Henry Biddlecombe of Kingston Canford Magna

Henry Biddlecombe's Will

The primary source of information about Henry Biddlecombe of Kingston, Canford Magna is again a Last Will and Testament

Last Will and Testament of Henry Biddlecombe of Kingston, in the parish of Canford Magna

 The probate note turned by 90^o

Now for the same will but zoomed in and in sections.

My attempt at a transcription of the above Will.

In the name of God Amen,

I Henry Biddlecombe of the Tything of Kingston in the Parish of Canford Magna in the County of Dorset Yeoman, being sick and weak of Body, but of Sound and Disposing mind, memory and Understanding, do make and Ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner Following

First I Will that all my Just Debts and Funeral Expenses shall be paid and Discharged.

Item I give unto my Son Henry Biddlecombe my Silver Watch to be delivered to him on my decease

Item I give unto my Son Thom^s Biddlecombe all my Wearing apparel, _{^ ^{(except my Boots)}} to be delivered to him on my decease

Item I give unto my Son John my Boots

Item I give unto my Daughter Elizabeth Biddlecombe The sum of Five Pounds of Lawful money Great Britain, to be paid her when she comes of age by my Executor,

All the Rest Residue and remainder of my Goods Chattels and hereditaments of what kind soever And wheresoever that I shall Die Possessed of Interested in or intitled to I give and bequeath unto My loving Wife Dianna, During the time She Continues in my Name and at her decease or Altering her name, my Will is that all the Goods And Chattels whatsoever and wheresoever that my Said wife shall be Possessed of at that time shall be Equally Divided between my Four Children And my will further is that my said Wife shall be Whole and sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament I hereby Revoke Disannul and make Void all other and former Wills by me heretofore Made Declaring this and no other to be my Last Will Testament in witness whereof I the said Henry Biddlecombe have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this Fourth day of August in The Year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and Seventy Six

Signed sealed and  )
delivered in the       )                                                 Henry Biddlecombe
presence of us        )

John Baily
John Garthous
Moses Dowden

People in the Will of Henry Biddlecombe of Kingston, Canford Magna, Dorset

 People mentioned in the Will

 Apart from the witnesses

Parish Register

See the location information for the various names of this place.

I consider that the title of the Register refers to these two hamlets together, in the Parish of Canford Magna. Names have changed over time but I think this became the Parish Kinson, extracted from Great Canford, also known as Canford Magna.

Records from 1697. 

Birth and baptism

From Dorset OPC for Kinson

1692

20 Jan Ann do Joan HAWKINS

7 Feb Susanna do Edward BARNES

29 May Henry so Henry BIDELCOM

17 Jul Jane do Moray COTELL

28 Aug Henry so Henry AMEY

I can't make out the date for this entry, however to good people at Dorset OPC have put the entry at 29 May.

If this is correct as this Henry Biddlecombe, he would have been about 50 years of age at the time of his marriage. This would not preclude him having children with his wife Diana.

Some of the suggested hints for other Ancestry Trees indicate previous wives and children. However, only four children are mentioned or provided for in his Will.

Searching through the rest of the register for Henry on Dorset OPC through to 1708 did not offer any plausible alternatives.

Looking at the Death and Burials section, and the UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975, under the Text entry '68 Biddlecombe, Henry 04 Aug 1776 24 Aug 1776 Diana, relict'. If the 68 number is an indication of his age, that would equate to a year of birth of about 1708.

Marriage

Extract of above register for Kingstone and Endsberry

Marriages

Henry Biddlecombe and Diana Corbin marry'd.

There is no specific date for this entry. However looking above, to the last entry for Baptisms,

Mar 14 (1742 - Kinson) Mary Daughter of Henry & Diana Corbin Biddlecombe baptised.

My guess on this is that they were married on the same day that their out of wedlock baby, Mary, was baptised. I assume the various crossings out were just a confusion as to who was a Biddlecombe and who was a Corbin, and not an indication that Diana was a Corbin at the time of the baptism which was amended following the marriage. Other entries elsewhere suggest that it that were the case, the record would have read 'of Henry Biddlecombe & Diana Biddlecombe.'

