Continuing to work on this 5th generation of Siderfin and comparing James Sander's chart with the records and checking on the individual members in Generation 4 to see what has been said about each of the family lines coming down from the children of Robert (William 2, John 1). The repetition of children's names in particular families does tend to make me think that James Sanders became somewhat confused by the children in Generation 5 and to whom they belonged. I can not find any sign of Robert Siderfin at Croydon having two sons by one of his earlier wives whose names interestingly enough match the names given to other descendants of the 4th generation. Finding the two sons of Robert Siderfin at Croydon became an aim yesterday but I found absolutely nothing that could confirm James Sander's mention on page 29 of his original book giving the names of these two sons as Robert and Walter. Rather two children were baptized as Robert and Walter at Minehead by a Robert and Elizabeth Siderfin in 1689 and 1692 respectively. I think moving forward from this section is possible given no mention in the will of Robert Siderfin of Croydon and his fourth's wife's rejection of executorship of his will (he was vastly in debt) and a son in law managing the estate are likely signs that there were no living male descendants of Robert Siderfin of Croydon.
Christian Siderfin's will naming her children and there being in 1644 when the will was written her son Robert and his son Robert that the Robert Siderfin senior and junior at Timberscombe and Linch were descendant of William (Robert 3, William 2, John 1) placing the Robert and Walter baptized at Minehead clearly into this line since the Siderfin family at Selworthy appears to be there only in this time frame although over time this line (being mine) did move closer to Minehead but I believe it took the will of Grace Escott 6 Aug 1784 to see this movement towards Minehead occur. That is a continuing story of the Selworthy Siderfin family which belongs to the children of Generation Eight so remains into the future for the moment. I do not want to get ahead of myself. I need to deal with each of the descendants of Generation 5 and that is slowly coming together and will chart it so that I can move onto Generation 6 at which point it appears that all of the lines have daughtered out except for the Selworthy Siderfin family. But I do have to look at Thomas b circa 1650 (Thomas 5, William 4, Robert 3, William 2, John 1), Robert b circa 1658 (Robert 5, Robert 4, Robert 3, William 2, John 1) with descendants Robert at Linch and Walter at Timberscombe (and a claimed John at Wootton Courtney not yet discovered), and none of the other lines is shown with descendants. The nice part is that the Parish Registers are more intact in this time period but the lack of marriage information on Robert and Elizabeth Siderfin both in the 1650s and the 1680s does hamper the progress. Again it appears that moving to the land records might just be the correct move at this time.
As far as the Siderfin Coat of Arms is concerned it would appear that only Robert (Robert 3, William 2, John 1) has a continuing line coming down to the present but did Robert use a Coat of Arms or was it created in the Fourth Generation? No ideas on that but will continue to watch for information on the Coat of Arms. I do not see mention of a Coat of Arms in his will of 1627. Working on the Blake family particularly of Calne has shown me that paying attention to the usage of the Coat of Arms is worthwhile whilst tracing down.
Today I shall continue with the FMP 2424 entries and tomorrow I will look at the Discovery Catalogue on the Archives of the UK website.
I will likely, once again, add to this post as the day progresses. Breakfast awaits.
Back to the 2424 hits for Siderfin on Find My Past. I have now assigned the baptism of Elizabeth Siderfin 1856 to the Robert and Elizabeth (Blackford?) Siderfin family living at Timberscombe, baptizing their daughter at Timberscombe but apparently burying Elizabeth (Blackford?) Siderfin at Selworthy in 1691 and Robert Siderfin (likely husband) in 1688 at Selworthy. This is where the Memorial brasses come in. Richard Blackford, in his memory there is a brass inscription at Dunster, mentioned by Connor in his chapter on the brasses at Selworthy (p. 95 of the Monumental Brasses in Somerset). Richard Blackford, in his will, only an abstract remains, mentions his cousin Robert Siderfin leading one to wonder if the Elizabeth Siderfin baptized in 1656 married Richard Blackford (and no she did not). Although I can not locate a baptism for a Robert Siderfin, brother to this Elizabeth Siderfin, I do believe that there must have been a Robert baptized in the 1650s to this line. Not wanting to get into the Blackford family I hope to gain a little leniency in interpretation of his abstract:
Richard Blackford, Dunster, Somerset, King's Masters Extraordinary in the Court of Chancery, Will dated 8 Jan 1688, Will proved 4 Apr 1689, Wife Elizabeth Blackford, Son William, Daughter Sidwell Blackford, Sister Mary Coffin, Sister Christian Blackford, Cousin John Quirck, Cousin Robert Siderfin, Sister ....Hawkins, Son in law Edward Dyke, Daughter Elizabeth Dyke.
