Prepared by: Allen Lawrence Gurney, Portland, Oregon Date: March 2026 Version: 2.0 — Incorporating the Margaret Rybett Discovery and East Dereham Register Analysis
John Gurney-1 was an English emigrant who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 1640s. His English origin has never been definitively established. The following facts are documented from New World sources:
Identity and occupation. John Gurney was a tailor.1 He first appears in Massachusetts records in June 1641, when he was fined at Weymouth.2 He subsequently settled at Braintree, Massachusetts, where he lived until his death in 1662 or early 1663.3
Age. In a 1653 deposition, John stated he was "aged about 50 years."4 This has traditionally been used to estimate his birth at c.1603, though deposition ages in this period were frequently approximate and sometimes overstated.
Wives. John married first a woman named Mary (maiden name unknown), who died 20 September 1661 at Braintree.5 He married second Grizzell Fletcher on 12 November 1661.6 Grizzell was the daughter of Robert Fletcher of Chelmsford, Essex, England; John was her fourth husband, after Thomas Jewell (c.1639/40), Humphrey Greggs (1655), and Henry Kibby (1657).7 The Chelmsford connection is purely colonial — there is no evidence linking John to Chelmsford, Essex in England.
Children. John and Mary had the following children, all believed born in England except possibly the youngest:8
| Child | Estimated Birth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah | Unknown (eldest?) | Listed first by Sprague |
| Mary | c.1628-1632 | Married Daniel Shed |
| Richard | c.1630-1634 | Of Weymouth; freeman 1681; married Rebecca Taylor |
| John Jr. | c.1633-1636 | Of Weymouth/Mendon; killed at Mendon, July 1675 (King Philip's War) |
| Peter | c.1635-1641 | May have been born in England or early Massachusetts |
| Isaac | c.1643 | Possibly born in Massachusetts; attribution uncertain |
Estate. John's estate was valued at £55.14.6 — a modest sum consistent with a working tradesman.9
Religion and community. Braintree was a Puritan settlement. John's presence there, and his children's integration into the community, is consistent with (though does not prove) Puritan sympathies. The Great Migration to Massachusetts (c.1620-1640) was driven overwhelmingly by Puritanism, and emigrants from Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and London — the geographic heart of English Puritanism — were disproportionately represented.10
Who was John Gurney-1 before he appeared in Massachusetts in 1641? Where in England was he born, who were his parents, and why did he emigrate?
Francis Gurney (b. 13 September 1581, West Barsham Hall, Norfolk) was the sixth son of Henry de Gournay, Esquire, of Great Ellingham and West Barsham, by Ellen Blennerhassett his wife.11 Henry had twelve children; the family was ancient Norfolk gentry tracing descent from the Norman lords of Gournay-en-Bray, but by the late sixteenth century the younger sons had limited prospects.12
Francis was apprenticed in London to Henry Tryme, a member of the Merchant Taylors' Company, and subsequently "assigned over" to William Smooth, another member.13 On 16 June 1606, "Francis Gurnay son of Henry Gurnay of Great Ellinggam in the County of Norfolk was admitted and sworn to the Freedom of the Merchant Tailors' Company."14
Daniel Gurney, the nineteenth-century family historian, noted that Francis's "commercial life began at Norwich."15 From an ancient account-book at Hunstanton Hall, Francis served as "a sort of agent, or banker, for the Lestranges," with payments documented from at least January 1612 through May 1636.16
★ PRIMARY SOURCE DISCOVERY: On 23 September 1611, "Franc Gurny & Margaret Rybett" were married at St Martin at Palace, Norwich, Norfolk.17
This marriage record, discovered in March 2026 in the Norfolk Record Office parish register PD 12/1, is the single most important primary source finding of this research project. Daniel Gurney, despite decades of research, never found this record. The discovery confirms:
The Rybett/Ryvett family were established Norfolk and Suffolk gentry. Branches are documented at Fritton (Norfolk), Rishangles, Rattlesden, Stowmarket, and Bildeston (all Suffolk), appearing in the 1561 and 1612 Suffolk Visitations.19 The families moved in overlapping social circles: Mirabella Ryvett married Sir John Heydon of Baconsthorpe, and the Heydons were directly connected to the Gurneys through Anne Heydon's marriage to William Gurney V.20
The St Martin at Palace connection. St Martin at Palace was the Rybett family's parish church. A "Johes Rigett" married Agnes Hallybred there in 1539, and "Parnell Rivet" married Wolfrie Blackbourne there in 1603 — establishing a Rivett family presence at the parish spanning at least 72 years before Margaret's wedding.21 Margaret almost certainly married at her own family's church, following standard practice.
