HEADs of West Berkshire

[matgeorges]

Malcolm
Sorry. I made a mistake.
Our Elizabeth and Sarah were sister's. Their parents were Henry Head and Elizabeth House who were married 13 Jan 1729 at St Matin in the Fields, London. Sarah was baptised 29 Nov 1732 at the same church. Elizabeth's daughter Rachel was an heiress. She married John Pottinger and he built Roden House in Compton with her money. Unfortunately she died after her second child Rachel was born. John never remarried and the money went out of the family with a marriage into the Stuckley-Stuckley family of Hartland Head, Devon.
Have you been to Compton? There are Head graves under the carpet by the alter.
I have information that says the Head family are from Kent. They lived at Langley Hall in the time of Henry V111. Do you know about this or the fact they were wealthy anf knighted?
Michelle

[malshep]

Michelle,

Thank you for the great clarification. Here is what I have at the moment as I best understand it:

Henry Head = Elizabeth House (Children: Sarah, Elizabeth, William)
Elizabeth Head = John Pottinger (Children: Head Pottinger, Richard Pottinger, Rachael Pottinger)
Rachel married John Palmer

Is this all correct as you know it?

Why was Rachael an Heiress? What about Head Pottinger and Richard Pottinger.

Unfortunately I have not been to Compton but I do have some photos of the inside of the church.
I live in the USA having left England in the 70's. Go back every year, this year hopr to visit Compton.

Thanks for your help, any additional information would be very much appreciated.

Malcolm

[matgeorges]

Malcolm
I will have to post his in bits.
We are decended from John Palmer and Rachel Pottinger. Rachel was at home when a deer being persued by the King jumped through the window and she shut it and refused to let the King have it. John Pottinger was called to sort it out. It was agreed the deer should be set free. John and Rachel were asked to tea at Windsor but did not go. I have the newspaper cutting about this.
Head Pottinger was the vicar of his fathes parish Compton but was deemed to be incompetent. I found a reference to this in Wiltshire Record Office. Michelle

[matgeorges]

Malcolm
There is a tendency for people to be named after a wealthy relative who may leave them something in a will. Hence the name Head is still being used in the family today. Head must have been the really wealthy line. I have some information from a book written about the people of Compton which explains how the money came to Elizabeth Head.
The family have oil paintings and silver dating from the 1700's which were probably wedding presents.
I have been researching the namy lines on this side for a while. William Wordsworth is on the line as well as Earl's and people beheaded in the Tower of London. Michelle

[matgeorges]

Malcolm
The Head family paid carriage and silver tax. There are also many documents at Record Offices with details of various leases including one mentioning a house called the Saint Thomas Head in Drury Lane, London. Michelle

[malshep]

Hi Michelle,
Thank you for the prompt response. I am beginning to fill  in some of the gaps.
You refer to a book written about the people of Compton which explains how the money came to Elizabeth Head.
do you have the title of the book so that I can search the internet for a used copy perhaps.

Thank in advance

Malcolm

[matgeorges]

Malcolm
The book I referred to is Hundred of Compton by 1844 by William Hewitt. I have photocopied the relevant pages from a copy I found in Reading library. I also came across an American book by John Harris Watts online. It is $84 but I am not sure if it is our Head family. Also some o f these books are just lists of names.
Michelle

[matgeorges]

Malcolm
Head tree.
Thomas Head born unknown married Elizabeth Allington.
Monumental inscroption Charterhouse Chapel. 2 Jan 1689 Thomas Head of St martin's in the Fileds and Elizabeth Allington of Little Bartholmew, London.
Son of the above Thomas Head born 1667 unknown died 1758 Compton, Berks.
Married (1) Ann. married Rachel Gregory. She died 3 Dec 1731 in Compton, Berks.
Sir Thomas Head knighted when serving as sheriff for Berkshire in 1744.
Occupation: Inn propariator of Winterbounre, also druggest at the Sign of the Unicorn at Exeter Exchange in the Strand.
Property: Fryor Street, St Lawrence, Reading. Red Lane Farm, St Giles, Reading.
Will 1758 Prob 11/839 PCC Benificary Elizabeth Head granddaughter. Wife of John Pottinger of Compton.
Notes for Rachel Gregory. Flagstone in front of the Alter Compton, Church. Here lieth the body of Mrs Rachel Head who died 30 Nov 1731 aged 47. Michelle

[matgeorges]

Malcom Cont..
Children of Thoma sHead and Ann
Henry Head
Rachel Head bap 4 Oct 1713

m Francis Heyward.
Henry Head born unknwon married Elizabeth House 13 Jan 1829 St Martin in the field, Westminster. Daughte rof William House and Elizabeth. She was bap 31 Jan 1709/10.
Children of Henry and Elizabeth
Elizabeth Head bap 19 Nov 1730 St Martin in the Fields.
Thomas Head bap 8 Nov 1731  Ditto
Sarah Head bap 29 Nov 1732 DittoDied 5 Sept 1766 Compton
Rachel Head 16 Nov 1734  Ditto
Henry Head Bap 29 Sept 1737  Ditto
William Head bap 8 Nov 1749  Ditto
Michelle