Monday, October 31, 2011

Will of Abraham Pincombe of Stoke Damerel (dated 26 Apr 1830 (probated 5 Dec 1831)) - Source: Inland Revenue Wills p. 882

The will of Abraham Pincombe is the second last of my cache of Pincombe wills (other than those of my 2x great grandfather and great grandfather and the administration for my grandfather which I have not yet published). I need to verify the transcription of these three other wills and will in due course publish them as well but the wills I have thus far completed are all wills published in England.

Abraham Pincombe allows me to identify him fairly closely by the entries in his will. Looking at the chart prepared by the earlier Pincombe researchers he is Abraham Pincombe baptized 30 May 1764 at Stoke Damerel and a quick check of Find My Past locates the burial for Abraham Pincombe as 4 Dec 1831 at 66 years of age. The earlier chart lists the parents of this Abraham as Abraham Pincombe and Mary (no surname) who were married before the 12th April 1750. This Abraham was said to be the son of Silas Richard Pincombe and Hannah. An interesting website traces the Pincombe family at Northlew:

http://www.speare.org.uk/pincombe_family_of_northlew.htm

This website identifies the descendants of Abraham Pincombe bc 1727; buried 23 Jun 1799 at Northlew Devon and his wife Mary whom he married by 1749 and she was buried 10 Aug 1773 at Northlew. Their children weere: Abraham Pincombe baptized 12 Apr 1750 (buried 16 Oct 1753 in Northlew), Elizabeth Pincombe baptized 30 Sep 1752; buried 27 Dec 1753 in Northlew, Abraham Pincombe baptized 23 Sec 1754; buried 28 Feb 1762 at Northlew, Elizabeth Pincombe baptized 20 Feb 1759 at Northlew, Thomas Pincombe baptized 6 Apr 1761 at Northlew and died Sep quarter 1841 at Northlew, and  Abraham Pincombe baptized 30 May 1764 and buried 5 Dec 1831 at Plymouth.

The website identifies the sons of Thomas as Abraham, John, Thomas, William and Stephen. The progeny of William Pincombe is then followed in this chart.

The will mentions only Abraham, Thomas, William and Stephen as sons of Thomas, brother of Abraham (the testator). He also mentions Elizabeth the wife of John Dennis but a search of the IGI, Find my Past and other databases does not reveal if this is his sister Elizabeth or a niece Elizabeth. The same is true of Agnes married to Thomas Curtis. I do not know if there is any relationship between Agnes and Abraham Pincombe although they are named executors.

The will of Abraham Pincombe (probate to follow when I am satisfied with the transcription :) ):

Recorded: 31 Oct 2011
Source: Inland Revenue Wills - p 882
Place: Stoke Damerel, Devon, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 26 Apr 1830 (probated 5 Dec 1831)
Condition: photocopy, light, modern English writing
Type: four pages - Original will (2 pages) and Probate (3 pages)


1 This is the last Will and Testament of me Abraham Pincombe
2 of the parish of Stoke Damerel in the County of Devon Gentleman made
3 the twenty sixth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
4 hundred and thirty First I desire and my Will is that my body be decently interred
5 at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named I give unto my nephew Joseph
6 Pincombe the sum of Nineteen Guineas of lawful money current in Great
7 Britain to be paid to him within three months after my decease I give unto Elisabeth
8 Dennis the wife of John Dennis of Northlew in the said County the sum of ten
9 pounds of like lawful money to be paid to her within three months after my
10 decease I give unto Abraham Pincombe William Pincombe Thomas Pincombe
11 and Stephen Pincombe sons of my brother Thomas Pincombe of Northlew aforesaid
12 the sum of two pounds each of like lawful money to be paid as aforesaid  I give
u unto my said brother Thomas Pincombe an annuity or yearly sum of five
14 pounds to be paid to him in half yearly payments the first payment thereof
15 to be made within three months after my decease and the same to continue
16 to be paid him for and during the term of his natural life All the rest residue
17 and remainder of my goods and chattels money and securities for many household
18 and other estate and effects whatsoever which I may have or possess at the
19 time of my decease (subject nevertheless to the payment of my just debts
20 legacies funeral expences and all other incidental expenses for securing and
21 further execution of this my Will and also to the payment of the said
22 Annuity in manner aforesaid) I give and devise the same and every
23 part thereof unto Thomas Curtis of Devonport in the said County Shipwright
24 and Agnes his wife to and for their own use and benefit and to be disposed of as
25 he she or they shall jointly or severally in their lifetime consider most necessary
26 and needful so as the same be used for and towards the benefit support and
27 maintenance of themselves and each of their children as may for the time being
28 most need the same and shall dispose of the same or  whatsoever shall remain
29 though at the time of the death of the survivor of them the  said Thomas
30 Curtis and Agnes his wife by any instrument in writing under the hand
31 and seal of such survivor And I do hereby nominate constitute and
32 appoint the said Thomas Curtis and Agnes his wife joint Executor and Executrix
 hereby revoking all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made do confirm this to be my last Will and Testament
33 of this my last Will and Testament ^ to which I have set my hand and seal the
34 day and year first above written
35 Abraham Pincombe [signed] [sealed]

Abraham (the testator) is the youngest son in this family. When I look for descendants of his brother Thomas they are all agricultural labourers. One wonders why Abraham is listed as a gentleman (of course this is self-reporting). Did this family undergo a drop in status in this generation? Who is Richard Silas Pincombe the supposed father of Abraham Pincombe married to Mary and the father of the testator Abraham? As always each new will brings up a whole lot of new questions.

The remaining will in this set of wills from Inland Revenue is Elizabeth Pincombe and I will work on her will next.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Transcription of old, middle and modern English records

Does transcription of old, middle and modern English records provide me with extra material for my genealogical studies? The overwhelming answer to this question is absolutely yes. There is so much hidden in these ancient, middle and modern records that can tell us about our ancestors, the times that they lived in, what they ate, what they wore and how they felt about the world around them.

How easy is it to decipher and extract all of this information about our ancestors? Initially when I took up Palaeography (the study of the writing in records earlier than our time period), I was struck by how similar the writing was to my grandparent's writing. Mind you I was mostly looking at documents from 1825 on initially. I was writing up the Pincombe Profile for my cousin George DeKay. I had a number of wills for my Pincombe family that had been collected by another cousin (married to my 3rd cousin Pincombe) plus wills that I had found in the Talman Room at the University of Western Ontario for my great grandparents Pincombe/ grandfather Pincombe. The reading of these was fairly straightforward for me as they were all written in that marvelous script that was taught to children in English schools especially from the 1840s on.

The wills told me so much about all of these people. There was always the religious section at the beginning of the wills which told me of their faith which they had passed on down to my generation. Church before self was deeply ingrained in me from early childhood. And that Church was the Church of England for I do not have any ancestors who were not born and raised Church of England. As adults a few became Methodist but they were rare most lived and died Anglicans with just one lone line exception - my maternal grandmother was educated in Roman Catholic schools in Birmingham and I still have to determine if her parents were married in the Roman Catholic Church there - no marriage has been found thus far. But that was found much later and has little to do with transcription and more to do with family lore. Her father was Church of England but a family story of disownment travels with the family lore.

The census and the parish records that I diligently went through looking for my Pincombe family all had that most exciting script style and I found the perfection of the writing to be such a joy to read. As time passed and the Pincombe Profile could be accomplished I started to move to other lines of my family that had only been glanced at in order to show how they combined with the Pincombe family and add to the Profile that bit of old knowledge to inspire people to look for more and to provide the best story that I could. All the while I was doing that, I was taking courses at the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. But it wasn't until the advanced courses that I studied Palaeography. My husband had taken the course about ten years earlier and had warned me that it was a difficult course and needed my full attention for the two months.

The time for the course coincided with a visit to our daughter (I usually stayed with her for 10 days to 2 weeks when I went) and I was able to devote the entire day to my studies. I did the exercises many times working on the middle English and Old English style of writing. For indeed some of the letters actually changed in how they were written going back in time. Writing them time after time gave me a fluency with both writing and reading the writings of this earlier time period so I took on my first really large project of an old will written in 1615 and probated in 1624 for Sir Francis Bayldon (a possibly ancestor of my husband). This ten page will took me days to transcribe and there were blanks! Because of the will I also searched out all the families he mentioned and put together the genealogy of this family. That is really what transcription is all about; gleaning from the early writings every scrap of information that you can about a family. The inventory that often accompanies the wills sometimes is done room by room giving you a glimpse into the contents of the individual rooms of their home. Often the wills would tell you exactly what they wore as they handed their garments on to their descendants, collateral relatives and others. The ten page document was my first real introduction to Palaeography. I worked on it for hours but still it had blanks. I would take some of the words that were around the blank and put them into Google and sometimes I was rewarded with a will that contained similar expressions that let me then look at the word with that thought in mind and discover that indeed it was that word.

Learning to transcribe is a product of my taking the course at the National Institute for Genealogical Studies (but also the National Archives (UK) offers a course on line as well which is also very very good and we now have Pharos which offers online courses). Since my studies were with the National Institute and it is locally here in Toronto most of my comments tend to be about the National Institute. However, I have also done some of the course work on the National Archives website. But just doing the course work isn't enough. You need to transcribe and transcribe all different kinds of documents to become ":fluent" in the language of the times. The way that sentences are phrased and the meaning of those sentences is different from today. Luckily I grew up with my English grandparents so that I am comfortable with some of the English expressions (still in use today by the way) that were used.

Of course, once I had become very fluent in early writings, I started to buy wills at the National Archives and the results of my transcription of the Pincombe wills (and others) can be seen in my blog. Noting that I do mention that I have gone through my transcriptions of a couple of years ago and improved them greatly. I have spent the last two years doing a lot of transcription so that I am far more comfortable than even two years ago with many different kinds of hand writing. Each time through those older transcriptions I have found a few changes here and there; I have been able to transcribe words that were just partial before. It is a skill that grows with the frequency with which you do the transcriptions. Between 2005 and 2010 I purchased more than 100 wills on the National Archives website for my various family lines.

Using these wills I was able to piece together much of my family tree as it now appears. Each will produced more questions than it did answers. That is perhaps the most amazing treat to transcription. It often leads you down paths you wouldn't have followed without them.

Parish Registers, as well, can often  give you information that is totally hidden in the IGI records which do not add the extras that some priests added to their records. A good example is my Vicary line at Bishops Nympton. William Pincombe married Mary Vicary 17 Jun 1685 at Bishops Nympton. Their son, my ancestor, was baptized 12 Jul 1692 at Bishops Nympton. Sorting through these two families at Bishops Nympton proved to be a challenge. The earlier records produced by the first two researchers on the Pincombe one name study had linked my family to a line at Bishops Nympton but it deadended with that family.

