Thomas Stone and Dorothy Carpenter

Fore Street, Kentisbeare
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Harper - geograph.org.uk/p/2793712

Thomas Stone (b. ~1766) married Dorothy (Dolly) Carpenter (bap. 15 Jul 1764), daughter of Edward Carpenter and Mary Winter, at St Mary's, Kentisbeare, Devon, on 5 Sep 1787. 

There are records for nine children, all baptised in Kentisbeare: 

1. Sally Stone bap. 20 Apr 1788
2. John Stone, b. 6 Jan 1790, bap. 22 Jan 1792
3. Henry Stone bap. 22 Jan 1792
4. Hugh Stone bap. 25 Jul 1793 (buried 19 Nov 1802)
5. William Stone bap. 26 Apr 1795 (buried 4 Apr 1796)
6. Mary Stone bap. 2 Apr 1797 (buried 11 Apr 1813)
7. William Stone bap. 3 Nov 1799
8. Hugh Stone bap. 15 Feb 1803 (buried 13 Jan 1804)
9. Elizabeth Stone bap. 7 Sep 1806

Dorothy Stone died, aged 49, and was buried at Kentisbeare on 9 May 1813. 

Thomas Stone remarried, also in Kentisbeare, on 17 Apr 1814 to Mary Hill (probably born around 1773-6). Witnesses to this marriage were Thomas Farnell and Elizabeth Hill. Thomas and Mary had three more children.

1. Robert Stone bap. 16 Oct 1814
2. John Stone bap. 10 Mar 1816
3. Thomas Stone bap. 13 Sep 1818

Thomas Stone died at 72 in 1838 M Qtr in TIVERTON AND DULVERTON Vol 10 Page 207 and was buried in Kentisbeare on 26 Jan 1838.

In 1841, Mary Stone (65) was living in "Kentisbeer Village" with her sons Robert Stone (30), John Stone (26) and Thomas Stone (23). 

In 1851, Mary Stone (78), Widow, Pauper, was still living in the village.

Mary Stone, with age estimated to be 84, died in 1857 M Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 05B Page 294 and was buried in Kentisbeare.

In 1799, the year my 3rd great-grandfather, William Stone, was born in the village, Betty Limpany was executed in Exeter for burning down the house of her master, William Leech of Kentisbeare. According to Trewman's Exeter Flying Post of April 11th 1799, "She acknowledged her guilt, was very penitent, and behaved in a manner becoming her unhappy situation." 

But the film, Betty Limpany (1997), claims "Betty was said to be pregnant with the master's child and framed for a crime she didn't commit ..." It's also said that she was the last girl (at around 17) to be hanged in England.

It's a small enough village, so the Stones must have known about the house fire. Could they even have known Betty Limpany? Was she seduced by her master? Was she framed, or was she guilty? We'll never know, but for the people of Kentisbeare, it must have been the talk of village for a long time.

The film of the story apparently has a character named "Village Idiot". Gotta wonder which family member was the inspiration for that role?😀

Robert Stone (bap. 1814), son of Thomas Stone and his second wife, Mary Hill, married Jane Farnel (sic) at St Mary, Kentisbeare, on 3 Oct 1844. A Thomas Farnell had been a witness to Robert's parents' marriage, so it's a possibility that these families had known to each other for many years. Robert and Jane had a daughter, Marianne, bap. 15 Jun 1845 in Kentisbeare. Then Robert Stone died, aged 31, and was buried on 27 Dec 1846.

James Adcock and Mary Hill

Former Church of St Michael the Greater, Stamford, Lincolnshire
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Robinson - geograph.org.uk/p/6208532

James Adcock (bap. 31 Dec 1812), son of Joseph Adcock and Sarah Cook, married Mary Hill, listed as the daughter of William Hill, on 5 Jun 1838 at All Saints Church, Pytchley, Northamptonshire. James' profession was listed as Carpenter and Joiner and he was already living in Stamford, Lincolnshire at the time of their marriage. Witnesses were Edward Bryan and Louisa Cox.

