Sarah SOARES married Robert JOYCE in Woodhouse in May 1728.
They baptized four children in Woodhouse, County of Leicester, before their daughter died in April 1743.
Sarah's husband, Robert, died a month later while Sarah was pregnant. She baptized their son Robert in the following January.
Sarah died in Woodhouse and was buried in April 1750.
There is no legible record of a Sarah SOARES being baptized near Woodhouse between 1660-1715, nor is there any baptisms of anyone called SOARES (or similar) in Woodhouse before March 1700 when an Elizabeth SOARE was baptized by Ellise and Elizabeth. This couple also baptized children in nearby Rearsby: Jane 1681, John 1684, Thomas 1686, William 1690 and Joseph 1693. 'Elias' was variously called Ellise, Elice, Elic, Eliz, Elia and Elias.
This family were probably the first SOARES to live in Woodhouse, and may explain how Sarah SOARES came to be there in 1728.
There is quite a large gap between 1694-1698 during which time Elias and Elizabeth SOARES left Rearsby and arrived in Woodhouse. Sarah could have been born during that period. Probably not in Rearsby as those parish records are complete, and the Woodhouse records, while messy, also appear complete. Or Sarah may have been baptized after 1699.
At the foot of a page of the Woodhouse parish records for 1703 there is the entry "Sarah the dauter of [two unclear characters] ?" following by blank space, and then the signatures of the parish clerks and chapelwarden. One possible reading of this is "Sarah the daughter of God" perhaps indicating that the child was a foundling, in which case it is possible that Sarah was adopted by the SOARES family. The preceding few entries are out of date sequence and appear to be catch up entries with dates including May 1702 and Friday 3 March [1702] so it may also just reflect the poor clerical skills and memory of the parish clerks.
Another candidate for Sarah's baptismal entry is a very poor quality entry at the top of a page of 1704 records:
" # Eliz Soar by Elizabeth"
"[illegible] was borne the 8 day of December 1704".
All of the SOAR/SOARES related activity in Woodhouse during this period can be linked to Elias' family, including:
- 1699 - baptism of Elias' daughter Elizabeth
- 1704 - birth{?} of unknown child of Eliz SOAR & Elizabeth
- 1719 - marriage of Elias' son William SOARES to Elizabeth MARRAT
- 1720 - baptism of William by William and Elizabeth
- 1722 - baptism of Samuel by William and Elizabeth
- 1726 - baptism of Joseph by William and Elizabeth
- 1730 - marriage of Elias' son Joseph SOARES to Ann WEBSTER
If Sarah was Ellis' daughter of 1702/3 or the unknown child born 8 Dec 1704 then her marriage also fits this pattern.
An alternative theory is that Sarah became a SOARES through marriage and Robert was her second marriage. There is a marriage between a Sarah HAYES and Richard SOARES in Loughborough on 5 Oct 1713/14. Assuming this Sarah was 21-25 at the time of her first marriage then she would have been born 1688-1692, meaning that she would have been aged 51-55 when Robert JOYCE was born.
On balance I believe Sarah to be the daughter of Elias and Elizabeth SOARES, but her birth and/or baptismal date can be confirmed.
Other information:
No relevant wills have been identified.