Great x4 Grandfather John Bennett

My Great x4 Grandfather John (1792 - 1859) was a ropemaker and father of eight.

John was born on 3rd April 1792 in South Molton, Devon, to John Bennett, a ropemaker, and Mary Bennett.

John was privately baptised two days after his birth, on 5th April 1792; however, he was later, alongside his next younger sister Lydia, received into the church on 26th December 1794, in South Molton.

John was the eldest of seven children (five sons and two daughters)

• John  1792 -
• Lydia 1794 - 1795 (about ten months old)
• Lydia  1796 - 1806 (9 years old)
• Henry  1799 -
• Charles  1800 -
• Giles  1802 -
• Robert  1805 - 1806 (about 20 months old)

Interestingly, John and his sisters (both called Lydia) were privately baptised a few days after their birth, then later received into the church. And John's next three younger brothers were baptised together on the same day in 1803.

Sadly three of John's younger siblings passed away in childhood. In August 1795, when John was three years old, his younger sister Lydia passed away, aged only about ten months. Lydia was buried on 28th August 1795 in South Molton. In April 1806, when John was fourteen, his next younger sister Lydia passed away, aged about nine years old. Lydia was buried on 23rd April 1806. In October 1806, his youngest brother Robert passed away, aged only about twenty months. Robert was buried on 26th October 1806 in South Molton.

On 15th March 1827, John (about 35), a ropemaker, married Jane 'Jenny' Godsland (about 23) in his native South Molton. Both John and Jane were able to sign their name. They married in the presence of Sarah Bennett and John Godsland, likely relatives of groom and bride.

Signature of John Bennett, 1827

Their first child Mary was baptised in August 1827, meaning Jane was about four months pregnant when they married.

John and Jane had eight children (three daughters and five sons):

• Mary  1827 -
• John  1829 -
• Jane  1831 - 
• William  1834 - 
• Robert  1836 - 
• Emma  1839 - 
• James  1842 - 
• Samuel  1845 - 

Around 1828, John and his young family moved, over twenty miles south, from South Molton to Hatherleigh. Their children John, Jane and William were baptised there. The family moved again, around 1835, about twenty-fives miles east, from Hatherleigh to Upton Pyne. Their younger children Robert, Emma, James and Samuel were baptised there.

1841 Census:

1851 Census:

In 1855, when John was sixty-three, John's wife Jane passed away, aged about fifty-one, at Upton Pyne. She was buried on 29th April 1855 in Upton Pyne.

A few years later, in 1859, John himself passed away, aged sixty-seven. He was buried on 22nd Mary 1859 in Upton Pyne.

Great x4 Grandmother Mary Emberry (nee Arscott)

My Great x4 Grandmother Mary (1793 - c 1850's) was a weaver, laundress, housewife and mother of four.

Mary was born around 1793 in Silverton, Devon, to John Arscott (about 38) and Sarah Arscott (nee Park) (about 37).

Mary was baptised on 7th April 1793 in Silverton.

Mary was the youngest of five children (four daughters and one son):

• Elizabeth  1779 -
• Sarah  1781 - 1781 (about six weeks old)
• William  1783 -
• Sarah  1790 - 1799 (nine years old)
• Mary  1793 - 

All five siblings were baptised in Silverton.

Sadly two of Mary's sisters passed away in childhood.

Nine years before Mary was born, her older sister Sarah passed away as a young baby. Sarah was baptised on 23rd September 1781 and buried, six weeks later, on 4th November 1781, in Silverton.

And in 1799, when Mary was about six years old, her closest sister Sarah (second of that name) passed away, aged only nine years old. This Sarah was buried on 11th July 1799, in Silverton. Twenty years later, Mary would name her first born daughter Sarah, likely after her lost sisters.

On 17th August 1817, Mary (about 24), a weaver and later a laundress, married John Emberry (about 21), a cordwainer (shoemaker), in Holy Trinity, Exeter. Both are described as residents of that parish.

Sometime after their marriage, John and Mary moved out from Exeter, and eight miles north, to begin their family life in her native Silverton, which is but a few miles from his native Cadbury.

