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All,
I have bogged down in a search for John Churchill of Plymouth and need
advice. For the past year I have been investigating Devon history, lore
and records in connection with one of our English John Churchill
candidates. There is some possibility that this English John Churchill
was John Churchill of Plymouth but, so far, I have found only poor
circumstantial evidence. The will & probate records for his family
which could prove the case were lost during WWII.
At this point I’m wondering if it is worth while going on with this
research?
What I have found is as follows:
1. A Devon John Churchill of the right age to be John of Plymouth and
with no record of his death.
2. In the early to mid 16th century, the parish in which he resided was
a hotbed for nonconformist and nonconformist separatist activity. Among
the nonconformists were separatists of the type later to become
Congregationalists.
3. Several of the families removed by way of either Plymouth, Devon or
one of the nearby coastal ports and, in around 1637/38, they sailed to
the new world to settle in a place they came to call Rehoboth in the
Colony of Plymouth. The principal families of interest were John and
Elizabeth (Martin) Upham and the related family of Robert and Johanna
(Upham) Martin. One unverified story has it that with Robert (or with
John Upham) was a niece (or daughter) Alice. Alice, it is said, married
George Clarke of Plymouth in January 1638/39. However, key points are
uncertain. For certain Alice Martin, wife of George Clarke, was the
mother of Abigail Clark; and for certain Abigail Clark was kin to and
Ward of John Churchill of Plymouth.
As to English connections between this Devon John Churchill’s family and
Devon Martins, there was an 18 June 1621 marriage between a cousin
Beaton Churchill and a Robert Martin.
At this point I have bogged down. I asked my Devon Research Agent to
reconstruct the area Martin families. He reported that this is
unfeasible because of the state of the area records for the periods in
question.
At this point I’m dead in the water. Does anyone have a suggestion?
Regards,
Bill Churchill