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There is a William Long Evans buried in Milton Road Cemetery 28th March 1942 Aged 59. Plot N Grave 82. I could not find any burial record for a James Noble 1933.

Thank you (again) Pat. That is a very interesting observation. I hadn't seen an image of the baptismal record until today but you are absolutley right (as ever). It might be a straw, but I am grasping on to it.

I have been doing a little more research. Joseph SHAW was Rector of High Ham from 1803 until his death in 1851. W SHAW was his son William Henry Edward Dalzel SHAW. William was ordained a Priest on (wait for it) 23 June 1827, so the Baptism of Francis PARKER would have been one of his very first. In fact it was his second as a Priest, his first having been the baptism of a member of the CULLEN family on 23 July 1827. I have looked back through the images on Ancestry and, as far as I can see, his first in any capacity was of Jane COX on 2 July 1826 having been licensed as a Stipendary Curate on 12 June 1826. (Incidentally, William was also Chaplain at Langport Union.) None of this is conclusive evidence but it certainly thickens the plot.

Looking again at the baptism of Francis PARKER in 1827 - that entry is entered and signed by a W. SHAW unlike the majority of entries which are signed by a Joseph SHAW - I wonder whether W SHAW was unfamilar with the families and made an error in the mother's name? - Clutching at straws here!!

I should have said - the Burial in 1837 is from the images on Ancestry of Somerset Parish Records. Can't see a death of a Charles PARKER in either High Ham or Aller.

Thank you, Pat. I understand the points you make about possible mis-recordings.

Could I ask where you found that burial record, please? I couldn't find it on any of my usual online sites. I can't find any records for Charles after his baptism, so I wonder if he, too, died and was buried before the 1841 census.

Dave Erasmus

To answer briefly your last question - I was told years ago that there was always the possibility of errors in original Baptismal Registers and that the most common one was the repeated use of the Child's name as a parent's name.  In your case this would explain George's entry but not Francis's. 

A Samuel PARKER, aged 43, was buried at Aller 14th Feb 1837 - could this be Sarah's husband - with young Samuel, born after his death, and named after him, in July?