Research Forum

According to a transcription of the Marriage Allegations Bonds of the Bishops of Bath & Wells (I have this on fiche) - there is this entry:

FORD, John, of Congresbury, gent., and Catherine APPLEBY, spinster, aged 23; with mother's consent - At Congresbury 7th April 1712.

There is a Congresbury baptism record for Katherine APPLEBYE 5 June 1686 dau of Mr Lancelott & Mrs Grace Applebye.

I also notice the following baptisms, John FORDE baptised 6 Oct 1692 son of John & Hannah and  John FOARD 12 June 1688 son of John & Sarah (note there is also a burial in 1688 for John son of John & Sarah wife of John).

There is a One-Name Study for the name APPLEBY under the auspices of the Guild of One Name Studies (GOONS) - it has its own web site where you can find some information about the family and you will see that Lancelot APPLEBY born 1652 from Conersbury [sic] Somerset gets a mention (on Page 3 of Searchline). 

There is a PCC Will of Lancelot APPLEBY  - Mariner of Congresbury dated 1711 on the National Archives site - you can download it from there for a fee - or if you have a subscription to the Genealogist you can download it from that site for no additional charge.  This could be the father or perhaps a brother of Katherine.

Bristol Record Office holds records concerning land at Congresbury owned by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital which was leased to Lancelot APPLEBY in 1683 (see their online catalogue).

Somerset Heritage Centre holds records concening a building in Congresbury which was conveyed to a Rev Pope by Lancelot APPLEBY in 1707.

There is a slight discrepency in the dates for this Katherine APPLEBY in that if the age on the Marriage Licence was correct at 22 in 1712  the daughter of Launcelot & Grace should have been born  about 1690 and would not have been around in 1686. However, the first Katherine might have died and a second one born about 1690.

There is another baptism of  Mary d/o Lancelot & Grace APPLEBY but that is in London in  1682.  The National Burial Index has a burial of a Grace APPLEBY in Congresbury 22nd May 1718.

That's helped tremendously. A line of research that's going to keep me occupied for some time I think.

I have a subscription with thegenealogist and so have downloaded the will of Lancelot Appleby which was quite exciting. Turns out he is Catherines brother and wrote the will at the Cape of Good Hope while returning from a privateering expedition virtually around the world with William Dampier aboard either the Duke or Duchess. This is the same expedition where they picked up Alexander Selkirk who had been marooned and who Daniel Defoe based Robinson Crusoe on. Lancelot even leaves Alexander Selkirk something in his will.

Thanks again that's given me a lot to go on.

Glad that we have been of help and it's great to hear that it might lead to something really interesting - Will we have an article about it all in Buckets & Spades?