Bennett Family Page
On 7 February 1815 at Swaffham Elizabeth BENNETT married William WARD. Elizabeth was a widow, having previously been married to John Simpson GODARD. The marriage lasted less than a year as John died and was buried at Swaffham on 10 May 1813. There were no children from that brief marriage. However Elizabeth's marriage to William produced 10 children (see Ward Family Page).
Elizabeth had been baptised 19 March 1797 at West Bradenham, Norfolk, the spurious child of Mary BENNETT an unmarried mother. Later that year on 23 October Mary married Thomas TWAITS of Elsing. It is not known if Thomas was the father of Elizabeth. Thomas and Mary had a further 9 children. (See Twaits Family Page)
Mary was born in 1772 at West Bradenham and baptised on 3 May that year. She was the daughter of Robert BENNETT and Mary TUDDENHAM. Robert had married Mary (transcribed in some records as TUDMAN) on 17 October at West Bradenham and I can find records for 6 children: Mary,then Ann baptised 26 November 1773, Robert baptised 24 November 1775, William Baptised 8 February 1778, John baptised 18 March 1781 and Elizabeth baptised 12 January 1788. Mary was buried at West Bradenham on 26 November 1819 and Robert was buried there on 7 February 1830
Robert BENNETT was baptised at Little Fransham on 15 November 1747 the son of Robert BENNETT and Anne DIXON. Robert was a widower and Ann a widow when they married at Hilborough on 29 Septeber 1740. Ann had previously been married to Thomas DIXON or DICKSON and he had died and was buried at Hilborough on 16 September 1736. When Ann married Robert the record stated that Robert was from Little Fransham but I believe he was baptised at Dereham on 21 April 1718, the son of Richard and Margaret. Robert and Anne had two daughters born to them before Robert: Mary baptised at Little Dunham on 7 February 1743 and buried at Great Dunham on 27 November 1745 and Elizabeth baptised at Little Fransham on 6 June 1744 and buried at Great Dunham on 2 December 1745. I do not know when Anne died, Robert was buried at Little Fransham on 12 October 1756.