Mary and John had at least four children:

• John  1827 - 1828 (fifteen months old)
• Sarah  1829 -
• Mary Ann  1831 -
• Thomas  1834 -

Whilst daughters Sarah and Mary Ann were baptised in Silverton, their youngest son Thomas was baptised in Brampford Speke, some four miles south-west of Silverton, implying the family may have moved in the early 1830's, but only locally.

It is possible John and Mary had more elder children, who were not baptised (John for example was not baptised, though we have record of his burial) or who did not survive, as the couple married a decade before the birth of their first known child John.

Though I cannot find record of his death, it seems Mary's husband John passed away sometime in the late 1830's, likely in his early forties, as he can no longer be found with Mary and his young children come the 1841 census, and Mary is described as a widow come the more detailed 1851 census.

1841 Census:

By the time of the 1851 census, Mary was living back in the city of Exeter, now in Coombe Street, St Mary Major, with her daughter Mary Ann, and Mary Ann's young family. Now in her late fifties, she was working as a laundress.

1851 Census:

Coombe Street, where the family lived, was described as being "at the heart of the West Quarter" by Exeter Memories. Picture the scene:

"The 18th Century saw the whole of the West Quarter slip from a favoured place for merchants to live and trade, to a place for a growing, often deprived, working population. Tanneries, foundries, soap and candle makers, sawmills, coal yards and warehouses were developed in Shilhay in the 19th Century. Coombe Street saw tenements and houses built along the street and off little alleys on each side - any spare piece of land would be filled with a terrace or tenement to provide a landlord with income. It has been described as Dickensian, with low pay and unemployment creating poverty, overcrowding and deprivation."

Although I cannot find a record of death, Mary appears on no later records, so may well have passed away, in her late fifties or early sixties, in the 1850's, in or near Exeter.

Great x4 Grandfather John Emberry

My Great x4 Grandfather John (1796 - late 1830's) was a cordwainer (shoemaker) and father of four.

John was born around 1796 in Cadbury, Devon, to Thomas Embrey (about 42) and Ann Embrey.

John was baptised on 15th May 1796 in Cadbury.

John was the youngest of three children (two daughters and one son):

• Jenny  1787 -
• Ann  1793 -
• John  1796 -

All three were baptised in Cadbury. The three children's baptisms and well as their father Thomas' baptism spell their surname as Embrey rather than the latter used Emberry. John himself spells it Emberry on his 1817 record of marriage.

Signature of John Emberry, 1817

On 17th August 1817, John (about 21), a cordwainer, married Mary Arscott (about 24), a weaver and latter a laundress, in Holy Trinity, Exeter. Both are described as residents of that parish.

Sometime after their marriage, John and Mary moved out from Exeter, about eight miles north, to begin their family live in her native Silverton, which is but a few miles from his native Cadbury.

John and Mary had at least four children:

• John  1827 - 1828 (fifteen months old)
• Sarah  1829 -
• Mary Ann  1831 -
• Thomas  1834 - 

Whilst daughters Sarah and Mary Ann were baptised in Silverton, their youngest son Thomas was baptised in Brampford Speke, some four miles south-west of Silverton, implying the family may have moved in the early 1830's, but only locally.

It is possible John and Mary had more elder children, who were not baptised (John for example was not baptised, though we have record of his burial) or who did not survive, as the couple married a decade before the birth of their first known child John.

Though I cannot find record of his death, it seems John passed away sometime in the late 1830's, likely in his early forties, as he can not longer be found with his wife and young children come the 1841 census, and Mary is described as a widow come the more detailed 1851 census.

Great x4 Grandmother Agnes Cobley (nee Davey)

My Great x4 Grandmother Agnes (1789? - 1862) was a serge weaver, housewife, and mother of seven.

Agnes was born around 1789 in Morchard Bishop to John Davey.

Frustratingly two Agnes Daveys were baptised in Morchard Bishop around this time, each to a different John Davey and his wife; and I cannot discern which is our Agnes. Either way, she had several brothers and sisters.

