From Keith Drage (october 2010)
On your web site you have a page for Jonathan PALMER
(grocer and draper) and ask for more information on his antecedents. As there
was an interaction with my FINCHAM family, I thought I would document what I
have found.
Jonathan's father, Samuel was born around 1790, and
baptized on 22 August 1790 at St. Mary's parish church, Lakenheath, Suffolk.
Samuel was the son of William PALMER and Susannah.
Samuel became a farmer in Lakenheath, Suffolk.
Samuel first married Betsey (or Elizabeth) TURRINGTON
at St. Mary's parish church, Lakenheath on 4th June 1811. There are five known
children of this marriage, all baptized at St Mary's parish church, Lakenheath:
Matthew PALMER, born in 1812; Samuel PALMER, born in 1814, Richard PALMER,
born in 1816; Eliza PALMER, born in 1820; and Rebecca PALMER, born in 1826.
Samuel died as an infant. Richard went on to be a farmer in Lakenheath, and
his daughter Augusta PALMER is in Jonathan PALMER's household in the 1871
census
Betsey died sometime after 1826.
Samuel subsequently married Rebecca PIGGIT, daughter
of John PIGGIT, an Innkeeper. John was probably the licensee of the what is
now the Brewer's Tap in the High Street in Lakenheath. The marriage took place
at St. Mary's parish church in Lakenheath on 29th October 1828. The known
child of this marriage was Jonathan PALMER, born about 1832 and baptized at
St. Mary's parish church in Lakenheath on 26th February 1832.
Samuel died on 20th September 1838, and was buried in
St. Mary's parish church in Lakenheath.
Rebecca, Samuel's widow, subsequently married William
FINCHAM, himself a widow (his former wife was Ann SERGEANT whom he married in
Feltwell), and by then licensee of the Bell Inn in Lakenheath, although he was
also a farmer. The marriage took place in St. Mary's parish church, Lakenheath
on 5th March 1844. While William had seven children from his first marriage
(five still living in 1844), William and Rebecca had no children.
William FINCHAM was born in Brandon, Suffolk, but his
parents were Francis FINCHAM and Mary FULLER, who were the ancestors of all
the FINCHAM's born in Feltwell, Norfolk. I do not know if that has a bearing
on his subsequent apprenticeship of Jonathan PALMER (now William's stepson) to
John MOORE, grocer and draper of Cock Street in Feltwell. Certainly a
connection continued to exist, as Jonathan PALMER was the executor of the
estate of William FINCHAM on his death in 1884. At the time of his death
William FINCHAM had land in both Feltwell and Lakenheath. The Feltwell land
amounted to about 5 acres. As executor, Jonathan PALMER was left £40 for his
trouble, but otherwise did not figure in the legacies. William made his will
in 1857 at which time four of his children by Ann SERGEANT were living, all
given bequests in the will, but by the time of his death in 1884, two of those
children had died unmarried, leaving Robert FINCHAM (to die in 1887, married
in 1884 after William's death confusingly to another Rebecca, but without
children) and Sarah Ann NEAVE formerly HENSBY formerly FINCHAM with a number
of children, to inherit the estate.
Rebecca, William's widow (and before that Samuel's
widow), and Jonathan's mother, was left a life interest in a house, and in her
own right all the furniture. Rebecca died in 1888, but did not leave a will of
her own; presumably Jonathan had to tidy up here estate as part of his
responsibilies as executor of William FINCHAM.
Rebecca, William's widow, died in 1888. |