Who Were the Two Unnamed Children of Ursula Butson in her father John Butson's 1767 Will?
Research note by Wesley Johnston - begun 16 Aug 2020, last updated 20 Aug 2020
https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/12001386/person/1318731964/media/d412deee-472a-4019-98bc-cc5ac930adf3
Context
John BUTSON signed his will 25 Sep 1767 at St. Michael Penkevil.The image is at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XSM9-2GP?i=2220&cat=329778 and the following two images.
In one clause of the will, after a prior clause explicitly naming Ann as the daughter of his daughter Ursula BUTSON and her husband Joseph JENKIN (with that spelling), John BUTSON refers to Ursula's other two surviving children, a son and a youngestdaughter who he does not name. This research note intends to gather the information to identify these two unnamed children of Ursula BUTSON and Joseph JENKIN/JENKING and reach working conclusions about their identity so that their status as beneficiaries of the will can be recorded in my tree/database.
What is clear is that when John BUTSON wrote his will in 1767, he believed that his daughter Ursula BUTSON and her husband Joseph JENKIN/JENKING had only three surviving children: Ann JENKIN/JENKING, a son and a daughter younger than Ann. There was one unnamed boy and one unnamed girl.
It is important to keep in mind that prior to 1752, the Old Style date system meant that the year began on 25 March and not 1 January. Thus, dates from 1 Jan to 24 Mar prior to 1752 entered must be converted to New Style dates in the database to allow for proper comparison of dates. Dates in that period of the year are given in this research note in the format 20 Feb 1734/5, where the actual Old Style record entry reads 20 Feb 1734 but must be considered as 20 Feb 1735 in the New Style for proper comparison of dates.
Who Were Ursula's Children?
Ursula BUTSON and Joseph JENKING have the following children in the baptisms at St. Just in Roseland.
Thus, by 1767 when John BUTSON wrote his will only three of these 7 children survived: Ann, one boy and one girl. Four of the seven children had died: one boy and three girls.
Who Was Ursula's Surviving Son?
Ursula BUTSON and her husband Joseph JENKIN/JENKING had two sons: Joseph (1759) and William (1765). Which one of these had died by 1767, and which one survived and was the son indicated in John BUTSON's 25 Sep 1767 will as Ursula's only surviving son?
Joseph JENKIN/JENKING
The Cornwall OPC database has no burial anywhere in Cornwall for Joseph JENKI* in the period from his 1759 birth to the 1757 will of his grandfather. The Cornwall Family History Society burial database has two candidates burials, with no age or relationship information included:
Maker is about 60 miles from St. Just in Roseland. Wendron is about 20 miles. So, both seem unlikely places for a 7 or 8 year old boy to die when his family was living in St. Just in Roseland before and after those dates.
Before examining marriages, it is necessary to determine if there was any other Joseph JENKIN/JENKING born in St. Just in Roseland at this time. There was no other. The Cornwall Family History Society baptism database has boys of that name baptized at St. Just in Roseland 1726, 1759, 1784, 1788, 1807, 1818 so that his 1759 baptism had no other near it.
Nevertheless, three marriages of men named Joseph JENKING took place at St. Just in Roseland 1777, 1779 and 1788 when Urusla's son would have been about 18, 20 and 29. Based on the baptism and burial records, it appears that there were two men, one of whom was widowed and remarried.
The 1779 Joseph was almost certainly Ursula's son, who named his first daughter after his mother. So the evidence is very strong that Ursula's unnamed son in her father John BUTSON's will was Joseph JENKING.
William JENKIN/JENKING
In the Cornwall Family History Society burials database and that of the Cornwall OPC site, there is only one burial record for a William JENKI* in the years 1765-1767, inclusive: Madron 19 Jun 1767, which is 35 miles west of St. Just in Roseland. So the boy born 1765 cannot be confirmed as deceased by the time his grandfather John BUTSON wrote his will in 1767.
No William JENKI* married at St. Just in Roseland in the years in and after he would have come of age (1782). Of course, if he survived he could have married elsewhere. There are no baptisms of William JENKI* children at St. Just in Roseland in the years from 1775 to 1814, inclusive.
Conclusion
The surviving son of Ursula BUTSON and John JENKING listed as an unnamed beneficiary in the 25 Sep 1767 will of Ursula's father JOHN BUTSON was Joseph JENKING, baptized 12 Aug 1759. Confidence: 8
Who Was Ursula's Surviving Youngest Daughter?
