DUNN-BOSANKO marriage, 1783?

[donne]

In the CRO on-line catalogue, AD894/1/36, there is the settlement examination of Richard DUNN, Phillack, dated 12 Apr 1786, to establish his residence in Crowan.

He is described as aged 23 years, now residing in Phillack but born in Crowan and 3 years ago married Grace BOSANKO in Crowan. (They had a child named Grace which gives some support to the bride's name). The trouble is I can't find the Richard/Grace marriage, although there are records of baptisms of their two girls, Grace and Mary, in Phillack in 1784 and 1786 respectively. There is one marriage in Crowan in 1783 between a Richard DUNN and a Sarah BOSANKO but she is described as a widow in Phillimores, and I rather think that they are another couple altogether.

Can anyone help in tracing the marriage, please?

[white]

Hi Roger,
Could the settlement paper have the wrong Christian name.?
Grace when it should have been Sarah.
The 2 baptisms at Phillack for Mary and Grace (on the IGI) have parents as Richard and Sarah.
Roy

[Cornish Terrier]

My first thought also was that there may be an error with the name.

I have checked the Phillack PR transcripts and they confirm that the mother of Grace and Mary was recorded as Sarah in both cases.

And I have also checked Phillimore which, as Roger says, states that Sarah Bosanko was a widow.

To compound matters we have the following marriage:-

John Bosanko, t. & Sarah Williams 25th January 1761

So potentially there was a widowed Sarah Bosanko.

It is JUST possible that this is the same person.

If she were only about 19 or 20 when she married John Bosanko then it is still conceivable she could have been the mother of Grace and Mary Dunn.

On the other hand of course is the fact that Richard Dunn was age 23 in 1786 and therefore born about 1762/3.

There appear to be no other children to this Richard.

Is it possible that his age could have been misrecorded???

CT

[newlyn]

Richard Dunn was born 26.7.1765 Crowan to parents
John Dunn and GRACE Shugg who married 16.10.1756 Crowan.

[donne]

Well, white is right that the Phillack baptism transcriptions of Grace and Mary DUNN record Sarah as the mother, so it's unlikely that both instances have the mother's name wrong - perhaps they named their first daughter after Richard's mother Grace as indicated by newlyn. If so, I must assume that it's the catalogue summary of the settlement examination which is in error (I haven't looked at the original document) in stating Richard's bride was called Grace.

A few other events. The baptisms in Crowan to John BOSANKO and Sarah WILLIAMS (m. 1761 from CT) seem to stop in 1778, so it's possible she was widowed then, although I've found no burial for John BOSANKO. Also in Phillack, a Sarah DUNN was buried 15 Jan 1837, aged 95, giving a birth date of 1742. If this is Sarah WILLIAMS/BOSANKO/DUNN she would have been 19 when she married John BOSANKO and 41 when she married Richard DUNN - not unbelievable but rather an elderly bride for a 20-year old.

[newlyn]

Are you insinuating that 41 is elderly!!

Perhaps Richard liked the older ladies.

There are plenty of life in them you know!

[donne]

In absolute terms, a spring chicken from where I am, but certainly 'elderly' in the sense 'old enough to be his mother'! Mind you, rooting around in the Phillack burials comes up with Richard DUNN buried 26 Aug 1819, aged 57, so she might well have seen him out.

[Cornish Terrier]

It is certainly not altogether unusual for a younger man to take an older bride althought probably children from such a marriage might not be so common.

However the burials you have found are consistent with the current informaton and at 41 Sarah would certainly still be able to have children.

And as there appear to have been only two, Mary and Grace, then the scenario is beginning to look quite acceptable.

A burial for John Bosanko might be the key.

CT