James and Mary had five children, all born in in Stamford, Lincolnshire and baptised at the [former] church of St Michaels, Stamford:

1. John Adcock b. 1839 J Quarter in THE STAMFORD UNION Volume 14 Page 553, bap. 14 Apr 1839
2. William Hill Adcock b. 1840 D Quarter in OF THE STAMFORD UNION Volume 14 Page 556, bap. 11 Dec 1840
3. Joseph Hill Adcock b. 1842 M Quarter in THE STAMFORD UNION Volume 14 Page 582, bap. 20 Feb 1842
4. Mary Elizabeth Adcock b. 1844 M Quarter in OF THE STAMFORD UNION Volume 14 Page 605, bap. 6 Jun 1847 
5. James Adcock b. 1845 S Quarter in OF THE STAMFORD UNION Volume 14 Page 576, bap. 27 Feb 1847 (Died 1847 M Quarter in OF THE STAMFORD UNION Volume 14 Page 507)

In 1841, James Adcock (25), wife Mary (30), John (2) and William (0) were all living in the parish of St Michael, Stamford, Lincolnshire.

In 1851, in the parish of All Saints, Stamford, we find James Adcock (38), Joiner, wife Mary (43) - birthplace listed as Denford, Northamptonshire - John (12), William (10), Joseph (9) and Mary (7).

In 1861, in the parish of St George, Stamford, were James Adcock (48), Carpenter, Mary (50), and daughter Mary (17), Dressmaker. John had married that year and gone to live in Peterborough; William Hill Adcock was in London visiting his cousins, John and Maria Blackett; Joseph Adcock (19), Gardener, was a visitor in the household of Edwin Wright in Northampton. 

Mary Adcock died, aged 62, in 1867 M Quarter in STAMFORD UNION Volume 07A Page 210 and was buried on 18 Mar 1867.

In 1871, James Adcock (60), Carpenter, widower, was living with daughter Mary E Adcock (27), Schoolmistress and Jane Gilbert (13), Domestic Servant.

James Adcock died, aged 63, in 1876 S Quarter in STAMFORD Volume 07A Page 221 and was buried on 17 Aug 1876.

In 1881, Mary E Adcock (37) was living at 17, Belton Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire - which may well have been the address she had lived at with her parents - by this time she is described as "Invalid Formerly Teacher". 

Still in Belton Street in 1891, Mary E Adcock (47) was an Annuitant. 

In 1901, Mary Elizabeth Adcock (57), "Living on own means", address Milner's Row, Stamford. From the description it looks like this may well have still been the same place, "Part of this terrace remains although the houses nearest Belton Street have been demolished and replaced with a modern garage." 

Mary Elizabeth Adcock died, aged 63, in 1906 J Quarter in STAMFORD Volume 07A Page 188. She had never married.

Ernest John Hill and Irene Venetta Stone

North Devon : Grassy Field & Cattle near Rackenford
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Lewis Clarke - geograph.org.uk/p/3997996

Ernest John Hill (b. 16 Nov 1882), son of John Hill and Martha Bennett married Irene Venetta Stone (b. 15 Jul 1900), daughter of Frederick James Stone and Loveday Jane Land, in Tiverton District, in Q2 1919. 

The couple had six children:

1. John Hill b. 18 Oct 1919 D Qtr in SOUTH MOLTON Vol 05B 709
2. Martha Hill b. 1921 S Qtr in SOUTH MOLTON Vol 05B 684
3. Loveday Jane Hill b. 1924 J Qtr in SOUTH MOLTON Vol 05B 581
4. Mary Ann Crw Hill b. 8 Mar 1926 in SOUTH MOLTON Vol 05B 570
5. Ernest Hill b. 1928 J Qtr in SOUTH MOLTON Vol 05B Page 567
6. Irene Venetta Hill b. 1931 S Qtr in SOUTH MOLTON Vol 05B 545

In 1921, Ernest John Hill (38) Farmer from Mariansleigh, Devon and Irene Venetta Hill (pretending to be 25) were living at Wilson Farm, Witheridge, Devon with son John Hill (1), Stanley William Stone (18) Horse Man (who was Irene's brother) and William Crook (19) Nephew, Learning Farming.

In 1939, the family was still living at East Wilson Farm, Rackenford (PDF) with Ernest J Hill engaged in Mixed Farming. 

Ernest John Hill of East Wilson Farm, Rackenford, died, aged 61, on 9 Dec 1943 and in 1944, Probate was granted to his widow, Irene Venetta Hill, to whom he left effects valued at £1723 10s 3d (worth £96,882 in 2023). 

In the 2nd quarter of 1944, daughter Mary A C Hill married William Coles and in the 4th quarter of 1945, Irene V Hill remarried to William C Coles. 

In 1939, there'd been a William Coles (b. 8 Mar 1917) living with his widowed father, William C Coles (b. 8 Oct 1878) at 11 Bolham Halt, Chettiscombe, so it seems that mother and daughter married father and son.

William C Coles died, aged 84, in Tiverton, in 1959.

Irene Venetta Coles died in 1980, in her 80th year.