HEADs of West Berkshire

[newburychap]

Besselsleigh is a funny sort of place - a small village (pop 87 in 2001, 93 in 1851) that probably only had a church and parish because there was a big house there - owned at different times by the Bessel and Leigh families as well as the Fettiplaces (well known Berks nobs).

With this in mind the number of marriages is interesting - for instance 24 in 1728. And the number of marriages by licence is astounding - for many years (1668 to 1753). Hardwicke's Act was designed to do away with clandestine marriages - it certainly had an effect in Besselsleigh.

I've can't remember seeing anything about this locally - might be worth a bit of research.

[newburychap]

Still on the subject of the marriage in Besselsleigh (and HEADs of course).

I was just trying to get my records straight and tidy up the family tree in preparation for another trip to the BRO and I noted that I had a slight problem with the daughters of Richard HEAD (1677-1756).
In his will he mentions Anne, Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Sarah and Rachell - fairly consistently in that order. Anne is mentioned as the wife of Thomas NORCROFT - ie the lass who married in Besselsleigh.

All is fine until I compare this with the baptisms at Chieveley where the order (by baptism date) is Ann, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Hannah, and Ann. If this second Ann really is Ann and not the missing Rachel then this is a fine reason for a clandestine marriage - she would have been 12 at the time of the marriage. I doubt that her parents would have allowed it to go ahead in the local church.

However Rachel married in 1737 - when the second Ann would have been 21. There is no Ann buried at Chieveley between the two 'Ann' baptisms.

I guess I will spend a few minutes checking PR films today.

PS I now have a HEAD tree going back to a baptism in 1538 (first time I have been able to follow a line back to the year PRs started.  Of course it may well be seriously wrong - I will post it in a day or so so any HEAD researchers can tell me where I am wrong (I will send you a GEDCOM by email MattD30).

[newburychap]

After a few hours in the BRO:

1. The daughters of Richard HEAD (1677-1756) remain as before. There is nothing wrong with the transcript a second Ann is baptised. No Ann is buried between the two baptisms.  Alternatives are:
a) Ann1 dies and is buried far away or not entered in PR Ann2 then arrives and marries at 12.
b) Ann1 surives and marries aged 27/8, Ann2 is misentry for baptism of Rachel (or second Ann is always known as Rachel).
I slightly prefer b).

2. The property at Peasemore is much clearer - about 30 acres in three pieces of land and a farm cottage and buildings known as Freelands and The Belchers plus three cottages in the village. All but the 3 cottages are sold by 1838 to some chap called GRIFFIN who lets it to Thos CLARKE (1838 Valuation of Peasemore). The cottages are owned by Richad HEAD and let to James HAMBLIN, George COOKE & Isaac LEAK). However, I cannot say for sure that the cottages and Freeland etc. were ever all owned by the same person.

3. Freeland occupied by Richard HEAD in 1755 (knew that), by Thomas HEAD in 1762 & 1768, Widow HEAD in 1774, Elizabeth HEAD (aka Widow?) in 1780 and 1787 (she dies in 1790 buried at Chieveley). On each occasion the named person is appointed an Overseer of the Poor for Peasemore always with the designation 'for Freelands' (Overseer's Book for Peasemore).  It seemed to be the custom for the more significant resident rate payers to take it in turns to be an Overseer - every 6 or 7 years. New I want to find out more about Thomas and Elizabeth.

I am now less confident that Richard Head COLES moved to Peasemore abt 1816 as Richard HEAD. He may have sold the property to a sitting tenant / cousin called Richard HEAD. Or he may never have owned it - the three cottages could be all the property that was passed down the Thame / Grendon Underwood line (they seem to be worth enough to qualify for a vote).

All in all not a great day for my theory - the possibility of the 3 cottages (and not Freelands) being the property owned by Richard HEAD of Thame and passed on to his son John of Grendon Underwood means that there is an increased chance that a different Richard HEAD inherited Freelands in 1756.

Then I spent far too much time trying to decipher an indecipherable will (on film) whilst I am sure the original would be clearer it cannot be produced. Now I will waste a bit more time trying to make sense of the printout.

[MattD30]

Hello Newburyguy

Did your Richard Head (d1756) leave a Will? If so can you email me a copy or the details? Did any other of your Heads leave wills.

Matt

[newburychap]

Hi Matt,

I will send more by email - but to answer this query - the wills that underpin my theory on this HEAD migration are:

Richard HEAD of Leckhampstead, 1756 - Consistory Salisbury (WSRO) P1/11Reg/227 - available as a free download from the wondrous Wiltshire Wills Project. http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage/getwill.php?id=24636

Richard HEAD of Thame, Oxon, 1778 - PCC (TNA) Prob11/1043 (see http://www.burrell-wood.org.uk/FHist/Phil/England/Head/will_rich_1778.htm)

Mary HEAD of Grendon Underwood, Bucks, 1806 (widow of Richard of Thame) - Arch Bucks - Bucks RO D/A/WF/110/112 (see http://www.burrell-wood.org.uk/FHist/Phil/England/Head/will_mary_1806.htm)

John HEAD of Grendon Underwood, Bucks (formerly of Marsh Gibbon), 1816 - Arch Bucks - Bucks RO D/A/WF/113/13 (not yet transcribed - its a long one!).

Dates are for probate. The Bucks references are for the original wills, they also have probate register copies.

Mary's will has no relevence to the Peasemore property but it was the key bit of evidence that enabled me to link my previously mysterious Mary HOLT nee HEAD to the Thame family.

[newburychap]

I am now sure that Richard Head COLES moved to Peasemore under the name of Richard HEAD.

27 Jun 1817 Richard HEAD-COLES of Peasemore married Elizabeth PAINTER of Brightwalton at Brightwalton, by licence. (BFHS Berkshire Marriage Index)

This has to be the couple baptising chidren in 1819 (Ann) and 1821 (Elizabeth) as Richard and Elizabeth HEAD.

[newburychap]

And the next installment:

Will of Richard Head Coles Otherwise Richard Head, Farmer of Ellesborough , Buckinghamshire 24 August 1841 TNA/PROB 11/1949

Should have found this one ages ago - must have failed to look for Bucks HEADs Shows that it pays to search more than once.

This will confirms that Richard Head COLES is indeed the Richard HEAD who lived at Freelands in Peasemore in the early 1820s - it states that his daughters Ann and Elizabeth HEAD were born there (sometimes wills are soooo good). It identifies property in Peasemore (3 cottages) that he holds under the terms of his father's will, presumably the same 3 cottages that are listed under the ownership of Richard HEAD in the Peasemore valuations in 1838 & 1839.

A negative is the lack of Freelands amongst the property disposed of through the will. He certainly lived there, but did he every own it? I can theorise that the trustees of his father's will agreed to the sale of Freelands to fund the purchase of property in Ellesborough (a field and seven houses) where he also rented a farm - but can I prove the theory? Probably not - but I will keep looking.

[matgeorges]

I am very interested in the Head family of Berkshire.
Elizabeth Head  born  1730 married into our Pottinger line. She was an heiress and Roden House at Compton was probably built after John Pottinger married her. Sadly she died after giving birth to her second child. I have information on her inheritance and her family back to the 1600's.

[MattD30]

I'm sure these linkto my Heads somewhere along the line, and I know I have info on them. I will try and let you know what I have soon.

Matt