Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Thomas WOOLVEN (1719-1757)

and Mary NEEVE (1719-1782)

Thomas Woolven and Mary Neeve were my 6x Great Grandparents.  (Click here to see their place in my pedigree chart.)  They married by licence on 19 September 1746 at the parish church of St. Martin's in Chichester, Sussex.  Their marriage licence was issued on the same day by the Archdeaconry of Chichester.  It recorded that he was a bachelor and farmer of West Grinstead and she was a spinster of West Grinstead.

Thomas Woolvin was baptised on 16 December 1719 in West Grinstead, Sussex.  He was the son of Thomas Woolvin (1686-1757) and Ann Mitchell.  He was buried on 27 May 1757 in West Grinstead and it was noted in the burial register that he was Thomas Woolven, junior - his father had been buried the previous week on 19 May 1757.  Administration of his estate valued at £676 : 11s was granted to his widow on 6 August 1757.

Mary Neve may have been baptised on 12 September 1719 in Cuckfield, Sussex and have been the daughter of Thomas Neve (1680-?) and Anne Cumber (1682-?).  There were no Neeve baptisms in West Grinstead around about 1720.  Or might she have been the daughter of Thomas Neeves and Jane Hodges (c1680-1721) who married in 1719 in Botolphs or Thomas Neeves and Ann Bland who married in 1722 in Botolphs.  There were no Neeve baptisms in Botolphs.   The widow Woolven was buried on 12 December 1782 in West Grinstead but her will would seem to have been proved on 2 February 1782.  Mary made her will on 15 January 1777, in which she named her 5 sons and 2 daughters.  One of the witnesses to her will was John Neeve.  (Click here to read my transcript of her will.)

Thomas Woolven and Mary Neeve had  7 known children:

1. Thomas Woolvin was baptised on 23 April 1747 in West Grinstead.  His father was then described as Thomas, junior.  He was buried on 7 October 1780.  He was named as a joint executor of his mother's will, but it was noted when her will was proved that he had pre deceased her.

2. Harry Woolvin was baptised on 3 June 1748 in Ashurst, Sussex although his baptism was recorded in the West Grinstead register.  He married Sarah Botting on 17 April 1777 in West Grinstead.  (They have their own page.)

3. Richard Woolvin was baptised on 2 February 1749/50 in West Grinstead.  He died aged 68 years in Henfield and was buried on 14 April 1817 in West Grinstead.

   Richard married Abigail Henley by licence on 7 April 1781 in Ardingly, Sussex.  He was then said to be of West Grinstead and the son of Thomas and Mary (nee Neeve).  Abigail may have been a witness to the 1791 marriage of Thomas Ward and Sarah Matthews in Shermanbury, Sussex.

4. Mary Woolvin was baptised on 8 October 1751 in West Grinstead.  She married William Freeman in 1771.  (They have their own page.)

5. Ann Woolvin, my 5x Great Grandmother, was baptised on 5 June 1753 in West Grinstead.  She married John Freeman in 1776.  (They have their own page.)

   (I think Woolvin sisters married Freeman brothers, but neither William or John's baptisms have yet been found.)

6. John Woolven was baptised on 6 June 1755 in West Grinstead.

7. William Woolven was baptised on 14 October 1757 in West Grinstead.  The baptism register records that his mother was a widow.

   William married Ann Turner by banns on 6 December 1785 in West Grinstead.  They were both then of West Grinstead.  The witnesses to their marriage were Richard Turner and William Gratwick.

NEEVE          WOOLVEN