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Simons Simonds Symons Simmons genealogy |
13 July 2020 |
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Dr Geoffrey Mann |
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10 William SIMONS 1669-1734 |
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m Katherine? c1690 |
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William Simons was born about 1669 probably in the Essex parish of Elmstead. He became a farmer and landowner in Elmstead, serving the parish many times as churchwarden, overseer of the poor and parish constable.
He had four surviving children and nine grandchildren at his death in 1734. He was comparatively wealthy, bequeathing £344 and various farms and houses to his children and grandchildren |
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age DATE WS |
EVENT |
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1669 |
William born probably at Elmstead |
Information from Elmstead Vestry and other sources is taken from "A History of the Simons Family" by John Wenden Simons 2006 and marked by an asterix *
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
Hugh Simons-9 was born in 1701 son of William of Elmstead. William Simons is listed in the Essex Freeholders book of 1734 as the second largest land owner in Elmstead, holding 20 acres, and aged 65*. So he was born about 1669 and aged 32 when Hugh-9 was born. His baptism has not been found, but the baptismal registers of Elmstead are missing 1661 to 1729
If William was born in 1669 and his son Hugh was born about 1701, listed third in William's will, a marriage around 1690/95 is expected, but the m registers of Elmstead are missing this period and no suitable marriage has been found. His only known daughter was named Katherine and both married sons named a daughter Catherine, so this slightly unusual name is likely to be that of his wife. In 1734 he bequeathed £5 to his un-named wife, plus a year's lodging and all the household goods that she had before he married her. This rather mean bequest suggests she was a second wife with household goods of her own rather than the mother of his children. However the Elmstead burial register has no suitable burial of a Catherine Simons either before or after 1734 (apart from two burials which are clearly those of his granddaughters). So there is no evidence for this speculation There is a burial of Chrytian (sic) Symonds 27Feb1713/14. Could this be his first wife?
In his will of 1734, William named his 4 children as William Hugh Katharine and John. A John Simons of Elmstead was buried there in 1777 aged 74 so born about 1703. Hugh who married Martha Burton was born about 1701 so possible birth dates for the others are as follows.
Possible birth dates of children:
William b c1697 d 1734? Katherine b c1699 mc1720 John Gosling d 1759 Hugh b 1701 m 1723 Martha Burton d 1774 John b 1703 m 1727 Martha Tilley d 1777
Even though John seem to be the youngest, he was named executor and was bequeathed William's own valuable farm, while John's own farm was passed on to William. John married Martha at Colchester St Mary at the Walls:
m 20Jan1726+ John Symons & Martha Tilley of Elmstead
and had the following children at Elmstead:
b c1728 John d 1798 aged 70
(MI and newspaper report of his death)
C 18Feb1729+ Martha Ann m 29Jul1760 Samuel Orbell
b ? William B 5Jul1734
son of John & Martha
C 26Jun1735 Catherine B 5Jny1735+
C 12Sep1740 Elizabeth B 9Apr1741
b 19Jul1744 Elizabeth m 19May1763 Robert Kingsbury of Brightlingsea
This John was wealthy and lived in the
Rectory of Elmstead. He died in 1777 aged 74. He left the Rectory to his only son John, £600 to his daughter
Martha Orbell
and 12s a week for life to his daughter Elizabeth Kingsbury.
William seems to remain unmarried.
William Simons junior of Elmstead was listed as a freeholder of Colchester
in 1722. In the "History of the Simons Family", William is said to
have died in 1734 though there is no suitable burial anywhere in the Essex
Burial Index. There is a newspaper report in April 1747 of the bankruptcy of William
Simons, dealer and chapman of Elmstead, and a burial of William Simons at
Elmstead on 7Sep1775. The matter remains unsolved.
William was buried at Elmstead:
B 7Sep1734 William Simons senior
to my son William farm in Elmstead occupied by my son John and £90
to my son Hugh house etc occupied by John Williams and £17
to my grandson William Simons son of Hugh 3 messuages
to my son-in-law John Gosling £18
to my son John £160 and the lease of my farm paying £4 yearly to his brothers William and Hugh
to my 3 Gosling grandchildren John Catherine and Elizabeth £10 each
to the children of my son Hugh, Elizabeth, Martha and Mary Simons £4 each
to my son John's 2 children John and Anne £4 each
to my sister-in-law Ann Tilly my shares in the Wivenhoe Hoy [a Hoy is a type of boat; son Hugh Tilly the master]
my kinswoman Mary Southernwood, my kinsman William Witton
to my wife
£5, the household goods she had before i married her; lodging and board for 1
year
rest divided between my 4 children William Katherine Hugh John
John sole executor
s 17Aug1734 Will Simons [good handwriting] p21Sep1734
wit John Warbrough Jo Newton Tho Garland
John Simons senior late of this parish died 13Mar1777 age 74 [b1703]
JOHN SIMONS late of Elmstead Lodge in this parish who died April 27th 1798 aged 70 years also of JOHN SIMONS late of Moverons Farm Brightlingsea in this county who died August 6 1800 aged 50 years also of JOHN SIMONS who died February 27 1853 aged 80 years
William Simons of Elmstead Essex, Dealer and Chapman to surrender
on 29April at Guildhall London