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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Shropshire => Topic started by: raf on Thursday 20 March 14 10:06 GMT (UK)

Title: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: raf on Thursday 20 March 14 10:06 GMT (UK)
I'm researching the history of the Westmacott family of sculptors, and have a reference to a memorial tablet in Ryton parish church to Mary Coxwell (died 1776) designed by Richard Westmacott the Elder (1747-1808). The Coxwells were lords of the manor of Ablington in Gloucestershire, and Richard's aunt married into the family, but I can't work out where the above Mary fits into the tree. Would anybody be able to send me a transcription of the tablet or give me any details about the Coxwells of Ryton?
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: pwh on Monday 19 May 14 13:23 BST (UK)
f I came across your post quite by accident.   My connection to the Coxwell   family comes  by way of a marriage  between  Hyam  Hart and Anne Coxwell  Forster  in  Melbourne Australia  in  1857.
I have a record  of a Mary Westmacott B  1700 and John Coxwell   (1698-1754).  They  had  6
children.
John  b  1733 d 1762
Ann    b  1735 d 1800  M  Reverend Charles Page B 1717 d 1784
Elanor B1745 d 1808  M    reverend Nicholas  Marshall  b 1760 d 1791
Mary b 1736  d 1807   M    Francis  Langstaffe   b 1740 d  1772   M    Mark Ord  b1755 d 1791
Elizabeth  b  1738 d 1756
Charles  b  1740 d 1829  (reverend)  M Mary Small  b 1745 d 1833.
If this sounds right please contact me.
                                                                Pwh
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: raf on Monday 26 May 14 18:59 BST (UK)
Hi pwh

I sent you a private message last week in reply to your posting, but as I haven't heard from you, I thought I'd better check whether you received it okay. If not, I can resend it.

raf
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: pwh on Tuesday 27 May 14 00:30 BST (UK)
Raf
           Until very recently my only knowledge of the Coxwell  branch of the Hart tree was a  name
in that tree. I have since corrected that  During an internet search I came across two sites that
have the Coxwell tree going back to 1516 in Ablington, Gloustershire.  They are
http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/cc4aq/coxwell1.php  and http://www.reocities.com/val_
james/genealogy/coxwell.html.  There are also other sites about this old and notable county
family.  In the tree  on the second site you will see a link  to  some information on the 
Westmacott family .  It does not mention Richard Westmacott but it is only a  small   sample
of that tree.  There is also a site for Ablington Manor , their former home.  Hope this helps.

                                                                                                             PWH
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: pwh on Tuesday 27 May 14 01:06 BST (UK)
Raf
 I googled Richard Westmacott  and found many references to the  him and his family.  If you have not done so already  I suggest that you do.  On page four  there is a  reference to his father.
Thomas Westmacott  born at Somerford Keynes  Gloustershire  on 9/3/1651.

                                                                                          Regards
                                                                                                            PWH
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: raf on Tuesday 27 May 14 13:19 BST (UK)
Hi pwh

Many thanks for your suggestions. I've researched the Westmacott family, but I'll follow up the Coxwell links.
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: pwh on Thursday 29 May 14 02:01 BST (UK)
Raf
      During an internet search I came across  a  Captain Robert Marsh Westacott   (1801-!870.
He was the third child and second son of Sir  Richard  Westmacott. The fact that he was born
in Sidmouth county Devon  and that no birth certificate for him has been found  opens  the
possibility of him being illegitimate. He joiuned the Army in 1823 and spent most of the  30
years in places like South Africa, Mauritius, Australia  and New Zealand.   He was  an artist in his own right  whose place in  early Australian  art  is now being  recognized.  He married  Louisa
Marion  Plummer in London on  18/6/1831.  They  had five children  in Australia.  That is a small
part of an 18 page document.  You will find it  at http://www.uow.edu.au~morgan/mw1.html

                                                      Regards
                                                                  PWH
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: raf on Thursday 29 May 14 09:26 BST (UK)
Hi pwh

Yes, I've come across that link, too - quite a fascinating story. I'm not so sure about Robert being illegitimate - there would be no birth certificate for him as they were only issued after 1837, and I have found a baptism for him dated 9 June 1801 at St George's Hanover Square London which looks quite in order.

Regards, raf
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: pwh on Friday 30 May 14 00:50 BST (UK)
Raf
          Yes the westmacotts were indeed a colourful family.  I have come across a couple of them,
one you may know of the other not.  The first one is Charles Molloy Westmacott.  He claimed to be the illegitimate son of Sir  Richard Westmacott  and an inn keeper named Susannah Molloy.   The
intriguing  thing is that he was educated  at St Pauls School and the Royal Academy.  The story is that during  Richard the elders life he was provided for but  Richard the younger cut him off. He became  editor of  The Age ,  a publication that specialised in  scandalous reporting  of  the
aristocracy.  His many detractors called him a "virulent scribbler.  The fact that the illegitimate
son of an innkeeper  could get into the Royal  Academy makes the story sound plausible.
The second is a Frederick  Westmacott  who arrived  in Sydney on  board the " Australia"
on  18/5/1830.  Captain Robert Marsh Westmacott arrives on the  Magarat on  3/12/1831
as ADC to  Governor Richard Burke  and Frederick  stats being appointed to  government
positions.  Coincidence  or family patronage, what do you think ?

