Family Connections

It was a delight to receive a message from my American cousin Jodee James the other day.  She has been researching the family of John Mayhew, partner of William Ince, and has discovered that the doctor son of William, Henry Robert Ince, married John Mayhew's first cousin once removed, Ann Elizabeth Saunders.  Having found John Mayhew's mother's maiden name, Gray, hidden in his father's will, she discovered his mother was born, baptised and when first married was of the parish of St Mary the Virgin, Monken Hadley. 

This answers a riddle that's been puzzling me for about six years.  Why was John Mayhew's first wife, Isabella Stephenson, buried in Monken Hadley?  The answer? Because her mother -in-law came from the parish.

I was then able to answer a puzzle for Jodee.  Henry Robert Ince and Ann Saunders lived in Presteigne and she wanted to know if there could be a link between the Mayhew family and a J Mayhew who took out a game licence in Presteigne in 1822 and 1824 and was then mentioned in an ad for a cottage to let with "valuable Modern Household Furniture, the residence of J Mayhew Esq."  I knew that Irenaeus Mayhew, youngest son of John Mayhew, was living in Presteigne when the Land Registry document of 1825 was signed by all the parties involved in the Ince Mayhew court case.  It is very likely that Irenaeus was the J Mayhew (I and J were often muddled) and he may well have introduced his second cousin Ann to Henry Robert Ince.

I really enjoy this interweaving of the two families and receive great pleasure from my own connection with Ince Cousins all over the world.