If you note my surname below, then you pretty much have my connection and main interest in Devon. For many years now, my primary goal in Devon has been finding the ancestry of the following individual:

John Cann (s/o John Cann & Fancis Champion)
born: 1812 in Morchard Bishop, Devon
married: Sarah Bolt (1815-64) at unknown date or location
death: ca. 1895

What you are reading above is essentially all of the documented information that I have on him, and I have been trying for over two decades to reach back and find his ancestry. I have located his parents as noted above, but NAME ONLY and not even that much on anyone else in his ancestry.

Additionally, I have another well documented Cann line going back to Sir Thomas Cann in 16th century Bristol, and for several reasons I strongly feel that the above John Cann's ancestry will lead to that line of Canns but I cannot reliably document such a connection, at least not with the information that I have. In short, I am convinced they do connect, but cannot prove (or disprove) it without pushing John's ancestry back a few generations. Based on the 1851 census, John lived in Wallsworth, Gloucestershire not very far Bristol and among my Bristol ancestors who were by then scattered all over Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and the area, but this does not prove a family connection. I have found other evidence as well that suggests a possible family connection.

If anyone can provide any information or leads on pushing John's ancestry back a generation or two, I would be most grateful. This has become one of my "brick walls" after twenty years or so, and even if it DISproves his connection to what I call the "Bristol Canns" I would still love to go back another generation or two (or more?) if it is possible. I thank you in advance for any help or direction that is available out there.

David E. Cann