The Rivett geographic cluster around East Dereham. FreeREG searches reveal a dense concentration of Rivett/Rivet families in the parishes immediately surrounding East Dereham: Garveston (4 miles SE), Gressenhall (3 miles NW), Shipdham (3 miles S), and East Dereham itself.22 A Margaret Rivet was baptized at Garveston on 21 May 1586, daughter of Francis Rivet (who married Elizabeth Palmer/Podmer at Garveston in 1584). A Richard Ryvett married Faith Shyttle at Gressenhall in 1602 and produced children there through 1617. This Rivett cluster explains why Francis and Margaret settled at East Dereham — it was her family's home territory, while also being within 20 miles of Francis's own family base at West Barsham.
After Margaret Rybett's death (c.1616-1617; burial not yet located), Francis married Anne, daughter of William Browning, merchant of Norwich and later of Maldon, Essex.23 The first child with Anne — probably the Marye baptized 25 May 1618 at East Dereham (see Section 4.4) — was born while the family still lived in Norfolk. Seven further children were baptized at St. Benet Fink, London, between 1619 and 1637.24
Francis's career was marked by progressive financial difficulty. A textile manufacturing venture at King's Lynn failed c.1622-1625, requiring Sir Hamon Lestrange to pay a £100 bond on his behalf.25 On 11 July 1634, Francis sold ALL his Norfolk and Suffolk lands to Sir Owen Smith for £1,000.26 The last documented Lestrange payment to Francis was May 1636.27 An annuity "to ffrancis Gourney... during his life" was still claimed as late as 3 July 1646.28 Francis died 9 January 1646/7 and was buried at St Botolph Bishopsgate, London.29
Daniel Gurney lamented: "We have been unable to discover the wills of either of these Francis Gurnays, at any of the offices where they could have been proved."30
The following parallel timeline traces the documented and probable events in the lives of Francis Gurney and John Gurney-1, showing how they interconnect.
| Date | Francis Gurney (Father) | John Gurney-1 (Son) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Sept 1581 | Born, West Barsham Hall, Norfolk (twin with Anthony)11 | — |
| c.1597 | Apprenticed in London to Henry Tryme, MT Company13 | — |
| 16 June 1606 | Freed as Merchant Taylor14 | — |
| c.1606-1611 | Commercial career begins at Norwich; Lestrange agent1516 | — |
| c.1609/10 | At East Dereham, Norfolk | Born at East Dereham (probable — Entry E) |
| 23 Sept 1611 | Marries Margaret Rybett, St Martin at Palace, Norwich ★17 | Infant/toddler |
| c.1611/12 | Edward baptized, East Dereham40 | — |
| Jan 1612 | First documented Lestrange payment16 | — |
| c.1614 | Agnes baptized, East Dereham40 | Child at East Dereham |
| c.1616-1617 | Margaret Rybett dies (burial not found) | Age c.6-8 |
| c.1617 | Marries Anne Browning | — |
| 25 May 1618 | Marye baptized, East Dereham (probably first child with Anne)41 | Age c.8-9 |
| 2 March 1619 | Dorothy baptized, St Benet Fink, London (first London child)24 | Family relocates to London |
| 1619-1637 | Six more children baptized at SBF24 | Growing up in or near London |
| c.1622-1625 | King's Lynn manufacturing venture fails25 | — |
| 1 Oct 1626 | — | Sister Ann marries John Gilman, Hingham, Norfolk33 |
| c.1630-1632 | — | Marries Mary [surname unknown] |
| 1633 | Heralds' Visitation of London — Francis attests his pedigree24 | — |
| c.1633-1638 | — | Children born in England (Sarah, Mary, Richard, John Jr., Peter) |
| 11 July 1634 | Sells ALL Norfolk/Suffolk lands for £1,00026 | No inheritance to expect |
| May 1636 | Last Lestrange payment27 | — |
| 1638 | Not in "1638 Inhabitants of London" survey — already left SBF | — |
| c.1638-1641 | — | Emigrates to Massachusetts |
| June 1641 | — | First MA record: fined at Weymouth2 |
| 3 July 1646 | Annuity still claimed "during his life"28 | Settled at Braintree, MA |
| 9 Jan 1646/7 | Dies, buried St Botolph Bishopsgate, London29 | — |
| 1653 | — | Deposition: "aged about 50 years"4 |
| 20 Sept 1661 | — | Wife Mary dies, Braintree5 |
| 12 Nov 1661 | — | Marries Grizzell Fletcher6 |
| 1662/3 | — | Dies, Braintree, MA3 |
A comprehensive review of the East Dereham parish register (NRO PD 86/41, covering 1593-1641) was conducted across 69 microfilm images (pages 700-768), representing approximately 47-52 distinct page-units and 950-1,350 individual entries.40 Approximately one-quarter to one-third of entries were too degraded for confident surname-sensitive reading.
