Descendants by Generation 31 Dec 2012 Thomas SPODE of Sandbach ( -1767?) 1. Thomas SPODE1 was living in Sandbach parish, Cheshire, England to July 1743.1,2,3 This was immediately before his wedding. In July 1743 Thomas was a labourer in Sandbach parish.2,3 Thomas SPODE Jone READ d. 5 Nov 1767 (est) a.k.a. Jane SPODE bur. 8 Nov 1767 St. Mary's m. 12 Jul 1743 St. Mary's Sandbach, Cheshire Astbury, Cheshire d. 18 Feb 1777 (est) (Lab'r of Sandbach in bur. 21 Feb 1777 St. 1743) Mary's Sandbach, Cheshire (Of Swettenham in 1743) Thomas SPODE Thomas SPODE Martha HIGHAM John SPODE b. bef 1 Feb 1744/45 b. bef 25 Oct 1747 m. 14 Feb 1768 St. Mary's b. bef 22 Feb 1750/51 bap. 1 Feb 1744/45 St. bap. 25 Oct 1747 St. Sandbach, Cheshire bap. 22 Feb 1750/51 St. Mary's Sandbach, Mary's Sandbach, d. 22 Nov 1792 (est) Mary's Sandbach, Cheshire Cheshire bur. 25 Nov 1792 St. Cheshire d. 22 Apr 1746 (est) d. 13 Sep 1805 (est) Mary's Sandbach, bur. 25 Apr 1746 St. Mary's bur. 16 Sep 1805 St. Cheshire Sandbach, Cheshire Mary's Sandbach, Cheshire (App cordwainer) He and Jone READ obtained a licence to marry on 12 July 1743 in Cheshire, England.1,4,5 The marriage bond was obtained, not by Thomas, but by James Stubbs of Swettenham and Samuel Rainbow of Sandbach. These two agreed to pay Samuel, the Bishop of Chester, the sum of £100 if there was any impediment to the marriage of Thomas Spode of Sandbach and Jone Read of Swettenham in the parish church of Astbury. The bond is written out incorrectly - it is dated 12 July in the 17th year of George II, and also as 1742. These two dates do not match - the calendar year for that regnal year is 1743. Other documents for this marriage, plus the adjacent Bond and its documents make it clear that it is the calendar year that is wrong - the bond was indeed taken out in 1743. The marriage allegation (effectively, the application for the licence) does not seem to survive, but there is a list of licences or bonds - it's not certain which - compiled by the Diocese after the event. The names in the list for this marriage are those of the bride and the two men obtaining the marriage bond. The importance of this source is that it provides independent evidence for the calendar year of the licence, helping to resolve the mismatch between calendar year and regnal year on the bond. Thomas married Jone READ on 12 July 1743 (Tuesday) at St. Mary's in Astbury, Cheshire, England.2,3 The parish register writes "married by Dispensation". Even after consulting Rebecca Probert, author of "Marriage Law for Genealogists", who suggested several reasons why "dispensation" might be used instead of "licence", it is not clear why "dispensation" 1 Produced by Family Historian Descendants by Generation 31 Dec 2012 is used here. There is, she says, no certain difference between the two terms - in effect, a licence gives dispensation to depart from the canon law relating to marriage by banns, and use of the term "dispensation" tends to imply further departures from the norm than simply dispensing with the calling of banns - for example, a marriage in those seasons of the church's year not normally available for marriages. But none of the suggested reasons seem to apply here. It is not even clear why a dispensation / licence would be obtained – the couple do not seem to have the time pressure of a pregnancy and a labourer seems an unlikely person to want the status of a dispensation / licence. Jone had not been married before - neither register nor Bishop's transcript gives Thomas' marital status - instead it gives his occupation. Thomas and Jone READ were living in Sandbach, Cheshire, England from February 1744/45 to November 1767.6,7,8,9,10 He died on 5 November 1767 (estimated) (Thursday).11,12 Date of death estimated by subtracting an arbitrary 3d from date of burial. Thomas was buried on 8 November 1767 (Sunday) at St. Mary's in Sandbach.13 The register uses the spelling "Spord". Origins of Thomas: FamilySearch has only two baptisms of a Thomas Spode or similar in Cheshire between 1600 and 1730. One in 1615 - way too early - and another in 1657 - both in Winwick (this is in Lancashire actually). Wolstanton, in Staffordshire, does have a 1719 baptism, apparently. There are then no marriages of a Cheshire Thomas Spode at all in the same time period. However, it is clear this is not the full story as baptisms are recorded in Cheshire with a Thomas Spode as