Over a four year period I transcribed the Parish Registers of Bishops Nympton word for word. I was new to the idea of transcription and of transcribing parish registers. My thought to have a word for word transcription in a word file seemed to fit what I wanted to learn about Bishops Nympton and 985 pages later I had the records from the beginning in the mid 1500s all the way up to the 1980s. I can search it as a word file but can not sort it like I could an excel file. Since then all of my parish transcriptions are excel files. But back to Bishops Nympton. The priests at Bishops Nympton by and large provided interesting details on the people in the records. For instance the marriage lines for William Pincombe and Mary Vicary told me that Mary was of the parish of Rose Ash with father Christopher. That made a great difference in my family tree and allowed me to go back several generations at Rose Ash with my Vicary family. I could not have done that without the original parish registers. I also could not have put the Pincombe family together without the Parish Registers. By working from the past to the present I was able to put together the various Pincombe family lines and separate out my own specific line. Transcription is a wonderful tool which is absolutely essential to research in the past.

Be prepared to spend time learning the earlier style of writing and the rewards are great. John Reid asked if I would write a little about transcription. I hope that I have fulfilled his thoughts as to just what I might write. John did ask me about my numbering of my wills. I do this for myself. I do not number the original will (unless it is very tiny and that is the only way to really sort out the lines. Usually the will is fairly easily to read. The numbering I use as reference marks when I quote from the will in later blogs; in my notes in my family genealogy software (I use Legacy) and because I am that sort of methodical person. I have been known to number the lines of letters that I write much to the annoyance of some people receiving them. But then as a child once I learned to count; I simply counted everything beginning with dishes. I started to wash dishes when I was three years old. The numbering was particularly excruciating for those who dried I gather! My grandfather actually told me that when I am doing tasks I should keep track of them so that I know how much I have completed. It was a good idea and I have retained it throughout my life.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Will of William Pincombe of Beaford (dated 6 Apr 1811 (probated 2 Jan 1812)) - Source: Inland Revenue Wills p 886

There are three Pincombe wills left in my folder to transcribe and this is one of them. William Pincombe of Beaford married to Sarah (surname unknown thus far) with sons Richard, William and John and daughters Mary and Sarah. Mary is married to Thomas How at the time of the writing of the will. William and John are under 21 years of age. Richard (eldest son) does not appear to be on the 1841 census, William is, I think, a journeyman Carpenter in Torrington on the 1851 census.

The Richard Pincombe family found in Delaware Township of Middlesex County in Canada on the 1851 census included Richard Pincombe (mason, 49 years), his wife Margaret Pincombe (47 years) and children: John (mason, 23 years), Rebeca (21 years), James (19 years), Robert (18 years), William (16 years), Margaret (14 years), Elisabeth (10 years) and Samuel (9 years).  The 1861 census has Richard as being born in 1804. The family is Bible Christian in religious persuasion and now includes only Richard Pincombe (Mason, 57 years), Margaret Pincombe (56 years) and Samuel (17 years). The difference between the two is accounted for by the census actually being taken in 1852. Close to this family is Robert Pincombe (27 years) and his wife Elizabeth (18 years).

It would appear unlikely that the Richard Pincombe family in Delaware Township of Middlesex County is descended from this William Pincombe of Beaford. Richard isn't old enough since he is only born in 1804 and the will of William Pincombe implies that Richard is an adult who no longer needs to receive an education. He doesn't say whether or not he is 21 though so could be younger that is true but not young enough for a fit with Richard in Delaware.

There is another Richard (bc 1806 Devon)  and Margaret (bc 1806 Devon) Pincombe family who lived initially in Westminster Township before moving on to Usborne Township in Huron County. This family is related to me but not thus far through the Pincombe line. One of the sons of Richard and Margaret was Richard  who would have been 23 years of age on the 1851 census and he married Elizabeth Rowcliffe who was a great niece to my 3x great grandmother Elizabeth Rowcliffe married to Robert Pincombe in Bishops Nympton. This family includes Maria (bc 1826 Devon), Richard (bc 1828 Devon), John (bc 1829 Devon), Rebecca (bc 1831 Devon), James (bc 1833 Devon), Robert (bc 1834 Devon), William (bc 1836 Devon), and Margaret (bc 1838 Devon). This family is said to be of Beaford but again can not be descended from William Pincombe leaving  his will in 1811 but may be related to him since they are both from the Beaford area. At some point, I need to acquire the Beaford Parish Registers to learn more about the Pincombe family there.

There is also a John Pincombe family living in Essex County who were first in Middlesex County in the 1830s. I need to learn more about this family. I have corresponded in the past with descendants of John but have lost touch with them. This family too was from Devon.

I am surprised that I have looked at this set of families now for six years on and off but I am no closer to a solution. Likely because I need to look at the Parish Registers to see the Pincombe lines that live there through the centuries.

I have a lot of work to do for the Pincombe-Pinkham one name study in Ontario. I have not yet extracted their information from the census and BMD records. I will probably do that at the same time as I extract the Blake entries. One name studies are all encompassing of one's time and I can feel my interest in my other family lines diminishing. It takes a really exciting lead now to bring me back to researching my other lines. I am glad of that as I was becoming too easily distracted looking at the other lines. I do want to concentrate on my one name studies for the most part. When my schedule of names for our son in law's ancestry and my own begins again in mid-November I am ready now to just put in the scheduled time to look at these families and extract their data. The French Canadian research though is a treat and I quite enjoy the ability to go back readily through time in the parish records.

The will of Willian Pincombe of Beaford is below:

Recorded: 27 Oct 2011
Source: Inland Revenue Wills - p 886
Place: Beaford, Devon, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 6Apr 1811 (probated 2 Jan 1812)
Condition: photocopy, light, modern English writing
Type: four pages - Original will (2 pages) and Probate (1 pages)
1 This is the last Will and Testament of me William Pincombe
2 of Beaford in the County of Devon Yeoman First I Give and Bequeath unto Sarah my wife
3 during the Term of her Natural Life one third Part of the Issues and Profits arising from all
4 that my Messuage and Tenement called or known by the Name of late Alfords situate in the
5 Parish of Saint Giles in the said County I also Give and Bequeath unto my said wife during
6 the Term of her natural Life All that my Leasehold Messuage and Tenement to consist
7 of a House Garden and Orchard commonly known by the Name of the Lower House being that of a Tenement called Wayhouse  situate
8 in the parish of Beaford aforesaid Also I Give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Mary
9 one other third Part of the Issues and Profits arising from the above mentioned Tenements
10 during my Right and Interest therein now depending on the Lives of Mary How the
11 wife of Thomas How of Alverdiscott in the said County Yeoman and Sarah my wife And
12 on the Death of my said wife my Will and Desire is and I hereby give and Bequeath unto my
13 said Daughter Mary two third Parts being the Remainder of the Issues and Profits arising
14 from the above named Tenements during the Life of the said Mary How I also Give and
15 Bequeath unto my said Daughter Mary after the Death of her Mother the said Messuage
16 and Tenement called the Lower House during her natural Life if my Interest so long
17 continue therein And after her Decease I Give and Bequeath the same Lower House
18 with the appurtenances unto my Daughter Sarah during all my Right and Interest thereon
19 and she to have receive and enjoy all the Rights Privileges Profits and Incomes from thenceforth
20 as her Sister Mary had before her And in case of Nonpayment by my Executors
21 hereafter named of any or either of the above mentioned Issues and Profits to my said wife
22 and Daughters or either of them on any part thereof That then my said Wife and Daughters
23 or either of them shall and may enter and distrain on the said Tenements and sell the
24 same or any part of the Goods and Chattels therein for so much as shall be due to her
25 or them and the serplus to pay back again to my Executors I Give and Bequeath unto
26 my Daughter Mary One Pound per Annum and unto my Daughter Sarah five Pounds per Annum to be paid out of the Profits arising from
27 Weyhouse with a like Power of Distress and Sale in case of Nonpayment as above specified
28 All the Rest Residue and Remainder of my Goods and Chattels Rights and Credits
29 I give to the Use only of my Sons Richard William and John they paying and discharging
30 all my Debts Legacies and Funeral Expences And I hereby nominate constitute and appoint
31 my said Sons Richard William and John Executors of this my Last Will and Testament
32 hereby revoking and making void all wills by me at any time heretofore made and declare
33 this only to be my last Will and Testament And I hereby appoint John Cox of Roborough
34 Yeoman and Thomas How of Alverdiscott Yeoman Trustees to superintend the education of
35 my younger Sons William and John In Witness whereof I the said William Pincombe
36 the Testator have unto this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal this sixth
37 Day of April one thousand eight hundred and eleven
38 W[illia]m Pincombe [signed] [sealed]
39 Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the said
40 William Pincombe the Testator as and for his last Will
41 and Testament (the words "and Bequeath" other "Theirs"
42 Being first interlined) in the Presence of us who at his Request in his
43 presence and in the Presence of each other have subscribed our
44 Names as Witnesses thereto
45 Rob[er]t Wilson Jun[ior]
46 Mary Banten [signed]
 [Codicil]
47 Whereas I William Pincombe of Beaford in the County of Devon Yeoman did on
48 about the sixth day of April one thousand eight hundred and eleven publish my Last Will
49 and Testament in writing Now my will and Desire is and I hereby request and direct that
50 in case my wife should think proper to reside in Way House that she shall have an
51 particle of a sort of the Household Furniture therein at the time of my Decease for her
52 own use without any Molestation whatsoever And I hereby direct that this may be
53 taken as a Codicil to my said Will and to be annexed thereto and a part thereof be
54 Witness whereof I the said William Pincombe have to this my said Codicil to be annexed
55 unto my said last Will and Testament and to be taken as part thereof my hand and
56 Seal this third day of June one thousand eight hundred and eleven
57 W[illia]m Pincombe [signed] [sealed]
58 Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the said William Pincombe the Testator
59 as and for a Codicil to his last Will and Testament in our Presence; who in his Presence
60 and in the presence of each other have subscribed our Names and Witnesses thereto
61 Rob[er]t Wilson Jun[ior] [signed]
62 Mary Banten [signed]
63 W[illia]m Pincombe wishes to have it mentioned that should Mrs. Pever come to want
64 (which at present there is no probability of) that not only the Laws of Nature but the
65 Laws of England will in such an Event oblige her Son Richard to maintain her.
66 This is inserted in order to give Mrs. Pincombe satisfaction
67 by R Wilson [signed]
68 This and the foregoing sheet of Paper contain a true Copy of  the last Will
69 and Testament of the said William Pincombe deceased having been compared thus
70 this 5th day of Apr 1812
71 James Pearse Jun[io]r N[otar]y Public
 [Probate}
72 No.
73 For the Stamp Office
74 Copy of the Will of
75 William Pincombe
76 late of Beaford Devon Yeoman
77 Executors
78 Richard Pincombe William Pincombe
79 and John Pincombe of Beaford
80 foresaid sons of the deceased
81 No. 2 REG NR B 12
82 FOL 209 H T
83 Proved in the Archdeaconial Court
84 of Barnstaple, Devon 2 Jan[ua]ry 1812
85 Effects under 300£
86 James Pearse Jun[io]r Reg[iste]r
87 Barnstaple Devon
88 12 Folios at 6 ... 6
 [P. 886 in margin]

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Will of William Pincombe of Bishops Nympton (dated 24 Nov 1838 (probated 17 Aug 1839)) - source: Inland Revenue Wills p 887

This will is the last of the three brother's wills and thus far I have not been able to locate the fourth brother's will - Thomas who died in 1852 just one year after his son Thomas. The records are somewhat ambiguous and it may be that one of the wills lost in the bombing of Exeter during WWII is that of the father Thomas since he would not have been referred to as Thomas Pincombe Senior his son already being deceased. The will of Thomas Pincombe Junior was destroyed in the bombing. It would have been interesting to have that will as well to understand the movement of property in this family where leases moved sideways from brother to brother initially although in William's will he is now passing the land onto his own children and grand children.