| Entry | Child | Est. Date | Image | Transcription Confidence | Transcription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | John | c.1609/10 | 00715 | Moderate-strong | See Section 5 |
| A | Edward | c.1611/12 | 00721 | High | "Edward the sonne of ffrancis Gurnie bapt may 27" |
| C | Agnes | c.1614 | 00724/725 | High | "Agnes the daughter of ffrancis Gurny bapt January 31" |
| B | Marye | c.1614-15 | 00724/725 | Moderate-high (surname); Low (relationship) | "Marye [degraded] of ffrancis Gurny bapt January 25" |
| D | Marye | 25 May 1618 | 00736 | High (all elements) | "Marye the daughter of ffrancis Gurnie bapt may 25"41 |
The dates assigned to Entries A, B, C, and E are approximate. The East Dereham register does not carry a year heading on every page. Dates have been estimated by identifying pages with visible year headings or modern archival annotations; interpolating intervening pages based on the general rate of entries (approximately 6-12 months per page-unit); and cross-referencing the month-and-day progression within and across pages.
An initial hypothesis that baptisms were recorded on Sundays (which would permit precise year-dating via calendar calculation) was tested and rejected: analysis of all baptism entries across the relevant page ranges showed no regular 7-day interval, and confirmed baptisms for this family demonstrate non-Sunday practice (Dorothy at SBF on a Tuesday; Roger on a Thursday; Marye 1618 on a Monday).
These dates should be understood as estimates with a plausible margin of approximately ±2-3 years. The sequence and relative spacing of the entries is considered more reliable than any individual absolute date assignment.
Entries B and C (Marye and Agnes) appear on the same page (00724/725) with dates only 6 days apart: January 25 and January 31. They cannot be children of the same mother born in the same year. The most likely explanation is a register recording artifact — entries written retrospectively or copied from notes in non-linear order, a pattern observed elsewhere in the register.42 This does not undermine the reliability of the individual entries but demonstrates that even primary source dates require careful interpretation.
The 1618 Marye and Margaret Rybett's death. Entry D (Marye, 25 May 1618) was initially attributed to Margaret Rybett as mother. However, Dorothy Gurnoy was baptized at St Benet Fink, London, on 2 March 1619 with mother named "Ann" — only 9 months later. For Margaret to be Marye's mother AND Anne Browning to be Dorothy's mother, Margaret would have to die, Francis court and marry Anne, Anne conceive, and Dorothy be born — all within 9 months. This is biologically near-impossible.
Revised interpretation: Margaret Rybett most likely died c.1616-1617. Francis married Anne Browning c. late 1617. The 1618 Marye at East Dereham is probably Anne Browning's first child, born before the family relocated to London. The earlier Marye (Entry B, c.1614-15) may have been Margaret's daughter who died young, with the 1618 Marye serving as a replacement name — a standard period practice. This revision moves Margaret's death earlier than initially assumed and better accommodates the tight timeline between the last East Dereham entry and the first London entry.
Ann Gurney married Peter Woodcocke at West Dereham, Norfolk, on 8 February 1618/19.43 West Dereham is in the East Dereham area, where Francis's children were baptized. If Ann was Francis's daughter from the first marriage, born c.1604-1608, she would be 10-14 at marriage — young but not unheard of for arranged matches in this period. The West Dereham location strengthens the connection to the Francis Gurney family's Norfolk geography. However, the Pease genealogy identifies Ann as marrying John Gilman (not Peter Woodcocke), and the dating remains uncertain. This Ann Gurney may be a different person from the Ann who married John Gilman in 1626.
