Sarah WILLIAMS, a Welsh lady from the borders of Shropshire and Montgomery

Hello all,

I am looking for some help with researching a Sarah WILLIAMS, about whom very little is known. I also realize she has a very common first and last name, so before I give up the search, I wanted to reach out to any researchers in or near Shropshire for assistance. I apologize for the rather lengthy explanation which follows, but feel it is important to share what I have done so far.  Thank you so much for those among taking the time and giving it some consideration.

Kristine

Sarah WILLIAMS was likely born in or near Shropshire, England, perhaps between 20 December 1789 and 20 December 1790, married the missionary George BARKER in London on 4 February 1815, moved to South Africa that same year, and died in childbirth on 20 December 1836 in Theopolis, South Africa. She had a friend, Elizabeth ROGERS, who also married a missionary and moved to South Africa. Elizabeth was likely born on 21 December 1788 in Shropshire, and married Joseph WILLIAMS16 January 1815 in London. 

Her husband, George BARKER, only once referred to her ancestry, when he wrote in his diary on 4 February 1815: "This day I entered into the solemn engagement of marriage, previous to my departure from my native land. The Lord having provided Sarah WILLIAMS, a native of Shropshire to be my companion in the arduous task before me."

A descendant of George and Sarah (WILLIAMS) BARKER later claimed that George BARKER "married Sarah WILLIAMS, a Welsh lady from the borders of Shropshire and Montgomery. She had an only brother, John. Their parents died while they were young."

Finally, evidence was found that suggests that Sarah WILLIAMS was related to Joseph WILLIAMS, who accompanied the BARKERs to South Africa in 1815. Not much is know about him either, except that he was probably born in 1780, He died 23 August 1818 in South Africa, leaving a widow, Elizabeth, née ROGERS, mentioned above. Both Sarah and Elizabeth were domestic servants in London before they married the two missionaries, George BARKER and Joseph WILLIAMS.

The London marriage license for George and Sarah only reveals that she was over 21 years old at the time of her marrige in 1815, and that was a member of the parish of Saint Olave Silver Street.

Her gravemarker in South Africa list her year of birth as 1790.

Using the online parish registers for Shropshire and Montgomeryshire, I was able to find 20 Williams families who had both a Sarah (born before January 1794) and a John (born within ten years of Sarah) among their children. Two of them especially looked promising (see below) but I have not (yet) been able to find out much more about these 2 families by using just the online resources that are available to me here in the US, so would love to hear about some other research suggestions that might help us find this "needle in a haystack."  Or are we most likely to never find out who her parents were?

Here is what I know thus far about the 2 famliies I started researching first:

A. Edward and Martha WILLIAMS in Llandyssil, Montgomeryshire, Wales

Edward and Martha WILLIAMS of Llandyssil [also Llandysul] parish in Montgomeryshire, Wales cannot yet be ruled out as potential parents of the Sarah WILLIAMS that we seek.

Edward WILLIAMS, a laborer, married Martha PARRY, a spinster, on 17 June 1789 in Buttington, Montgomeryshire, Wales.[1] Buttington was a village and parish at the river Severn river, less than three kilometers from Welshpool.[2]

Known children of Edward and Martha, all baptized in the parish of Llandyssil, also near the river Severn in Montgomeryshire, two miles south of Monthomery town:[3]

No burial records were found for Edwayd or Martha before 1815.[12] In early June 1841, a Martha WILLIAMS, a 75-year-old pauper, resided in the parish of Llandyssul with three children (perhaps her grandchildren) under the age of 12.[13] A Martha WILLIAMS, age not give, died in early 1841.[14]

No mathing burial record was found for either Sarah or John WILLIAMS.[15] A John WILLIAMS of the right age was found in the 1871 Wales census, residing in the city of Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, with his wife Martha, age 60, and a grandson, age 16.[16] A private census compiled in the 1860s perhaps describes the same John WILLIAMS at Park Lodge, who was married with three children, all out doing well, residing in a very tidy and comfortable place.[17]

B. Family of John and Margaret Williams of Whittington, Shropshire, England

We can most likely rule out John and Margaret WILLIAMS of Whittington, Shropshire at the potential parents for the Sarah WILLIAMS we are seeking, because both children named John died during infancy.

John WILLIAMS and Margaret CANDLIN were married on 9 October 1787 in Whittington Parish in Shropshire, England, in the presence of John ROGERS and John CANDLIN.  They were both members of Whittington parish.[18] They lived in the township of Daywell, about two miles Northeast of the town of Oswestry.[19] No burial information was found for either John or Margaret prior to 1815.[20]

Known children of John and Margaret, all baptized in Whittington parish: