John Land and Sarah Melhuish

Photo © Derek Harper (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Church of St Michael and All Angels, Bampton, Friday, 3 June, 2011

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

John Land (bap. 26 Mar 1754 at Petton Chapelry, Petton, Devon), son of Thomas and Anne Land, married Sarah Melhuish (bap. 16 Jun 1756 at St Michael and All Angels, Bampton, Devon), Base Child (illegitimate) of Mary Melhuish, at St Michael and All Angels, Bampton on 6 May 1784. John Land appears to have signed his name and Sarah made her mark. The witnesses were a Mary something and the second Robert Phillips, who was also witness to the other three marriages on the same page of the register. Curiously, the banns of their marriage were read on 24 Nov, 1 Dec and 8 Dec 1782. Why the wedding didn't take place for almost 18 months, there are no indications. One wonders if they were read again, because in the Church of England, banns are valid for three months from the final Sunday they are read.

It appears that John and Sarah Land had four children:

1. Richard Land bap. 24 Oct 1784 at St Michael & All Angels, Bampton
2. Sarah Land bap. 11 Mar 1787 at St Michael & All Angels, Bampton
3. John Land bap. 29 May 1791 at St Michael & All Angels, Bampton
4. Mary Land bap. 29 May 1803 at St Michael & All Angels, Bampton

John Land died at 57 and was buried at St Michael, Bampton on 1 Jul 1812.

Sarah Land died, her age over-estimated to 72 (she will have been ~67) and was buried on 14 Feb 1823 at St Peter's Church, Tiverton. (From this, I assume she must have gone to live with her eldest son, Richard.)