Citation: NRO PD 86/41, image gbprs_norfolk_pd_86-41_00715.jpg
Record type: Baptism / Christening
Parish: East Dereham, Norfolk
Estimated date: c.1609/10 (±2-3 years; based on page-chronology interpolation)
The entry was indexed by Findmypast/FreeREG as:
"John the sonne of Nicholas Gorne bapt[ized] Jan[uary] 10"
Detailed paleographic analysis — comparing the ambiguous letterforms directly against four confirmed instances of "ffrancis Gurnie/Gurny" in the same register and hand — indicates that the entry more likely reads:
"John the sonne of ffrancis Gurnie bapt[ized] Jan[uary] 10"
The original indexing was performed under standard bulk-indexing conditions: a volunteer working through hundreds of entries on degraded microfilm, with no particular reason to suspect a Gurney entry and no comparison set of confirmed letterforms from the same scribe. Our analysis had the significant advantage of targeted examination with image enhancement tools and direct cross-referencing against confirmed entries. Four independent letterform tests — initial stroke cluster, mid-body structure, word segmentation, and terminal formation — all favor "ffrancis" over "Nicholas." No test favors "Nicholas." Full details of the analysis follow below.
Confirmed "ffrancis" entries (pp. 721, 736) begin with double vertical strokes with slight forward lean, sometimes fused or partially overlapped. The Entry E initial cluster shows two vertical strokes with minimal spacing, no clear capital "N" formation, but instead the ligature-like entry stroke characteristic of the double-f opening seen in confirmed entries. Strong indicator favoring "ffrancis."
"Nicholas" requires a clear "h" ascender, typically taller than surrounding letters. Entry E lacks a clean ascender in the mid-word region, showing instead compressed, rounded strokes — the same shapes that appear in the "fra"/"ran" transitions of confirmed "ffrancis" entries. Moderate-to-strong indicator favoring "ffrancis."
"Nicholas" (Ni-cho-las) typically shows at least three rhythm breaks. Entry E is continuous and fluid with minimal segmentation, matching the flowing cursive pattern of "ffrancis" in confirmed entries. Moderate indicator favoring "ffrancis."
Ambiguous. Compatible with the collapsed "-cis" pattern seen in confirmed "ffrancis" entries. Weak-to-moderate indicator favoring "ffrancis."
| Feature | Supports "Nicholas" | Supports "ffrancis" |
|---|---|---|
| Initial letterform | Weak | Strong |
| Mid-body structure | Weak | Moderate-strong |
| Word segmentation | Weak | Moderate |
| Terminal formation | Neutral | Weak-moderate |
| Aggregate | Weak | Moderate-strong |
Across the entire reviewed corpus of approximately 950-1,350 entries: "Nicholas" appears as a father's name exactly once (this entry only); "Gorne" appears as a surname exactly once (this entry only); neither recurs anywhere in the register. By contrast, "ffrancis" tied to "Gurnie/Gurny" appears as a coherent recurring cluster across multiple pages spanning a decade. The entry is anomalous in precisely the two elements — father's name and surname — that would need to be misread for it to be a Francis Gurney baptism.44
Entry E (c.1609/10) may predate the September 1611 marriage by approximately 1-2 years. Demographic historians document that 20-30% of first-born children were conceived before marriage, with 3-5% born well before the ceremony — particularly where the couple was betrothed or cohabiting.45 Alternatively, the ±2-3 year dating margin means a post-marriage birth cannot be ruled out. Either scenario is consistent with John being Francis's son.
This entry is assessed as the probable baptismal record of John Gurney, son of Francis Gurney, at East Dereham, Norfolk, c.1609-1612. Professional paleographic examination of the physical register is recommended for definitive confirmation.
If John was born c.1609-1612 at East Dereham, he would have married Mary c.1630-1632 (age 18-23) and begun producing children in England before emigrating c.1638-1641. A systematic search of English parish baptismal records within 100 miles of London was conducted for children matching the known names and approximate birth dates.
John-1's children were compared against all Gurney baptisms found in English parishes. The strongest geographic match is Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire (Candidate C), where a father named John produced Richard (1626) and Sara (1634). However, no parish cluster produces all five target children (Sarah, Mary, Richard, John Jr., Peter) with a father named John and a mother named Mary.
An exhaustive England-wide search found ZERO Peter Gurney baptisms 1620-1645 in any Gurney family, any branch, any spelling variant. The name is completely foreign to the Gurney surname universe across 500 years of documented records. Peter almost certainly derives from wife Mary's family — a maternal grandfather, uncle, or godfather. Identifying Mary's maiden name and finding a "Peter" in her family would provide strong independent confirmation of John-1's origin.55
John-1 named no child Francis. In this period, naming the eldest son after the paternal grandfather was near-universal. Possible explanations include estrangement after emigration, negative associations with the name (Francis's financial ruin), or the naming priority being given to the maternal side (Richard possibly named for a Rybett/Rivett grandfather — the Rivett family included multiple Richards, including Richard Ryvett of Gressenhall22).
