Ann Sproxton (1760 - 1838)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 4

Blake, King, Coleman, Pearce, Farmer, unknown, Lambden, Sarah (unknown), Knight, Ellis, Knight, Vincent, Vincent, Butt, Durnford, Arnold, Molton, Cotterel, Bartlett, Alderman, Ann (unknown), Sherwood, unknown, Habberfield, Collings, Rawlings, Tanner, Dove, Morgan, Lywood, Canham, unknown, Peck, Pincombe, Charley, Rowcliffe, Pearse, Rew, Moggridge, Siderfin, Kent, Gray, Hilton, Cobb, Sproxton, Routledge, Tweddle, Routledge, Routledge, (unknown) Buller, unknown, Beard, Hemsley, Welch, Brockhouse, Cheatle, Woodcock, unknown Taylor, unknown, Harborne, Lewis, Roberts, Croxall, Lawley, unknown

I have now reached the fourth week of the 52 Ancestor Challenge and still reporting in a timely fashion. My lecture now complete, my back very much on the mend, I can now settle back into my daily research pattern with one exception. Sitting is apparently the new smoking so I will get up every thirty minutes or so and do some exercise. Being a bit of an exercise fanatic anyway, that is not a problem! But coming up with so many exercise routines will be an interesting challenge in itself.

This week Ann Sproxton is my 4x great grandmother as are all the individuals in this 52 Ancestor Challenge. Ann was baptized 14 Sep 1760 at Great Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire. The knowledge of Ann goes back to our first time at Salt Lake City Family History Library and indeed our only time there thus far. The marriage registration for John Cobb and Ann Sproxton is dated 24 Nov 1782 at Lund, East Riding of Yorkshire and the priest obligingly wrote that Ann was born at Great Driffield and John born at Kilnwick (East Riding of Yorkshire).  I attach an image of their marriage registration:

 

Interestingly enough the x is written in such a way that it looks like a w and transcriptions of this marriage registration have read John Cobb and Ann Sprowston. This is the only Sprowston that I have ever found and it wasn't util I saw this marriage registration and realized that it read Sproxton that I was able to move back in time with Ann. The witnesses are John Wilson and Benjamin Cobb. Benjamin is likely the brother of John Cobb. 

Going to the Great Driffield parish registers which I could readily do at the FHL in Salt Lake City I found the baptism of Ann Sproxton 14 Sep 1760 and the daughter of Richard Sproxton and Ann Harland. Richard and Ann had been married 24 Dec 1753 at Great Driffield. They baptized four children at Great Driffield:

Daniel baptized 12 Mar 1754 (and about whom I know nothing more at the moment)
Richard baptized 10 Oct 1756 (married Frances Dent 12 Apr 1790 at Tunstall, ERY and they have three children Richard 1791, Francis 1794, and Ann 1797)
Ann baptized 14 Sep 1760
 Dyna baptized 22 Jun 1765

Richard was buried 3 May 1770 at Great Driffield and Ann 17 May 1797 was buried at Great Driffield. I continued following both lines back in the registers at the Family History Library and I will show this information at the bottom of the post.

Ann Sproxton and John Cobb baptized three children at Lund:

Elizabeth 24 Aug 1783 (my ancestor)
Ann 18 Mar 1791
John 18 Jan 1793

I have not been able to learn anything to date about Ann and John but will take a few moments now to look them up in Find My Past as I have not examined this family in a few years.

However, Elizabeth married Robert Gray 13 Jan 1806 at Lund and more on the Gray family another day but they baptized 9 children at Etton. Three of these children emigrated to Canada and one of them, Robert junior, is my 2x great grandfather and my second emigrant ancestor to come to Canada from England. He married a daughter of the first emigrants (and she herself was also an emigrant). One of their daughters, Grace Gray, was my first Canadian born ancestor. This is a very thin line as her son was my second Canadian born ancestor and my mother was my third Canadian born ancestor.

Back to John Cobb and Ann Sproxton and especially Ann. Ann was buried 21 May 1838 at Lund near Beverley (she outlived her daughter Elizabeth by 7 years and also lived long enough to see my ancestor Robert and his brother William depart for Canada around 1832). Realizing that I feel even more compelled to see about the other two children Ann and John siblings of Elizabeth.