Ursula BUTSON and her husband Joseph JENKIN/JENKING had four daughters after Ann: Catherine (1750), Catherine (1755). Ursula (1757), Elizabeth (1762) Which of these had died by 1767, and which one survived and was the son indicated in John BUTSON's 25 Sep 1767 will as Ursula's youngest daughter?
The two Catherine JENKIN/JENKINGs
The fact that the second Catherine received the name clearly indicates the first had died. So, the 2 May 1754 St. Just in Roseland burial fits with this scenario. It is important however to know which other persons name Catherine JENKING lived at St. Just in Roseland at that time -- other children, a spinster, a wife. The burial records simply give a name and a date, which makes it difficult to know which Catherine JENKING was buried. This same caveat also applies to the second Catherine.
The only other Catherine JENKING baptized at St. Just in Roseland was 25 Dec 1725, the daughter of John & Joanna JENKIN. This Catherine would have been 29 in 1754. However, she was probably the wife of William HOCKEN in the 26 Jan 1746/7 St. Just in Roseland marriage so that she would not have been the 1754 burial.
Neither the Cornwall Family History Society marriage database nor that of Cornwall OPC show a Catherine marrying a JENKI* man at St. Just in Roseland until 1798 so that there was no known wife named Catherine JENKING at St. Just in Roseland in 1754.
So, with confidence 9 of 10, I believe the 2 May 1754 St. Just in Roseland burial was the 15 Jul 1750-baptized Catherine JENKING, daughter of Ursula BUTSON and Joseph JENKING.
For the same reasons, with confidence 9 of 10, I believe the 20 Jan 1762/3 St. Just in Roseland burial was the 1 Jun 1755-baptized Catherine JENKING, daughter of Ursula BUTSON and Joseph JENKING.
Ursula JENKIN/JENKING
Ursula JENKING was baptized 4 Sep 1757 at St. Just in Roseland. Two St. Just in Roseland Ursula JENKING burials followed that date in the 1700's: 11 Feb 1762 and 19 May 1768. Since John BUTSON's 25 Sep 1767 will designates his daughter Ursula (BUTSON) JENKING as a beneficiary, the mother was still alive at the writing of the will and thus must have been the one buried in 1768 after the will. This means the one buried 1762 must be the 1757 daughter.
But as with Catherine, we must see if some other Ursula JENKING existed who could have been the subject of either of these two burials.
Neither the Cornwall Family History Society baptism database nor that of Cornwall OPC show an Ursula JENKI* baptized at St. Just in Roseland prior to this 1757 baptism nor after i until 1779 -- well after the writing of the 1767 will.
Neither the Cornwall Family History Society marriage database nor that of Cornwall OPC show an Ursula marrying a JENKI* man at St. Just in Roseland other than the parents of the 1757 Ursula.
So, with confidence 9 of 10, I believe the 11 Feb 1762 St. Just in Roseland burial was the 4 Sep 1757-baptized Ursula JENKING, daughter of Ursula BUTSON and Joseph JENKING.
Elizabeth JENKIN/JENKING
While the elimination of the other three daughters lends heavy weight to the 26 Sep 1762-baptized Elizabeth JENKING being the youngest surviving (on 25 Sep 1767 when John BUTSON signed his will) daughter os Ursula BUTSON and Joseph JENKING, thorough methodology requires a search for records of her.
Elizabeth JENKING may have been named for the Elizabeth JENKING who was buried there 23 Dec 1761 -- the only one with that name buried that century.
Neither the Cornwall Family History Society marriage database nor that of Cornwall OPC show an Elizabeth JENKI* marrying at St. Just in Roseland in that century. So if she did survive and marry, it was apparently not at St. Just in Roseland.
So, at this time, I have found no definite records of this Elizabeth JENKING after her baptism. But since the other sisters had all died, Elizabeth must be the daughter of Ursula named in John BUTSON's will.
Conclusion
The surviving youngest daughter of Ursula BUTSON and John JENKING listed as an unnamed beneficiary in the 25 Sep 1767 will of Ursula's father JOHN BUTSON was Elizabeth JENKING, baptized 26 Sep 1762. Confidence: 8