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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)
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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?
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Hi pwh
Many thanks for your suggestions. I've researched the Westmacott family, but I'll follow up the Coxwell links.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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).
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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
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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