This partial map of the East Riding of Yorkshire lets you see the location of the various parishes mentioned above and can be seen on the Genuki webpages:

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/Misc/Maps/ERYParishes.gif

I know from the Land Records that John Cobb farmed and paid rent of  5.5 pence to the Parish Church at Lund. His brother Benjamin had an ale house. John is in the land records into the 1830s at Lund although by 1837 the rent is paid for the late John Cobb perhaps by his wife as she is still alive at this time and this is of course Ann (Sproxton) Cobb.

In the burials for Lund, I found John son of John Cobb, labourer, buried 16 Jan 1803. Ann is  baptised as the daughter of John Cobb, Yeoman, 18 Mar 1791. There are a number of marriages for an Ann Cobb but difficult to determine if one of them is this Ann.

 Ahnentafel Chart for Ann Sproxton (abbreviated):
1 Ann Sproxton (1760-1838)

2 Richard Sproxton (1721-1770)
3 Ann Harland (1731-1797)

4 Richard Sproxton (1691-1768)
5 Dorothy English (1692-1772)
6 Timothy Harland (1674-1776)
7 Ann Wilkinson (-1761)

8 Richard Sproxton (1663-1774)
9 Margaret Garrit/Garratt (-1720)
10
11
12  John Harland
13
14
15

16 John Sproxton (c1630-1714)
17 Ann Simpson (-1708)
18
.....

33 John Sproxton (-1663)
34 Isobel (-1650)


Ann is my 4x great grandmother:

1. Elizabeth BLAKE
2. Helen Louise PINCOMBE (b 18 Oct 1916) - Westminster Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
3. John Routledge PINCOMBE (b 10 Sep 1872)- Lobo Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
4. Grace GRAY (b 22 Mar 1839) - London Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
5. Robert GRAY (b 3 Nov 1810) - Etton Yorkshire England
6. Elizabeth COBB (b 24 Aug 1783) - Lund near Beverley Yorkshire England
7. Ann SPROXTON (b 14 Sep 1760) - Great Driffield Yorkshire England
8. Richard SPROXTON (b 10 Oct 1721) - Hutton Cranswick Yorkshire England
9. Richard SPROXTON (b 2 Oct 1691) - Hutton Cranswick Yorkshire England
10. Richard SPROXTON (b 2 Aug 1663) - Hutton Cranswick Yorkshire England
11. John SPROXTON
12. John SPROXTON (d 21 Jul 1663) - Hutton Cranswick Yorkshire England


Prior to 1663 I do not have any information on this Sproxton family. In the records at Kew C 135/104/7 there is mention of a Post Mortem for William Sproxton or de Sproxton Yorkshire and 23 Edw III is 25 Jan 1349 to 24 Jan 1350. Three hundred years earlier there was a Sproxton in Yorkshire so all rather interesting but is this the same family? There was also a Sproxton Leicestershire which occurs in the records and could this family have taken their name from that place. A mystery and perhaps next time at Salt Lake City will have a look.

Also in the reign of Edward I, Robert de Sproxton Post Mortem C 133/88/3.

According to the National Archives there are 4 records 1000-1099, 9 records 1200-1299 and 11 records 1300-1399. With the earliest records being in the Domesday Book. Sprostune being in North Yorkshire in the Domesday Book.

Last Lecture

Today is my last lecture - the very last. I find that I do not like to be tied down to a particular time and place any longer. In retirement one craves flexibility so that you can wake up each morning and do the things that are most important in your life. My last commitment will be in 2017 when my husband and are our treasurer for the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference held in Ottawa, Canada. Between now and then I shall be stepping down from any other commitments.

This is the year of my 70th birthday and I can see that I will try to dedicate the next decade to my personal genealogy and travel to places that will aid that desire. Along with that I will be traveling to the places that my husband will find helpful for his genealogical research.

In the next newsletter for the Guild I will annouce that I am stepping down as Regional Representative for the Guild in Eastern Canada and from the National Representative for the Guild in Canada. In the August newsletter for The Surname Society I will announce that I would like to step down with the beginning of the 3rd year of the Society or earlier if someone wants to take on this very interesting journal. With that my commitments are trivial in comparison - on line parish clerk for Bishops Nympton and Winterbourne Clenstone. They are positions that I can do the work in conjunction with my own research. They do not involve travel unless I want to travel and they do not involve my having to deal with management of stands, etc.