William does not mention any of his nieces and nephews and this is probably understandable as he has his own family although his is a sad story. A total of seven children were born to William and Mary Pincombe (Mary's surname is still unknown):

John baptized 26 Dec 1798 at Bishops Nympton and buried 22 Jul 1830 at Bishops Nympton. He did not marry;

Mary baptized 31 Mar 1800 at Bishops Nympton and married to William Matthews 1 Jul 1818 at Bishops Nympton (three children and two mentioned in the will - John (never married/no issue) and William Pincombe Matthews (married Elizabeth Ellen Wreford Sep quarter 1856 at Crediton and they had three children Elizabeth Lydia M Matthews who married Doug Banfield Dec quarter 1883 and they had four children and I did not find marriages for any of them - Douglas, Ralph, Amelia Jane and Ida Matthews; William Matthews and Samuel John Matthews do not appear to have married); daughter Mary Ann Matthews who married Edward Baker rather late in life June quarter 1873 at Stoke Damerel

William baptized 1 Jan 1802 at Bishops Nympton and married to Maria Torrington 15 May 1822 at Bishops Nympton (nine children and one mentioned in the will:  Maria Ann Torrington Pincombe married William Bond (seven children), Sarah Jane Torrington Pincombe married John Passmore, William Torrington Pincombe married Elizabeth Callard Jun quarter 1852 at Islington (eight children most born in Australia), John Pincombe b 7 Aug 1831;d 21 Aug 1831 Bishops Nympton, John Pincombe baptized 12 Aug 1832 and married Mary Ridd Dec quarter 1859 at Barnstaple (six children; all but the eldest born in Australia), Mary Elizabeth Pincombe baptized 23 Sep 1835 at Bishops Nympton and married to Edward Ellis Sep quarter 1861 at Crediton (10 children - this family remained in England), Harriet Torrington Pincombe baptized 18 Aug 1837 Bishops Nympton and died in Australia in 1929,  Henry William Torrington Pincombe married Jane Hawke in Australia circa 1866 (nine children), and Thomas Torrington Caren Pincombe married Maria Sophia Thomas circa 1880 in Australia (seven children). The only sample I have of yDNA for my family line is from a descendant of this line. He placed his results on ysearch and I contacted him. He never responded but a few years later a friend of his wrote to ask for information. I supplied information but never did  hear back. Perhaps one day ..... perhaps he died. It would be good to bring the family back together on email.

Johanna baptized 17 Oct 1803 and buried 14 Feb 1805 Bishops Nympton

Emmanuel baptized 1 Jan 1805 and buried 13 Apr 1806 Bishops Nympton

Anna Pincombe baptized 14 Oct 1806 Bishops Nympton (died Dec quarter 1841 Bishops Nympton) married John Hole 28 Feb 1828 at Bishops Nympton. They had four children - Mary b 1830; d 1838 Bishops Nympton; John b 1833 Bishops Nympton and married Elizabeth Jones June quarter 1865 at Tiverton (I have not been able to determine if there were any descendants of this couple);  Maria baptized 29 May 1836 at Bishops Nympton and did not marry/no issue, and Joanna b 1838 Bishops Nympton and did not marry/no issue.

Catherine baptized circa 1813 and likely died by 1838 since William does not mention her in his will.

I will next put together the land that these brothers occupied and I know that Thomas was at Twitchen and compare that with the list of properties held by the Pincombe family in 1605 which I obtained from Rylands Library at the University of Manchester. A project for another day.

The will of William Pincombe (over 200 lines and packed with family information):

Recorded: 27 Oct 2011
Source: Inland Revenue Wills - p 887
Place: Bishops Nympton, Devon, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 24 Nov 1838 (probated 17 Aug 1839)
Condition: photocopy, light, modern English writing
Type: eight pages - Original will (6 pages) and Probate (2 pages)


