I do not know whether the following has any connection to this discussion or not but as it does deal with a James Oats I think the problem should be part of this thread.
This is the curious problem of a James Oats who married at Towednack in 1777 but ultimately seems to have been of Ludgvan. The family has been in my database for years but laying 'dormant' with some unsolved issues. I think that it is now possible I may have solved at least some of those issues.
The issue consists of the following of which most add to the confusion:-
1. there are two marriages at Towednack for James Oats
2. there are 10 children baptised at Towednack and Ludgvan for James Oats with all records showing Dorothy as the mother
3. James Oats left a Will in 1801 but he was 'of Towednack' at the time
4. A child mentioned in the Will does not appear in the list of baptised children
The chronology of events involved is as follows with marriages in bold print and relevent burials in italics:-
James Oats and Dorothy Nicholls, both sojourners, were married at Towednack 12th June 1777 Dorothy daughter of James and Dorothy Oatts bp. 20th September 1778 Towednack
Jenefer daughter of James and Dorothy Oatts bp. 14th February 1779 Towednack
Martha daughter of James and Dorothy Oates bp. 28th January 1781 Towednack
Dorothy Oates buried 12th February 1781 LudgvanJane Oats buried 13th June 1783 LudgvanMartha Oats buried 30th April 1784 LudgvanDorothy } Dorothy and Ann daughters of James and Dorothy Oats
Ann } bp.
2nd April 1785 LudgvanDorothy Oats buried 2nd April 1785 LudgvanJames Oatts sojourner and Mary Roberts were married at Towednack 4th March 1786Martha daughter of James and Dorothy Oates bp. 10th July 1791 Ludgvan (born 21st June 1791)
Dorothy Oats of Towednack age 8 buried 14th November 1791 LudgvanMargaret daughter of James and Dorothy Oats bp. 28th July 1793 Ludgvan (born 19th May 1793)
Catherine daughter of James and Dorothy Oats bp. 6th September 1795 Ludgvan (born 23rd August 1795)
William son of James and Dorothy Oats bp. 29th April 1798 Ludgvan (born 7th April 1798)
James Oates buried 25th March 1801 TowednackWill of James Oats of Towednack dated 9th March 1801
daughter Elizabeth Oats 1 shilling after my decease
wife
Mary Oats sole executrix
daughters Martha Oats and Ann Oats to live with wife Mary until her decease and after Mary's decease Martha and Ann become joint executrixes
if wife Mary should contract marriage she is to receive one shilling only
(notes follow about Martha and Ann earning their 'being' form the estate and wife Mary is not to wilfully destry estate or effects but to 'enjoy same in a frugal manner'.
Will proved 2nd November 1801 with administration granted to widow Mary Oats.
Mary daughter of the late James and Dorothy Oats his widow bp. 5th March 1810 Ludgvan (born 18th March 1810)I have checked and can find but two burials for Dorothy Oats (var.) after 1798 - one at St Just in 1834 and the other at Marazion in 1843 - but both of these were born in 1764/5 and would only have been aged about 12 at the time of marriage and therefore could not have been the wife of James Oats.
This conclusion combined with the Will provides but one answer which is that the 1786 marriage at Towednack between James Oats and Mary Roberts must be for the man who had married Dorothy Nicholls in 1777. The big question is just why Dorothy is attributed as the mother to all subsequent children in the parish register?
On looking at the earlier burials I suspect that the 'Jane Oats' buried in 1783 may be Jenifer who had been baptised four years earlier. (Jane and Jenifer were often interchanged and it is not unusual to see a person baptised as one and then buried or married under the other name.)
The second child named Dorothy was baptised in 1785 with sister Ann but was age 8 when buried in 1791 so must have been born about 1793. They were baptised on 2nd April 1785 which is the same day the burial for another Dorothy is recorded. This Dorothy must therefore have been the wife of James Oats and mother of the children.
A few things do still puzzle me a little although I think I can explain one of them.
1. James named daughter Elizabeth in his Will but so far I have not found a baptism for her. It may be that her baptism is missing from the records or even that James had been married earlier.
2. Only three children are named in the Will being Elizabeth, Martha and Ann. It is this point I think I can explain although there will still be some doubts.
At the time the Will was written Ann Oats would have been age 25 whilst Mary was just coming on age 20. The eldest of the other children was Margaret who would have been almost 17. Although it is strange no mention is made at all of the younger children it does appear inferred that they would be looked after by their mother/stepmother and elder siblings.
I can find no baptisms recorded for children named in the Will where the parents were James and Mary so I can see no other solution to this puzzle. I also have not found a burial or possible remarriage for widow Mary Oats as yet but it is possible she was buried back at Towednack also.
CT