That being said, I am much improved and will be back at transcription this next week coming hoping to start blogging again by the first of February.

Henry Routledge (1720 - 1764)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 3

Blake, King, Coleman, Pearce, Farmer, unknown, Lambden, Sarah (unknown), Knight, Ellis, Knight, Vincent, Vincent, Butt, Durnford, Arnold, Molton, Cotterel, Bartlett, Alderman, Ann (unknown), Sherwood, unknown, Habberfield, Collings, Rawlings, Tanner, Dove, Morgan, Lywood, Canham, unknown, Peck, Pincombe, Charley, Rowcliffe, Pearse, Rew, Moggridge, Siderfin, Kent, Gray, Hilton, Cobb, Sproxton, Routledge, Tweddle, Routledge, Routledge, (unknown) Buller, unknown, Beard, Hemsley, Welch, Brockhouse, Cheatle, Woodcock, unknown Taylor, unknown, Harborne, Lewis, Roberts, Croxall, Lawley, unknown

From early childhood I can remember hearing about the Routledge family. My mother's paternal grandmother (deceased before she was born) was Grace Gray daughter of Robert Gray and Elizabeth Mary Ann Routledge or Mary Routledge as she was mostly known although on baptisms also referred to as Mary Ann Routledge. Mary had come to Canada as a child of fourteen with her parents (Thomas Routledge and Elizabeth Routledge), her six brothers (one was her twin Allan and the others Henry, George, William, Thomas and Joseph), her two sisters (Margaret and Grace) and her sister Grace's husband  George Arthur Kennedy and their two sons George and Robert. They are believed to have traveled together (a group of fourteen) but to date I have not yet found any trace of their voyage from Parkhead Farm near Bewcastle, Cumberland to London Township. I do know that they received land from Colonel Thomas Talbot in London Township. But Henry Routledge takes me back another generation. He was the father of Thomas Routledge.

I have a number of Routledge lines and will blog about three of them in this 52 ancestor Challenge. Both Thomas Routledge, son of Henry, and Elizabeth Routledge descended from the same Routledge "clan" in Bewcastle that being the Oakshaw Routledge Family. Thomas and Elizabeth were likely 2nd cousins once removed.

Henry Routledge married Margaret Tweddle (and given the family lore that this family always married cousins I have not yet been able to determine if there were Routledge Tweddle marriages prior to this time) and more on Margaret when it is her turn to be written up in this 52 ancestor Challenge. They were married 3 Oct 1759 at Lanercost (13.5 kilometres from Bewcastle). Henry and Margaret baptized three children (one posthumously after Henry's death):

William baptized 15 Jan 1761 at Bewcastle and buried there 9 Apr 1772
Thomas baptized 25 Jul 1763 at Bewcastle and died 29 Nov 1844 at Hyde Park, Middlesex Co, Canada West
Margaret baptized 7 Jun 1765 at Lanercost  (possibly buried by 1773)

Henry died suddenly in December 1764 and his widow applied for administration of his estate. The administration papers only mention his wife Margaret and her likely brother Thomas Tweddle or Ringing Hills and a cousin William Armstrong of Askerton. At that time the family was living at Borderigg. Margaret signs as "Margaret Routledg." He has left a large herd of cattle and sheep, horses, farming implements as well as stored grains. No land is mentioned and the furniture mentioned includes parlour, kitchen, upstairs room.

It is still unknown whether Margaret remarried but in 1772 William her eldest son is buried at Bewcastle and possibly Margaret her daughter is buried in 1773 at Lanercost. Thomas married Elizabeth Routledge 23 Jun 1785 at Bewcastle.

Information on Henry Routledge:

He is mentioned in the will of  Archibald Forrester (Cleughside, Bewcastle) probated in 1767 whose wife Grace may have been married earlier to a Routledge as she has a son John Routledge. Also mentioned is Henry Routledge of Borderrigg, deceased, father of three children. Another Henry Routledge is mentioned as the son of Mary Routledge, widow, and she has other children mentioned namely, Adam, Grace, John, Mary and this Mary lives at Crossgreens or Strandsheads.

