Lomas Genealogy

27 Jul 1730 at Droitwich, parents James and Elizabeth.
m 12 Aug 1750 at Shenstone, Staffs to John Pheasant.
d 28 Jul 1788 at Shenstone.

When she married in 1750, her name was given as Elizabeth Turley, but I have been unable to find the baptism of an appropriate Elizabeth Turley. I am fairly sure her parents were James Tolly and Elizabeth, and that from 1731 onwards the family was living in Thornes, near Shenstone, Staffs, where her sisters Ester b 19 Mar 1731, Ann b 27 Oct 1733 and Hannah b 19 May 1735 were born.

There is however no trace in Shenstone of an Elizabeth Turley between 1720 and 1732: her marriage date of 1750 determines the date of birth range. It is most likely that she was been born elsewhere and then moved to the Shenstone area. There are not many candidate Elizabeth Turleys, although there are various Turley/Tolley/Turner families in Worcestershire.

Possible candidates are:

• Elizabeth Turner b 19 Dec 1725 at Sedgley, about 15m SW of Shenstone, but the parents' names were Abishai and Alice, and there is no trace of this family in the Shenstone area where "our" Elizabeth married in 1750.
• Elizabeth Thorley, b 15 Apr 1727 at Hanbury, father Joseph (33 m N Shenstone). Same problem as above.
• Elizabeth Tolly b 27 Jul 1730, father James, at Saint Peter, Droitwich, Worcester (30m SW Shenstone). This is a possibility, although the timing is tight, as her "sister" Esther was born 19 Mar 1731, so just 8 months later and 30 miles away in Shenstone.
• Elizabeth Tolley b 21 Feb 1725, at Bromsgrove, Worcester (25m S Shenstone), father James mother Elizabeth. She was originally my first choice, but unfortunately she died 30 May 1726!

If we stay with the premise that her parents were James Tolly and Elizabeth, the only remaining candidate is Elizabeth Tolly born 1730 at Droitwich.

Difficult to find a suitable marriage for her parents. One candidate was a James Tolly, who married Elizabeth Dodons 2 Jun 1726 at Old Swinford, Worcester. This is about 15 N south of Droitwich and 21m SW of Shenstone. However, all their children up to 1736 were born at Old Swinsford, so this can't be them.

A second candidate is the James Tolly who married Elizabeth Randle 22 Sep 1716 in Kidderminster, about 11m N of Droitwich, while a third and most promising candidate a James Tolly who married an Elizabeth 22 Jan 1719 at Elmbridge, Worcs (3m N Droitwich). Both the 1716 and 1719 wedding dates are a long time from the 1730 birth date, although they did though have another child James in 1721. The gap between James b1721 and Elizabeth b1730 is quite long, but the fact that the children's names were the same as their parents is comforting.

There are also other Tolley families in Ombersley, namely James and Lydia, and James and Pheby.

Conclusions: Elizabeth Tolly, b 27 Jul 1730 at Droitwich, parents James Tolly and Elizabeth, who married 22 Jan 1719 at Elmbridge, Worcs.