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John Scrivens and Esther Taylor

Walter and Vida's wedding 1907
St Oswald's, Lassington. Only the tower remains
John Scrivens 
b.abt. 1764
d. 22/03/1842 Lassington, Glos
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m. 03/07/1793 Hartpury, Glos
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Hester / Esther Taylor 
b. abt 1770 (*see note below) 
bur.  10/02/1833 Lassington, Glos

Children of John and Esther
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Hannah Scrivens b. 04/12/1793 Lassington, Glos
Dinah Scrivens b. abt. 1794 Lassington, Glos
John Scrivens b. abt. 1796 Lassington, Glos bur. 15/07/1841 Tibberton, Glos
William Scrivens b. abt. 1800 Lassington, Glos
Thomas Scrivens b. abt. Sep 1802 Lassington, Glos d. 01/03/1866 Winterbourne
Letitia Scrivens b. abt. 1804 Lassington, Glos d. abt. Apr 1847 Frocester, Glos
James Scrivens b. abt. 1805 Lassington, Glos
Harriet Scrivens b. abt. 1808 Lassington, Glos
Mary Scrivens b. abt. 1810 Lassington, Glos
Joseph Scrivens b. abt. 1812 Lassington, Glos
Ann Scrivens b. abt. 1814 Lassington, Glos
Jeremiah Scrivens bapt. 23/03/1817 Lassington, Glos d. aft. 11/07/1848
John Scrivens was a labourer all his life as described in the parish baptism records of his children and on his death certificate. His wife Hester was probably born in Tibberton the daughter of John Taylor and Susanna (*from baptism 27/05/1770). Her name appears with various spellings - Esther, Hester, Hesther. She died in 1833 and the 1841 census shows John with his daughter Harriet Neale and her five children. Their youngest son, Jeremiah, was transported to Australia as a convict and his story can be found here.

John died suddenly in 1842 aged 78, an inquest was held two days later. The cause of death is dramatically described on his death certificate as: "Fell down and instantly expired. Inquest verdict died by the Visitation of God."
In other words he died from natural causes due to old age.

Evidence or Speculation?

There are many trees and sites on the Internet featuring this branch of the Scrivens family, however, there are different opinions of the identity of both John and Hester's places of birth and who their parents were. The most common date and place given for John's birth is 1763 at Compton Abdale. This baptism record gives John son of Wm & Mary Scribbins baptized Jan 30. Is there any other evidence that this is the John Scrivens who married Hester Taylor? There is also a baptism at Shurdington of John Scrivins son of Thomas Scrivins and Deborah 12 June 1763. Shurdington is much closer to Hartpury and Lassington where John spent his married life. Why is John of Compton Abdale prefered to John of Shurdington? The basis seems to be a pedigree resource file on the IGI with many carbon copies circulating on the Internet. It may be that he did come from Compton but one entry in a parish register 20 odd miles away isn't enough evidence alone. 

The same pedigree resource file has John's wife Hester as the daughter of Joseph and Hannah Taylor baptised at Newent on 3rd November 1769, however, a check of the same parish's register reveals the infant was buried 18 days after her baptism on 21st November 1769 - she never grew up to be anybody's ancestor! However, Hester Taylor daughter of John and Susanna Taylor was baptised at nearby Tibberton on 27th May 1770. I would be pleased to hear from anyone who has discovered documents that can verify John or Hester's origins.
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