On 14th May 1816, Agnes (about 27), a serge weaver, married William Cobley (about 18), an agricultural labourer, in Plymouth. The residence of both parties is recorded as St Andrews, Plymouth. Plymouth is some 45 miles south of Morchard Bishop - why would they have married so far from their hometown? Yet this does seem to be the marriage of our Agnes and William.

The couple married in the presence of William and Elizabeth Davey - likely relatives of Agnes. Whilst William was able to sign his name, Agnes left only her mark, implying she was illiterate.

Agnes and William had seven children (six sons and one daughter):

• Richard  1817 -
• George  1818 -
• William  1820 -
• John  1822 -
• James  1826 -
• Grace  1828 -
• Samuel  1829 -

Agnes and William did not stay long in Plymouth evidently, as all seven of their children were baptised back in Morchard Bishop. Also all seven of their children appear to have survived into adulthood.

1841 Census:

Come the next census, all of William and Grace's children had left home, but living with them was little Mary Rattenbury. I can neither discern Mary's origins - her birth is recorded, but she seemingly wasn't baptised, so her parents names aren't given - nor her relationship to the Cobleys - I can find no marriage between any Rattenbury or Cobley. Her relationship to them is not listed on the census. It seems unlikely then she was a blood relation. Was she the young daughter of friends perhaps? She may well have passed away young, as a death for a Mary Rattenbury is recorded in that district (Crediton) in 1854, when Mary would have been around seven years old.

1851 Census:

1861 Census:

In Jul/Aug/Sep 1862, Agnes passed away, aged about seventy-three, in the district of Crediton.

Great x4 Grandfather William Cobley

My Great x4 Grandfather William (1798 - 1869) was an agricultural labourer and father of seven.

William was born around 1798 in Morchard Bishop, Devon, to Richard Cobley (about 24) and Grace Cobley (nee Rollstone) (about 36).

William was baptised on 11th March 1798, in Morchard Bishop.

William was the eldest of three sons:

• William  1798 -
• John  1800 -
• Richard 1803 - 

On 14th May 1816, William (about 18), an agricultural labourer, married Agnes Davey (about 27), a serge weaver, in Plymouth. The residence of both parties is recorded as St Andrews, Plymouth. Plymouth is some 45 miles south of Morchard Bishop - why would they have married so far from their hometown? Yet this does seem to be the marriage of our William and Agnes.

The couple married in the presence of William and Elizabeth Davey - likely relatives of Agnes. Whilst Agnes left only her mark, William was able to sign his name.

Signature of William Cobley, 1816

William and Agnes had seven children (six sons and one daughter):

• Richard  1817 -
• George  1818 -
• William  1820 -
• John  1822 -
• James  1826 -
• Grace  1828 -
• Samuel  1829 -

William and Agnes did not stay long in Plymouth evidently, as all seven of their children were baptised back in Morchard Bishop. Also all seven of their children appear to have survived into adulthood.

In 1822, when William was about twenty-four, his mother Grace passed away, aged about sixty. She was buried on 27th January 1822 in Morchard Bishop. Six years later, William named his only daughter Grace, likely for his mother.

In 1837, when William was about thirty-nine, his father Richard passed away, aged about sixty-three. He was buried on 2nd January 1837 in Morchard Bishop.

1841 Census:

Come the next census, all of William and Grace's children had left home, but living with them was little Mary Rattenbury. I can neither discern Mary's origins - her birth is recorded, but she seemingly wasn't baptised, so her parents names aren't given - nor her relationship to the Cobleys - I can find no marriage between any Rattenbury and Cobley. Her relationship to them is not listed on the census. It seems unlikely then she was a blood relation. Was she the young daughter of friends perhaps? She may well have passed away young, as a death for a Mary Rattenbury in recorded in that district (Crediton) in 1854, when Mary would have been around seven years old.

1851 Census:

1861 Census:

When William was about sixty-four, his wife Agnes passed away, aged about seventy-three, in Jul/Aug/Sep 1862 in the district of Crediton.

William himself passed away, aged about seventy-one, in Apr/May/Jun 1869 in the district of Crediton.