More thinking on the Siderfin Book

I added nearly two pages to the Siderfin Book revision yesterday. James Sanders had mentioned a number of items and with modern tools and the internet archive I was able to lift all of those mentions from the various publications and include a snip of each in the book.

It also pointed out that the line of Siderfin (beginning with a Robert Siderfin at Croydon) that bore a coat of arms has not been traced in the book. I did find a reference to Robert Siderfin in the UK Archives (Kew) and living at Croydon and think I might order up that document. I do not know if it is difficult to order a document from the Parliamentary Archives. Will see how that goes.

This particular Robert Siderfin was referred to as Esquire (so one step up from Gentleman) and he married a Baronet's daughter Ann Wittewronge daughter of Sir John Wittewronge of Rothamsted, Hertfordshire. The article that James Sanders referred to mentioned that the Parish Church at Luxborough did not have any monuments  (this is 1791) but inside the Church on the floor was located a memorial inscription to Ann Siderfin who died 5 May 1708. The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset collected from authentick records and in actual survey made by the late Mr. Edmund Rack. Adorned with a map of the County, And Engravings of Roman and other Reliques, Town-Seals, Baths, Churches, and Gentlemen’s Seats. By the Reverend John Collinson, F.A.S.; three volumes. Published at Bath and printed by R. Cruttwell. 1791. 

This does take us back to Siderfin's Estate Act: 

Reference:     HL/PO/JO/10/1/523/1470
Title:     Siderfin's Estate Act
Description:    
Amended Draft of an Act for vesting the manor of Exton and other lands in the county of Somerset, late the estate of Thomas Siderfin, deceased, in trustees, to be sold for payment of debts.
 Annexed:
 a) 11 Dec -- Petition of Robert Siderfin, of Croydon, in the county of Somerset.
 b) 22 Jan -- Consent of John Worth, of Luxborrow, James Cornish, of Withill, and Thomas Darch, of Stawley.
Date:     13 Dec 1699
Held by:     Parliamentary Archives, not available at The National Archives
Language:     English 

The date 1699 places this at the time when Ann (Wittewronge) Siderfin was still alive. The Manor of Exton belonged to Thomas Siderfin as mentioned in his will of 1678 (page 34). Croydon to his brother Robert Siderfin is in that will and Robert and Ann had married 16 Jun 1687 at St Nicholas Cole Abbey, London. Robert had two children from his first marriage to Catherine Polkins 3 Feb 1680 St James, Dukes Place, London namely Robert and Walter. Interestingly Christian (sister of Robert) married John Worth 9 May 1682 in Luxborough. 

I have a tree for the descendants of John Siderfin (lived at Luxborough about 1500) which I will place in the book as well as an appendix at the end of the book. I have not yet traced Robert Siderfin or Walter Siderfin sons of Robert. That will be a project for today. 

Although the book that James Sanders wrote mostly follows along in increasing year order there are points where references are made earlier and then more material is added later. I may re-order the book into generations. I do have nine generations of this family coming down from John Siderfin (1500s at Luxborough). Putting it into generations might be useful and I will make a decision soon on that.