From the Bewcastle Parish Registers, Henry son of William of Yakeshaw (Oakshaw) was baptized 30 Jul 1720. Also baptized to William of Yakeshaw/Akshaw:

Mary 23 Mar 1709
Thomas 21 Sep 1712
Margaret 6 Feb 1715
Dorothy 3 Jan 1717 (buried 22 Dec 1728)
William 14 Mar 1726
William 1 Jul 1727 (buried 29 Dec 1728)

William Routledge married Grissell Routledge in 1704 (day and month missing) and it is unknown if Grissell was a widow.


William is possibly the William Routledge buried at Bewcastle and died 19 Aug 1744 aged 61 years (birth year would be 1683).

Much of the Routledge work has been done by others - Bobbie Jean Hooser has led a Routledge research group with others, Thomas Routledge in England has recreated the Routledge Clan.

I note that the lineage I have back from William is definitely incorrect so will make those changes.

The Dodgson Manuscript does not mention this William Routledge at Oakshaw/Yakeshaw/Akshaw in the same time period as John and Thomas who are mentioned. John and Thomas are sons of William Routledge who resided at Akeshaw or Oakshaw conveyed the Flatt Estate to his son John Routledge in 1700. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rutledge/DodgsonManuscript.htm

Since John and Thomas were both likely older than this William and William, at that time, would have been just 17 years old he is just perhaps not mentioned. But one can not assume that he was a son of this William. Later when I look at George Routledge (another of my lines) then I do find this George also of Oakshaw mentioned in the Dodgson Manuscript but that is with respect to his second marriage (not the mother of my Elizabeth Routledge).

The Manor Papers would likely assist with placing this William and that must likely wait for those items to become available online. Although I do do transcription for my cousin Thomas I have not yet had anything that connects this family with the lines mentioned in his work or the Dodgson Manuscript.

In Canada only one of the six brothers married and had children, George Routledge (baptized 30 May 1792 at Bewcastle) married Jane Summers in 1821 in London Township, Middlesex County, Upper Canada. They had nine children and descendants of this family can be found in Canada today. There was another Routledge family living in Westminster Township, Middlesex County but their ascendancy beyond coming up from the USA is unknown to me at this time. But they did not claim kinship with each other to my knowledge.

Why did the Routledge family come to Canada in 1818? I used to ask my mother that and she used to say it was because of the Border Wars but I wonder was it because neither Thomas nor Elizabeth had any siblings left in 1818 (Elizabeth had half siblings) and they had this huge family. Did they know of Thomas Talbot before they came, he gave them a lot of land? Was Thomas in the military, he was a civil engineer? All questions that I have not yet been able to answer. He did not work as an engineer in Canada; he farmed all of the rest of his life. Certainly they came to stay in Canada and be part of the British Empire. That was a strong theme in my family; this concept of Canada just being another part of England. In this generation I notice I do not think of that anymore. I wonder how to keep the heritage of my English ancestry alive for my children and grandchildren. I must create a heritage folder for the future for them so that my history (now just 1/4 of my grandchildren's heritage) is not lost to them as time passes.

That is what I most think about these days is my legacy to my grandchildren in terms of their history. My husband has an extensive tree to pass on (over 80,000) but mine is still just around six thousand although added to that the sixteen thousand French Canadian ancestors/cousins on their father's side!

Working on Henry has made me realize that my connection beyond William can not be substantiated so the lineage for Henry is rather short:

Thomas ROUTLEDGE line
1. Elizabeth BLAKE
2. Helen Louise PINCOMBE (b 18 Oct 1916) - Westminster Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
3. John Routledge PINCOMBE (b 10 Sep 1872)- Lobo Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
4. Grace GRAY (b 22 Mar 1839) - London Township Middlesex County Ontario Canada
5. Elizabeth Mary Ann ROUTLEDGE (b 1804 and b 23 Jun 1813) - Bewcastle Cumberland England
6. Thomas ROUTLEDGE (b 25 Jul 1763) - Bewcastle Cumberland England
7. Henry ROUTLEDGE (b 30 Jul 1720) - (Akeshaw) Bewcastle Cumberland England
Henry's father's line:
8. William ROUTLEDGE (b 1683) - (Akeshaw) Bewcastle Cumberland England
Henry's mother's line:
8. Grissel ROUTLEDGE

Did a little searching and found in the Catalogue of Howard Family Papers (HNP C239/14) 6 March 1783 a Margaret Routledge of Brampton, widow, and Margaret Routledge, spinster, her daughter being given a mortgage of Wallholme for 80 pounds from William Routledge of Brackenhall, Arthuret, gent. Then same day HNP C239/15 Copy of admittance on the surrender of William Routledge of Margaret Routledge the elder and Margaret Routledge the younger to Wallholme. The documents continue to mention these three Routledges. In 1792 William is deceased and his widow Isabella and daughter Deborah Routledge of Reading are mentioned.