                                                                                            Regards
                                                                                                           Peter
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: raf on Thursday 05 June 14 12:07 BST (UK)
Hi Peter

I fear we are straying off topic with all this information on the Westmacotts, so I suggest we continue via the personal message facility, which I have just used to reply to your last posting.

Regards, raf
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: raf on Monday 16 June 14 12:39 BST (UK)
Hi pwh

I managed to get down to Ryton church last Saturday and check Mary Coxwell's memorial for myself. It says that she died on 2 March 1776 in her 28th year and was the wife of James Coxwell, and the daughter of the late Thomas Le Clere of Newport in Shropshire and Ann Sansam of Atchley Manor, close to Ryton. From this I have worked out that James was the sixth child and second son of John Coxwell and Mary Westmacott, and therefore the cousin of the person who sculpted the memorial, Richard Westmacott. The two cousins lived close to each other in London – James worked as an apothecary on Lower Brook Street, and Richard as a sculptor on Mount Street, Pimlico. Mary was buried at Ryton because of her mother's connection with Atchley Manor, and it is possible that her mother was living there after her husband, Thomas, a surgeon, died in 1769. The church also contains a brass plaque recording the death of William Sansam of Atchley in 1723. He was probably Ann's grandfather. If you or anyone else would like more information about James and Mary Coxwell and their family, please contact me.
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: pwh on Wednesday 18 June 14 00:39 BST (UK)
Raf
       That is great stuff.  Anymore you can give me is very welcome.  Since we last contacted
I have been researching the  Coxwell family in Australia.  I have found references  to  Anne
Coxwell  Forsters brother  John  Coxwell Forster  who died in Wagga Wagga  NSW in 1933.
The Australian National Library has a website that contains  an online  record of  most
Australian Newspapers going back to  1803.  They might take some searching but they are
a rich source of  family history.  If you google  John Coxwell Forster you   will see  a page
titled  John Coxwell Forster-Hoystead, another min e of information on  the extended  family
in Australia.
                                                                 Thanks
                                                                             Peter
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: raf on Tuesday 24 June 14 12:13 BST (UK)
Here is the extra information about James and Mary Coxwell.

James Coxwell (1743-1787) was apprenticed for 8 years to a London apothecary, James Bromfield, on 7 June 1757. On 12 December 1769 he married Mary LeClere by licence at St George's Hanover Square, London. Mary was the daughter of Thomas LeClere, a surgeon of Newport, Salop. She was baptised on 10 Oct 1747 at Newport. Thomas LeClere married Anne Sansam on 30 Nov 1746 at St Leonard's, Bridgnorth. He died in 1769, and his PCC will was proved on 4 Oct 1769.

James and Mary had four children, all baptised at St George's Hanover Square: Ann (26.09.1770, died in infancy), Ann (19.03.1772), James (30.08.1773) and Catherine (09.07.1775, died in infancy). They lived on Lower Brook Street from at least 1772 (land tax records), and James practised as an apothecary. However in April 1782, he was declared bankrupt (London Magazine).

James died on 10 March 1787 according to a family tree on the Ancestry website, but I have not found any burial record, and no other details are known.

Of the children, James worked for the East India Company and was listed as Captain of various ships, including the Lady Raffles. He did not marry, and died in 1827 aged 55. He was buried at St George the Martyr in Camden on 31 October, and his address was given as New North Street. He made a will (PCC) in which he mentions his grandmother Ann LeClere, his nieces, Catherine and Ann Jones, daughters of his late sister Ann, and his brother-in-law, James Jones.

Anne Coxwell married a lawyer, Frederick Coningsby Jones of Gray's Inn, at St George's Bloomsbury on 4 June 1791. They had three children – Ann (1792), Catherine (1794) and Mary Margaret (1796).

Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: pwh on Monday 30 June 14 04:30 BST (UK)
Thank you for that. There are some good web sites with  information on the Coxwell  family
in Australia. I will send you them in my next post.
                                                                               regards
                                                                                           Peter
Title: Re: Mary COXWELL of Ryton
Post by: pwh on Saturday 05 July 14 16:13 BST (UK)
raf
        Here are those sites I said I would send
www.geni.com/people/joseph-coxwell/60000000026199946953

www.reocities.comval_james/geanealogy/coxwell.html

www.hotstead.com/geanealogy/getperson.php?personid=114098tree

Also if you google the  trove newspaper on the website of the Australian National  Library
you will  find the obituary of   John Coxwell Forster  in  1933.

                                                                          regards
                                                                                       peter