The very kind Mike Dewey of the Buckinghamshire Family History Society, BFHS, made a visit (several actually) to the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies, CBS, on my behalf and sent me images of several Denchfield wills today, including this one made by Henry Denchfield of Quainton in 1662. Thank you Mike Dewey!!!! Although the Internet is a wonderful thing, making available all sorts of records from around the world, there is so much more to be had. Over the next several months, Mike will be scanning manorial records, court rolls, court books, terriers, and village surveys dating back to the 1600s, in search of references to my Denchfields and any clues which may help sort out the jumble of Johns, Richards, Marys and Elizabeths which have haunted me for years. I have nearly exhausted sources available online for my Denchfields, including census records, parish register transcripts, some probate records and land conveyances, and my hope is that what Mike can access at the local repository will fill in the missing pieces, help knock down a brick wall or two, and paint a more complete picture of what these ancestors’ lives were like in 17th century England.
Probate records are some of my favorite, and the three I got today look promising. Henry’s, a page of which is pictured here, is going to take some time. Although this page is quite legible, the others are not, and the script is less familiar to me than others I’ve transcribed for this family. This Henry of Quainton may or may not be related to my Gefferie of North Marston, but even if he turns out not be one of mine, surely he is someone’s, and any time spent studying, transcribing, or analyzing early documents is always time well spent
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