Death and Burial

UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975

Name Biddlecombe, Henry Diana
Dates 4 Aug 1776
Place Dorset, England
Book Burialls (Burial)
Collection Dorset: - Wills and Administrations
Volume Wills in the Peculiar of Great Canford and Poole from 1650.
Chapter Archdeaconry Court of Dorset of the late Diocese of Bristol. 1660--1792.
Text 68 Biddlecombe, Henry 04 Aug 1776 24 Aug 1776 Diana, relict

England, Select Dorset Church of England Parish Registers, 1538-1999

Name Henry Biddlecomb
Event Type Burial
Burial Date 20 Aug 1776
Burial Place Kingstone, Dorset, England

Burials for 1776

August 20 Henry Biddlecombe

A burial of 20th August 1776 following a Will date of 4th August 1776 gives just 16 days between the two events. It would seem that probate was granted on 24th August 1776, only 4 days after burial, and probably about a week after death. 

These records were found by reading through the Parish Register page by page, from the beginning, not at the church but online with Ancestry.

Mary Daughter of Henry Biddlecombe or Hinoroy and Mary Biddelcombe

Zoom in

Register of Kingston and Endsberry in the Parish of Great Canford, become a separate parish in 1865 and subsequently became known as Kinson. Baptisms 1725.

January the 16 mary the daugther of hinnrary and mary Biddelcomb Bap^t

Mary Biddelcomb Baptised 16^th January 1725.

Are Hinnrary and Henry the same person?

John Son of Henry Biddlecombe

Zoom in.

September 9 John Son of Henry Biddlecombe baptized

Looking at this in more detail, a Henry Biddlecombe residing in Kingston, Canford Magna, Dorset had a child with his wife, as no mention of illegitimate, and that child was baptised on 9th September 1726.

The Henry Biddlecombe who wrote his will on 4 August 1776, about 50 years after the christening. 

From Henry's marriage information, Mar 14 (1742 - Kinson) Henry Biddlecombe and Diana Corbin marry'd. About 16 years after the baptism of John, as recorded in the above images. Henry could have had more than one marriage, and that is how some of the Trees on Ancestry have constructed the family.

If Henry was born about 1708, he would have been 18 years old at the baptism of John. Alternatively, using from above, '29 May Henry so Henry BIDELCOM', which was in 1692 Henry was 34 years of age at the baptism of John.

So, nothing so far seems to preclude John's father Henry being the same Henry as wrote the will.

However, in 1751 we have Nov^br 20 John Son of Henry & Diana Biddelcom baptised  which throws the idea of a previous John into question. It was not unusual for families to reuse names, but generally after the death of the previous incumbent.

The two John's would have been baptised 25 years apart. Also, the only children mentioned in the will can all be attributed to Diana, and no reference to a previous marriage.

George Son of Henry Biddlecombe or Hinoroy and Mary Biddelcombe

Register of Kingston and Endsberry in the Parish of Great Canford, become a separate parish in 1865 and subsequently became known as Kinson.

march the 26 george the son of hinoroy and mary Biddelcombe Baptized 1727

Well this at first pass would be exciting as it gives us a mother's dame, however, when is it going to be that simple. Does the record actually refer to Henry Biddlecombe and Hinoroy is just a misheard name. Biddelcombe instead of Biddlecombe is not an unusual variation of their surname, but does it have more significance this time?

The main problem though is the date of the baptism. 26 March 1727. From the information on John above;

From and including: Friday, 9 September 1726 to and including: Sunday, 26 March 1727 is 6 months, 18 days including the end date. These are baptism dates, not birth dates, but it does bring into question how many Bibblecombe families there are in the parish at the same time and whether Mary is the mother of John as well as George. Another consideration is that until 1752 March the 25th was New Years Day. Hence 26 March 1727 was only the second day of the New Year. Just a quick check on the calculation, 114 days to 31^st Dec, 83 days to 24^th March, plus 2 days in the New Year. 114+83+2= 199. Which is the same answer as 6 months, 18 days.

