The Cousins from Thomas Hender and Elizabeth Northy

    Sometimes descending cousin families are somewhat suspect and questionable. What may be seemingly suggested by such sources as the IGI extration records and the actual parish resgisters is only looking from one perspective, which is not necessarily complete. It often takes other supporting records, perspectives and evidence to solidify such family relationships. Thus is the family situation of the Thomas Hender and Elizabeth Northy family group. There are six children as given by the parish records, Thomas, Agnes, John, Edward, William and Elizabeth. A simple pedigree chart with date brake downs will help set up the picture for further discussion.

                      Thomas Hender II =  Elizabeth Northy/Northey
                      b. abt 1696      |  b. ard. 1700
                      m. 13 Jun 1727   |  d. before 1743
                      bd. 7 Jul 1767   |  db 20 Jul 1741
                                       |   Altarnun
                                       |   wife of Thomas
        _______________________________|__________________________________________________
       |             |             |                 |               |                    |
 Thomas Hender  Agnes Hender   John Hender     Edward Hender  William Hender      Elizabeth Hender
 chr. 3-9-1728  chr. 25-2-1731 chr. 20-2-1733  chr. 2-6-1735  chr. 5-10-1736      chr. 11-6-1739
 bd. 18-7-1743  (Spinster)     m. 12-12-1752   bd. 25-8-1735  bd. 20-2-1767       m. 2-11-1761
                bd. 11-3-1767  db. 20-2-1767                  m. 6-5-1764         = John Venning
                               = Grace Luskey                 = Elizabeth Venning |
                               (my ancestors)                 (Unfulfilled Wife?) |
                                                                                  |
                                          ________________________________________|___
                                         |                  |                         |
                                   James Venning     Elizabeth Venning          James Venning
                                   cd 29 May 1772    cb 14 Jun 1773             cb 7 Nov 1775
                                      Altarnun          Altarnun                  Altarnun
                                    (privately)       (privately)               (privately)
                                                     m 28 Jun 1803              cb 28 NOv 1775
                                                       Altarnun                   Altarnun
                                                     = Joseph Spettigue         (Publickly)
                                                       Edmund SPettigue         db 6 Mar 1827
                                                       John Venning Spettigue     Altarnun a.51
                                                       Mary Ann Spettigue

Some would have Catherine Hender marrying her near cousin James Venning, the son of John Venning and Elizabeth Hender. But not so fast. There are at least 3 James Vennings and even perhaps four in the area. And one might also conclude that Cathering Hender married the James Venning who is the son of Daniel and Mary Venning, also of Altarnun, as they did name one of their sons 'Daniel Venning. (see Hender Counsins of John Hender and Grace Luskey.

Note: The will of Thomas Hender I, the father of Thomas Hender II and grandfather to Thomas Hender II's children attests to certain facts so fitted to the reality of variouos records that it varifies this family's relationship to him. Thomas Hender I's will was written in 1736, the first quarter most likely as the actural month is obsured but the burial record has him buried in July 1736. Grandpa Thomas Hender I names his grand children Thomas, Ann [Agnes], and John, as is also their mother Elizabeth [Northy] Hender and also his son, their father, Thomas Hender II, who he makes his Executor of his will.
Grandson Edward is not so named for though Edward was born in 1735, a year before the will, Edward also died and was buried in 1735, which records are there to match that. Also, grandson William and grand daughter Elizabeth, two other children of Thomas Hender II, are not named in the will, for they were not born yet as of the writing of the will nor would Thomas Hender I ever see them for he died and was buried in June and William would not be born and Christened until October of 1736 and Elizabeth in 1739. Facts and records just do not fit together like that randomly. Only when they are such as the truth of the matter do they so fit in such details.

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It cannot go unnoticed that this Hender family suffered an extrodinary ill fated 1767. The first born son Thomas Hender had died at age 14, the baby Edward Hender passed after just 2 and a half months of age and in 1767 the father Thomas Hender, daughter Agnes Hender, John Hender and William Hender all died, Agnes, John and William in February and March and father Thomas Hender by July. Whether it was connected to such as 'Devonshire Colic' which was actually caused by lead poisoning by contaminated 'cider' made by presses lined with sheets of lead. Or some other common illness or unlikely merely by coincidence. Thus in Thomas Hender's will of 1767, mention is only made of the survivors, second wife Ebbet Hender, Grace [Luskey] Hender, John Hender's surviving wife and daughter in law to Thomas Hender, and granddaughters Elizabeth Hender and Mary Hender, daughters of John Hender and Grace [Luskey] Hender, and also grandsons William and Thomas, sons of John Hender and Grace [Luskey] Hender.

Thomas Hender does make mention of one Elizabeth Venning, daughter of George Venning, perhaps the unfulfilled wife of William Hender due to his unexpected and early demise. And thus this Elizabeth Venning had returned to her maiden name, having no children of William Hender, son of Thomas Hender, despite their short lived marriage.

Then comes one point of concern. In the will of Thomas Hender no mention is made of any Venning grandchildren, sons and daughter of John Venning and Elizabeth, Thomas's daughter. But, say some, these children were not born until 1772 to 1800, James, Elizabeth, James, Elizabeth, John. But while that is so of children of a John Venning and Elizabeth, married couples normally have children withing a year or so of marriage and not some ten years after. And there is the 'rub', John Venning and Elizabeth Hender were married in 1761 but did not have any children until 1772? Thus the question, 'Were the Venning children who some attribute to John Venning and Elizabeth Hender theirs or were they children of some other John Venning and Elizabeth?' John and Elizabeth are two of the most common names of those times.

Note: The second wife of Thomas Hender is Ebbet (Ibbet) Skantellbury, daughter of William Skantellbury and Skantellbury's wife Lovday ____?. Elizabeth Skantellbury was christened 4 April 1695. She first married Christopher Edgcoumbe, and it was as his widow that she later married Thomas Hender on the date of 8 May 1743, after the death of Agnes (Evan) Hender, the first wife of Thomas Hender. Thus all the children of Thomas Hender are his children by his first wife Agnes Evan.

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