Research Forum

Not knowing what resources you have already consulted to get this far back with your research - here are a few suggestions.  First of all, the date of the baptism of Charles, s/o Charles HEDGES at Tickenham was the 21st Feb 1675/6 - not 1665 - see our baptisms for this one and the images on Ancestry for earlier baptisms at Tickenham for HEDGE/S.  This may affect the date of birth and marriage of the father.

Have you tried the National Archives Discovery catalogue for information?  This also contains information available at County Record Offices.  The Somerset Heritage Centre Archives Catalogue may also be helpful for items not included in the Discovery Catalogue.  Although Somerset Wills are sometimes difficult to find as many were lost during Ww2 - have you tried the PCC Wills?  Any 17th Century HEDGES Will may list helpful names and relationships. Similarly documents reating to the DIGBY family (Earls of Bristol) may give a more positive location of "the farm of Clevedon".  

As Tickenham  is very near to Clevedon Court, the home of the ELTON family, their family papers may be helpful.  The reference to Walton may also lead you to further information as the Manor of Walton was very important and owned lands over quite an area - including Weston-super-Mare.  Our November 2015 Update gave a link to Manorial Records.

Hi Pat

Quite right 1675 fits a lot better :) and thanks for the guidance - will look into these. I found the lease for the farm of Clevedon in the Record Office 25 years ago and the kind archivist of that time said it was Highdale Farm and I was directed to buy a publication called the Annals of Clevedon chapter 4 Highdale farm by JSLilly. Regards

I have a copy of that book and as you probably know there is no mention in it of HEDGES being connected with Highdale Farm but  it does seem that it was part of the Manor of Clevedon owned by the Earl of Bristol.  In 1652 Thomas KNIGHT (Mayor of Bristol and later a M.P. for that town) began renting the farm along with other property in the Clevedon area.  In 1692 Thomas KNIGHT was still the agent for the property and reported to the Earl of Bristol that he was having difficulty getting anyone else to take it on - so the HEDGES lease must have ceased before that date.  Do you know when Charles HEDGES senior died?

I believe Charles Hedges senior was buried in Tickenham in 1710 - (a record exists anyway). The family next appear in the Walton in Gordano records. A headstone exists in Tickenham for Joan the wife of Charles buried in 1715 although I took this to be the wife of Charles Junior who married Joan Stanford in Walton in Gordano in 1703 recorded as Hodges. I am examining the sources you have recommended - I didnt know they existed :) 

Well I have been able to find a Will of William & Edith Hedges in 1590 and a lease to his son John & wife Elizabeth in 1594. It has allowed me to connect up a few dots and give me the basis of a line back to the marragie of William and Edith in 1554. I am putting the most likley family tree together and then either proving it or disproving it with whatever I can find. I am surprised at how much never made it into the parish records/ I may have missed certain records as they were in latin I remember and faded in places.