William Ruff and Martha Preston

Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, or Portsmouth Cathedral
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Colin Smith - geograph.org.uk/p/2872284
St Thomas, the Anglican Cathedral, which was built in Old Portsmouth in 1180.

William Ruff (b. ~1763) married Martha Preston (b. 22 Mar 1773, bap. 28 Apr 1773 at St Thomas, Portsmouth), daughter of Benjamin Preston and Ann Carter, at St Thomas church (now Portsmouth Cathedral) on 20 Jul 1794.

Records show that William and Martha had seven children:

1. James Ruff bap. 4 Jun 1797 at St Thomas, Portsmouth
2. George Ruff bap. 23 Jun 1799 in Portsea, Hampshire
3. William Evans Ruff bap. 27 Sep 1801 in Portsea, Hampshire
4. Isaac Ruff bap. 8 Apr 1804 in Portsea, Hampshire
5. James Ruff bap. 11 May 1806 in Portsea, Hampshire
6. Sarah Ruff bap. 15 Jul 1808 at St Mary's Church, Portsea
7. Jane Ruff bap. 18 Nov 1810 in Portsea, Hampshire

All of the baptisms in Portsea will have been at St Mary's. As there's a James Ruff born in 1806, it seems highly likely that the James born in 1797 didn't survive infancy, although I have not found a record to confirm this. 

William (78) and Martha (67) were in Greetham Street, Portsmouth in 1841.

William Ruff died, aged 80, in 1843 M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 07 Page 107 and was buried on 19 Feb 1843 at St Mary's, Portsea.

Martha Ruff died in 1846 M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 07 Page 90, age estimated as 76, and was buried in Portsea on 1 Mar 1846.

John Maycock and Susanna Blazey

Photo © Evelyn Simak (cc-by-sa/2.0)

St Martin at Oak, Norwich, Thursday, 7 October, 2010

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

John Maycock married Susanna Blazey (bap. 11 Jul 1792 in Wymondham), daughter of Samuel Blazey and Susanna Plunkett, at St Martin at Oak, Norwich on 17 Jul 1811. (They were married by Charles Tanqueray, Clerk [in Holy Orders] and one wonders if he was linked to the Charles Tanqueray of gin fame.) Witnesses were Samuel Rainbird and Stephen Codman.

Susanna Blazey came to this marriage with a son, Francis Stephen Blazey, who was born on 26 Dec 1810 and baptised on 30 Dec 1810, also at St Martin at Oak, Norwich. The baptism record makes it absolutely clear that Francis was 'illegitimate born'. He never took this stepfather's name, so I think it fairly safe to assume that Maycock was not Francis' biological father.

So far, I can find no other records for John Maycock, so I have no idea of his age, nor when or where he was born and neither can I find a record of his death. Similarly, I've not found any children born to this couple.

There are banns of a marriage between Thomas Bray and a Susan Maycock, Widow, also at St Martin at Oak, in November 1819, which might relate. However, I can similarly find no other records of Thomas Bray, nor any children of that marriage, nor a death of a Susan or Susanna Bray.

How am I related? Susanna Blazey was a 4th Great-Grandmother.