Further, comparing John and Mary Biddelcomb Baptised 16^th January 1725, and John Bibblecombe Baptised 9^th September 1726.

From and including: Saturday, 16 January 1725 to and including: Friday, 9 September 1726, 19 months, 25 days including the end date.

Are Hinnrary and Henry the same person? Both comparisons are inconclusive. There may be two families here, Henry Biddlecombe and wife whose name is currently unknown, and Hinnrary/Hinoroy Biddelcombe with his wife Mary. I may have to flip the pages of the register again. In the meantime I have split them into two families on Ancestry with a placeholder common ancestor. 

New Register Book

Another form of spelling of the place name, Kingson, from Kingstone or Kingston, later to become Kinson.

Elizabeth Daughter of Henry Biddlecombe

Zoom in

Register of Kingson in the Parish of Great Canford, become a separate parish in 1865 and subsequently became known as Kinson. Baptisms in the year 1730, when years where March to March.

March 2 Elizabeth Daughter of Henry Biddlecomb

Elizabeth Biddlecomb baptised on 2^nd March 1730. This vicar did not write the mother's name in the register entry for baptisms.

Another aside

Something hit Kingston in 1731.

 There was an abnormal amount of death. Sixteen burials recorded in 1731 between March 28 and December 3. The following year was more normal, right hand page, with only six, plus one carry over from the previous page.

Mary Biddlecombe

The below extract is also found under Henry's marriage to Diana

Looking above the title Marriages, to the last entry for Baptisms,

Mar 14 (1742 - Kinson) Mary Daughter of Henry & Diana Corbin Biddlecombe baptised.

From my observations of the parish register there are no other Henry and Diana Biddlecombe in the parish at the time, so presumably this Mary is their daughter. However she is not mentioned in the will. This could be because she has died before the date of the will 4 August 1776 or perhaps because Henry had given her away to a husband, on the date of her marriage. Some wills do leave bequests to married offspring, but not all.

Again looking through the Dorset OPC for Kinson, the Marriages.

1762

25 Jan  Ambrose DYMOCK and Sarah BIRT
W: William RUSSELL and George Lockyer

5 May  John CANE and Anne BARFOOT
W: George Lockyer and Liddy Hookey

20 May Isaac FRY and Mary BIDDLECOMBE
W: George Lockyer and H. Biddlecombe

Not only is this marriage record for a Mary Biddllecombe it has as a witness a H Biddlecombe. The other witness is George Lockyer, he appears as a witness to a lot of the marriages in the parish. Perhaps he is an official of the church, maybe a Churchwarden, or perhaps he is somebody who can write, the village scribe. H Biddlecombe does not appear so, and could therefore be interpreted as her father.

Register of Kingston and Endsberry in the Parish of Great Canford, become a separate parish in 1865 and subsequently became known as Kinson.

Banns of Marriage between Isaac Fry of this Parish and Mary Biddelcombe of this Parish were published on the three Sundays underwritten:

 Note the alternative spelling of Mary's surname, Biddelcombe on the Bands but Biddlecombe on the Marriage.

Isaac Fry of this Parish and Mary Biddlecombe of this Parish were

Married in this Chappel by Banns this twentieth Day of May in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty two by me Matt: Watte Vicar

 The date of the marriage 20^th May 1762 predates the date of the Will of 4 August 1776.

Obviously Mary Biddlecombe became Mary Fry upon marriage.

Record from FindMyPast

First name(s) Isaac
Last name Fry
Sex Male
Marriage year 1762
Marriage date 20 May 1762
Marriage place Kingstone
Spouse's first name(s) Mary
Spouse's last name Biddlecombe
Spouse's sex Female
County Dorset
Country England
Record set Dorset Marriages
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Parish Marriages
Collections from England, Great Britain

The following record should have no significance regarding our Mary Biddlecombe.

