While researching the Joana of Luton mentioned in my recent post Matterwell or Bust, I came across another Joane Babb who married a man by the surname Wichalse. I mentioned in that post that her name would come up again.
Joane was left an inheritance from her mother Nichoal who outlived Joane’s father. It turned out that a second tree also listed her. This wouldn’t have been known if not for her husband’s surname (Wichalse). To find such a rare connection between someone with the name Joane Babb, which was a very common given name in our tree, and someone with that unusual surname was certainly a needle in a haystack and as rare as the husband’s surname is/was the connection could not be denied.
One tree/record set listed her mother, and a secondary set mentioned her father. I was a bit trepidatious about linking the two trees, but as I looked further, I realized it must be done! The two locations are adjacent to each other, and the years were even the same. I did an initial merge of Joane’s parent’s trees and found an amazing thing.
Everything fell in line together!
I’ve seen this more than once in England where the Church Record is listed in one location and the Baptism Record in another. Not being a native of England, I often lack a knowledge of the placenames and thus the ability to sort through the difference between a civil and ecclesiastical district. I typically will record both locations so as not to miss a potential connection somewhere down the road.
Additionally, the organizational systems in London have continually evolved over the 2 Millinea of their existence (not a typo).
One from the tree we refer to as Devon Pedigree (Ideford Luton 1591) and the other from Devon Pedigree (Bishopsteignton 1591). The two blended perfectly together. To be clear Luton and Ideford were both part of the Parish of Bishopsteignton. The locations mentioned at less than a 15-minute walk from each other and that only assumes you are going to the center of each of those locations.
The Bishopsteignton tree would be one generation further back than the London based Babb family. Should this connection finally be proven, it would take us back another generation from Thomas Babb Mariner (1575)
Joanne/Joanna was a contemporary of Thomas Babb Mariner 1575. She is located in Devon Pedigree (Bishopsteignton 1581).
2 responses to “A Different Joane?”
I can’t help but wonder if Joanne Wichalese is not connected to Baron Hugh Wichalese and his son John Wichalese. John’s servant was a John Babb of Lyndon. The Babb family served the De Wichaleses of Lee Abbey for many years. Read Monmouth Rebels 1685.
Lynton not lyndon in previous comment.