Richard Blackford is said to have married Elizabeth Hawkins and perhaps his reference to a "sister" (actually sister in law) .... Hawkins does perhaps give credence to that idea. It does however take back one generation to the Robert Siderfin and wife Elizabeth (thus far unknown for surname) to being Elizabeth Blackford as Richard refers to Robert Siderfin as a cousin. It is perhaps the best proof yet for a Blackford connection but much further back than James Sanders envisioned as he had Robert Siderfin (baptized to John and likely Thomasine (unknown) Siderfin 23 Aug 1658 at Selworthy) marrying Elizabeth Blackford but this is proven by will to be wrong (Elizabeth Question was his wife).
Moving ever forward with this 2424 hits I return to the burial of Elizabeth Siderfin 7 Nov 1691 at Selworthy (widow of Robert Siderfin buried in 1688 and the brass memorial at Selworthy remembering the son Robert Siderfin buried in 1714 at age 25 years (so baptized in 1689 which works very well for the baptism of a Robert Siderfin 7 May 1689 at Minehead to Robert and Elizabeth Siderfin. Why Minehead? no ideas on that but just go with the baptisms. James may have been close in his assumption of thinking this was a Siderfin-Blackford marriage but likely it was this Robert father of the Robert buried in 1714 that was a son of a Siderfin-Blackford marriage just a little further back. Richard Blackford mentioning his cousin Siderfin in his will of 1688 does, perhaps, determine quite succinctly that the parents of himself and the Elizabeth Blackford marrying a Siderfin in the 1650 were the same and hence Robert Siderfin who was buried in 1688 was actually his first cousin and the Robert burying his son in 1714 was the son of Richard Blackford's first cousin Robert. It does flow nicely but there are assumptions made which time might reveal in the land records. I will leave it as a thesis of discovery to be looked at later.
The Will of Elizabeth Siderfin and I have lately transcribed this one just out of interest:
Date: 12 Mar 2023
Document: Will
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/621/352
Date of document: 6 Feb 1727/8
Date of Probate: 24 Apr 1728
Author: Elizabeth Siderfin
Location: Exeter, Devon, England
[In margin]: Tm: Eliza Siderfin
1 I Elizabeth Siderfin of the
2 City of Exon Widow being of sound and perfect mind memory and
3 Understanding and hereby revoking all former wills by me made
4 doe make and appoint this my last Will and Testament in manner
5 following, that is to say, I give and bequeath unto the Reverend
6 Mr. John Withers Mr. John Enty Mr. John Lavington and Mr. James
7 Greene of the City of Exon the summe of twenty shillings apiece
8 to each of them to buy a mourning ring and I give and bequeath
9 unto my Son James Gould (if living at the time of my death the
10 summe of ten pounds to buy himself mourning and as to all the
11 rest and residue of my termes for years Leasehold ____ its good
12 and Chattells whatsoever I give and bequeath unto my
13 dear daughter Elizabeth Gould and doe hereby appoint and
14 constitute her to be the shole and sole Executrix of this my last
15 Will and I also give unto her and her heirs all Landes and
16 hereditaments that doe or my belong to me whatsoever and
17 wheresoever In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and
18 seale this twenty sixth day of February Anno Domino 1727 The mark
19 of Elizabeth Siderfin. Signed Sealed Published and declared by
20 Elizabeth Siderfin the testatrix to be her last Will and Testament
21 in the presence of us who Subscribed our names in her p[re]sence
22 and in the presence of each other John Voroler L Lee Rich’[ar]d Willcocks
23 Probatum fuit hujusmodi Testamentum apud London
24 vicesimo quarto die mensis Aprilis Anno domini millesimo
25 septingentesimo vicesimo Octavo coram venerabili Magristo
26 viro Johanne Bettesworth legum doctore Curia prerogative
27 Cantuariensis Magistro custode sive Commissario legitime
28 constituto Juramento Elizabetha Gould Execut in dicto
29 testamento nominat cui commissa fuit administratcio omnium
30 et singularium bonorum jurium et creditorium dicti defuncti
31 De bene et fideliter administrando eadem ad Sancta dei Evangelia
32 vigore commis jura Ex
Sticking in the back of my mind is a reference to the Gould family so did find this will to be interesting although the widow Elizabeth is in Exeter. Since a widow of Robert Siderfin of Croydon had refused administration of his will (he named her executor) and the date of this will 1727 became rather interesting. But I am not able to take it any further at this time.
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