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Author: forever_fossicking
Surnames:
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.chant/317.4/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
Hi
That is as far as anyone has progressed the line of William and Alice Chaunte of Stoke sub
Hamdon which
I traced to that point a number of years ago whilst
trying to track down the origin of the 16 or so major Chant families along the
Dorset/Somerset border region.
David Chant who researched since 1952 the West Chinnock Chant's and J. O. Chant in the
1970's. the 1500's to 1700's
records are fragmentary and to get back to 1584 marriage
is a feat. William Chaunte b 1563 is a guess based on his age at marriage in 1584 as 21
which might not be the case.
Now John Chant a close cousin of David'S has become the most advanced West Chinnock
Chant researcher. The West Chinnock line starts with Richard Chant b 1700 son of Mary
in Parish Register has stumped that line going further back. I have fragmentary
information on the Chant name in the region back into the 1300's but nothing that can
conclusively link up all the Dorset/Somerset Chant families
which may have been all from one original family. David
Chant disputed this with me more than once due to the fact
people can assume a surname independantly of their family
origin at anytime until the 20th century when deedpoll
change of name became mandatory.
No one has found a baptism for William in or around 1563
so that date should not be used as a confirmed earliest
date for your line. Only the 1584 marriage to Alice at Stoke sub Hamdon is certain and may
well have been wife Alice's home Parish not William's. The fact not all Parish
registers have survived from that period make's it difficult to be certain about early
lines.
The Stoke line from 1584 is the oldest confirmed direct line at present.
Regards
Michael Cheeseman researching Chant since 1979.
Double Descendant to Sherborne Dorset Chant's and three
of my New South Wales lines 2x great grandfather's brother,
nephew and cousin married descendants of the West Chinnock Chant's through the Mudford
branch.
Researched over 3000 of my direct ancestral families
of which the Chant's is only 1.
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