Search 07/01/1999
Dear Kevin
Here as promised are the apprentices.
b.hl 13/6/1
Bishops Hull
1747 John Purse a poor child of the parish, apprenticed to Bet Gardiner widow, until he reaches the age of 24. No further details. (Sometimes age of child and names etc of parents are included.) I suppose this to be a descendant of Christopher also Mary below.
1752 Mary P. to John Herring till 21 to learn the art of housewifery.
Tau My 13/2/25
Taunton St Mary
1766 Wm Pursey aged 7 to J Boldy - (in respect of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland's house the Spread Eagle) so he will be pot boy in a pub etc.
tau J 13/6/1
Taunton St James
1713 Benjamin P of St J apprenticed to Mgt Wallis no details. Interesting that the name is also that of your Thomas' brother.
Tau My 13/6/1
1762 Christopher P about 10 to Mr Roger Hoare. No details
1762 J P about 14 to Samuel Brooks no details.
1798 Rachel 13 to Geo Porter
1802 Sam 10 to Luke Noble
1802 Eliz 11 to J Doman
Not a lot of use but I shall try to fit them into the tree using their parish and age. Knowing they come from poor families will help to distinguish them from the carpenters. But it is amazing how a family, formerly well-off can soon become poor when the bread winner dies leaving a widow and hordes of small children. No help from the state, just apprenticeships from the parish. Allowed a day off once a year to go home. Pick flowers along the way - Mothering Sunday. So they say.
Manor of Taunton Dean. Miscellaneous documents
Account Books DD/DP Box 98
Hull Reatch. Christopher P paying 4d (rent?). I'm not sure where this is. In Taunton but on the way to Hull I suppose.
| Hull | |
| 1721 | Christopher P surrendered his deeds. (Means he had property here. A Ch P died this year.) |
| 1723 | As above |
| 1724 | As above |
| 1728 | As above |
| No other times. | |
| Holway (This is in Taunton) | |
| 1696 | Wm P. licence to let. (his own property presumably |
| 1709 | Wm and George on Wm their father's dormant surrender. |
| 1716 | As above |
| 1720 | Christopher mentions as son Roger |
| 1720 | Roger P |
| 1722 | Ch P. senior |
| 1723 | Ch P. junior |
| 1770 | Daniel P. |
| 1784 | Daniel P. |
| 1717 | Thos Cole his book |
| Holway Hundred - Woodland tithing | |
| Edward P holdeth one cottage 6d |
1770 Daniel Pursey of Taunton, carpenter to Thos Hayes 30 as a mortgage to pay 10/-a time. This is probably Thomas's brother.
DD/SP 1717-21
1720 Ch P of Hill Bishop Innholder has a cottage plus curtilage (small amount of land round the house) near Poole Wall in the tithing of Hollowat to be inherited by his son Roger of Wilton, Baker. (CP cannot write name only make his mark /\).
1720 Memo Roger P above, in consideration of his marriage to Sarah Palmer of Bridgewater to have above mentioned cottage. (Roger has a good signature)
Let's leave that for a while. It's difficult to decide how many Christophers there are here.
The next project was to try the non-conformist registers as there were so many of the family undocumented. However a lengthy perusal of the Taunton records yielded no Percys or even Pursys. I tried the Quakers too but although each wedding had a long list of guests, none of them were of your name.
Next quest was in Crewkerne. It seemed unlikely that John Percy to whom your ancestor was apprenticed was not at least a distant relative. said John Purcy was buried in 1771, but there were no details such as age or place of birth.
I tried the Overseers Accounts books. crew 13/2/4. From 1766-1771 he was paying a rate of three pennies per year. This was quite a small amount compared with the other payees so he was not a rich man.
From the previous book, 13/2/3, 1759-1751 he had been paying 1/2 per year (one shilling and twopence) from 1759-1761. An average sort of amount. Perhaps he was feeling his age and sold off some of his property.
13/2/2 1742 John P paying three pennies and 1/8 of a penny.
13/2/1 1719-1729 No Percys but there were Pitmans. Perhaps Thomas married into this parish.
1781 (2/2/21)
1781 Wm Percy (signs Percy) marries Betty Hallet - no details.
My neighbour on the fiche machine was also searching Crewkerne and he found 1658 John Purcy m Hannah Miller. I don't know how this fits in.
18.1.99 Flash of inspiration is this John the carpenter, the father of Edward, who is buried in 1704? Will check this out tomorrow.
I have only three hours left. I will use these on Crewkerne, then have another go at the tree or part of it.
Yours sincerely