Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
Birth17 Mar 1795, Latchingdon Farm, Essex (v. probably)
Deathca May 1843
Burial22 May 1843, Cheshunt, Herts
GeneralIn 1841: Farmer.
FatherThomas Docwra (1760-1833)
MotherMary Hurnard (1770-1836)
Notes for Thomas Docwra
In the 1841 census this is his family in Cheshunt, Herts:

Thomas Docwra, head, aged 55, farmer, not born in Herts
Elizabeth D., aged 50, born in Herts
Richard D., aged 15, born in Herts
Isabella D., aged 12, born in Herts

No sign of him in the 1851 census.
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Using the 1841 census to look for Thomas’ baptism produces one in 1795 at Wickham, Essex in a Society of Friends Monthly Meeting record.  This is in fact a birth record for “3 Month 17th 1795” which is probably 17 Mar 1795 which would mean he was 23 at marriage in 1818 so is feasible.  The parents were Thomas and Mary Docwra and the birth was at Satchingdon.  I am a little cautious to accept this as Thomas’ birth record, for all sorts of reasons.

The trancription is:

First name(s) Thomas
Last name Docwra
Birth year 1795
Birth date 14 Mar 1795
Birth place as transcibed Witham   [recte: Lastingdon]
Birth county as transcribed Essex
Father's first name(s) Thos
Mother's first name(s) Mary
Meeting place Witham
Monthly meeting Witham
Quarterly meeting Essex
County Essex
Country England
Archive reference RG6/54
Description ESSEX: Monthly Meeting of Witham: Births
Record set England & Wales, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Births 1578-1841
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I don’t think this death is his:

Surname   First name(s)   Age   District   Vol   Page
Deaths Jun 1843
DOCWRA Thomas Edmonton 3 90

But there is a funeral record that shows he was buried in Cheshunt in May of 1843, so this death record might very well be his.
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So far it is still not 100% clear who his wife and children were.  A search for the children of Thomas and Elizabeth Docwra (aka Doc*a) produces these baptisms from 1815 to 1840:
Will notes for Thomas Docwra
This may be his will, let’s see it to see if it agrees with the 1841 census:

Reference: PROB 11/1996/297
Description: Will of Thomas Docwra, Yeoman of Plough Inn Hertford , Hertfordshire
Date: 17 April 1844
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
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Notes for Thomas & Elizabeth (Family)
The only marriage of Thomas and Elizabeth Docra from 1815 to 1825:

Name: Thomas Docwra
Spouse's Name: Elizabeth Purden
Event Date: 16 May 1818
Event Place: Radford Semele,Warwick

But six years from marriage to the birth of their first child seems rather long.  However Family Search does have these two baptisms between 1818 and 1824:

Name: Harriett Docwra
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 26 Apr 1819
Christening Date (Original): 26 APR 1819
Christening Place: BLUNTISHAM CUM EARITH, HUNTINGDON, ENGLAND
Father's Name: Thomas Docwra
Mother's Name: Elizabeth

Name: Edward Docwra
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 06 Feb 1822
Christening Date (Original): 06 FEB 1822
Christening Place: BLUNTISHAM CUM EARITH, HUNTINGDON, ENGLAND
Father's Name: Thomas Docwra
Mother's Name: Elizabeth

And just to muddy the waters a bit there are two earlier births in Cheshunt:

Name: Harriett Docwra
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 26 Apr 1819
Christening Date (Original): 26 APR 1819
Christening Place: BLUNTISHAM CUM EARITH, HUNTINGDON, ENGLAND
Father's Name: Thomas Docwra
Mother's Name: Elizabeth

Name: Thomas Dockra
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 17 Jun 1813
Christening Date (Original): 17 JUN 1813
Christening Place: CHESHUNT,HERTFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name: Thomas Dockra
Mother's Name: Elizabeth

So I don’t when their marriage might have been!  Let’s try a wider range of marriage dates, but this still give the above marriage in 1818.

And I’ve now found the image of the parish Register entry for this marriage in FindMyPast, so am putting the transcript here:

First name(s) Thomas
Last name Docura  [recte, from the register image:  Docwra]
Sex Male
Marital status bachelor
Residence St Andrews Cambridge
Marriage year 1818
Marriage date 16 May 1818
Denomination Anglican
Place Radford Semele
Spouse's first name(s) Elizabeth
Spouse's last name Purden
Spouse's marital status spinster
By licence or by banns Licence
First witness William Docura
Second witness Edwd Hands
County Warwickshire
Country England
Document type Parish registers
Archive Warwickshire County Record Office
Archive reference DR0295/8
Page 9
Record type Marriages
Record's year range 1813-1836
Record set Warwickshire Marriages
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Last Modified 21 Nov 2018Created 14 May 2022 by Tim Powys-Lybbe
Re-created by Tim Powys-Lybbe on 14 May 20220