Solving the Mystery – John and Martha Street of Chulmleigh
Jenny Grant shares how she finally broke through a persistent genealogical brick wall surrounding John and Martha Street of Chulmleigh, Devon. At their marriage in Crediton in 1780, John had been living in Chulmleigh for at least six years as a gamekeeper, while Lincolnshire-born Martha lived with her guardian Sir Jacob Wolff. But John's origins remained a mystery for decades. The breakthrough came through examining an 1883 letter from her ancestor Charles Drew Street about a Chancery Court case and the Estate of William Wimpey. This led to discovering the Street v Bascombe court case of 1819, where John's children claimed to be next-of-kin to William Wimpey of Bratton Clovelly. Research revealed that John's mother was likely Sarah Pendar, making him first cousin to William Wimpey and connecting the family to Berkshire. Crucial evidence included parish registers from Lambourn Woodlands showing a John Streat baptized in 1741, and significantly, a burial entry describing Sarah as a "supposed wife" - suggesting John may have been illegitimate, which would have barred him from inheritance. This collaborative research with Peter Selley demonstrates how modern online resources can solve mysteries that stumped researchers for over 50 years.