I also found the following which is very interesting:

Bewcastle, Park Head Farm, property of the countess of Carlisle

HNP C197
HNP C197/1 15 April 1811
Admittance of Richard Routledge.

HNP C197/3 24 June 1817
Agreement between Thomas Routledge of the one part and Richard Routledge of the other part.

HNP C197/4 7 July 1817
Indenture of release of equity of redemption made between the said Thomas Routledge of the one part and the said Richard Routledge of the other part.

HNP C197/5 6 October 1817
Admittance of the said Richard Routledge

This is the Farm where I last find my ancestor Thomas before coming to Canada and it would appear that he was clear of this property in October 1817. Their actual arrival date is unknown but they appear to still be in Bewcastle in the winter of 1817/1818 coming in the spring or summer as they are known to be in London Township in late Fall of 1818.

Richard and John Routledge are mentioned in a letter that George Routledge wrote to Archibald Armstrong. A blog refers to this letter:

 http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/03/routledge-letter-from-george-routledge.html

Also in the Howard Papers:

Walholme

HNP C239

 HNP C239/1

8 October 1657

Conveyance of a mortgage on messuages and a farmhold in the poseession of Thomas Rowtledge at Walholme. Christopher Bell of Thropp, yeoman, to the said Thomas Rowtledge of Bewcastle, gent.

HNP C239/2

16 March 1661

Grant of Walholme. Thomas Rowtledge of Bewcastle, gent. to John Bell of the Tryermaine, yeoman.

HNP C239/3

8 March 1673 Grant of the above. John Bell of Cleughead, yeoman, late of Tryermaine, to John Routledge of Ayckshawe, Bewcastle, yeoman.

HNP C239/4

14 March 1673

Grant of the tenant right of Walholme. Henry Dacre of Lanercost, esq., and Margaret his wife to John Routledge of Ayckshawe, yeoman.

HNP C239/5

14 March 1673

Bond of Henry Dacre to keep the covenants in the above indenture.

HNP C239/6

14 March 1673

Grant of tithes arising from Walholme and Gunshole. Henry Dacre and Margaret his wife to John Routledge.

HNP C239/7

14 March 1673

Bond of Henry Dacre to keep the covenants in 6.

HNP C239/8

30 April [1673]

Copy of the admittance of John Routledge of Ayckshaw to Wallholme late in the occupation of John Bell of Cleughhead. 30 April 25 Charles II

HNP C239/9

12 May [1675]

Copy of the admittance of Adam Routledge, son of Thomas Routledge and next heir of John Routledge, to Wallholme, ancient rent 4d. 12 May 27 Charles II.

HNP C239/9

12 May [1675]

Copy of the admittance of Adam Routledge, son of Thomas Routledge and next heir of John Routledge, to Wallholme, ancient rent 4d. 12 May 27 Charles II.

HNP C239/10

29 October 1688

Copy of the admittance of William Routledge as brother and heir of Adam Routledge, deceased, to Wallholme.

HNP C239/1 1

4 November 1702

Conveyance of the title to Wallholme. Christopher Bell of Wallholme to Thomas Bell of the same, yeoman.

HNP C239/12

23 May 1733

Receipt for 6s. 8d. fine due for Wallholme from Mr. Routledge, signed S.M. Appelby.

HNP C239/13

4 August 1764

Mortgage of Wallholme for £300. William Routledge of Oakshaw, Bewcastle, gent., to Daniel Pattinson of Long Newton in the parish of Abbyholme. [This money was paid to Pattinson's heir at law by William Routledge on 1 January 1780.]

HNP C239/14

6 March 1783

Mortgage of Wallholme for £80. William Routledge of Brackenhall, Arthuret, gent., to Margaret Routledge of Brampton, widow, and Margaret Routledge, spinster, her daughter.

HNP C239/15

6 March 1783

Copy admittance on the surrender of William Routledge of Margaret Routledge the elder and Margaret Routledge the younger to Wallholme.

