1840. Lincolnshire Chronicle, 20 March 1840. Died. On Monday the 9th, at the house of her father, (Mr Campbell, butcher, Wragby,) Elizabeth wife of Mr Wm. Duckering, farmer, Bardney, aged 25.

The baptismal record at St Wilfred Church, Alford for William Duckering reads as follows, “1808 Baptisms June 8th Wm Duckering son of John Duckering & Mary Clarke illegit”. So the question who or more explicitly which John Duckering?

In thinking John’s age as a father, only two candidates come into the frame - John (1351) born 1759 Horsington and died 1843 Horsington and John (821) born 1785 Horsington and died 1848 Horsington. But before thinking about which, there is some other qualifying information.

When William marries in 1834 the marriage certificate confirms his name as William Duckering Clarke, his father as John Duckering a farmer. Both John’s are farmers.

When William marries for a second time in 1840 he is a widower and William Duckering and his father is now ‘the late’ John Duckering farmer. Neither are deceased, but we have no other John Duckering’s we can consider?

In the Census returns William declares his place as birth as the following locations, 1851 Horsington, 1871 Horsington, 1881 Hainton and 1891 Edlington - not clear cut, but Horsington has the majority. On all the census returns William’s suggested birth year comes back as 1806.

John born in 1785 married in 1804 and if he was the father of William say in 1806, then this John would have been 21 and married! Yes he is a farmer in Horsington. But for his companionship he his married.

John born in 1759 married in 1817 aged 58, very late and in fact had an illegitmate daughter with his wife to be Elizabeth Semper, who he declares as his natural daught in his will. If this John fathered William, then he would have been 47. I have assumed this John to be William’s father, due to him being unmarried, an older man who would want some companionship, a farmer in Horsington who died December 1843. It could be that William had sought to reconcile with his father, but instead they had a falling out. William knee his father was John & a farmer.

1847 Electoral Register, Parish of Bardney, No 11212 Duckering, William, Bardney Dairies land as occupier, Bardney Dairies
1849 Electoral Register, Parish of Bardney, No 10922 Duckering, William, Bardney Dairies land as occupier, Bardney Dairies8481
1852 Electoral Register, Parish of Bardney, No 12102 Duckering, William, Bardney Dairies land as occupier, Bardney Dairies
1855 Electoral Register, Parish of Bardney, No 12128 Duckering, William, Bardney Dairies land as occupier, Bardney Dairies
1857 Electoral Register, Parish of Tupholme, No 12357 Duckering, William, abode Tupholme, Qualification rental of £50 and upwards, Tupholme
1859 Electoral Register, Parish of Tupholme, No 12330 Duckering, William, abode Tupholme, Qualification rental of £50 and upwards, Tupholme
1860/1861/1862 Electoral Register, Parish of Tupholme, No 12276/12229/12251 Duckering, William, abode Tupholme, Qualification rental of £50 and upwards, Tupholme
1864/1865/1871 Electoral Register, Parish Of Tupholme, No 12208 Duckering, William, abode Tupholme, land as occupier, Tupholme
1870/1871 Electoral Register, Parish of Horsington, No 2818/2786 Duckering, William, abode Tupholme, freehold land, self; Moat-house and Farm
1872 White’s Gazetteer & Diretory records William Duckering, High Cell farm in the section on Tupholme.
1876 Post Office Directory, Assessors & Collectors of Income Tax, John Robert Hird & William Duckering
1877 Electoral Register, Parish of Waddingworth, No 6482, Duckering, William, abode Tupholme, qualifiacation land as occupier, the Tindales

Stamford Mercury, 5 September 1879. Tupholme, intermediate Horncastle and Bardney. Annual important sale of surplus stock of longwool sheep, short-horn beasts, and horses. Mr John Walter has again been instructed by Mr William Duckering, of Tupholme, to sell by auction, on his premises as above, in the month of October next, his surplus stock of 360 long-wool sheep, 51 short-horn beasts, and 20 young horses. Full particulars in due course. Offices-7, Banks-street, Horncastle; and Royal Oak Yard, Lincoln.

1885 Kelly’s Directory records, for ‘Bardney with Southrey (South-Row) and Bardney Dairies. Assessors & Collectors of Income Tax, John Robert Hird & William Duckering’.

Parish Register St Andrew’s Church, Stainfield, county of Lincoln 1834, William Duckering Clarke of the parish of Cammeringham and Elizabeth Campbell of the parish of Stainfield were married in this chapel by licence with consent of her father this twentieth day of May 1834. Signed by Willaim & Elizabeth, witnesses MAryen Campbell & Susanna Campbell.

Stamford Mercury, 30 May 1834. Lincoln, May 30. Married. On Tuesday se’nnight, at Stainfield, near Wragby, Mr Wm. Duckering, of Apley, to Miss Campbell.