|
|
Wenden
Wendon family
|
25 August 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
view WENDON family tree view spouse's records |
|
|
Dr G.M.W.Mann. Baytrees Burnhams Rd, Lt.Bookham Surrey, U.K. KT23 3AU |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 Matthew WENDON 1705-1779
|
|
|
|
|
1m Frances TOPPIN 1772 2m Sarah VAILES 1737
|
|
|
|
Matthew WENDON was born in Witham in 1705. His parents were probably Matthew and Sarah, but when he was only 10 he was apprenticed by the parish to Joseph HOWELL a weaver in Witham who lived in the main street of Witham (Newland St)*. Matthew was described as "a poor boy of Witham". Presumably his father had died, and the parish assumed responsibility for his upbringing. His mother may have remarried Wm Chipperfield in 1714, one year before Matthew was apprenticed; Wm Chipperfield was a weaver in Mill Lane.* Matthew's apprenticeship was to last 14 years until he was aged 24, but after just 7 years he married Frances TOPPIN at Witham, probably because Frances was pregnant. She had a child one month after the marriage. They had 3 more children, one of whom died young, before Frances herself died. Matthew remarried Sarah VAILES the following year and 4 more children were baptised at Witham. Matthew was buried at Witham in 1779 aged 74. * information from “Witham 1500-1700” a book by Janet Gyford 1996 (ISBN
0 946434 02 6) |
C=Christened
|
age DATE MW SV |
EVENT |
|
1705 19Jul1715 10 2Jun1722 18 26Aug1722 18 20Sep1724 20 29Jan1730 26 7Jan1731 27 17Jun1733 29 26Apr1736 32 15Jul1737 33 23 27Nov1739 35 25 20Feb1742 38 28 18Oct1743 39 29 24Nov1749 45 35 27Aug1752 48 38 11Nov1772 68 58 4May1779 74 64 |
Matthew born at Witham? apprenticed by the
parish to Joseph HOWELL weaver of Witham m Frances TOPPIN at
Witham dau Sarah C at Witham,
age 1m son Matthew C at Witham dau Mary born; C at
Witham 29Mar dau Mary buried at
Witham dau Mary born; C 24Jun
at Witham wife Frances buried at
Witham m Sarah VAILES at Witham dau Hannah born; C 16Dec
at Witham Hannah buried at Witham dau Sarah born; C 6Nov
at Witham dau Mary born; C 3Dec at
Witham son Samuel born; C 17Sep
at Witham dau Mary WENDON buried
at Witham age 22 Matthew buried at Witham |
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
Witham burial records prove there were two Matthew WENDONs in Witham, one born c1697, the other c1705:
B 1Oct1760 Matthew WENDON age 63; [b1697] B 4May1779 Matthew WENDON age 74 [b1705]
There are no suitable C at Witham for either of these, though a Matthew & Sarah WENDON baptised Sarah 1698/9, and Mary 1701. It seems almost certain that Matthew & Sarah were the parents of one of the Matthews
There is a suitable Matthew baptism in nearby Rivenhall which accounts for the Matthew born c1697 as there is a settlement certificate dated 3Feb1723 from Rivenhall overseers indicating that this Matthew had settlement in Rivenhall and moved to Witham with his wife and family:
C 30Dec1697 Matthias s William & Sarah WENDON at Rivenhall b29Dec1697
Origin of the other Matthew is given by an indenture by Witham church-wardens 19Jul1715; Matthew WENDON, a poor child of Witham, was apprenticed to Joseph HOWELL of Witham, weaver, until age 24. This Matthew was in the care of Witham parish, so cannot be the Matthew b1697 with settlement at Rivenhall; the poor child Matthew was therefore bc1705 and apprenticed at age 10, which was normal for a parish apprenticeship.
One Matthew m Francis 2Jun1722 and baptised children from 20Sep1724; the other Matthew m Sarah (m not found) and baptised children from 3May1724; there is however a baptism of Sarah d of Matthew 26Aug1722 age 1m which could belong to either.
