HEKIN/OWEN

You seem to have consulted one or two Montgomeryshire parishes; but which in total and by what means? There is virtually no real cover of the county in the (old) IGI before 1813.

I have not yet subscribed to FMP but have lists of those registers that have been published by Monts Gen Soc that are now accessible via FMP.

These do not include the Welsh part of Worthen parish, known as Trelystan or Woolstonmynd, which has had its own registers, surviving from the 1660s. Accessible only via originals and fiches, both only at Shropshire Archives. No transcript of any sort yet; though I believe that such may be in hand.

Hello Martyn,  Thank you for your reply.

Joseph Hekin was my 5 x Gt.Grandfather. There are so many different spellings of the the name Hekin (15 at the last count!) which makes searching difficult, but I found  Joseph Hekin's birth and his marriage to Jane Owen in the Worthen Parish Records, where I also found Elizabeth their daughter.  I couldn't find any other children born to them in the Worthen Records, except for 1 entry, which may have been a transcription error or an error on the part of the Vicar?  I found a Mary Eakin bap.6th April, 1780 to a Joseph & Ann Eakin. As there were no other Joseph Hekin's born or married at that time, in the Worthen or Shropshire Marriage/Birth Index,  I wondered whether it should have read Elizabeth born to Joseph & Jane, not Joseph & Ann. (Joseph had a brother John who was married to Ann).  I found a marriage for a Mary Heykin, to a John Jones in Gt. Hanwood, Shrops on 17th Nov.1805  on the IGI.  

I couldn't find a death for Joseph Hekin in the Death Index for Shropshire, but came across a Will for him on the NLW website and found that Joseph had died in Welshpool in 1822.  It was in this will,  he mentioned his 2 sons-in-law,  John Newill and John Jones. I also found in the NLW Index, a Marriage Bond for John Newill (shown in the index as John Howel) to Elizabeth Hekin in Guilsfield.

I was also trying to find the birth of Jane Owen, there are a few birth entries in the Worthen Records, but how do I confirm which Jane Owen is 'mine'? 

I haven't looked at any records on FMP, as I don't subscribe to it.  I do subscribe to Ancestry, I am a member of SFHS and MontGen Society. My questions are Martyn, where do I go from here?  How do I, or can I prove, that this Mary Hekin and which Jane Owen,  belong to my tree?

Any help as to where I go next,  from you or other readers,  would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Margaret. 

Yes Margaret, the variant spellings can be a pain when searching websites that do not employ groupings. For Eykyn etc the IGI is now better in this respect than when I started in 1985.

Have looked briefly at the online images for the Will dated 21.1.1822 of Joseph Heykin. (In the absence of spelling in your earlier post I had to search for all Josephs in Welshpool for 1822!).

He seems to have been reasonably well-to-do. By the way, "the Dairy", Welshpool, home of his grandson Joseph Newill, is in the park of Powis Castle, below the terraces, and now serves as the Powis Castle Estates office. A branch of Shrewsbury Wildings also lived there in 19th cent.

We know from the Will that Jane, his wife was still alive at its date. So I suggest that a first priority in your Owen dilemma is to find her burial and thereby her age at death. The MGS website, under Publications, shows Welshpoolburials as published up to 1843 or so. These MIGHT be among the other, now bound, Welshpool volumes on open shelves at Shropshire Archives.

Of course, Jane might have remarried (and that would be harder to trace) or have moved "back" into Shropshire. I cannot see a St Asaph Will for her as Heykin; but you might try alternative spellings at NLW. Don't forget PCC whereassets were in more than one probate jurisdiction.

More widely, one might try to create a paper "puzzle board" on which to collate all info on all competing Janes Owen, parentage, early burial, marriage, burial as spinsters. I need tostressagain the "black hole" of Woolstnmynd. Entries each year are fairly few, but it takes only one to throw out all suppostions based on IGI for Salop.

Best evidence can be from Wills. You need a search for those proved at Hereford. SFHS member Chris Potter has created (privately, not a freebie) an index for Shropshire ones. Small fee (and why not?). cfrpotter@clara.co.uk

Hello Margaret

I am sorry I can't help with your original enquiry but I would like to report that there are Heakins on my husband's side.

Richard Heakin was born approx 1842/1843 in Worthen.  He married Caroline Swain on 19th November 1863 at Hope Church.  His father was Samuel Heakin.  Both he and his father were lead miners. 

Is Richard part of your ancestry?

Regards, Sue

Hello Martyn,

Thank you very much for your reply and helpful suggestions.  I intend going down the route you suggest, I have already searched every will for Welshpool on the NLW looking for Jane.  Unfortunately, without success.  (Sorry I didn't include the correct spelling for Joseph Heykin's will).  But  I have emailed Chris Potter for a lookup on his database.

I had already emailed Phil Bufton for a lookup on the NBI for Joseph Heykin's burial, in the hope of finding Jane buried there as well, no success there either!   (No coverage on the NBI  2nd edition for Montgomeryshire).   But I have emailed him again with different spellings.

I haven't forgotten your suggestion on searching the Trelystan and Woolstonmynd records, I hope to make a trip to Shrewsbury Archives in the near future. In the meantime I will try and eliminate the Jane Owen's on the 'puzzle board' as you suggest.

Many thanks again Martyn,  for your help and suggestions. 

Margaret

Hi Sue,

Thanks for your reply.  As yet,  I do not have your Richard or Samuel on my tree.  Quite a few of my Heakin's, Ekins, Hekins etc, are from Worthen,  and Richard and Samuel are family names. If and when, you go further back with your tree, please contact me again,  I will be happy to share any info with you. 

Best Wishes,

Margaret.

Margaret, if you are a member of MGS Stephen Jones, its editor and vice-chairman may be able to help with a search for Joseph and Jane's burials. E-mail him (see list of officers in your latest "Record") and ask him about his "Colossus". (Oogh!).

Thanks for that Martyn,       I'll e-mail Stephen Jones and I will ask him about his "Colossus"!!

Margaret.

Hello Margaret

Thanks for your reply.  I am now going to put my post onto the forum to see if there are any other Heakin/Swains out there!  I will certainly be in touch if I get back any further so that we can compair notes. 

Regards, Sue

Thanks again Martyn for the above suggestion.  Stephen Jones has found Jane Heykin buried in Pool Town in Oct. 1836 aged 88 years on his "Colossus".  He has also given me the exact date of burial for Joseph.  I can now go forward and try to find Jane Owen's birth.

Thanks again for all your help.

Margaret.