1 This is the last Will and Testament of me William
2 Pincombe of Bishopsnympton in the County of Devon Yeoman
3 First I give devise and bequeath All that my Messuage Tenement
4 and Farm called West Webbery situated in the parish of Bishopsnympton
5 aforesaid with the Appurtenances thereunto belonging unto my Son William
6 Pincombe his Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns for and during
7 all such Estate and Interest as I shall have therein at the time of
8 my decease Also I give and deivse unto my Daughter Mary Matthews
9 for and during the term of her natural life one Annuity or clear
10 yearly rent charge or Sum of Twenty five pounds of lawful money
11 of Great Britain And unto my Daughter Anna Hole for and during
12 the term of her natural life one Annuity or clear yearly rent charge
13 or Sum of Twenty five pounds of lawful money as aforesaid to be
14 respectively issuing and payable out of All that my Messuage Tenement and
15 Farm called Withwell otherwise Withywine otherwise Shirelade situated
16 in the parish of Morebath in the said County of Devon and out of the
17 appurtenances thereunto belonging which I do hereby subject and charge
18 to and with the payment of the said two several Annuities or yearly
19 rent charges accordingly And I do hereby direct that the said
20 several Annuities shall be respectively payable and paid free and clear
21 of and from all Rates Taxes and deductions whatsoever (except the Annuity
22 or Legacy Stamp Duty) by quarterly payments on Midsummer day Michaelmas
23 day Christmas day and Lady day in every year and by even and equal
24 portions and that the first quarterly payment thereof respectively shall be
25 made on such of the said days as shall first and next happen after
26 my decease And I do hereby declare my Will to be that the said
27 several Annuities hereintofore respectively given to my said Daughters
28 Mary Matthews and Anna Hole shall be paid to them respectively or to
29 such person or persons as they respectively shall by writing under their
30 respective hands appoint to receive the same to the end that the same
31 Annuities may be for their respective separate use and not subject or
32 liable to the controul debts or engagements of the respective Husbands with
33 whom they may happen to be intermaried at the time of my decease or at
34 any time afterwards And that the respective receipts of the said Mary Matthews
35 and Anna Hole or of the person or persons whom they shall respectively
36 appoint to receive the same for their said respective Annuities shall be the
 [Page 2]
37 ...... [text missing]
38 Also I give devise and bequeath unto my brother Thomas Pincombe
39 of Twitchen in the said County Yeoman his Heirs and Assignes All
40 that my said Messuage Tenement and Farm called Withwell otherwise
41 Withywine otherwise Shirelade situated in the parish of Morebath
42 aforesaid with the appurtenances (subject nevertheless
43 (1) William Pincombe [signed]
44 to and charged with the said several Annuities or yearly rent
45 charges and the powers and remedies hereby given for securing and
46 enforcing the payment of the same). To hold the same (subject
47 and charges as aforesaid) unto the said Thomas Pincombe his Heirs
48 and Assigns To the uses following that is to say. To the use of
49 my said Son William Pincombe and his assigns for and during the
50 term of his natural life without impeachment of or for any manner of
51 waste And from and immediately after the decease of my said Son William
52 Pincombe To the use of my Grandson William Torrington Pincombe (Son
53 of my said Son William Pincombe) his Heirs and Assigns forever
54 Also I give and bequeath unto my Grandson John Matthews for
55 and during the term of ten years (to commence and be completed
56 from the time of my death) if he shall so long live. One Annuity
57 or clear yearly rent charge of Ten pounds of lawful money of Great
58 Britain to be issuing and payable out of all that my Messuage Tenement
59 and Farm called East Webbery situated in the parish of Bishopsnymptom
60 aforesaid and out of the Appurtenances thereunto belonging which I do hereby
61 subject and charge to and with the payment of the same Annuity
62 accordingly And I do hereby direct that the said Annuity shall be
63 payable and paid free and clear of and from all Rates Taxes and Deductions
64 whatsoever (except the Annuity or Legacy Stamp Duty) by quarterly
65 payments on Midsummer day Michaelmas day Christmas day and
66 Lady day in every year and by even and equal portions and that the first
67 quarterly payment thereof shall be made on such of the said days as
68 shall first and next happen after my decease Also I give and bequeath unto
69 my Son William Pincombe his Heirs Executors Administrators and
70 Assigns All that the said Messuage Tenement and Farm called East
71 Webbery situated in the parish of Bishopsnympton aforesaid with the
72 appurtenances thereunto belonging (Subject nevertheless to and charged with
 [Page 3]
73 the payment of the said Annuity of Ten pounds and the remedies and
74 powers hereby given for securing and enforcing the payment thereof as
75 aforesaid To hold the same (subject and charged as aforesaid) unto
76 and to the use of my said Son William Pincombe his Heirs Executors
77 Administrators and Assigns for and during all such Estate and Interest
78 as I shall have therein at the time of my decease Also I give devise
79 and bequeath unto my Grandson John Matthews one Annuity or clear
80 yearly rent charge or sum of Five pounds of lawful money as aforesaid
81 for and during all the rest residue and remainder which at the time
82 of my decease shall be to come and unexpired of my present and future
83 Estate Term and Interest of and in All that Messuage Tenement and
84 Farm called West Wood situated in the parish of Bishopsnympton
85 aforesaid with the appurtenances And I hereby direct that the said last
86 mentioned Annuity or yearly rent charge of Five pounds
87 (2) William Pincombe [signed]
88 shall be paid free and clear of and from all Rates Taxes and deductions
89 whatsoever (except the Annuity or Legacy Stamp Duty) And that the
90 same shall be issuing and payable out of All that the said Messuage
91 Tenement and Farm called West Wood with the appurtenances by equal
92 quarterly payments on Midsummer day Michaelmas day Christmas day
93 and Lady day in every year and by even and equal portions and that the
94 first quarterly payment thereof shall be made on such of the said
95 days as shall first and next happen after my decease Also I
96 give devise and bequeath unto my Grandson William Matthews
97 his Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns All that the said
98 Messuage Tenement and Farm called West Wood situated in the parish
99 of Bishopsnympton aforesaid with the Appurtenances thereunto belonging
100 (subject nevertheless to and charged with the payment of the said Annuity
101 of Five pounds charged thereon and the powers and remedies hereby given
102 for securing and enforcing the payment thereof as aforesaid To hold
103 the said (subject and charged as aforesaid) unto and to the use of
104 my said Grandson William Matthews his Heirs Executors Administrators
105 and Assigns for and during all such present and future Estate Term
106 and Interest as I shall have therein at the time of my decease
107 Provided always and I hereby declare my Will to be that if the
108 said several Annuities or yearly rent charges hereinbefore devised or
 [Page 4]
109 either of them shall be behind of unpaid by the space of any day
110 next over or after any or either of the days or times whereon the same
111 are respectively made payable and ought to be paid as aforesaid Then
112 and in such case and as often as it shall so happen I do hereby
113 empower order and direct the person or persons who by virtue of this
114 my will shall be legally or equitably entitled to the Annuities or
115 Annuity so in arrear and unpaid to enter into and upon the said
116 Messuages Tenements Farms and Premises hereby charged with the
117 payment thereof respectively and to obtain for the said Annuities
118 and Annuity or such of them as shall be so in arrear and
119 the distress and distresses their and there found to manage sell and
120 dispose of for the recovery and satisfaction of the said annuities
121 and Annuity and all arrears thereof and all costs attending the
122 Distress and Sale of the Goods distrained in such manner as the
123 law directs in cases of rent being in arrear and unpaid Also I
124 give and bequeath unto my Son in law John Hole his Executors
125 Administrators and Assigns the Sum of Four hundred pounds of
126 Lawful money of Great Britain To hold the same unto the said John
127 Hole his Executors Administrators and Assigns Upon Trust nevertheless
128 for the Child if only one and if more than one then for all the
129 Children of my Daughter Anna Hole living at the time of my death
130 and if more than one in equal shares and proportioned as Tenants
131 in common and not as joint Tenants and to be vested Interests in them
132 respectively on their severally attaining the age of twenty one years
133 (3) William Pincombe [signed]
134 and to be paid to them respectively as soon as conveniently can be after such
135 terms of vesting respectively shall have happened With equal benefit of
136 survivorship in the nature of Cross remainders to extend as well to
137 derivative as original shares in case any one or more of the same
138 Children shall happen to depart this life without attaining a bested
139 Interest or vested Interests in his her or their share or respective Shares
140 And I direct that the said Sum of Four hundred pounds
141 shall be paid by my Executor hereinafter named at the end of
142 Twelve months next after my decease (Also I give and bequeath unto
 My Grand daughter Mary Ann Matthews the Sum of One hundred pounds
143 [Page 5]
144 of lawful money as aforesaid if and when she shall attain her full age
145 of Twenty one years (and unto my Grandson John Matthews the Sum
146 of Two hundred pounds of like lawful money if and when he shall
147 attain his full age of Twenty one years And I direct that the same
148 two  Legacies or Sums shall be paid by my Executor hereinafter mentioned
149 if and when the same shall respectively become due and payable but not
150 before or otherwise and that the same two Legacies or Sums shall bear
151 or carry Interest at and after the rate of Four pounds per centum per
152 annum from the time of my death until the same respectively shall
153 become due and be payable (Also I give devise and bequeath unto my said
154 Son William Pincombe his Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns
155 All my Freehold Leasehold and Copyhold Messuages Lands Tenements
156 Hereditaments and Premises whatsoever and wheresoever and which are not
157 hereinbefore given devised bequeathed or disposed of And also all my Real
158 Estate Goods chattles and personal Estate which are not hereinbefore given
159 devised bequeathed or disposed of (Subject nevertheless to and charged with
160 the payment of all my just Debts the expences of my funeral and of proving
161 this my Will and the said pecuniary Legacies or such of them as shall
162 become due and payable To hold the same (subject and charged as aforesaid)
163 unto and to the use of my said Son William Pincombe his Heirs Executors
164 Administrators and Assigns forever. Also I give and devise all Estates
165 vested in me as a Mortgagee or Trustee unto and to the use of my said Son
166 William Pincombe his Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns upon
167 such Trusts and subject to such Equities as shall be subsisting therein
168 respectively. And I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said
169 Son William Pincombe sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament
170 and lastly I do hereby revoke and make void all former Wills by me at any
171 time or times heretofore made.
172 In Witness whereof I the said William Pincombe the Testator has
173 to this my last Will and Testament subscribed and set my hand and Seal this
174 (4) William Pincombe [signed]
175 twenty fourth day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
176 hundred and thirty eight
177 William Pincombe [signed] (Seal)
 Signed Sealed Published and declared by the above named William
 [Page 6]
178 Pincombe the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the
179 presence of us (present at the same time) who at his request in his
180 presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed
181 our names as Witnesses hereto The words "County" in the first Sheet
182 and "the payment of" in the fourth Sheet having been first interlined
183 J G Pearse [signed]
184 James Pearse [signed]
185 J Galliford [signed]
 [Probate]
186 For the Stamp Office
187 Copy of the Will
188 of William Pincombe late
189 of Bishops Nympton Devon
190 Yeoman dece[ase]d
191 Executor
192 William Pincombe of Bishops
193 nympton Devon Yeoman
194 Proved (by Commision) in
195 the Principal Registry of the
196 Lord Bishop of Exeter the
197 17th August 1839
198 Testator died 21 May 1839
199 Effects sworn under £1000
200 Ralph Barnes
201 Dep[uty] Registrar
202 DEC 7
203 No. 4 REG NR 1839
204 EW FOR 1828
205 Folio at 6 .. 13
 [P 887 in margin]
206 FOR EXECUTORS
207 Appeared personally William Pincombe of
208 the Parish of Bishops Nympton in the County of
209 Devon Yeoman the Sole
210 Executor named in the last Will and Testament of William
211 Pincombe late of the said Parish of Bishops
212 nympton Yeoman his late Father deceased
213 who died on the twenty first Day of May 1839
214 and made Oath, that he hath made diligent search and due enquiry
215 after, and in respect of the Personal Estate and Effects of the said Deceased, in
216 order to ascertain the full Amount and Value thereof; and that to the best of
217 his Knowledge, Information, and Belief, the whole of the Goods, Chattels,
218 and Credits, of which the said Deceased died possessed within the
219 Diocese of Exeter (exclusive of what the Deceased may have
220 been possessed of or intitled to as a Trustee for any other Person, or Persons.
221 and not beneficially. (A) but including the Leasehold Estates for Years of the
222 Deceased, whether absolute or determinable on Lives, and without deducting
223 any Thing on Account of the Debts due and owing from the Deceased) are under
224 the Value of one thousand pounds
225 to the best of this Deponents Knowledge, Information, and Belief, (B) and
226 this Deponent lastly made Oath, that the said Deceased was not possess of
227 or intitled to any Leasehold Estate or Estates for Years of the Deceased, whether
228 absolute or determinable on a Life or Lives, to the best of this Deponents
229 Knowledge, Information, and Belief.
230 William Pincombe [signed]
231 Sworn on the seventeenth
232 Day of  August 1839
233 before me
234 C Melhuish
235 Commissioner

It would be great to bring the family back together and I welcome emails from family members if they wish more information or would like to add to mine; I appreciate all information received for our Pincombe one name study for it isn't just mine; it belongs to all of us descendants of the Pincombe family - my mother was very fond of her birth surname and always curious about her family. I do my studies in memory of my parents Blake for my father and Pincombe for my mother.

What is your number? - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515

A rather interesting website first thing in the morning - where do you fit into 7 billion? When I was born I was the 2,418,651,706th person alive on earth and I am the 75,251,231,975th person to have lived since history began. Fascinating stuff for genealogy.

Wow the world has grown since I was born - there are more than twice as many people alive today as were alive when I was born - mind you I was born just a month after the Second World War officially ended in the world. But still, imagine how fast the population is growing. Will people move to the Moon, to Mars in my lifetime?

Well with that profound knowledge first thing in the morning I shall now return to my Blake one name study. I am slowly putting together the marriages from 1837 to the mid 1950s. That way I am ready for any marriage challenges that the Guild of one name studies does for its members. There is still an enormous amount to do for the Blake study and I keep the Pincombe study moving along as well. I find that I am now working somewhat in a bubble doing my own thing. Occasionally interacting with other Blake and Pincombe descendants on the email but mostly just plugging away at collecting data and organizing it.

Half of the vegetable garden is now turned over and I will do the other half today. I hope to beat any deep freeze! Then there are all the plants to be trimmed before winter. Grass somehow sounds very inviting these days but the colours of the garden spring into summer into fall have been lovely. My husband gave me a potted yellow daisy plant for mother's day in May so I planted it in the garden after it stopped blooming and amazingly it bloomed about a week ago and it is still blooming. This marvelous yellow splash of colour in an otherwise slowly browning garden. The same with an Easter Lily that we had. Planted that in the garden as well and it is just waiting to burst into flower. Potted it and put it in the garage at night so that it wouldn't freeze. It should bloom in the next week or so. The snapdragons are also amazing. They are a mass of colour at the very back of the house where they are protected. The yellow daisy is way out in the yard looking quite spectacular still. Although last night's frost may have finished that story of blooming!

William Pincombe (another brother of Robert my 3x great grandfather)'s will is slated to be transcribed today. An interesting family the Pincombe and I wonder if they are a singleton. I have a new member of my Pincombe yDNA study group. I would like to try to persuade one of my Pincombe cousins to test and perhaps I will try to email a couple of them to see if they might consider doing that. Too bad I didn't think of it before my uncle passed away actually. But my interest in genealogy was still in its infant thought process and DNA was still not in my field of vision at the time.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Will of John Pincombe of Molland dated 3 Apr 1837 (probated 17 Apr 1840) (Source: Inland Revenue Wills - p 884)

The will of John Pincombe of Molland (deceased 19 June 1838) is a rather interesting one. This John was a brother to my 3x great grandfather Robert.

The reason for my Pincombe line coming to Canada passed down through the family was Robert Pincombe (eldest brother to my John Pincombe (2x great grandfather)) who had emigrated to the United States prior to 1835 came back with stories of the rich land to be had for a reasonable price already under cultivation with buildings. Robert had returned to marry Mary Shapland sometime in 1835 and they went back to the United States (Gennessee New York to be precise) almost immediately. Leaving England and coming to Canada was like little more than moving from county to county, except you had to cross an ocean to do it, if you happened to be English/Scot/Irish.

