Jesse Watts 1790c - 1825 My Great x3 Grandfather

[mjwatts1960]

Dear John

Thank you very very much for finding this information!!!! So Jesse parents were Robert and Elizabeth. You have ended a lifetime of mystery regarding the parents of Jesse.
Is there any information to confirm Jesse was also a yeoman farmer during his lifetime?
This was stated on an old hand written family tree passed down to me by my father. A cousin of his in Pennsylvania had researched this back in the 70s and 80s and was trying to make a connection to the Watts´of Funtington near Chichester because of a connection to Isaac Watts the hymn writer.
I am NOT looking for famous people in my family tree. I just want to know the truth and who Jesse Watts REAL ancestors were.

[mjwatts1960]

Need to find marriage of Robert and Elizabeth Watts parents of Jesse Watts. I have searched for all Robert and Elizabeth´s married 1770 to 1790 and found Robert WATSON and Elizabeth Noakes in Iden Sussex in 1783 but no Robert WATTS and Elizabeth in Sussex but there are other Robert Watts´ and Elizabeth´s married in Cambridge, Hertford, Wiltshire, York, Norfolk, Nottingham and Essex!!

[jonw65]

Hi
I'm certainly pleased to have been able to be of help with the mystery of Jesse's parents. It does still leave us with no with no baptism for him, and the big problem of his parents' marriage of course!
As maddys52 said, the baptisms of Jesse's children have him as Victualler/Butcher, and he is listed as such in the 1823 Pigot's Sussex Directory. Plus we know about the carting business.
So he was enterprising and busy, though I haven't found a reference to him as a yeoman farmer as such.

Land Tax records around the time Jesse would have been born have a Robert Watts as the owner, but not occupier, of the White Hart Stables in Petworth, plus a field + malt house and a couple more houses
available on FamilySearch if you are registered and logged in
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRT3-SJX?mode=g&i=707&cat=104565

Could that be the same Robert?
John

[jonw65]

Could that be the same Robert?

Probably not. Looks like that will be the Robert Watts of Fittleworth who died 1792. Certainly had property in Petworth

[maddys52]

That's a great find John re Jesse's parents.

Based on that information, this is a possible death for Elizabeth - bu 16 June 1833 at Petworth, aged 84. So born c 1749.

[maddys52]

And depending on the date Elizabeth applied for pension, the Robert buried at Petworth on 24 Dec 1819 aged 70 could be a possibility for Jesse's father.

[mjwatts1960]

Can you possibly send me a copy/screenshot etc of the document that gave the information about Somerset Hospital 1819 Elizabeth Watts etc Tell me the correct way to give you my email address.

[mjwatts1960]

Could that be the same Robert?

Probably not. Looks like that will be the Robert Watts of Fittleworth who died 1792. Certainly had property in Petworth

Why do you think Robert Watts of Fittleworth owned White Hart Stables and NOT Robert Watts of Petworth?

[jonw65]

Hi
Sorry for the late reply (I missed your posts)
The West Sussex Record Office catalague is here
http://www.westsussexpast.org.uk/SearchOnline/

So you can just use the quick search box, I think using quotation marks is possible if there are too many results

The Somerset Hospital, Petworth, list is here (if the link works, otherwise you will find it yourself through the quick  search)
www.rootschat.com/links/01jzh/

There are references in the catalogue to Robert Watts of Fittleworth and property, etc in Petworth. All sorts of stuff. I think they can also be found on discovery, the National Archives website, which is including some West Sussex records (they are not at Kew though!)

In 1793 the Land Tax records for Petworth has Watts Robt (Execs), so that confirms it's the chap who died. Then he has gone from the list?
That Robert Watts married Margaret Seagrave in Petworth in 1753.

So Jesse's father is still a mystery. I don't know if there is any connection to the man in Fittleworth. Going on their ages on death, both parents would have been about 40 when Jesse was born. Did they have children before Jesse, or did they marry late?
John