HNP C239/16

26 March 1789

Abstract of title of William Routledge to Wallholme and tithes. Only folio 12 survives.

HNP C239/17

3 April 1789

Mortgage of tithes for the remainder of a term of 999 years for £30. William Routledge of Oakshaw, gent. to John Mitchinson of Rickergate, gent.

HNP C239/18

13 July 1789

Conveyance of the tithes. (1) John Mitchinson (2) William Routledge (3) Edward Knight of Carlisle, innkeeper. For £30. 8s. 0d. paid to Mitchinson, and £49. 12s. 0d. paid to Routledge.

HNP C239/19

13 July 1789

Conveyance of Wallholme for £684. (1) Margaret Routledge of Brampton, widow, and Margaret Routledge her daughter of the same, spinster (2) William Routledge, gent. (3) Edward Knight. £604 paid to William Routledge and £80 to the mother and daughter.

 

Walholme/Wallholme from a rather ancient map is said to be located in the settlement of Watertown

http://placenames.org.uk/browse/mads/epns-deep-20-d-mappedname-000774

 which is one of the four townships of Lanercost. The Oakshaw Routledge family appears to be involved with Walholme/Wallholme and who is Margaret Routledge of Brampton, widow and daughter Margaret Routledge. in 1789 Margaret, the daughter, would have been 24 years of age if the sister of Thomas.

A Thomas Routledge of Oakshaw had sons John, Adam and William. This is perhaps Thomas Routledge married to Isobell Nixon 19 Nov 1667 at Bewcastle with daughters Jennett and Mary as well. This is the suspected father of my William but no proof to connect them at this stage. A rather interesting set of documents.

Surnames and Locations Studies

When I agreed to talk last summer (before I hurt my back), the thought was to show a presentation by the Guild on YouTube and then be ready to answer questions. About the same time I had become involved in The Surname Society which was founded by a number of enthusiastic genealogists around the globe (and truly we live in four different countries in total). I had agreed to do the newsletter. I felt great enthusiasm for the group partly because the Guild was being ripped apart by dissension over how to expand in a meaningful way and widen the umbrella. Since then I have done a survey of Guild Members in Canada and discovered that they felt much the same way as I did. That the Guild is really super the way that it is, not to change it too much and forge ahead. This new Society would permit some of the deviations that were desired within the Guild and I continue a member of both. I gradually thought that my talk should really just be about surnames and locations studies. I feel somewhat limited because I mostly only look at England as my ancestors way back in time are all English. Gradually I can see my Scot line developing, a couple of Huguenot lines and perhaps even a German line. Tentatively in my mind I am also pencilling in the possibility of an Irish line. Although that does broaden my horizons somewhat, my yDNA and mtDNA tell me that my two lines, in that regard, are ancient to the British Isles so for the most part I still sound like I am mostly British Isles.

I have now put together 46 slides which I shall work away at all week to see if I can get them to evolve into an interesting and informative talk. This really is my last talk. I find it very time consuming to prepare talks and it takes away from my research time. As I have been preparing this talk I also realize that in my June newsletter to the Guild Members in Canada East I will be announcing my resignation as Canada East Regional Representative and as National Representative for the Guild. Although I am not spending a lot of time on either, I think that if I do step down then someone who has the interest in taking the Guild about to Conferences will come forward.

I am enthusiastic about the Society of one place studies but haven't really had a chance to spend time on Upper Clatford and Bishops Nympton pages. I want to add free standing pages to our website that can be accessed from the profile pages for those two items. Also more information up for a Blake standalone page.

Joseph Blake (1730 - 1767)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 2

Blake, King, Coleman, Pearce, Farmer, unknown, Lambden, Sarah (unknown), Knight, Ellis, Knight, Vincent, Vincent, Butt, Durnford, Arnold, Molton, Cotterel, Bartlett, Alderman, Ann (unknown), Sherwood, unknown, Habberfield, Collings, Rawlings, Tanner, Dove, Morgan, Lywood, Canham, unknown, Peck, Pincombe, Charley, Rowcliffe, Pearse, Rew, Moggridge, Siderfin, Kent, Gray, Hilton, Cobb, Sproxton, Routledge, Tweddle, Routledge, Routledge, (unknown) Buller, unknown, Beard, Hemsley, Welch, Brockhouse, Cheatle, Woodcock, unknown Taylor, unknown, Harborne, Lewis, Roberts, Croxall, Lawley, unknown

