Saturday, September 8, 2018

Mixed Blessings: the next generation

Returning to the Blessing family, once again, here is the possible first generation:
John Blyssynge/Blessing & Joane Preaste m. 12 Oct 1569 Somerleyton, Suffolk, England
children: Julian - bp. 22 Sep 1571
               William - b. 1575 [no record found]
other possible children: John - b. c1568 [note this predates the parents' marriage]

I still doubt that the Juilan above is the same Julian who married in 1622.

Several sources have William Blessing and Margaret [in some sources her maiden name was Swaine] as the parents of Joanna Blessing and her siblings. In an effort to clarify and/or complicate matters, we now move ahead to the 1590s and Yarmouth, Norfolk, England.

We have records from Caistor-next-Yarmouth or Caistor-on-sea [the former from familiysearch.org records. Actual tanscripts are available on Ancestry.com].

The following baptisms are recorded there:
Margaret: 20 Aug 1590, daughter of John and Margaret
John: 13 Jan 1593, son of John and Margaret; buried: 29 Jan 1593/4
Jone: 22 Jun 1595, daughter of John and Jone

Great! Baptisms for two of the four Blessing sisters are located! Whoops, wait a minute! Jone has the same father, but different mother. Possible scenarios?

[1] An error on the part of the official entering the baptism into the parish record, Jone, having been written for the daughter, was inadvertently entered for the mother as well.

[2] John Blessing's first wife, Margaret, died between 1593 and 1595. He then remarried. Second wife, Jone, was the mother of Jone, baptized in 1595.

[3] Least likely, there were two John Blessings.

So, we have John and Joane [Preaste] Blessing with daughter Julian and possible sons, John and William. Only Julian is clearly documented. Both John and William turn up as the possible father of Joanna Blessing.

Of the four Blessing girls recorded by Davis, we have three accounted for now. Margaret and Jone are contemporaries. Julian is a generation older.

Next, marriages, fates and summation.....

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