In his will written 3 April 1837, the above mentioned Robert has already returned to the United States and John does not mention him at all. He does though mention all of the other children of Robert Pincombe and Elizabeth Rowcliffe (my 3x great grandparents) with the exception of Elizabeth who has married Richard Elsworthy. Robert Pincombe (my ancestor) in his will had passed all of his copyhold land to his brothers in 1827 and left a number of legacies to his children which were to be paid from the profits of the copyhold land one might assume (although not written). John Pincombe (the present testator), his brother William Pincombe and brother in law Philip Rowcliffe were the Executors of that will.

In this will John identifies himself as being of Great Woods in Molland. This is the property that was held by him for his entire adult life. He is first found on Great Woods in the 1780s. This is now a Grade II Listed Building:

http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-397880-great-woods-farmhouse-molland

MOLLAND
SS 72 NE
14/51 Great Woods Farmhouse
-
20.6.67
II
Farmhouse. Probably C16, with late-C19 addition and mid-to late C20 alterations. Rendered over stone rubble and cob. Gable-ended asbestos-slate roof, formerly thatched. Rendered front lateral stack, tops of stacks of C19 red brick. Plan and development: Probably 3-room and cross-passage plan,  facing west with ground falling to right. Central room with full-height projection and external lateral stack to front, probably with cross passage to right. Service room to right with external lateral stack to rear and upper room to left with entrance in left-hand gable end. C19 wing to rear of upper room with integral brick end stack and lean-to outshut to north.  Old list description mentions open fireplaces, hall with beams and joists, and kitchen with plain timber ceiling. Sawn purlin ends visible in left-hand gable end.

I find the reference to it likely being a 16th Century dwelling most interesting. At some point I want to do a history of the property as I suspect it was one of the properties that William Pincombe (married to Emott Snow) held. My ancestor John Pincombe was a butcher and farmer in this time period at Molland living at Gatcombe. John Pincombe (the testator) does not have any sons so I am assuming that his reference to himself as Elder is because my John Pincombe is considered the younger in this case (both living in Molland). They are fairly close together with John Pincombe (butcher) the younger at Gatcombe being about 1 mile north west of Molland and John Pincombe the Elder at Great Woods being about 1 mile to the south west of Molland. The only other Pincombe at Molland in this time period is Thomas (brother to John at Gatcombe) and he is a wheelwright.

The will commences with his remembering his two brothers William at Bishops Nympton and Thomas at Twitchen and his remaining sister Grace married to Richard Headdon. He remembers his niece Philippia Baker (daughter of Thomas Pincombe at Twitchen) married to Henry Baker. At the end of the will we discover that the witnesses include Richard (to be mentioned) Pincombe, Henry Baker and George Cockram. To the best of my knowledge George Cockram is not related to the Pincombe family. He then remembers the sons of his deceased brother Robert Pincombe  Richard (signer), Philip the youngest, Thomas and George the next two in birth order before Richard (Richard is the second youngest). Then John Pincombe (2nd eldest son of Robert) Butcher is mentioned and there is some confusion on people's part because his aunt Grace Pincombe (sister of the testator's father John) was married to John Butcher and their son was named John Pincombe Butcher but he died as an infant at the same time as his mother died (in childbirth likely or shortly thereafter). He remembers two of Grace Headon's children John and Grace and coincidentally they are the only unmarried ones. The other two boys and three girls are married or living away from the area. One of Grace's daughters Ann married John Bond and their son John Joseph Bond was a Mormon who (with his family) made the trek to Salt Lake City probably in the 1860s. In particular though he mentioned his child born out of wedlock by Ann Smaldon - Mary Pincombe Thorne and she is to inherit Great Woods and Eastweek from him. Great Woods is a freehold but Eastweek he has by Copyhold so lifetime only. He also mentions Thomas Pincombe son of his brother Thomas at Twitchen. He has mentioned the daughter Phillippa already (married to Henry Baker one of the witnesses) but does not mention the other nine living children of Thomas! That is likely because the copyhold land that Robert passed to John and William will now pass to Thomas although not mentioned in the will. Most of the children are still young as well whereas all the others mentioned are adults. William Pincombe Junior of Bishopsnympton is the son of his brother William who also lives at Bishops nympton and is unwell at this time. Again only William is mentioned and not the other living children Mary married to William Matthews (has three children) and Anna married to John Hole (has four children) - the other children have died young. It would appear that most of the legacy recipients are unmarried children of his siblings.

It is always interesting to read this lengthy will where the individual is unmarried and he mentions all of his siblings, his nephews and nieces. It does so help to tie a family together. Plus there is always the curiosity why didn't he marry Ann Smaldon; presumably she was Ann Thorne since the name of their child was Mary Pincombe Thorne. The set of wills that I am now doing (three of them) tie together the children of John Pincombe and Mary Charlie/Charly/Charley but the will that John himself left was lost in the bombing of Exeter Record Office in WWII unfortunately as was the will of his father John Pincombe married to Grace Manning. This family though did make an effort in Canada to retain the genealogy of their family in England. There was a Bible with the genealogy back to John Pincombe and Grace Manning which I saw as a child. The Bible that has my great grandparents Pincombe Wedding Registration does not contain any details prior to the marriage of William Robert Pincombe and Grace Gray.

The will of John Pincombe the elder of Great Woods (my 3x great grand uncle) follows:


Recorded: 26 Oct 2011
Source: Inland Revenue Wills - p 884
Place: Molland, Devon, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 3 Apr 1837 (probated 14 Apr 1840)
Condition: photocopy, light, modern English writing
Type: four pages - Original will (2 pages) and Probate (2 pages)

1 I John Pincombe the Elder of Great Woods in the
2 parish of Molland in the County of Devon Yeoman being at this time
3 sick of Body but of perfect mind and understanding do make and ordain
4 this my last Will and Testament in the following manner - First I give and
5 bequeath unto my Brother William Pincombe the sum of ten pounds Also
6 I give unto my Brother Thomas Pincombe the sum of ten pounds Also I give
7 unto my sister Grace Headon the sum ten pounds Also I give unto niece
8 Philippia Baker the sum of forty pounds. Also I give and bequeath unto my
9 Nephew Richard Pincombe son of the late Robert Pincombe the sum of Thirty
10 Pounds Also I give unto Philip Pincombe my nephew the sum of ten pounds
11 Also I give unto my two Nephews Thomas and George Pincombe Brothers ten
12 Pounds Also I give unto my Nephew John Pincombe Butcher the sum of
13 Ten pounds Also I give unto John Headon my Nephew the sum of ten
14 pounds Also unto my niece Grace Headon the sum of ten pounds - the above
15 Legacies to be paid by my Executors at the expiration of one year after my
16 decease. Also I give unto the poor people of Molland and Bishopsnympton
17 the Sum of twenty shillings in Bread. Also I give and devise and bequeath
18 unto my natural Daughter Mary Pincombe Thorne Daughter of Ann Smaldon
19 All that freehold Estate called Great Woods in the parish of Molland with
20 the appurtenances situate lying and being in the aforesaid parish Molland
21 unto her and unto her Children lawfully begotten and unto her heirs for
22 ever My will is that my said Daughter Mary Pincombe Thorne shall have
23 the whole of the freehold property left by me at my decease on her attaining
24 the age of twenty one years she is not to sign over nor mortgage nor sell
25 nor contract any debt on the aforesaid Estate during the time of her natural
26 life and at her decease I give devise and bequeath the whole of such freehold
27 property left to her by me at my decease unto the heirs, children lawfully
28 begotten of the said Mary Pincombe Thorne the Eldest Son if any to have the
29 freehold property but in default of Sons the eldest daughter and to her heairs
30 for ever the Proprietor of Great Woods may make a jointure to his Wife
31 not exceeding twenty pound a year But if the said Mary Pincombe Thorne
32 before she attains the age of twenty one years and leave no Child or Children
33 nor Grandchildren lawfully beggotten Then I give devise and bequeath all
34 that Freehold Estate called Great Woods in the parish of Molland unto my
35 two Nephews Thomas Pincombe of Twitchin Jun[io]r and John Pincombe Jun[io]r of
36 Molland to them two and to their heirs for ever the said Thomas Pincombe
 [Page 2]
37 and the said John Pincombe may if he succeed to the freehold Estate or
38 their descendants may make a Jointer to their wives at ten pounds a year
39 not exceeding ten pounds a year each. Never to be mortgage nor sold
40 I also give and bequeath unto Mary Pincombe Thorne my Copyhold Estate
41 called Lower Eastweek situated the parish of Bishops nympton when she attains
42 the age of Twenty four year All the rest residue and remainder of my
43 property wheresoever and whatsoever I give upon trust unto Thomas Pincombe
44 my Brother and William Pincombe Jun[io]r of Bishopsnympton whom I nominate
45 and appoint sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament the[y] are to pay
46 and receive all monies connected with the property real and personal by me
47 at my decease untill my Daughter Mary Pincombe Thorne shall attain the
48 age of twenty four years when she is to have the whole of such property
49 in the hands of my Executors in trust. My Will is that my Executors in
50 trust are to pay unto Mary Pincombe Thorne the sum Forty pounds a
51 year to paid in two half yearly paym[en]ts But I confide entirely in the
52 judgment integrity and discretion and ability of my Executors in trust wheather
53 the[y] may think it right & proper or not have the whole of the property real
54 and personal at that time or not to have the whole of the property real and personal in the hands of the Executors in trust until she attains the
55 age of twenty four years, my Executors in trust are to use their own discretion
56 the[y] are to pay all my lawful debts legacies and funeral expences In Witness
57 whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this third day of April 1837
58 John Pincombe [signed and sealed]
59 Signed sealed and declared by the said
60 John Pincombe the Testator for his last Will
61 and Testament in the presence of we who have
62 set our names
63 Richard Pincombe [signed]
64 Henry Baker [signed]
65 George Cockram [signed]
66 Codicil to this will I give to the Executor William Pincombe the sum of Ten
67 pounds - John Pincombe [signed]
 [Page 3] [p 884 in margin]
68 21 July
69 No. 18
70 For the Stamp Office
71 Copy of the Will and Codicil
72 of John Pincombe late of
73 Molland Devon Freeman dec[ease]d
74 Executor
75 Thomas Pincombe of Twitchen
76 Devon Yeoman
77 (Power being resigned to
78 William Pincombe the other
79 Executor)
80 South Molton
81 Proved in the Principal Episcopy
82 of the Lord Bishop of Exeter the
83 14th April 1840
84 Testator Dec[eased] 19 June 1838
85 Effects sworn under £600
86 Ralph Barnes
87 Dep[ut]y Registrar
88 22 Apr 1840 [seal]
89 For 464
 Folios at 6 . 5 . 6
90 [page 4]
91 FOR EXECUTORS
92 Appeared personally Thomas Pincombe of
93 the Parish of Twitchen in the County of
94 Devon Yeoman one of the
95 Executors named in the last Will and Testament with one
96 Codicil thereto of John Pincombe late
97 of Molland in the said County Yeoman
98 who died on the nineteenth Day of June 1838
99 and made Oath, that he had made diligent search and due enquiry
100 after, and in respect of the Personal Estate and Effects of the said Deceased, in
101 order to ascertain the full Amount and Value thereof; and that to the best of
102 his Knowledge, Information, and Belief, the whole of the Goods, Chattels,
103 and Credits, of which the said Deceased died possessed within the
104 Diocese of Exeter (exclusive of what the Deceased may have
105 been possessed of or intitled to as a Trustee for any other Person, or Persons.
106 and not beneficially. (A) but including the Leasehold Estates for Years of the
107 Deceased, whether absolute or determinable on Lives, and without deducting
108 any Thing on Account of the Debts due and owing from the Deceased) are under
109 the Value of Six hundred pounds
110 to the best of this Deponents Knowledge, Information, and Belief, (B) and
111 this Deponent lastly made Oath, that the said Deceased was not possess of
112 or intitled to any Leasehold Estate or Estates for Years of the Deceased, whether
113 absolute or determinable on a Life or Lives, to the best of this Deponents
114 Knowledge, Information, and Belief.
115 Sworn on the fourteenth
116 Day of  April 1840
117 before me
118 Thomas Pincombe [signed]
119 G M Mather B D Surrogate

