Research Notes:

Family name also spelled MORTAR.

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In the matter of William's parents, a William Morter married Elizabeth Poyle in Marden on 31 Oct 1614. There are only two children of this couple recorded in the Marden parish register: Sibil (christened Sep 1615) and Susanne (christened 28 Dec 1617). Elizabeth wife of William Morter was buried in Marden on 14 Dec 1618. In the following year William Morter married Susan Provis in Marden on 13 Sep 1619. Their children, per the Marden parish register, were Robert (chr. 23 Jul 1626) and Anne (chr. 15 Aug 1630). In other words, seven years passed before a child of William Morter and Susan Provis appeared in the Marden register, perhaps due to being absent from the parish during that period. Whatever the reason, it seems likely William and Susan had another child or other children between 1619 and 1626. This is not evidence for William Morter (who married Dorothy Littleale) being the son of William and Susan, even though the Morter family have a history going back to at least the mid 1500s in Marden—there is a William Morter recorded in Marden who was the son of another William, christened on 30 May 1569. And insofar as onomastics can provide any leads, William and Dorothy had two daughters, the elder daughter, named Dorothy after her mother, and the younger daughter, named Susanna, perhaps after her paternal grandmother who, as 'Susanna wife of William Morter,' was buried in Marden on 15 Sep 1640.