Well, I am excited also to have found someone with possible ties to these families! I thought I would also send some tidbits about Elizabeth Coombe Williams that I have since I find her so interesting:
married Edward Leader- lived at villa called North Court, out skirts of Abbingdon- Leader was a gentleman farmer- there was a church at Abbingdon that Cromwall converted into a stable during civil war- they had no children- they raised a nephew who married and became a famous portrait painter- Elizabeth died at age 102- nieces and nephews called her "Aunt Leader
in the 1841 Census, her niece, Elizabeth Leader Collier, was living with her.
According to Mieneke’s book, Elizabeth was remembered as an old lady that “The praises of God were sung very mournfully at the Independent Chapel, as at most other places in those days, only one hymn at each service.” In the 1780’s Elizabeth and her friends persuaded the minister to start a choir which sang in the gallery, but some members of the congregation preferred the precentor “singing slowly and sadly” to the choir’s lively tunes and walked out “as soon as the obnoxious sounds began.” In 1785, Elizabeth could stand it no longer and joined the Baptists.
She was a member of the Independent Chapel before becoming a Baptist.
Information about Northcourt- the home of Edward and Elizabeth:
Northcourt was a medieval manor, now a suburb of Abingdon. Northcourt House was built in 1805 by Henry Knapp (d 1825) but his son lost it when he went bankrupt in 1848. The house still exists. No traces remain of any medieval buildings.
“I am unsure if anyone has contacted you regarding this, but the closest
building to a Villa on Northcourt Road is Northcourt House which was built
in the 1700s. It was recently sold by the College to a private owner.
Friends of Abingdon will be able to give you more information at:
http://www.geocities.com/abingdonmuseumfriendsI hope you find what you need!
Regards
Rebecca Philbrook “ (she is at the Abingdon College)
I am a bit confused by something you wrote: you said that they had baptised John 1741 23rd August and Elizabeth 19 Jun 1743- do you mean that John Fletcher, father of Thomas, was baptised then? And when you say Elizabeth was baptised, do you mean Elizabeth Cripps? And Elizabeth died several years before Thomas??? From what I have learned about the Williams family, they were well educated and prosperous. Samuel Williams was a hemp dresser (as I said) but also a butcher. I have many butchers, meat packers, etc. in my ancestral line. I just had a thought- Thomas Williams married a Violetta Williams- they were cousins. Maybe your Williams line descends from that line particularly since Thomas and Violetta were the great grandparents of a Theodora Williams...... more food for thought! Thank you for the information you sent. It filled in more blanks!!! Judy
