for the info about the Will, I'll take a look. I've come to the conclusion that my Richard Morse is the 1732 one, son of William Morse and Ann Ravenhill. I'm disappointed about that because the line either stops at the birth of William, if he was the one born in 1693 (no parents are named in his baptism entry), or with his father if he was the one born in 1691.

The 1691 William Morse was the son of John and Jocasa Morse but I can't find any record of their marriage.

Yours

Ralph

Well it turns out that this Richard was not my ancestor after all. It's something I realised only when doing a very careful review of the Morses. For quite a while, however, he has been in my tree (and I'm hoping he is related to my true ancestor, if only so that all the work I did wasn't wasted!!!)

It is unchecked at the moment but I have his brother John Morse 1744 married to Margaret Jones in 1762 at Newland. This would make him only 18 years old at marriage and I had it in my mind to review this when I realised his brother was not my ancestor, so I haven't bothered looking at John after all.

I note from previous posts you have something of a headache about your John Morse and I must say I am quite surprised at what a difficult bunch they are to pin down. I was pleased when I first realised there was a Morse connection to my genealogy (Inspector Morse, I suppose) but that was before I realised what a common surname Morse was in the Forest.

Yours Ralph

Is this your Richard? If so, would you happen to know if his brother John b1744 ever married please?

Record_ID: 325031
Entry_Number:
Year: 1740
Month: Jan
Day: 18
Parents_Surname: MORSE
Child_Forenames: Richard
Fathers_Forenames: Richard
Mothers_Forenames: Margaret
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Breem
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes: Compiled from PRs and BTs Old style date 1739/40
Register_Reference: P227 IN 1/2
Page_Number: 200
Parish_Chapel: Newland
-------------------------------------------------

Record_ID: 185521
Entry_Number: 9
Year: 1744
Month: Jun
Day: 17
Parents_Surname: MORSE
Child_Forenames: John
Fathers_Forenames: Rich[ar]d
Mothers_Forenames: Margat[sic]
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Rich[ar]d Gwatkin Curate
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: [1]S[on] of [2]Wraold[?]
Notes: Memoranda [2] follows surname
Register_Reference: P209 IN 1/2
Page_Number: 9
Parish_Chapel: Lydney
Soundex: M620

Regards
Chris

Can you tell me, will this now be altered automatically on the FOD database, or do I have to inform them of the error somehow?

Ralph

We have a special form for you to advise us of any errors.

If you find an entry that you consider differs from the original parish record or if you believe it has been transcribed incorrectly, please provide us with the details by using the Parish Records Correction Request form which is available by going to the "Contact Us" link. We will check out your request and amend that record if it is found to have been incorrectly transcribed and will update the details on the Website.
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=page&id=1

That's marvellous, thank you so much. I now have further corroboration to add to what you have found because Richard Morse also appears as a witness to the marriage of Mary Marshall's sister, Susannah Marshall to Thomas Holder in 1764.

Can you tell me, will this now be altered automatically on the FOD database, or do I have to inform them of the error somehow?

Yours gratefully

Ralph

I checked the parish register for the baptism of Mary Marshall daughter of Benfield & Ann. The date is 1 July 1735, the register entry is very faint and I think the transcriber just guessed the name as being Anne. I have now photograhed the Bishops Transcripts and these are currently being compared with the PRs and the transcript. The BT entry is much easier to read and the name is clearly Mary.

I hope this helps.

My ancestors Richard Morse (of Newland) and Mary Marshall (of Awre) were married at Newland on 24th April 1760. I wonder if the places of residence were correctly recorded in the parish register (or mixed up by the transcriber) as usually marriages took place in the bride's place of residence.

Today I found that the Awre-born Mary Marshall I had assumed was my ancestor was buried at the age of three in 1743, so she wasn't Richard's bride.

The IGI has an alternative Mary Marshall, also baptised at Awre but five years earlier on 24th April 1735. She is described as the daughter of Benfield and Ann Marshall. However, the name given in the FOD transcription database comes up as Anne Marshall, daughter of Benfield etc.

I wonder whether the IGI mistranscribed the register, or the FOD transcriber did. Perhaps the FOD transcriber recorded the name of the child's mother where the child's name should be?

Can someone help by confirming what is the name of the child baptised at Awre that day?

Yours

Ralph