Hi LizzieL,
I have been following the Pembrokes of Letcombe Bassett and Binfield for a long time. I hope the following is of use.
John Pembrooke a bachelor aged 30 farmer of Binfield married Susanna Watlington (bapt. 26 Dec. 1689 at Swallowfield, d/o Joseph and Susanna Watlington) spinster aged 20 of the same parish. Licence dated 24 August 1709. They were later married at Yately, Hants, 28 August 1709. Their holding, north of the parish, was valued by the church at £2 10s in 1721. Poll Book of 1721 describes him as a freeholder of Binfield. He was an overseer and/or churchwarden 26 Sep 1724 and may be the Pembroke who was a JP 10 May 1722 (Berks Overseers Papers). John was buried at Binfield 13 Sept 1725 and Susanna 1 March 1726. The manorial records describe John Pembroke deceased (1725) as husbandman.
John and Susanna Pembroke had 6 children, only three of whom survived to adulthood. Joseph (bapt. 24 Sept 1714) seems to have inherited the farm as the son and heir of John Pembroke (Cookham manorial court records 1759 - 1782). Joseph was described as a yeoman. Part of the land in which he dwelt was known as the Harp at Carters Hill Common and seems to have been quite a small holding. This had been sold by 1760.
His younger brother, John (bapt. 11 May 1719), was accused of stealing geese from William Pitt. Warrant issued 5 Jan 1737/8. (Diaries and Correspondence of Robert Lee of Binfield 1736 - 1744. Ed by Harry Leonard. Berks Record Society, vol 18, 2012). He may be the John Pembrooke who married Sarah Fisher at East Challow in 1744. Possibly he fled after stealing the geese in order to escape punishment. The third surviving child was Jane, bapt 30 Jan 1716.
As the three surviving children of John and Susanna were orphaned at a young age who brought them up, I wonder? It could have been Susanna’s brother, Joseph Watlington of Binfield. He was a farmer and owner of a mill in the parish. He is mentioned on a number of occasions in the diary of Robert Lee. He died 2 April 1743. The name is generally spelt in the diary as Wattleton.
Please feel free to let me know if you would like more information on the Pembrokes. They go a long way back in Berks and Hants.
Regards,
Pembrom