Routledge and Pincombe

These two families, Routledge and Pincombe, are forever linked by my family lines. I still find it fascinating how my family lines came together in London, Ontario. There was no great plan; just a merging of lines one generation after another. First the Routledge family arrived from Cumberland England in 1818 with all their children/grandchildren including Elizabeth Mary Ann twin to Joseph and only 14 years old. Then in 1832 Robert Gray arrived from Yorkshire England with his younger brother William. The first marriage in Canada was Robert Gray and Mary Routledge and the routine of each descendant marrying a new British emigrant began. The daughter of this marriage Grace Gray then in her turn married the next emigrant ancestor in my line as William Robert Pincombe had arrived with his parents in 1851 from Devon England. Their son John Routledge Pincombe (forever linking these two names in his own name) waited a long time to marry (b 1872 and married 1913); he was 42 years of age when he married the next emigrant from England Ellen Rosina Buller from Birmingham England. Their daughter Helen Louise Pincombe then married the next emigrant in my line from England Ernest Edward George Blake who had come with his parents in 1913 from Hampshire England. Just the flow of events quite stuns the imagination. Who would have thought so many new emigrants would marry into the Routledge family line time after time. I have always found it quite fascinating although admittably not fascinating enough to start studying it until 2003 :)

It really is difficult not to drift back into Routledge again and work my way through all the wills that I purchased but I want to stay focused on Blake and Pincombe for the most part. There will be a study day for Routledge once I am back into my pattern of days working on my family lines. It is truly amazing how quickly studying genealogy can totally take up your life. I used to be amazed watching my husband work for hours on his family lines but could never really get interested. Likely my cousin George DeKay is responsible for this shift in thought on my part although lurking at the back of my mind was the potential to do genealogy. I just needed an impetus and George provided that with his need for someone to write the Pincombe Profile. Amazing how things come together even when one is far away from the place of one's birth and one's cousins.

Today I worked away once again on the Parish Registers of North Molton. I am into the births of the children of Thomas Pincombe and Joan Smith. I must admit I do not yet find the surname Smith daunting. I have only a very few Smith surnames in my family tree thus far. Thomas and Joan married 28 Apr 1635 at North Molton and Thomas is the son of Thomas and Katherine Pyncombe with this Thomas being the son of William Pincombe and Emotte Snow and hence a brother to my Richard Pincombe at Bishops Nympton. Joan Smith was not baptized at North Molton (at least she does not appear in the Parish Registers there). The luxury of one name studies is that you are not overly interested in the parents of the partner that is not Pincombe so I have not really bothered to attempt to find her parents but a quick check of the new IGI does show a number of Joan Smith baptisms in the area. The names of the children may be helpful but four are common Pincombe forenames: William, Thomas, John, Richard. The last son Robert is the surname of my 3x great grandfather but does not appear regularly in the Pincombe family. However, I didn't find a Robert Smith baptizing children. The family of Thomas Pyncombe and Joan Smith does appear to be complete now with the five sons baptized between 1639 and 1648. Richard and John were both baptized the same date in 1644 but the priest doesn't mention if they were twins. Their grandfather Thomas in his will of 1653 mentions his five grandsons so it would appear that there were no other living children of this son Thomas and his wife Joan in 1653. I wish to follow the Pincombe line through North Molton Parish Registers.

I am still left with my query of who was Richard Pincombe who married Jane Bond 30 Jul 1652 at Chittlehampton. But at least I now know it wasn't Richard Pincombe son of Thomas Pincombe and Joan Smith at North Molton nor was it Richard Pincombe son of John Pyncombe and Mary Carew at Poughill (often linked to Jane Bond in genealogies).  Since the last child of Richard Pincombe and Jane Bond was baptized in 1673 one would expect that he was likely young when he married in 1652 (i.e. 20 to 30 years of age) and so born in the 1620s to 1630s. I continue to try to match up the baptisms of the Pincombe children with parents in the early parish registers.

I am thinking these days that I need a set of research questions for my one name studies and for my individual family lines. I think that I will devote some time to that thought on each research day for the individual family lines. For my one name studies I shall have to decide how I want them to flow in terms of product. I can not possibly accomplish more than make a dint in the surface of Blake research and as I extract the marriages I am thinking that I want to also look at emigration in the 1800s/1900s to see where Blake families moved to around the world and around England. Perhaps that will be my research question for Blake. I just have to frame it in an interesting way to put on my Blake profile to see if I can excite some interest in the study and furthering the yDNA study as well.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Kennedy family of Bewcastle, Cumberland - and interesting email - and continuing with North Molton Parish Registers

An interesting email today from a Kennedy family researcher asking about Grace Routledge and her husband George Arthur Kennedy. Grace was an older sister to my 2x great grandmother Elizabeth Mary Ann Routledge. Grace and George lived at Nookhouse Farm in Bewcastle, Cumberland, England. They emigrated to Canada probably with Thomas Routledge and Elizabeth Routledge, Grace's parents in 1818. George and Grace baptized Robert 28 Jan 1818 at the Scotch Church Bewcastle and Thomas and Elizabeth were still on their property at Pikefoot in the spring of 1818 but they are known to be in London Township in the late Fall of 1818 and on their property as Talbot settlers.

I have not yet been able to locate the parents of George Arthur Kennedy. His baptism does not appear in the Bewcastle Parish Registers. There is a Kennedy family at Bewcastle. Alexander Kennedy owns the farm Cleughside at Bewcastle and he and his sons are running that farm into the latter part of the 1700s although Alexander was buried 9 Apr 1782 at Bewcastle at the age of 72 years. I suspect this Kennedy family is related to my Routledge family as they are all mentioned in a will (will abstract follows):

Carlisle Record Office
Will of Archibald FORRESTER of Cleughside, Bewcastle [Bc] 1767, pg 63. [buried 8 May 1767]
Grace Forrester, deceased
John Forrester, Wit
Adam Routledge s o Mary, Wid
George Routledge, of Oakshaw, Bc, father of 2 children
Grace Routledge, daughter of [d o ] Mary Routledge, Wid
Henry Routledge, s o Mary R*
Henry Routledge of Borderrigg, dec., father of 3 children
John Routledge s o Mary R*, Wid
John Routledge, my “sister’s son, possibly s o Grace
Leondard Routledge of Oakshaw
Mary Routledge of Crossgreens or Strandsheads, Wid, mother of Grace, Mary, Adam, John & Henry
Mary Routledge, d o Mary, Wid
William Routledge of Oakshaw, deceased, father of William R*
William Routledge of Oakshaw s o late William Routledge
Francis Armstrong, Wit
Catherine Dowglass of Ash w o Thomas Douglas
Thomas Dowglass [sic Douglas] of Ash husband of Catherine
Catherine Henderson d o Robert & Helenor Henderson
Helenor Henderson wife of Robert and mother of Catherine
Robert Henderson husband of Helenor & father of Catherine
Alexander Kennedie of Cleughside, Friend husband of Sibella
Catherine Kennedie of Cleughside, d o Alexander
Elizabeth Kennedie of Cleughside
John Kennedie of Cleughside s o Alexander
Sibella Kennedie of Cleughside w o Alexander
William Kennedie of Cleughside s o Alexander
One of these days I must order the original will as it would make very interesting reading. Now the testator names Alexander Kennedie of cleughside as a friend and husband of Sibella. Alexander Kennedy married Ann Story 23 Jan 1750. Although I do not find Ann Kennedy in the Burial Register their son John was buried 21 Apr 1751(baptized 24 Feb 1750). Alexander then married Sybil Routledge 29 Feb 1752.

The George Routledge of Oakshaw is one of my 4x great grandfathers and the children mentioned (2 include Elizabeth my 3x great grandmother who married Thomas Routledge and they are the emigrant ancestors who came to London township). Elizabeth's mother Grace is also mentioned as is her mother Mary listed as widow of Crossgreens or Strandsheads. Also mentioned is Henry Routledge of Broderigg now deceased but father of three children and Henry is also one of my 4x great grandfathers and father to Thomas Routledge who married Elizabeth above. Needless to say the will is a tremendous addition to my genealogy for the Routledge family.

The Sybil Routledge mentioned may be the daughter of John Routledge of Redgatehead
baptized 10 Oct 1726 at Bewcastle. The first mention of Redgatehead and the Routledge family is the baptism of John Routledge son Michaell Routledge 1 Feb 1691. We find the Forester family there baptizing John Forester 8 Jul 1714 son of John Forester. All very interesting and if I had the time I would try to put all this together into some sort of sensible timeline but I have learned my lesson in straying too far from my goal which is my one name studies - Blake and Pincombe. So I mention all these interesting details in case some one else wants to run with that :) Just one hint more, Michaell Routledge baptized children in Ashkam not far from Bampton.

All of these Routledge males lived in the Bewcastle area in 1641-42 from the Protestation Returns (go back in my blog and I do separate some of these into fathers and sons):

Routledge Adam
Routledge Bartholomew
Routledge Christopher
Routledge Edward
Routledge Edward
Routledge Edward
Routledge Francis
Routledge George
Routledge George
Routledge Gilbert
Routledge James
Routledge Michael
Routledge Nicholas
Routledge Quinton
Routledge Richard
Routledge Rowland
Routledge Thomas
Routledge Thomas
Routledge Thomas
Routledge Thomas
Routledge William
Routledge William
Routledge William
I already have eight lines of Routledge but I actually think that I am not descended from this one :) although it is likely a collateral line to one of one of my lines.

