A little puzzle

[Georgette]

I have the will for my 4xgrt grandfather Jacob Ayton of Southampton in which he names his 3 surviving children Priscilla Ayton(my 3xgrt grandmother), Maria Whitmore and Jacob Ayton, and his wife Sarah.

I have an extracted xtening record from the IGI for Priscilla Martin Ayton in 1795 in Chichester, Sussex with parents Jacob Ayton and Elizabeth. In all the different census from 1841-1861 Priscilla says she was born in Chichester and her age corresponds with a DOB in 1788. The age on her death certificate also corresponds to a DOB in 1788.

I have another extracted birth for 1783 for a William Martin Ayton in Chichester, Sussex with parents Jacob Ayton and Bridget.

There is another birth on Ancestry for a Thomas Amos Ayton, in 1790 in Chichester, parents Jacob Ayton and Bridget

There's a marriage for a Jacob Ayton to a Bridget Martin in London in 1776.

I can't find a birth/xtening for Maria.

There is a marriage for Jacob Ayton to Sarah Tiller in 1812 in Damerham, Wiltshire and then a xtening in Southampton in 1814 of a Jacob born to Jacob Ayton and Sarah.

There is a burial for Jacob Ayton that matches the will, in May 1829 in Southampton and which gives Jacob's age as 78.

Is this just one Jacob Ayton and three wives?

Is it possible that Priscilla's mother was actually Bridget, but that Bridget being dead at the time of her belated xtening, it was Elizabeth the second wife who was recorded as the mother?

If Bridget is Priscilla's mother and Priscilla was born in 1788 why didn't they just christen her at the same time as Thomas?

It's a puzzle isn't it?

[KiteRunner]

Sounds as though she might not be the one who was christened in 1795, but I can't quite work out how many Jacobs there were! Have you got Maria's marriage details?

[Georgette]

I forgot to say that my Priscilla appears as Priscilla Martin Ayton elsewhere, so I know that Martin was her middle name and she also passed it down to her first daughter, Esther Martin Ayton. Confusingly, Priscilla married an Ayton too :o

The only marriage I have found is an IGI one for 1810 between a Maria Ayton and a John Whitmore in Cheltenham. I haven't been able to find them on a census.

[Phoenix]

Is Jacob the coachbuilder? If he is hopping about all over the place, it's possible that he had three rather than two wives. Is Thomas' entry a birth or baptism? He could have been older than Priscilla. And it's possible that there is more than one Ayton/ Martin link.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I've read post #1 three times, but my brain stops absorbing info before the end each time, so instead of following it, I have looked on my Hants burial index for Jacob Aytons (the index is "complete" as it can be up to 1837) and there is only one burial for that name - the one that fits with the will in 1829.

So, if there were other Jacobs they would probably have died elsewhere.

I expect there was only one!

[Georgette]

Yes, Phoenix, it's Jacob the coachbuilder and Thomas' entry is a baptism, so he could well be older than Priscilla.

Merry, I have looked for other Jacob Aytons too and haven't been able to find any. If he really was 78 at the time of his death in 1829 that would give a possible year of birth of *runs out of fingers* 1751, which is early enough to be the father of all of them, isn't it? Hmmm....

Would you like to hear my theories linking this Jacob to a James in Wiltshire and possible parents in Norfolk now? :D

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Erm..........................:o

[Georgette]

Spoilsport ;)

[KiteRunner]

I have an extracted xtening record from the IGI for Priscilla Martin Ayton in 1795 in Chichester, Sussex with parents Jacob Ayton and Elizabeth. In all the different census from 1841-1861 Priscilla says she was born in Chichester and her age corresponds with a DOB in 1788. The age on her death certificate also corresponds to a DOB in 1788.

It could simply be that the date in the IGI is wrong, but you would need to check in the PR's / BT's or another transcription to find out.

Anyway, if her middle name is given as Martin in other places then at least this must be the right family for her.

[Georgette]

So, do we think that Jacob Ayton, father of William Martin Ayton and Thomas Amos Ayton is also the father of Priscilla, Maria and James? I could do with finding Bridget's death to rule her out as Priscilla's mother. Although, the fact that she also has Martin as a middle name does make me think that perhaps Elizabeth is a mistake Off to have a look for a possible death.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

There's a burial at Millbrook (that's in Southampton) for a Bridget Ayton 14th Dec 1810. No age given.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Having read your post AGAIN, that's not helpful is it?!!

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Trying partial spelling and/or Soundex, I still only get the one match.

[Georgette]

Oh! Thank you, Merry, I think that is helpful isn't it? It could mean that Elizabeth is a mistake on Priscilla's IGI entry? I think I need to visit an RO or two :o

[Georgette]

I've found a burial for William Martin Ayton on the Sussex OPC site, in 1785, in Pagham, Sussex. So, they could have used the Martin name again for Priscilla when she came along a bit later

[Phoenix]

Jacob didn't hang around anywhere, did he?! If Bridget died that late (how inconsiderate of her not to hang on until 1812, when you'd have had an age at death!) then if she isn't a daughter, it would suggest that she was Priscilla's mother.

[Georgette]

She could be couldn't she? If she is it would be really exciting because I've been worrying away at these people for such a long time. I'll add it to the list of possibles to be investigated much, much later when I'll have the time to visit all the ROs myself

[KiteRunner]

Had a look at the Sussex OPC site and there is no OPC for Chichester yet, unfortunately. They do have some Chichester entries on their database but I couldn't see any Aytons. But anyway, in case you haven't looked at it and want to:
Sussex OPC Frames Home page