In looking at the Allis families around the country it seemed that they are largely separate families but there was always the hope of a link between some of them. A curious one has just been found… well, actually quite a long time ago.
I have lately been looking through all of the parish register entries for Allis at Nettleham in Lincolnshire to make sure I have all accounted for in the family tree. One of those that could not be was back in 1598 when a Jane Allys als Ebborne was married to Michael Hill. She was not shown as a widow.
Thereafter was a burial for Richard Allis the son of Jane Allis als Hill als Ebborne, and two years later in 1604 a baptism for Richard Hill, the son of Jane Hill als Ebborne. Not like the usual entries seen.
A few years ago a cousin John Allis sent me some of his research from years back in typewritten note form. I was flicking through these again and the following entry jumped out:
Hertfordshire Assizes
14 March 1623 - William Allys of Hertford, gardener, indicted for bigamy. On 1st Jan 1616 he bigamously married Jane Gregorie in a service conducted by Thomas Noble, clerk, vicar of All Saints, Hertford, having already married Jane Eborne at Reepham, Lincolnshire on 27 Nov 1595. He was found not guilty.
Reepham is only a couple of miles from Nettleham.
That solves the mystery of who Jane was but raises a number of questions, and why was William from Hertford up in Lincolnshire - coincidence or family link?
There are other problems too. The Reepham parish registers and BTs do not cover the year shown and the parish records for All Saints at Hertford does not have this marriage. The nearest marriage is for William Ellis and Jane Gregory on 21 November 1613 at Bramfield in Herts. Better start looking for the original of the Assize records!
