John Blanchard & Mary Groves

John Blanchard was born in 1755 probably in Eling, Hampshire (this is derived from other sources as no birth record has been found, the parish records of Eling at this time are in very poor condition and virtually illegible) he was the son of Edward Blanchard, a carpenter of Eling, and his wife Sarah, formerly Rossiter. He is mentioned in his father's will of 1793. He married Mary Groves on 1st April 1777 in Fawley, Hampshire. Mary was born in 1758 in Fawley, Hampshire, the daughter of Henry Groves and his wife Mary. John and Mary had at least 6 children, Sarah, b. 1778, Samuel, b. 1779, William, b. 1781, John, b. 1784, Henry Groves, b. 1790, and Jane, b. 1791. John worked as a ship joiner at the ship building yard in Hythe on western shore of Southampton Water. In 1787 John and Mary settled in the parish of Fawley, probably in Hythe (then part of Fawley parish). A settlement certificate was issued by the church wardens of the parish of Eling acknowledging "John Blanchard, his wife Mary and four children" to be their parishioners and accepting responsibility to provide for them in case of need. This document is found in the records of the parish of Fawley showing that it had been issued to enable labour mobility and that John originated in the parish of Eling. John is named as bondsman on the marriage allegation of his daughter Jane in 1813, he is said to be "of Hythe" and his occupation is given as ship joiner. John died in May 1821 and was buried on 23rd May in Fawley. Mary died on 30th November 1839 in St Mary's, Southampton. The cause of death on the death certificate is given as "age and debility" the informant was Ann Dell of Canal Walk Southampton, who was present at the death.