I have continued with the North Molton Parish Registers. I am determined to finish them quickly and I have now completed 1644. There are 2749 baptisms, 440 marriages, 1200 burials and 103 banns. There may still be time to do 1645 this evening as I am fighting the desire to look at Routledge some more :)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Blogs and genealogy research

Although I initially started this blog totally for me as a diary, it has become more than that with comments received which have sometimes led me along the path to even more genealogical studies of my family lines. The ability to label each blog with the keywords that are most important to that particular post is one of the strongest features of the blog.

Today I started a blog for the Eastern Canada Region of the Guild of one name studies. It gives me the opportunity to interact with the members of my region and to send them quick messages as their Regional Representative.

Continuing on with Pincombe/Pinkham one name study, the excel file which I am updating now has all marriages complete from 1912 to the mid 1950s. I am working on the births now to list the parents of each child in the flat file. I will be continuing with my census work and linking the children born prior to 1912 to their parents. My mornings are generally spent on my one name studies (along with gardening, washing and a lovely walk and aerobic exercises). I think I shall have to rethink my day in order to glean the best possible working sessions.

Plus I am rethinking my priorities with regard to my surnames that I have researched in the past. I had enthusiastically set up my surnames on a rotating schedule along with those of our son in law but time ran away with me through the summer and I had to abandon the schedule. The beginning of the schedule (i.e. King for my family and Bédard for our son-in-law) will come around again in November and I shall begin again to work on these names but I will not expand my surnames beyond the frequency that they now hold in the old schedule. I will stick with no more than one hour in a single day on any of the surnames unless something arises which is spectacular - unlikely given the distance back I have now reached but one never knows that is true. The time will be spent transcribing principally in order to clear all the documents that I now hold on these surnames or any parish fiche which I have purchased. In the future my fiche purchases will be primarily to look at my Blake one name study or my Pincombe one name study. For our son-in-law's French Canadian ancestry I shall continue working as before on these names in order to pull all the documents out of the databases for them and organize the folders to accommodate them generation by generation.

I will no longer work on the Mead family although continue to be on their mailing list. I am satisfied with Hannah being the daughter of Jonathan Mead the Cooper III and unless someone discovers evidence to the contrary - the overwhelming evidence at the moment does point to that conclusion. Hannah Mead was my husband's 2x great grandmother and married to Isaac Kipp. My husband continues his Kipp one name study now officially a Guild study. The Force Study Group has become active on email once again and he may yet learn about his Force family (his great grandmother was Elizabeth Force daughter of Benjamin Force and granddaughter of Noah Force.

Well having made all those decisions, I can see the work that I will go ahead with as we go into Fall here. I continue transcribing North Molton Parish Registers to complete all the fiche that I own and then move back to Abbots Ann Parish Registers which I had to leave in the spring. I need to re-contact the Blake researchers that I spoke to last winter via email to let them know that I will be continuing with Abbots Ann as they are descended from Charles Blake who married Mary Prince at Abbots Ann in 1736. Determining his parentage is one of the goals of our joint research and of course part of the bigger picture on the Blake family. There are a number of Blake researchers who descend from Charles Blake and I would dearly love it if one of them would test their yDNA to see if they do match my brother. I am still curious if there are several different yDNA lines at Andover or whether they are indeed the same family and descendant of the Calne Wiltshire Blake family as the Pedigree Chart at Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office indicates.

I will also be working on my Pincombe/Pinkham one name study continuing to work on the flat file of BMDs and the Parish Registers that I currently hold. With the PRs for London on Ancestry I also need to start working on the Blake family there since they are known to be descendant of the Hampshire family.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Pincombe - Pinkham one-name study update

The past couple of days I have been updating my excel spread on the Pincombe-Pinkham family. I had only extracted up to 1911 from the FreeBMD website and I have now extracted up to the early 1950s which is the furtherest that Free BMD has proceded with their transcription. It is absolutely fascinating to be able to see all the births, marriages and deaths right up to the present for UK records. It never ceases to amaze me as Canadian records are very restrictive. However, that is only the simplest database of the records. To see more you must purchase the record from the General Record Office.

Just to record numbers - I have before reducing because of double keying 425 Pincombe marriages and 291 Pinkham marriages, 614 Pincombe births and 407 Pinkham births, 420 Pincombe deaths and 256 Pinkham deaths. Given the frequency quoted yesterday I had expected to see the ratio of Pincombe:Pinkham records approximately 6:4 and that is roughtly what we are seeing.

I found it most interesting from the time that I took up the Pincombe one-name study that the two original researchers both carried the surname Pinkham and yet they referred to it as the Pincombe study. The actual original spelling of the surname does appear to have been Pencombe but I have not seen it in any Devon records spelled that way since the mid 1500s. Pincombe and Pyncombe definitely predominated the records through the 1500s and 1600s with the 1700s showing the first appearances of the alternate spelling of Pinkham.

I have matched up about 2/3rds of the marriages with their correct spouse and I am now in the process of matching up children with the correct parents using the census. I had put that aside a couple of years ago to work on entering in the large charts from the earlier researchers into Legacy. This has been a slow moving task as I was so incredibly successful in tracing my family back that I became distracted by my other lines and discussions with other researchers. I have now reached a point in many of the lines where I can not really do a lot more without seeing original records in England (or purchasing them/finding them on FindMyPast and Ancestry) and I am returning to my one-name studies with the occasional foray into my other lines. Blake and Pincombe are my parent's surnames and so my one-name studies are in memory of their memories. Some of the memories are shared memories but my father and his parents didn't come to Canada until he was already  nine years old and so he has memories of people and times from Hampshire; my mother was born in Canada as was her father and his mother and from her I have my few tales of Canadian ancestry. I have in fact only five groups of emigrant ancestors - the Thomas Routledge and Elizabeth Routledge (with their nine children, son in law and two grandchildren) came first in 1818 (both were surnamed Routledge), then Robert Gray arrived in 1832, William Robert Pincombe and his parents John Pincombe and Elizabeth Rew and his four siblings arrived via the Port of New York to the same area in 1851, long hiatus and my maternal grandmother Ellen Rosina Buller arrived in 1908 and finally in 1913 my father Ernest Edward George Blake and his parents Samuel George Blake and Edith Bessie Taylor (aka Ada Bessie Cotteril Rawlings). My history in Canada is short; my history in England is long but I have only their memories although three visits there has now given me a number of memories of my own.

I suspect that I saw more of England than any of my grandparents (three were born and raised to adulthood in England), I saw Scotland, I saw Wales (although I rather think that some of my lines visited there as well). However, they did come by boat across the ocean which I have never done but do mean to do at least once in my lifetime.

When I first went to Europe; to Rome to be exact and the Vatican City to be even more precise as that was my reason for going I stood on the steps of St Peters and wondered if any of my ancestors in modern times had done that. It was my first conscious thought of my ancestors as other than silent figures of the past that actually occupied a good deal of the conversation that I had with my parents as a child growing up. For I was constantly enriched with knowledge about my ancestors on a fairly daily basis as they remembered stories told to them by their own parents, grandparents and in my father's and grandfather's case their great grandparents.

It makes for interesting telling actually to be able to remember stories that my grandfather told me that he had heard from his great grandfather who was born in 1800. My grandfather was a vivid storyteller and when he described Turnworth to me (I was that kind of a child; always one question followed an answer as I delved in to see what I could see that my grandfather already could see). Indeed I think some of the trees in the graveyard were there when he was there. There was also a hidden graveyard as he called it - the other section of the graveyard was in a close behind the main churchyard around the church. Seeing that brought the memory back to me. But his great grandfather was a Methodist preacher back when Methodists were still part of the Church of England. Charles Butt lived and died an Anglican but in between along with being an agricultural labourer on Glebe land he was a Methodist preacher. He did travel about somewhat according to what he told his grandson (my grandfather) and in those days it was mostly on foot. The land of Dorset so exquisitely described by my grandfather was true to form when we were there. The long low valleys shrouded in mist but oh so green; the crisp fresh scent of the air and the fields - all around you are farmer's fields full of grain with all that delightful smell in the spring (it was spring when we were there).

I digress as I am prone to do and I must return to my studies.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

North Molton Parish Registers and Pincombe file updated beyond 1911

North Molton Parish Registers continue to be my main transcription from fiche at this time and at the end of 1641 there are now 2643 baptisms, 422 marriages, 1134 burials and 103 banns. I am only on the second row of the third last fiche so still a fair amount to transcribe. I must investigate acquiring several more Parish Registers for North Molton to bring me up to the mid 1800s although no rush on that as I have copies of the records for my direct line already when we visited Salt Lake City.

By this time period all of my families of interest have now moved on to Bishops Nympton from North Molton so that my continuing interest is solely for my one name Pincombe study. Contemplating that study I realized that I had not yet updated the births, marriages and deaths registration file using FreeBMD so have now extracted all those entries and have added in the marriage partners from 1912 on. I still have the baptisms to work on in terms of making a file that is readily searchable on all items. I have not yet found all the partners in the 1837 to 1911 marriages yet and will do that in combination with the census.

Another piece of exciting news for the Pincombe study is another family member (Pinkham) joining the yDNA study. To really learn the deep ancestry of this family the yDNA study is absolutely essential to show if this is a singleton family. I will await his results.

The world profiler for Pinkham surname shows:

Top Countries
Country                       FPM
UNITED STATES      18
NEW-ZEALAND       15.17
CANADA                     8.25
UNITED KINGDOM   4.12
IRELAND                     1.03



The Pinkham surname is frequent in the United States and New Zealand.



Next looking at the Pincombe surname on the World Profiler:

Top Countries
Country                         FPM
UNITED KINGDOM    6.31
CANADA                       3.44
UNITED STATES          0.8
IRELAND                       0.34
SPAIN                             0.1


The spelling Pinkham dominates in the United States and I wonder if perhaps the individuals who use the Pincombe spelling are all descendant of my 2x great grandfather's older brother Robert whose family settled in Kansas. Robert had two sons the eldest of whom was killed in the Civil War (he was fighting with the North) but the younger son had a large family.

Worldwide the Pinkham spelling dominates as can be seen by the frequency of Pincombe which is highest in the UK but at only 6.31 per million (Pinkham is 18 per million in the United States of America).

