PILTON, DEVON Parish Registers---LETHBRIDGE- (Look up Request)

[nigelspicer]

Hello Edward
Yes there are a lot of Christopher's and you've just informed me of one more than I already new about. I was unaware that Thomas and Sarah had a son named Christopher. I knew of their son Thomas (1724-1744) and John (1722-1761)- incidently I believe the later was our common GGF. I wonder what you know about this Christopher (ie BMD information) because of course he may be the husband of some of these Mary's we've been discussing!
Thanks
Nigel

[Peter Selley]

Christopher Lethbridge (who died in 1713) and his uncle Christopher Lethbridge (1610-1760) - erstwhile mayor of Exeter - were both descendants of various John Lethbridges of Walson near Bow (otherwise Nymet Tracey) although in Clannaborough parish.

These two Christophers both endowed charities supplying bread to the poor of Bow parish.

http://www.medicalgentlemen.co.uk/charities/lethbridges-charities

Peter

[nigelspicer]

Edward
Hello again! I am revisiting the Lethbridge's of Pilton and wondered if you had any more information (ie dates/marriages/children) on Christopher the 2nd son of Thomas and Sarah as described in your post above. I cannot find any reference to him in the Pilton PR's.
By the way the reference in your tree to a Mary Dyke is referring to the widow of Thomas Dyke of Tetton in the parish of Kingston in Somerset. She remarried a Christopher Lethbridge in 1735 in Milverton (although as said before it is definitely not clear how this can be the Christopher L of Pilton as shown in your tree since his first wife was still alive at this time!).
Kind Regards
Nigel

[David Victor]

Hello

I've just joined this group, spurred on by the references to the Lethbridges.  Even though these messages are very old, I hope that the writers might still be involved.
Over the past year or so I have been working on a history of Southey/Periam/Lethbridge and their relationships in the Fitzhead and Bishops Lydeard areas.  One relationship that I have had particular difficulty with is that of Christopher Lethbridge of Westaway, the son of the same, who lived 1685-1748.  For some time I thought that he married Mary Periam: I have a copy of her marriage contract which is to a Christopher of Westaway and took place in 1716.  I can also see that there was a marriage between two same named individuals in Milverton in 1716.
However, Christopher the son of Christopher of Westaway married Mary Southey, sister of John Cannon Southey, as confirmed by his will, various web sites and the name of their daughter, Elizabeth Cannon Somerville (nee Lethbridge) and their grandson, John Southey Somerville, Lord Somerville.
So, which Christopher Lethbridge of Westaway did Mary Periam marry?  If anyone can help, I would be most obliged.
David

[James S]

Hi David,

I saw your message by chance. I have just recently started working on my distant cousin Cannon Southey and his related family. At the weekend I was looking on Ancestry.co.uk trying to find his sister Mary's marriage to Christopher Lethbridge. The search produced the following result that Christopher married Mary Dyke in Milverton, Somerset on 10th Nov 1735. Ancestry.co.uk also have high quality scans of the original parish registers. The scans actually show the original entry as Mary Southey, but the "Southey" has then been crossed out and "Dyke" added. The next marriage in the register is a John Kene and Mary Southey married on Nov 14th. It looks to me that Mary Southey was accidentally recorded twice in the parish register back in 1735 and then subsequently incorrectly changed when the error was spotted later. I appreciate that this is not answering you specific question, but I hope this helps you.

[David Victor]

Hi James

Many thanks for your message.  I'm rather pushed at the moment, so I will limit my reply to my thanks and tell you that I have done a great deal of work around John and Canon Southey, particularly in connection with their land ownership in this area, and Lord Somerville, Canon great nephew.  This was originally in connection with John Periam of Milverton, who partnered Canon in the purchase of the manor of Bishops Lydeard.

If you are interested in any of that, let me know and I can let you have a large amount of data.

For the moment my thanks.

best regards

David Victor
Chapel Leigh

[James S]

Hi David,

Thank you, I was not expecting such a fast response on such an old thread. I am very busy too at the moment, but will try to contact you again next week. I would be very interested in any information you have.

I tend to record my research on Wikitree. I have not done much on the Cannon Southey side of the family. Other people have added some family to the group tree. If you are interested in the Southey side then I have added my limited research to the bottom of the profile of Robert Southey (born 1670) under "Research Notes" (the first part of the profile is managed by another person).

Kind Regards,

James

[James S]

Hi David,

I hope you are well. I have returned from my travels and I would like to hear about your findings for Cannon Southey and his father John. Please let me know what you have? I am particularly interested in the Southey ancestry and any land holding passed down from Thomas Southey of Wellington.

Thank you,

James

[David Victor]

Hi James

Apologies for the delay in replying.  We had a great weekend and it has taken me some time to get going again.

As I said in an earlier post, my interest is in the Southey/Periam/Lethbridge family group, of which the Southey's are one of the starting points.  As a result, I know nothing about them prior to John's arrival in Fitzhead.  He was a lawyer and came here to marry one of two sisters, Mary, who were the final heirs of the Cannon family, long term lessors of Fitzhead Court.  I believe that they were married in 1696.  They had two children, John Cannon Southey and Elizabeth Southey.  I believe that she married John Periam of Hill, son of John Periam of Milverton. 

Cannon married Betty Periam, John of Hill's elder sister.  They had one child, a daughter, Jenny, who died as a child, and Betty predeceased Cannon. 

Cannon became the resident in Fitzhead Court on the death of his parents.  He was a successful lawyer and an avid collector of land.  One of his significant purchases being with John Periam of Milverton, when between them they purchased the manor of Bishops Lydeard after the bankruptcy of the Stawell family, of Cothelstone and, later, Low Ham.

When Cannon died, the question was who was to be his heir?  He had no direct family, although he did have a wider family.  The most significant of these were his cousins who lived in a farm he owned at Holford, in Lydeard St Lawrence.  They contested his will, leading to a case in Chancery which was not complete until the 1790's, some 30 years later.

However, the heirs he chose were one of the Aclands (which I have not explored as they are not in my area of interest) and John Southey Somerville, 15th Lord Somerville.  He was the son of the Hon. Hugh Somerville and Elizabeth Lethbridge, the latter being the only daughter of Christopher Lethbridge and Mary, as previously discussed.

The Southeys of Holford were granted some silver plats and furniture, I believe, the rest going according to the will.  Somerville died in 1819, his heir being his younger brother, who sold the Somerset estates to Richard Beadon, who sold them to Lord Ashburton.

I can probably furnish you with some more detailed information if you would like it.  However, I think that the main bones are laid out above.  I hope that you find it helpful but let me know if there are further details you would like.

best regards

David