Right name - but are you sure he is really your ancestor?

Mike came up with another good example of the situation where a John married an Elizabeth - but were there one or two (or even more) families? This is a common problem, particularly in the 18th century when there is no census to help, and beginners often assume that the first "matching" couple they find must be the right one and end up on a wild goose chase after someone else's ancestors. Click here to see how I was able to show Mike that there were two different families or read Right Name, Wrong Body to see other examples where our ancestors seem to have been trying to confuse us!

Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, left her mark at Water End House.

Sandridge

Sarah Jennings was born at Water End, Sandridge (now in Wheathampstead) and little could have her parents guessed that she would end up as the Lady of Blenheim Palace! My interest in the house arises because my Great Great Grandfather, Dolphin Smith, moved there in about 1843. 

However the reason for mentioning the house now is that Harvey's father worked as a gardener at the house in the mid 20th century. As a result we now know that at that time the house was occupied by Colonel Bertram James Walker and his second wife,  Lucie Marie Ludovika Anastasia Adelheid Karola Hedwig comtesse Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow of Denmark. Harvey also provides an interesting description of the interior of the house - including an inscription "SJ" which is said to have been put there by Sarah Jennings.

A Dispute over Charity Land at Sandridge in 1653

Water End House, Sandridge

This inquisition is interesting because the Church Wardens took the Lord of the Manor to court because the charity had not been getting its due income, and many personal names are mentioned. The Lord of the Manor was Richard Jennings, of Water End, Sandridge. He had a daughter, Sarah, who married John Churchill, and ended up living in Blenheim Palace! Richard's descendants include Princess Diana, and Winston Churchill (who was born at Blenheim Palace). The current Earl Spencer is Lord of the Manor of Sandridge.

It is of additional interest to me because my ancestor, Dolphin Smith, took the tenancy of Water End in about 1845.