Clearwell, was the Edward Aston who married Jane Phillips at Hewelsfield in 1799?**

Hello again. I am returning to this research after a long gap and would like to correct and refine my original question.

Edward Aston’s birth in about 1764 and his birthplace at Hewelsfield were estimates, not established facts.

What I now have is:

• Edward Aston, bachelor, and Jane Phillips, spinster, both then resident at Hewelsfield, married there by licence on 2 July 1799: P175/IN 1/3, entry 95. Both made their mark; the witnesses were George Williams and Mary Jones.

• The 1851 census records Edward as aged 88 and a retired innkeeper. His gravestone records that he died on 9 February 1853 aged 87; his burial appears to have been on 15 February. The age evidence therefore points broadly towards birth around 1762–66, although it is not internally consistent.

• The supposed Hewelsfield entry dated 19 September 1762 is not Edward Aston: it is a baptism for Edward Martin.

• The lead identified here in 2010 remains the baptism at Newland on 2 November 1771 of Edward, son of Phillip and Ann Aston, resident at Clearwell: P227/IN 4/1, page 333.

• A transcription also records the marriage by banns at Newland of Philip Assen/Aston and Anne Bayton on 30 October 1771: P227/IN 1/7, page 473.

The 1771 Edward is therefore a possible candidate, but not yet proved to be my Edward. He would only have been about 81 when Edward of Hewelsfield died, materially younger than the ages recorded in the census and on the gravestone.

My current question is: has anyone found evidence proving or disproving that the Edward baptised at Newland in 1771 became the Edward Aston of Hewelsfield who married Jane Phillips in 1799?

I would particularly welcome anything tracing Philip and Ann Aston/Assen or their son Edward after 1771, including wills, land tax, settlement or removal records, apprenticeships, estate rentals, inn-licensing records, or an alternative baptism for Edward. Exact references or images of original records would be especially helpful.

I have enquiries pending with Gloucestershire Archives concerning the 1799 marriage licence and with the National Library of Wales concerning Clearwell estate rentals. I will update the thread when replies arrive.

Many thanks,

Jeremy Aston