Walter Woodward was born sometime around 1640. The name is Germanic in origin, first recorded in the 6th century in Lombardy, Italy. It's literal meaning is 'powerful warrior'. Walter was not a common name in Britain in the 1600s; there are less than 10 Walters on Ancestry.com for the late 1600s. His wife's name was Mary but her origin is unknown. In the late 1600s they lived in a small village called Morton Bagot in Warwickshire.

Background

The earliest available parish records for Morton Bagot in Warwickshire begin in January 1663, shortly after the Restoration of the monarchy. Baptism records began nationally in 1538 but books were not introduced until 1598. It is quite possible that the records before 1663 have been lost, or even destroyed during the civil war when bishops were 'dethroned' and registration of baptisms was dealt with by civil clerks often covering more than one parish. It has been estimated that at least one-sixth of all baptism records are missing for the period of the Civil War (the 1640s and 1650s).

No record of Walter's birth can be found. It is not helped by the fact that his place of origin is also unknown - he may have been born somewhere other than Morton Bagot. His estimated birth year is 1640 based on the average age of marriage linked with the birth of his first child, Robert in 1668. Of course, this can only be an estimation as it is not certain that Robert was his first child - he may have had children elsewhere before moving to Morton Bagot. Richard (1668) is the first Woodward recorded in the surviving parish register.

The parish register (left) is in remarkably good condition considering that it is over 350 years old. It is currently held at Warwick County Records Office. The book remained in use for burials and baptisms until 1812 when pre-printed books were introduced. The village is recorded in the Doomsday Book. The name derives from Morton - a settlement on the moor and Bagot the name of the lords of the manor. In 1629 the estate passed to Richard Butler and William Gibbons when the two manors, Morton and Morton Bagot, merged. It later passed to a family known as Holyoak who held it for most of the 18th century. It has never been a large parish and the population in 2001 was only 153 although it would have been more heavily populated in medieval times when farming was a labour intensive process. The church (right) dates from the late 13th century, the first recorded Rector being Ralph Bagot in 1282. There is also a very large timber-frame 17th century barn next to the church.

Family

On Ancestry.co.uk there is a family tree that includes birth details for a Walter Woodward at Morton Bagot. The family tree states that Walter was born 22 September 1637 at Morton Bagot, the second child of Johis (John) Woodward and Dorothy Skipwith. It also refers to an elder brother, Ricus (Richard) born 3 May 1635 at Morton Bagot. It goes on to say that Dorothy died in 1679 aged 70 and Johis died in 1692 aged 85. Johis is said to have come from Butlers Marsden in Warwickshire and Dorothy from Hagworthingham in Lincolnshire. Johis's father, John Woodward, is stated to have been born in Butlers Marsden in 1607 and died in c.1692, buried at Frodsham, Cheshire.

Precisely where this information has come from is not recorded. Hagworthingham is 161km (100 miles) from Morton Bagot, a very long distance to have travelled in the 1640s. Butlers Marsden is 25km (15 miles) from Morton Bagot, a much more acceptable distance, but still a long way to walk, and Frodsham on Merseyside is 127km (80 miles) away. In the 1640s travel over these distances may be explained by the upheaval of the Civil War, but the same cannot be said for the late 1500s and early 1600s. Also, John Woodward was a very common name and it would be interesting to know how the person who compiled this tree knew that these specific Johns were the ones that lived and died in Morton Bagot.

Walter's wife is shown in the parish records for two of their children as being Mary. The family tree quoted above states that Walter married Mary Gibb at Castle Combe, Gloucestershire on 3 March 1673, but this is five years after the birth of Walter's first child, Robert, in 1668. The only other Walter marriage online is to an Ann Ford in 1674 in Wapley-cum-Codrington, Gloucestershire, which removes any suggestion that the 1673 marriage to Mary was that of his second wife.

Research into Walter's roots is therefore still ongoing, and this page will be updated as and when new information is found.

The current parish records show that Walter and his wife Mary had eight children in Morton Bagot -

• Robert Woodward (b.1668), married Ann and had four children in Morton Bagot. He died in 1720 and his wife then married William Raybold from Studley.
• John Woodward (b.1671), married Mary Tandy (nee Halfpenny) a widow, at Morton Bagot in 1698. There are no records of any children.
• Elizabeth Woodward (b.1673)
• Anthony Woodward (b.1675). married Jane and had three daughters at Studley.
• Ann Woodward (b.1677) who died in 1680 at Morton Bagot.
• Mary Woodward (b.1679), married Thomas Nobles at Oldberrow, Warks in April 1719 but died in December that year.
• Walter Woodward (b.1681), married three times - Mary about.1714 at Tanworth, Warks and had three children; Judith Camp in 1727 at Tanworth and had two children and Elizabeth Clerk, 1731 at Tanworth and had five children.
• Ann Woodward (b.1684) died in 1697 at Morton Bagot.

Death

Walter was buried at Morton Bagot church on 9 June 1694. His wife, Mary, was buried there on 12 July 1697, recorded as being a 'widow'.

Compiled by Graham Woodward, Nottingham, England (UK).