A John Gurney was apprenticed to the Haberdashers' Company in London in 1632. If John was born c.1609-1612, he would be 20-23 — perfect apprenticeship age. The detail record, which should name his father and home parish, has not yet been accessed. If it reads "Francis Gurney" the case is independently confirmed.
A John Gurney baptism at St Ann Blackfriars, London, on 13 March 1615, lists the father as "P Gurney." In early 17th-century handwriting, F and P are easily confused. The original register image has not been examined to determine whether the initial is actually F.
Ann Gurney married John Gilman, a worsted weaver, at Hingham, Norfolk, on 1 October 1626.33 Their children were baptized at West Dereham (1627, 1629) and Hingham (1631-1642).34 Ann was buried at Hingham on 23 November 1651.35
This connection is significant on multiple levels: Hingham was Gurney family territory — the manor of "Hingham Gurneys" was an ancient Gurney holding.36 The Gilmans were a Norfolk textile family — John Gilman was apprenticed as a worsted weaver, and his father Edward was a sherman (cloth trimmer).37 The West Dereham link — Ann's first two children were baptized at West Dereham, the same area where Francis Gurney's confirmed children were baptized. The New England connection — Ann and John Gilman's son John Jr. (baptized Hingham 1638) emigrated to New England, settling at Exeter, New Hampshire.38
The Pease genealogy identifies Ann as Francis Gurney's daughter from his first marriage.39 While no baptismal record has been found to confirm her parentage, the geographic, occupational, and chronological evidence is consistent with this claim.
| John Gurney | Location | Born/Active | Wife | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate B | East Dereham, Norfolk | c.1609-12 (probable) | — | PROBABLE MATCH (~55-60%) | Son of Merchant Taylor. Norfolk/London emigrant corridor. Financial motive. |
| Candidate A | Stewkley/Edlesborough, Bucks | 21 Feb 1602/3 | Alice Collindridge (m. 1620) | Unlikely (~8-10%) | Wife named Alice, not Mary. Son Jonathan born 1647 = father still in England.46 |
| Candidate C | Berkhamsted, Herts | Unknown | Unknown | Open (~3-5%) | Father of Richard (1626) and Sara (1634). No disqualifying evidence.47 |
| Eythorne, Kent | Kent | Active 1632-1648 | Mary Marsh (m. 1632) | ELIMINATED | Full 3-generation pedigree. Mary died childbirth 1641. John buried 1648.48 |
| Toddington, Beds | Bedfordshire | Active 1624-1630 | Elizabeth Moreton (m. 1624) | ELIMINATED | Wife Elizabeth, not Mary.49 |
| Earsham, Norfolk | Norfolk | Active 1632-1639 | Elizabeth Singler (m. 1632) | ELIMINATED | Wife Elizabeth. Yeoman. Will proved 1639.50 |
| Norwich (m. 1639) | Norfolk | Active 1639 | Jane Wright (m. 1639) | ELIMINATED | Wife Jane. Married 1639 = still in England. |
| Ackworth, Yorkshire | Yorkshire | Active 1636 | Mary Barton/Burton (m. 1636) | Very unlikely | Correct wife name but Yorkshire = far outside emigrant corridor. |
| Cheddington, Bucks | Bucks | Bapt. 5 Aug 1608 | — | ELIMINATED | Father Richard Gurney. Part of Isaac Gurney clan.51 |
| St Giles Cripplegate | London | Bapt. 14 Dec 1640 | — | ELIMINATED | Died age 2 days. Son of Francis B (the laceweaver).52 |
| Francis A ("Our Francis") | Francis B ("The Laceweaver") | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | West Barsham, Norfolk gentry | Unknown — Norwich plebeian |
| Trade | Merchant Taylor (freed 1606) | Laceweaver53 |
| London parish | St Benet Fink (1619-1637) | St Giles Cripplegate (1638-1640) |
| Norfolk parish | East Dereham (c.1608-1618) | Norwich, St Peter Mountergate |
| First wife | Margaret Rybett (m. 1611) | Unknown |
| Second wife | Anne Browning | Mary |
| Costessey property | NOT this Francis | Almost certainly THIS Francis |
| Death | 9 Jan 1646/7, St Botolph Bishopsgate54 | Unknown |
Francis was a Merchant Taylor. John Gurney-1 was a tailor. In the seventeenth century, trades passed overwhelmingly through family apprenticeship. No other identified candidate has any documented connection to the tailoring or textile trades.
Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and London constituted the geographic heart of both English Puritanism and the Great Migration to Massachusetts. Francis's world — Norwich, East Dereham, King's Lynn, London — maps precisely onto the emigration recruitment networks.31
This branch of the Gurney family had direct connections to Puritan emigration. Edmund Gurney (1577-1648), Francis's brother, was a Cambridge-educated militant Puritan.32 Their father Henry's 1614 will explicitly feared sons holding "fantastical or erronious opinions."33 Francis's parish of St. Benet Fink was immediately adjacent to the intensely Puritan Coleman Street Ward.34
Francis's 1634 sale of all lands left his older children with no inheritance prospect. A son John, trained in the textile trade but with no property to expect, had every reason to seek opportunity in New England.
| Candidate | Probability | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| B — Son of Francis & Margaret Rybett | ~55-60% | First marriage confirmed. East Dereham children confirmed. Entry E paleographic analysis favors "ffrancis." Gilman connection. Occupational match. Geographic corridor. Financial motive. |
| A — Stewkley, Bucks | ~8-10% | Wife Alice, not Mary. Jonathan 1647. Deep Bucks roots. |
| C — Berkhamsted, Herts | ~3-5% | 2/5 children match. Insufficient data. |
| Unknown other origin | ~27-34% | Reduced but still substantial. |
Daniel Gurney, The Record of the House of Gournay (London: J.B. Nichols and Sons, 1848; Supplement, 1858). The foundational work. Published in four parts. Daniel never found Francis's first marriage or wills.
Walter Rye, The Norfolk Antiquarian Miscellany (Norwich, 1877-1887). Identified a second Francis Gurney (laceweaver) at Norwich, resolving the Costessey confusion.
Charles E.G. Pease, "Descendants of William Gurney" (Pennyghael, 2021). Available at pennyghael.org.uk/Gurney.pdf. Source for the Margaret Ryvett claim, now confirmed.
Robert Charles Anderson, Great Migration Directory (2nd Ed., 2025). Not yet consulted. shop.americanancestors.org.
James Savage, A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (Boston, 1860-1862). Earliest comprehensive reference for John Gurney-1.
| # | Record | Archive / Reference | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francis / Margaret Rybett marriage, 23 Sept 1611 | NRO PD 12/1 | Parish register ★ |
| 2 | MT Company certificate, Francis admitted 1606 | MT Company; DG Record App. C | Certificate |
| 3 | East Dereham baptisms (John, Edward, Agnes, Marye) | NRO PD 86/41 | Parish register |
| 4 | Marye Gurnye baptism, 25 May 1618 | FHL Film 1951414 | Parish register |
| 5 | Ann Gurney / John Gilman marriage, 1 Oct 1626 | Hingham parish register | Parish register |
| 6 | Ann Gurney / Peter Woodcocke marriage, 8 Feb 1618/19 | West Dereham parish register (PD 192/2) | Parish register |
| 7 | Ann (Gurney) Gilman burial, 23 Nov 1651 | Hingham parish register | Parish register |
| 8 | Francis Gurney burial, 9 Jan 1646/7 | St Botolph Bishopsgate | Parish register |
| 9 | Heralds' Visitation of London, 1633 | College of Arms; DG Record | Visitation |
| 10 | Lestrange accounts | Hunstanton Hall; DG App. LXXXV | Financial |
| 11 | 1634 land sale | Court of Wards; DG App. C No. 2 | Legal |
| 12 | Rivett cluster: Garveston, Gressenhall, St Martin at Palace | FreeREG Norfolk searches | Parish registers |
| 13 | John Gurney, Haberdashers apprentice, 1632 | City of London records | Apprenticeship |
| 14 | Buckinghamshire Contributions for Ireland 1642 | BRS Vol. 21 | Tax assessment |
W.G. Davis, Ancestry of Abel Lunt (1963). • P. Laslett, World We Have Lost (1965). • Wrigley & Schofield, Population History of England (1981). • Fischer, Albion's Seed (1989). • Anderson, New England's Generation (1991). • Calder, New Haven Colony (1934). • Gibson & Dell, Protestation Returns (1995). • Rigler, "The Gurney Family" (1994).
Candidate B Case File V2 — March 2026. Supersedes V1. Prepared by Allen Lawrence Gurney with AI research assistance.