Simons Simmons Genealogy

21 August 2006

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Dr G.M.W.Mann.      Baytrees

Burnhams Rd,    Lt.Bookham

Surrey, U.K.           KT23 3AU

geoff.mann@btinternet.com

 

 

 

 

 

7 Anne Martha SIMONS c1760-1808

 

 

m Francis SPEAKMAN 1778

 

 

 

 

Ann Martha was born about 1760, one of five daughters of William & Susannah SIMONS, probably in Elmsted in NE Essex.

 

A few years later however, the SIMONS family were in Hatfield Peveril, where William was a farmer.  William died and Ann Martha's mother remarried William SPEAKMAN in 1772

 

Six years later, Ann Martha married William's nephew Francis SPEAKMAN, a farmer of Terling.  Their only child, Ann Martha, was baptised at Terling in 1779.  Some time later they moved to the neighbouring parish of Gt Leighs and Ann Martha was buried there in 1808 aged about 50.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EVENTS

 

           age

   DATE   AS FS

 

                       EVENT

?    1760     

?    1763  3  

16May1764  4  

22May1772 12  

14Jul1778 18 21

31Jan1779 19 22

     1784 24 27

17Apr1799 39 42

10Jan1808 48 51

19Mar1813    56

Ann Martha born, daughter of William and Susannah SIMONS

family moved to Hatfield Peveril

sister Sally baptised at Terling; father William was a farmer of Hatfield Peveril

mother remarried William SPAKEMAN at Hatfield Peveril

married Francis SPEAKMAN of Terling by licence at Writtle

dau Ann Martha baptised at Terling

mother died at Writtle

witnessed marriage of dau Ann Martha to John SMITH at Boreham

Ann buried at Gt Leighs

husband Francis buried at Gt.Leighs aged 57

 

 

 

 

PRINCIPAL RECORDS

 

 

b=born  m=married  d=died

C=Christened      B=Buried

 

BIRTH

 

Ann Martha was married in 1778 to Francis SPEAKMAN who was aged 22 and baptised her only daughter the following year; she died in 1808 but none of these events mention her age.  Her birth date therefore is likely to be around 1750-60 but could be earlier.  As discussed below, she was probably born in Gt.Bromley or Elmstead in NE Essex but registers of these parishes have not yet been examined, and no baptism of Ann Martha has yet been found.

 

The will of Susannah SPEAKMAN who died in Writtle in 1784 mentions a son and five daughters by her first husband, William SIMONS.  One of these daughters was named Anne Martha.  The will was written in 1776 when Ann Martha was under 21 years old, ie born after 1755.  This is a suitable birth date for Ann Martha-7; moreover, Anne Martha-7 was married in Writtle where Susannah died, and she married Francis SPEAKMAN who was the nephew of Susannah's second husband.  It is almost certain therefore that Anne_Martha-7 was the daughter of Susannah and William.  Susannah and William were married at Gt.Bromley in NE Essex and William was of nearby Elmsted where the baptism of Ann Martha and her siblings is likely to have taken place.

 

Added confidence to this analysis is given by the 1841 census for Gt.Waltham.  Sally SIMONS, the youngest daughter of William & Susannah was living there next to Ann SMITH, the married daughter of Ann Martha.  Sally was baptised at Terling in 1764 when William was a farmer in the adjacent parish of nearby Hatfield Peveril presumably having moved there from Elmstead.  Anne Martha's marriage in 1778 was by licence, so she may have been under age at the time, giving a tentative birth date of about 1760.

 

 

MARRIAGE

 

Ann Martha SPEAKMAN-6 was C at Terling on 31Jan1779 d of Francis and Ann Martha.  There is a suitable m the preceding year at nearby Writtle:

 

m 14Jul1778 Francis SPEAKMAN of Terling & Ann Martha SIMONS by licence at Writtle (the allegation was not found at ERO)

 

DESCENDANTS

 

C 31Jan1779 Ann Martha d Francis & Ann Martha SPEAKMAN at Terling

 

the admon of Francis states that Ann was his only daughter

 

DEATH

from Gt Leighs register:

 

B 10Jan1808 Martha Ann SPEAKMAN

 

this almost certainly refers to Ann Martha despite the reversal of forenames. There were no other SPEAKMAN families in the parish, and the admon of Francis in 1814 was granted to his daughter, implying that his wife was already dead.

 

B 19Mar1813 Francis SPEAKMAN of Gt.Leighs 57 [B 1756]

admon of Francis SPEAKMAN of Gt.Leighs

 

granted May1814 to only daughter: Ann Martha SMITH wife of John SMITH

 

CENSUS

1841 Gt Waltham, Braintree Rd HO107/326/9 f11

 

Sally      SIMONS        70  1771    independent          y

Hephzibah  SIMONS        10  1831                         y

 

next entry is Scurvey Hall with John & Ann SMITH

 

Sally SIMONS is Anne Martha’s sister; Ann SMITH is Anne Martha’s daughter

 

OTHER

extract from will of Susannah SIMONS, mother of Anne Martha

 

Susannah SPEAKMAN wife of William SPEAKMAN of Terling yeoman……….money from these sales to be divided between my sons William and Samuel SIMONS and my daughters Elizabeth SIMONS, Polley wife of Thomas LUCKING, Ann-Martha SIMONS, Catherine SIMONS, and Sally SIMONS, children by my 1st husband William SIMONS deceased……….signed 26Mar1776, proved 12Jul1784

 

for further details see biography of Susannah SIMONS

 

 

 

 

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