This week's ancestor challenge is one of my great finds. I could remember my Grandfather talking about his ancestral line and knew my way backwards from his father Edward to his father John to his father Thomas and then I thought I remembered that his father was Joseph. But I wasn't sure. I bought the parish register fiche for Upper Clatford (and Andover, Abbots Ann, and Kimpton) in 2008 but prior to that I had found on the BVRII from the LDS that there was a Joseph Blake married to a Joanna King  8 Jun 1757 at Upper Clatford. This was the only Blake marriage at Upper Clatford in this time frame and my grandfather thought his families had been at Upper Clatford for a very very long time. In essence he was correct some of his lines have been in the Upper Clatford area for centuries and centuries back to the beginning of the parish registers there.

However the LDS didn't at that time carry all the Andover information for the children of the children of Joseph and Joanna. Buying the parish records for Upper Clatford was such a good idea. I found my Grandfather's baptism (including his date of birth although I already owned the birth registration anyway) readily but did not find my father's which was a surprise although in retrospect I could remember that my father had said he was baptized at Kimpton (and it was there in the records in 1904). I also found the baptism for Edward my great grandfather in 1845, then his father John's baptism in 1798. Then back to 1767 for the baptism of Thomas - John's father. Thomas was baptized posthumously as his father died five months earlier and just two weeks apart from his son Thomas who was then six years old. Now that was a surprise as Grandpa had not mentioned that I am fairly sure. He had mentioned a number of baby deaths in Thomas' children and that had stuck in my mind. So probably he did not know that there had been two babies named Thomas.

Back to Joseph and the reward for buying the parish register fiche was discovering that Joseph Blake was of Andover as noted by the priest and not of the parish of Upper Clatford (Joanna was the daughter of Thomas King and baptized at Upper Clatford but more on Joanna later). One has to be quite careful with this Joseph Blake. There was a Joseph Blake in this time frame who was educated at Oxford and I knew that this was not my Joseph although they shared a similar time frame and location and eventually I discovered they had common ancestry several generations back.

I learn a little about Joseph from Thomas King's will in 1762:

In the Name of God Amen. I Tho[ma]s King of

Upp[er] Clatford in the county of Southampton, Farmer being sick and weak in

Body but of sound and perfect mind and memory do this twenty ninth day of September

in the year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and sixty two make and

ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner following. ....And as for my temporal 

Estate I give and Bequeath in manner following

Item I give and Bequath to Mary Blake – daughter of John Blake of Abbotts

Ann malster one guinea Item to Tho[ma]s Blake son of Joseph Blake of

Upp[er] Clatford Six and thirty shillings Item to Ann Blake Daughter of the

said Joseph Blake Six and Thirty Shillings to be paid by my Executor

herein after named within one month after my decease All the rest of my

estate with Reall and personal goods Chattels stock and household there of what

nature or kind soever or thereever I give to my son in Law Joseph Blake

and I do  nominate and appoint the said Joseph Blake sole Executor of this

my Last Will and Testament. And so revoke all former Wills by me heretofore

made and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament in Witness thereof

I the said Thomas King have hereunto set my hand and seal the day

and year first above Written   The mark of  X Tho[ma]s King

Signed ......                                             

[signed] William Deo

[signed] Richard Gould

[signed] Jos[eph] Niends                                           

The 15^th Day of March 1763

Joseph Blake the Sole Executor named in the above written Will ....

Thomas only mentions one of his two grandchildren in the will. Thomas is an infant at the time of writing (the first Thomas who died in 1767). A number of people connect to this first Thomas even though they have his death date in 1767. Some have written to me and I have given them the correct linkage. I wonder if it is because he wants to remember both of his grand daughters and more on that towards the end of this story.

Thomas also only mentions his son in law although his daughter Joanna is living and will have three more children.  His daughter Mary was married to John Blake and she was buried at Abbots Ann. The memorial stone is very difficult to read and her burial was in February but the year is not distinct. However he didn't mention his daughter Joanna who was alive so not particularly illuminating. 