Assumption 1: the poor boy of Witham married Francis:
bc1705; apprenticed Jul1715 age 10; married Francis Jun1722 aged 17; Sarah bJul1722
On this assumption, Matthew had completed only 7 years of his apprenticeship when he married. His master died in 1726 so this was not the reason for the early release. Could it be the impending birth of Sarah which compelled Matthew to marry just one month before the birth? On this assumption, the Rivenhall Matthew married elsewhere and arrived in Witham in Feb1723 aged 26 already with a family and baptised further children in Witham from May1724
Assumption 2: the Matthew from Rivenhall married Francis:
b1697; m Francis Jun1722 aged 25; settled in Witham Feb1723/4 with family and baptised further children from Sep1724
On this assumption the apprentice Matthew married Sarah (date and place unknown) and baptised children at Witham from May1724 aged 19;
the Sarah born Jul1722 could belong to either Matthew, but if the latter, this could again explain the early release from his apprenticeship
It is not possible at present to decide between these two possibilities, though I tend to favour the former. Descendant’s names do not help. (Matthew of Rivenhall was the son of William & Sarah, but neither Matthew baptised a son William). Solution may depend on finding the Matthew/Sarah m c 1720 and any children baptised outwith Witham. The m was not found in Boyd, and the Essex m index starts in 1754
Samuel-4 is believed to have been baptised in Witham in 1752 son of Matthew & Sarah There is a suitable preceding marriage at Witham:
m 15Jul1737 Matthew WENDON wdr otp & Sarah VAILES spr otp
Matthew was a widower, and the marriage is preceded by:
m 2Jun1722 Matthew WENDON & Frances TOPPIN;
B 26Apr1736 Frances WENDON
C 26Aug1722 Sarah d Matthew WENDON, age 1m [could be d of the other Matthew & Sarah]
C 20Sep1724 Matthew s Matthew & Frances WENDON
C 29Mar1730 Mary d Matthew & Frances WENDALE b29Jan1729
B 7Jan1731 Mary WENDON infant
B 30Dec1730 child of Matt WENDON
C 24Jun1733 Mary d Matthew & Frances WENDON b17Jun1733
B 26Apr1736 Frances WENDON
the presence of two Matthew/Sarah parents in the parish gives some uncertainty in deciding which are their descendants. Baptisms run from 1724 to 1752 but there is a break between 1733 and 1739. Matthew & Sarah VAILES married in 1737 so it will be assumed that their children were baptised from 1739 to 1752:
C 16Dec1739 Hannah d Matthew & Sarah WENDON b27Nov1739
B 20Feb1741+Hannah WENDON infant
C 6Nov1743 Sarah d Matthew & Sarah WENDON b18Oct1743
C 3Dec1749 Mary d Matthew & Sarah WENDON b24Nov1749
B 11Nov1772 Mary WENDON age 22 [b1750]]
C 17Sep1752 Samuel s Matthew & Sarah WENDON b27Aug1752
there were two Matthews in Witham (see discussion above) and burials of both are in the Witham register.
B 1Oct1760 Matthew WENDON age 63 [b1697]
B 4May1779 Matthew WENDON age 74 [b1705]
Both married Sarah, one c1720, the other in 1737 to Sarah VAILES b1713. There are at several possible Sarah burials at Witham with no clear way of deciding which are relevant
B 12Feb1750+ Sarah WENDON
B 11Nov1753 Sarah WENDON
B 19Feb1775 Sarah
WENDON aged 82 [b1693]
B 14Dec1788 Sarah WENDON parish
Matthew WENDON, a poor child of Witham, apprenticed to Joseph HOWELL of Witham, weaver, until age 24
to the overseers of Witham from the overseers of Rivenhall; certify that Matthew WENDON his wife and family are legally settled in Rivenhall 3Feb1723