Search 06/07/1998
Dear Kevin
Thank you for your letter which arrived with contents last week, I meant to reply earlier but Wimbledon and cricket were on the box to say nothing of the World cup, which although my football knowledge is slight, proved impossible to ignore.
I haven't found anything positive. I was allowed to have the original register out again and this time began at the beginning as there was not a lot of it left. This is what I found:-
| Taunton St Mary 2/1/1 | ||
| Baptisms (no parents given) This is written in Latin and it is impossible to tell whether a child is John or Joan if we are not told filia (daughter) or filius (son) | ||
| 1563 | Thomas Perse | |
| 1567/8 | Johan Pyrse | |
| 1567/8 | Elnor Perse | |
| 1569 | Marie Perse | |
| 1571 | Annis Pyrse | |
| 1573/4 | Margaret Pyerse | |
| 1575 | Johan Perse | |
| 1576 | Ann Pyrsie | |
| 1576/7 | William Persye | |
| 1578 | Elizabeth Pyerse | |
| 1577 | Ellnor Perse | |
| 1579 | Edward Perse | |
| 1582 | Thomas Percie | |
| The two spelled Pyerse I am not sure of as they could be a version of Pearce. | ||
| 1590 | Wm so David - This is doubtful as David is not a family name and does not appear again. | |
| 1616 | Francis so Robert Percy - (we know about this but not that he was born in Taunton). | Di was unaware at the time that Robert was the Gunpowder Plotters son and Francis, (who later claimed to be de jure Earl of Northumberland before his son Francis of Cambridge claimed) Ann, Robert and James were the Plotters grandchildren. |
| 1618 | Ann do Robert Percy | |
| 1622 | Thomas so Robert Percy | |
| 1626 | James so Robert Pearcie | Should be Percy |
| 1628 | William so Thomas Pursse | |
| 1641 | Joane do Edward | |
| 1653 | Sarah do Israel Percie | |
| 1656 | Elizabeth do Ezekiel Percy | |
| 1662 | Thomas so Thomas Percy | |
| 1662 | Eleanor do Israel Percy | |
| 1668 | Israel so Israel Percy | |
| 1670 | Edward so John Purse | |
| 1674 | Ambrose so John Purse |
From about 1640 to about 1660 the registers are very badly kept because of the Civil War and the interregnum (when the Puritans were wrecking churches because of the Popish practices etc). This kind of entry abounds;-
1641 'This was done by Emannuell Mico being Clarke when the King's party was here in town.'
All through the 1640s 'Heare have many been left out.'
So it seems we can never be sure if John was born in Taunton or who his parents were. but I would be surprised if all the Percys were left out and think it more likely that they decided to leave town where so much heavy fighting was going on and live in one of the surrounding villages. On the other hand from the Protestation Returns (all men of substance had to 'Protest' or swear their loyalty to the King). Many Percys were included.
Wellington - John Persy
Bradford - Robert Persey, Edward Pursey, John Pursey Senior, John Pursey Junior, Thomas Pursey.
Corfe - Thomas Percey
Fitzhead - Robert Pussey
Taunton Deane - Robert Pearsey, Thomas Pearsey, James Persey.
Trull - Samuel Pursey
Halse - James Pursey
Here it looks as if Robert, Thomas and James stayed put and John went to Bradford. Or it could be a different family and John Pursey jun is the father of John the carpenter who fathered Edward. Notice the name Edward in Bradford.
Next onto weddings in the same register.
| 1558 | Robert Persey m Anne Pyne |
| 1561 | William Perse m Agnes ---shen |
| 1567 | Margaret Perse m Laurence Leach |
| 1573 | Thomas Pyrse m Johan Badcock |
| 1605 | William Perse m Joan Rutter |
| 1630 | Frances Perse m Alexander Corbutt |
| 1664 | John Pressey m Joan Reade |
| 1667 | Thomas Purcy m Joan Ewens |
| 1678 | William m Dorcas Gilbert |
In these days you had to pay a tax on chimneys called a Hearth tax. I'll check that for clues next week.
In 1681 Percys of Bradford appeared in a Court case. I suppose Grace was suing Parson Holmes for sexual harassment.
1681 D/17/Cd.
At the Black Lyon in Bradford the land-lady told Grace that Parson Holmes was within and would speak with her but Grace said he was a stranger and refused. He said he would wait for her (for she was shortly to be married to her now husband) so she eventually went into the Parlour. Holmes told her it was an inconvenient place to write banns, and they must go to a more private room. She would not go up to a chamber with him unless the landlady went with her. Holmes sent the landlady to get beer etc etc.
1617 - In this year there was a difference between the parishes of trull and Bradford regarding the settlement of Edward Parsey.That is where was he born or where was his place of work.
You mentioned once that you thought some great uncle might have had delusions of grandeur and tried to prove your descent from the Earl. I think the rev. William, cousin to your ancestor Joseph Hewlett Percy, probably had this idea. he was at St John's College Cambridge, and while there would have discovered that some illustrious Percys had attended the same College. Alan so Henry the 4th Earl was there, also Algernon son of the 9th Earl. It was said that there was always an Algernon in the Family (the 1st one was Al Gernon) and William called one of his sons Algernon.
I have found quite a lot about the early Percys in Somerset and in Oxford and Cambridge. I will pick out what I think relevant and send in due course. There were certainly Percys here before the ones who came from the north. (But they were of the same family. added by S.K.P.)
Enclosed are copied of baptisms of Robert's children. I feel he must have had an Edward too somewhere. When do you think Robert was born? It seems to me he must have been quite old when he married for the second time. Don't you think James bapt. 1626 would have been more likely to have been in the Civil war than Robert's brother?
I hope I managed to pick up all the Percys. as you can see the Register is not all that easy to read, and all the different spellings make for confusion especially as the name Pearce is found frequently. Next time I will have a crack at the burials. See if that helps.
Your sincerely