Thomas King was married to Mary Carter and the parents of Joseph were Thomas Blake and Ann Carter. Research on the Carter family has led me to Richard Carter and Elizabeth Musprett who married 4 Aug 1701 at Andover and baptized two daughters at Andover Mary 27 Feb 1711 and Ann 18 Nov 1713. Although the distance between Upper Clatford and Andover is short the Blake family lived at the north end of Andover closest to Penton Mewsey and one wonders how they all met in retrospect. John Blake was in Abbots Ann before he married Mary King although they married at Upper Clatford as well 15 Dec 1753. What prompted these two Blake males to marry the daughters of Thomas and Mary Carter at Upper Clatford?  John was older than Joseph; probably born around 1714 and likely the son of Robert Carter and Elizabeth Russell of Abbots Ann (formerly of Penton Mewsey and before that Andover!). 

Joseph was baptized 21 Oct 1730 at Andover the son of Thomas Blake and Ann Carter who were themselves married 8 Dec 1728 at Penton Mewsey. I have struggled with this set of marriage lines but now feel confident for reasons outlined earlier in my blog that indeed Joseph's father Thomas is the Thomas who married Ann Carter. In 1734 the infant Thomas Blake (son of Thomas and Ann Blake) and his mother Ann are buried at Penton Mewsey the 22 Dec 1734 and the 20 Dec 1734 respectively. The baptism of Thomas Blake (father of Joseph) was 4 May 1709 at Andover the son of Thomas Blake and Mary Spring and they were married 6 Nov 1708 at Andover and Thomas is the only child baptized to them. Thomas (father of Thomas) was buried 29 Jan 1714 at Andover and Mary (Spring) Blake was buried 2 Apr 1734 also at Andover. It is curious that Ann and Thomas were buried at Penton Mewsey but perhaps There is a Blake plot there although the parish registers do not go back this far unfortunately. Thomas (buried 1714) was baptized 21 Feb 1685 at Andover. His parents were John and Elizabeth Blake (Elizabeth's birth surname is unknown even after eight years of searching for it) and their marriage is not in the parish registers for Andover (likely they married around 1683/4 as their first child was baptized 6 Feb 1684 and buried 15 Feb 1684 at Andover (old calendar). John\s baptism was recorded by his father William 10 May 1649 in the Andover Parish Registers but this Blake family lived at Penton Mewsey. John was the second son of William Blake and Ann Hellier who were married 5 Sep 1644 at Andover. The older brother William remains unknown at this time but could he be the father of Robert Blake who married Elizabeth Russell at Andover 15 Jul 1694?

I had not thought of that before so is a new avenue to explore for the Blake family at Abbots Ann. 

Joseph died young at 37 years of age just  two weeks before his son Thomas who had been baptized 29 Mar 1761 at Upper Clatford. No mention of the cause of death for either of them but there were measles epidemics at this time in Upper Clatford as mentioned in the story on John Coleman. 

My ancestry including Joseph Blake:

1. Elizabeth BLAKE
2. Ernest Edward George BLAKE (b 2 Oct 1904) - Eastleigh Hampshire England
3. Samuel George Blake (b 10 Feb 1875) - Upper Clatford Hampshire England
4. Edward Blake (b 2 Jan 1845) - Upper Clatford Hampshire England
5. John BLAKE (b 25 Feb 1799) - Upper Clatford Hampshire England
6. Thomas BLAKE (b 25 Oct 1767) - Upper Clatford Hampshire England
7. Joseph BLAKE (b 21 Oct 1730) - Andover Hampshire England
8. Thomas BLAKE (b 4 May 1709) - Andover Hampshire England
9. Thomas BLAKE (b 21 Feb 1685) - Andover Hampshire England
10. John BLAKE (b 10 May 1649) - Andover Hampshire England
11. William BLAKE (b 9 Aug 1615) - Andover Hampshire England
12. William BLAKE (b c 1580s) - Andover Hampshire England
13. Richard BLAKE (b c 1550s) - Eastontown Hampshire England
14. William BLAKE (b c 1510s - 1520s) - Knights Enham Hampshire England
15. Nicholas BLAKE (b c 1490s) - Knights Enham Hampshire England
16. Richard BLAKE (husband of Jone who left a will in 1527 naming her children and his will of 1522) - Knights Enham Hampshire England
17. Robert BLAKE (left his will in 1521, he was elderly, possibly b c 1450s)  - Enham Hampshire England