Comments

Many Thanks for that information Pat will check out those resources.

These refer to the Hart's annual army list, militia list and yeoman cavalry lists which were originally compiled by Lieutenant General Henry George Hart (1808-1878) and was published annually between 1840 and 1915 with the Indian Army appearing from 1862.  It certainly includes information about the Somerset Militia.
Since receiving them I have discovered that fuller lists can be accessed from the National Library of Scotland which also include information about the RAF and Naval personnel for WW2. British Military lists - National Library of Scotland (nls.uk)

I agree with you Pat about looking at the original document wherever possible as transcriptions are notoriously 'simplified' or have crucial details omitted...but this also applies to the purchasing of BMD certificates.  My husband has just received the (cheaper) pdf version of a death certificate for some research he is doing on a DNA connection.  One of his DNA matches, a chap in his 90s, has stated that he has 'finished his research and is not going to change anything' - but the death certificate gives information regarding the dead lady's husband and his occupation and is clearly the correct one: not the death details that the DNA matches are using, which they 'spotted' in the indexes. I often see, in other people's trees, the quarter given for a BMD event...which indicates that the certificate has not been purchased.

Thank you Dave,  I haven't found the Banns for St James yet.  In 1815, on the same day and at the same church another Samuel STOKES was married to a Mary HIGGS, with the same witnesses - William & Ann LODGE - they witnessed all three marriages which took place that day.  I also wonder whether errors might have occurred in entering these marriages.

I had been thinking along the same lines as you and had looked at PEARCE as a possibility but hadn't thought of PETERS - I'll look again.  I looked at PEARCE because when Samuel married for the 2nd time in Wraxall in 1840  two people with that surname were witnesses - John & Martha PEARCE. I believe John & Martha were brother and sister to Samuel's second wife, Nancy (Ann) but they did also have a sister called Elizabeth who was christened in 1801 in Wraxall who was a little young to be Elizabeth PEATES - but who knows?

Hi Pat.

As you know, I also have STOKES ancestors. So I have Samuel and Elizabeth in my tree even though I am not a direct descendant of theirs. For what it is worth I have exactly the same information as you. That doesn't help very much though I'm afraid.

Although Elizabeth's name has been correctly transcribed as PEATES, I did wonder if it might have been recorded incorrectly in the marriage record (I note that she marked). For example, might it have been PITTS or PETERS? The marriage was concluded after Banns. Have you managed to find a record of the Banns?

Dave Erasmus

I have been informed that Tithe maps for the centre of towns are not available because those areas were no linger subject to tithes but had been rated.