First name(s) Isaac
Last name Fry
Marriage year 1772
Marriage date 20 Jul 1772
Marriage place Canford Magna
Spouse's first name(s) Mary
Spouse's last name Gibbs
Groom's parish Kingston in Canford
Groom's notes (x)
Bride's parish otp
Bride's notes (x)
Witnesses John FRENCH, W.COX
Licence or banns Banns
County Dorset
Country England
Record set Dorset Marriages
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Parish Marriages
Collections from England, Great Britain

However, there are more that one person called Mary Fry in the area. It is only the Witness that is persuasive.

This Mary Fry is not the same person as she is a Spinster in the Bands Record. If it was the same person, just two years later, I would have expected an entry of Widow, not Spinster. As it is also the same parish, it is unlikey that she could just state that she was a spinster without anybody challenging that.

 This Mary Fry is a Widow, but the Parish is Wimborne Minster. Not far away so a possible contender.

Again the Dorset OPC records, Marriages. Register of Kingston and Endsberry in the Parish of Great Canford, Become a separate parish in 1865 and subsequently became known as Kinson.

1774

31 Jan  William WILLIS, of Poole and Mary DOWDING
W: Henry Dale

22 Mar John HASCOL and Mary FRY
W: Henry Biddlecombe and George Lockyer

5 Oct John CUTLER and Cathrin WILLIS
W: Thomas and George Lockyer

A Mary Fry married a John Hascol, and the Witness was Henry Biddlecombe. If the above supposition is correct, Mary Biddlecombe married on 20^th May 1762, in so doing, becoming, Mary Fry, which both predates the date of the marriage of John Hascol and the date of the Will of 4 August 1776. If the second marriage was after the date of the Will, it would bring into question the Witness of Henry Biddlecombe being the same as our Henry.

John Hascol of this Parish and Mary Fry of this Parish were

Married in this by Banns in this Church this 22 Day of March in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and 72 or 74 by me    John Basket Curate

The year looks to me to be 1772 but the preceding record is clearly 1774. Our Henry was still alive at this point and could plausibly have been a witness. This could therefore be his child Mary marrying for the second time. That would probably mean that Isaac Fry died before 1774.

Record from FindMyPast

First name(s) Isaac
Last name Fry
Birth year -
Death year 1767
Burial year 1767
Burial date 29 May 1767
Place Tarrant Crawford
Church St Mary
Denomination Anglican
County Dorset
Country England
Record set National Burial Index For England & Wales
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Parish Burials
Collections from Great Britain, England

This is a possible contender for the death of Isaac Fry who married Mary Biddlecombe on 20^th May 1762. Tarrant Crawford is only about 3 miles from Shapwick, Dorset, and about 12 miles from Kingston, Canford Magna.

However, some of the pages of the register, and some of the entries in the Bishop's Transcript are missing, so I don't think I will be able to progress this line any further. A further consideration is that having put this theory into Ancestry as entries in my Tree, Ancestry has not lit up with hints or other Tree suggestions. This does sometimes happen, but frequently more information is offered, which if it all correlates, helps validate data or theory.

 Then, just to add to the mix, another record for a Mary Biddlecomb. Buried 16 Jan 1795. Is this the same Mary Biddlecomb? If so was she un-married, a life long spinster, and if so why was she not included in the will?

 Inconclusive end to the research into Mary Biddlecome suspected child of Henry Biddlecombe and Diana Biddlecombe nee Corbin.

Summary

Before going into Henry Biddlecome's summary lets stray away for a moment.

 This is possibly the first Biddlecome, or variation thereof, entry in the register for Kingston, Canford Magna, that I have found. It is not very clear but I think it is a burial in about 1681, or 1687.

Another John Biddlecombe was buried on  8 April 1682 in  Hampreston, just a few miles away.

This is clearly for the John Biddlecombe of Merrytown. Follow the link to read about him.

No link between the two John Biddlecombe families established yet, just proximity, dates, and surnames.

Timeline

Timeline 1600-1650