Two branches of the Devon Pincombe (at least) came to Canada in the mid 1800s (my own and one line from Beaford) but there have been other immigrations to Canada. In general the Pincombe name is still primarily located in Devon with the top cities in the United Kingdom being:

Exeter , south west , UK
Taunton , south west , UK
Tiverton , south west , UK
Chulmleigh , south west , UK
South Molton , south west , UK
Barnstaple , south west , UK
Romford , south east , UK
Umberleigh , south west , UK
Reading , south east , UK
Crediton , south west , UK

The original Pincombe one name study was run by two researchers both of whom had the spelling Pinkham for their surname - one lived in the United Kingdom and the other in the United States. I continue entering their charts which they archived at the Society of Genealogists (it is now possible to archive your study with the Guild of one-name studies but that option was not available at the time they closed their study) into my Legacy Family Tree Program although I haven't done very much the last couple of months. The study was named Pincombe as the primary surname with the Pinkham spelling as a deviant. That surprised me somewhat as both carried the Pinkham surname. However, their charts show that all lines begin with the Pincombe surname with several of the specific family lines eventually moving to the Pinkham spelling.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

North Molton Parish Registers and the Will of Robert Pincombe dated 19 Apr 1827 at Bishops Nympton Devon (Inland Revenue Wills - Estate Duty Office, Page 885)

Continuing on with the North Molton Parish Registers as my plan is to complete them this year (i.e. before Christmas). There are now at the end of 1639 baptisms 2568, marriages 406, burials 1081 with 1636 being a particularly difficult year for the parish with a total of 56 burials (a usual year is 30 burials) and 103 banns.

More Pincombe entries were found in the latest transcriptions which are most welcome as the family was first in Devon in North Molton in 1485 according to the Visitation. My line moved to Bishops Nympton from East Buckland/Filleigh in the 1590s (remaining there for the most part until they emigrated to Canada in 1850 (last ten years were at Molland)).

This is of course most interesting for my one name study on the Pincombe/Pinkham family at the Guild of one name studies. Along with the wills, I am getting a much deeper understanding of the Pincombe family at North Molton.

These two entries were somewhat confusing until I found the burial of Katherine Pincombe wife of Thomas Pincombe

Baptisms
Pincombe Thomas son Pincombe Thomas   1616 Mar 30
Pincombe William son Pincombe Thomas  Joan 1639 Mar 31


Marriage
Pincombe Thomas Smith Joan 1635 Apr 28

Burials
Pincombe William son Pincombe Thomas  Katherine 1624 Dec 7
Pincomb Joan      1633 Jan 15
Pincombe Katherine wife Pincombe Thomas   1636 Feb 5
Pincomb William      1637 Jan 29

So I now know that Thomas Pincombe marrying Joan Smith was quite likely the son of Thomas Pincombe since the wife of Thomas Pincombe did not die until nearly two years after her son married. But it ends any thought that Richard Pincombe who married Jane Bond 30 Jul 1652 was a son of Thomas who married in 1635 as he was the fourth son of this marriage. Which brings us back to the question asked before in an earlier blog. Who is the Richard Pincombe who married Jane Bond at Chittlehampton?

I now have the name of Thomas Pincombe's wife (father of Bartholomew, Thomas (married to Joan Smith) and Grace) and it was Katherine. However I do not have her surname at this time. They did not marry at North Molton.

Moving away from the Parish Registers for the moment, I also worked on one of the first Pincombe wills that I looked at. The will of Robert Pincombe dated 19 Apr 1827. Robert was my 3x great grandfather and I did grow up hearing a few stories about him. Not a great deal as he died whilst his children were all still young - only his eldest son Robert was 21 years of age when he died. My ancestor was John (some people have asked me why he was disinherited as he received only 5 shillings) but I think that John inherited from his eldest Uncle (John Pincombe at Molland) so that he did not receive anything else from his father other than the token five shillings which said you are my son and I am remembering you in the will. We did find his gravestone at Bishops Nympton attached to the Church Wall (exterior) and somewhat hidden behind a Yew Tree. That was a lucky find. My husband was walking along and noticed the stone and moved the tree a little to read it and said Robert Pincombe died 1827. It immediately caught my attention as I knew that my Robert had died in 1827.

Robert was 52 when he died. That seems very young but at a time when the average age at death was in the late 40s early 50s his age at death was not uncommon. His brothers outlived him by ten to twenty years. His wife had died four years earlier of unknown causes and one of his sons William died two years after his mother. His will was dated the 19 Apr 1827 and he died on the 23rd Apr 1827. Perhaps it was a sudden infectious disease. That information did not pass down in the family.

Robert Pincombe and Elizabeth Rowcliffe was a love match as Elizabeth's father was a fairly prominent land owner and she was his only daughter. Robert was 28 when he married and Elizabeth was 26. They actually married more in line with present day marriages and went on to have eight children (7 sons and 1 daughter). They went through all the family names and the only one that wasn't a father/brother's name was that of Richard. I wonder why Richard although it is a fairly common Pincombe name in this line it had not appeared since Richard son of William Pincombe and Emotte Snow. Richard was the first ancestor at Bishops Nympton. One piece of family lore that did come down was that they had named all of their children after family.

The wills for the Exeter Court were all destroyed in WWII so that the original of this will did not survive the bombing but a copy had been placed with Inland Revenue and so this particular copy has survived and I have transcribed it below with the Probate. It is modern English for the most part - very few middle English terms are used.

The will of Robert Pincombe:

Recorded: 19 Oct 2011
Source: Inland Revenue Wills - p 885
Place: Bishops Nympton, Devon, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 19 Apr 1827 (probated 27 Oct 1827)
Condition: photocopy, bold, modern English writing
Type: three pages - Original will (2 pages) and Probate (1 page)

1 In the name of God, Amen.  I Robert Pincombe of Bishopsnympton
2 in the County of Devon, Yeoman, being infirm in Body but of Sound and disposing
3 Mind Memory and Understanding praised be God for the same do make and ordain
4 this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following, that is to say, First
5 I give and Bequeath unto my Son Robert Pincombe the Sum four pound a year to be
6 paid to him within one year after my Decease, Also I give unto my Daughter Betsy
7 Pincombe the sum of Four pound a year, Also I give unto my son John Pincombe
8 the [sum] of five shillings, Also I give unto my Son Thomas Pincombe the sum of four Pounds a
9 year after he arrive to the Age of Twenty one, Also my Son George Pincombe the sum of four
10 Pounds a Year after he arrive to the Age of twenty one, Also I give unto my Son Richard
11 Pincombe the sum of four Pounds a year after he arrive to the Age of twenty one, Also I
12 give unto my Son Philip Pincombe the sum of four Pounds A year after he arrive to
13 to the age of twenty one my will is that if either of my Children should happen to
14 die under the Age of twenty one Years and unmarried then the Legacy or Legacies of him
15 or her so dying shall be equally Divided between them Survivors And also if my Son
16 Robert Pincombe should die and have a Widow and During her Widowhood to have her
17 husband share out of my Estate or Estates Also I give Devise and Bequeath unto my
 Brother John Pincombe of Molland and William Pincombe of Bishopsnympton and Phillip
18 Routtcliffe of Mary Ansley in this County, Yeomen. All that my said Moiety and Half
19 fendle of West Wood and my Tenement called East Wood also my Leasehold Estate called
20 Park with their and every of their Appurtenances thereto belonging And also my Goods
21 chattels Personal and Testamentary Estate Whatsoever and Wheresoever
22 Robert Pincombe [signed]
 [Page 2]
23 To hold the same unto the said John Pincombe William Pincombe and Phillip Routcliffe
24 their Executors Administrators and Assignes Subject and Charged and chargeable to and with the
25 Payment of all Just Debts and Legacies herebefore given, Also I authorize and Impower my
26 Trust or Trustees to Mortgage or Assigne over my Estate or Estates if required for the
27 better payment of my Debts Also my Will is that after my Debt is all paid that my Children
28 herein before named, that is to say, my son Robert Pincombe Betsy Pincombe Thomas
29 Pincombe George Pincombe Richard Pincombe and Philip Pincombe to have their equal share alike
30 out of my Estate or Estates And lastly I do hereby Nominate Constitute and appoint the said John
31 Pincombe W[illia] Pincombe and Philip Routcliffe Executors in Trust of this my last Will and Testament
32 and Jointly Guardians of my said Children And I do Declare this to be my last Will and
33 Testament In Wittness whereof I have to the first sheet of this my last Will and Testament I have
34 subscribed my name and At this last sheet I have sett my hand and Seal this nineteenth day of
35 April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven
36 Robert Pincombe [signed and sealed]
37 Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the above named
38 Robert Pincombe the Testator as and for his last will and testament
39 in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence have
40 subscribed our Names as witnesses thereto
41 John Pincombe [signed]
42 The Mark of Jane X Arnell
43 The Mark of Ann X Arnell
44 W[itnesse]s sig[ned] as A true Copy
45 William Gray [signed and sealed]
 [Page 3]
46 For EXECUTORS
47 John Pincombe of Molland in
48 the County of Devon, Yeoman
49 and Philip Rowcliffe of
50 Mariansleigh in the same
51 County Yeoman
52 Executors in Trust named in the last Will and Testament of
53 Robert Pincombe late of Bishopsnympton
54 in the County of Devon Yeoman deceased
55 who died on the 23rd Day of April 1827
56 make Oath to say that they have made diligent search and
57 due enquiry after, and in respect of the Personal Estate and Effects of the
58 said Deceased, in order to ascertain the full Amount and Value thereof; and
59 that to the best of their knowledge, information, and belief, the whole of
60 the Goods, Chattles, and Credits, of which the said Deceased died, possessed
61 within the Peculiar Jurisdiction of the
62 Bishop of Exeter
63 (exclusive of what the Deceased may have been possessed of, or intitled to
64 as a Trustee for any other Person or Persons, and not beneficially, but
65 including the Leasehold Estates for Years of the Deceased, whether abso-
66 lute or determinable on Lives, and without deducting any thing on account
67 of the Debts due and owing from the Deceased,) are under the Value of
68 One thousand and five hundred pounds
69 John Pincombe [signed]
70 Philip Rowcliffe [signed]
71 Sworn on the Twelfth
72 Day of October 1827 before me
73 Edward Chave Tunsgate

I also have the wills of the two brothers of Robert Pincombe (John and William) which I plan to transcribe over the next few days and then that leaves me with three other Pincombe wills. The National Archives holds one Pinkham will I need to acquire. The name Pinkham is common in the United States and in some parts of England and is a variant of Pincombe.

William Pinkham, Carpenter of London, Middlesex - dated 21 Feb 1749; PROB 11/768 and Imae Reference 75/78.

Genuki Devon Wills project shows the following Pinkham wills:

Pinkham  Richard  Totnes  DEV (carrier)     1812  W  co     IRW  P 907  
Pinkham  William  Dawlish  DEV (ironmonger)    1835  A  ab  EXE  DDR2  IR 26/490 f.474  [NB - 'Place' shows administrator's abode]; to Ann Pinkham, widow
Pinkham  William  Dawlish  DEV     1837  A  ab  EXE  DDR2  IR 26/494 f.431

At some point I shall try to acquire any of these that are available - the IRW p 907 will be available.

My next step with Pincombe/Pinkham one name study is to once again extract all the names from FreeBMD - I have done this up to 1911 several years ago and placed many of them into families but FreeBMD is up to the early 1950s now and it is time to bring my project up to date.