Comments

Hello John,

Betsy Shepston(e) married James Keedwell twice, in 1841 at Barrow Gurney, and then in 1848 at Clifton. James tried to conceal his first marriage from his uncle (also James) from whom James hoped to inherit and who disapproved of the relationship. As part of the deception James and Betsy invented a fictitious husband for her named John Beacham. Their daughter, Rachel, was registered as Rachel Beacham but baptised as Rachel Keedwell. There is a great deal of evidence to support this odd but true story.

Best wishes, John Osmond

Thanks Pat.  I wasn't aware that Westonzoyland and Bridgwater were outside of the WSMFHS area.  I have actually obtained a lot of information through Ancestry in census information and also through the Church of England Baptisms for Somerset.

Thanks Elizabeth for your iunformation.  I have the baptism records of all the children from the Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms that has come up on Ancestry.  I was just curious as to where Bridgwater and Westonzoyland were but Pat Hase has clarified that those areas do not come under the Weston-super-Mare Famiy History Society umbrella. 

I'm delighted for you and hope that if you can make contact again with Susan, who may know the answers to your questions.  However, please remember in your excitment that it would not be good practice to write anything online about living people without their expressed permission!  

It looks as if your perseverance is paying off. - Good Luck with your research - perhaps his first wife might have been Mary Ann ADAMS after all?  

As Elizabeth has explained how to find the position of Westonzoyland on maps you will realise that it is outside of the area covered by our society. As Charlotte EDWARDS was born in Hutton they have followed the tradition in marrying in the bride's parish but then raising their family elsewhere - in this case, in the parish of the groom, Westonzoyland, which is in the Registration District of Bridgwater. On the 1841 census James is living with the EDWARDS family in Hutton but although it doesn't say so on this census he was born in Westonzoyland, Somerset. See the 1851 census for his birth place. You will however, find Charlotte's christening in Hutton in 1821 on our site.  

Westonzoyland is a really interesting part of Somerset as it was the site of the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685.  You can read more about the battle here .  

Hi Kate,

It is not very often that birthdates are listed in the baptism registers but as far as I can tell 8 of the nine children were baptised in Westonzoyland within the quarter of their birth registration with the exception of Edwin Thomas who was 6 and Sidney who was 2 and three quarters when baptised.  Charles born 1846 in not listed in this register.  However, there is a baptism for a James Edwin Bawden on 17th May 1856 son of James and Charlotte, for whom I can find no entry of birth or death in the GRO index.

Do you have all the baptisms for the children of James & Charlotte?  If not, I can list them for you.

Incidentally, my Mother in Law was called Charlotte Bawden but she came from Cornwall where there was another Bawden - Edwards marriage.

Have you looked up Bridgwater and Westonzoyland on the web or Google, there are plenty of maps there that will show you where they are.

Elizabeth