a father - in 1723, a Sara is baptised to Thomas and Sara at Astbury, followed by Anna in 1729 at Church Lawton. Thomas' wife, Sarah, seems to be buried at Church Lawton in the same year. There is also a John, who is baptised in 1691 to Thomas Spode at Winwick. If there are missing baptisms and marriages, then the possible explanations would seem to be: • They were never baptised or married in the first place; • They were married or baptised in Cheshire, in the Church of England, but the records were lost; • They were married or baptised in the Church of England, but outside Cheshire – for instance, there are some interesting Thomas Spode entries in the Wolstanton registers, according to FamilySearch; • They were married or baptised in another denomination – Roman Catholic, for instance. This might explain why a dispensation was obtained for Thomas' marriage. Jone READ1,3 was living in Swettenham parish, Cheshire, England to July 1743.1,2,3 This was immediately before her wedding. Jone was living in Sandbach to February 1777.14 Presumably she never moved from Sandbach after her husband's death. Jone died on 18 February 1777 (estimated) (Tuesday).15 Date of death estimated by subtracting an arbitrary 3d from date of burial. Jone was buried on 21 February 1777 (Friday) at St. Mary's in Sandbach.14 The register uses the spelling "Spord". NAME: It is clearly "Jone Read" on the Astbury BT, not "Jane". There are other "Jone" references relating to the marriage. However, the burial is clearly "Jane". Whether this is a genuine change, the correct form, or an error, we cannot know yet.2,16 When was Jone born? She married in 1743, so if we take her age to have been at least 16 at marriage, she must be born before 1727. Her children were born about 3y apart and her last child was born in 1751 (NS). If an average age for the last plausible child were taken as 42, then Jone could have been between 38 and 42 when the last was born. This corresponds to her own birth between 1709 and 1713. There is a 1706 baptism at Astbury, though this would put her aged 45 at her last birth - possible but right on the limit. The only signs of a Spode family in Sandbach between 1720 and 1768 - apart from Thomas and Jone - are: - marriage Sarah Spode to John Deane, 29 Nov 1725 - marriage of Mary "Spodein" to Randle Barkers, 11 May 1746. Jone READ and Thomas SPODE had the following children: +2 Thomas SPODE (bef1745-1746?) +3 Thomas SPODE (bef1747-1805?) +4 John SPODE (bef1751- ) 2 Produced by Family Historian Descendants by Generation 31 Dec 2012 Second Generation 2. Thomas SPODE,17 son of Thomas SPODE and Jone READ, was born before 1 February 1744/45.18 He was baptised on 1 February 1744/45 (Friday) at St. Mary's in Sandbach, Cheshire, England.17 He was living in Sandbach from February 1744/45 to April 1746.7,17 He was living here with his parents. Thomas died on 22 April 1746 (estimated) (Tuesday).19 Date of death estimated by subtracting an arbitrary 3d from date of burial. Thomas was buried on 25 April 1746 (Friday) at St. Mary's in Sandbach.7 3. Thomas SPODE,8 son of Thomas SPODE and Jone READ, was born before 25 October 1747.20 He was baptised on 25 October 1747 (Sunday) at St. Mary's in Sandbach.8 He was living in Sandbach from October 1747.8 He was living here with his parents. From 25 October 1759 Thomas was an apprentice cordwainer in Sandbach.21 Exactly 12 years after his baptism, Thomas was apprenticed to William Ryder, a cordwainer of Sandbach. The apprenticeship was to last for 6 years, taking him up to the age of 18 in 1765 and based on the records of the duty paid, Ryder was to receive £12 for taking on Thomas, with 12 shillings of that going in stamp duty. Oddly the rate of 1 shilling in the pound is double that mentioned in the guide from the UK's TNA, so maybe the rate went up. Thomas and Martha HIGHAM had marriage banns published between 31 January 1768 and 14 February 1768.22 The banns were read on 31 January, 7 and 14 February. Thomas was living in Sandbach to February 1768.22 This was immediately before his wedding. Thomas was illiterate in February 1768.22 He married Martha HIGHAM on 14 February 1768 (Sunday) at St. Mary's in Sandbach.22 The couple were married by John Gibson, the curate, after banns, and they had two witnesses - John and Sarah Furnivall. In neither case is there any detail about the marital state or occupation of the bride and groom.