The Eastmans of Devon

[JosiahS]

Hello there

I am researching a family where both sides of the tree have an Eastman branch and I suspect that they may be related to each other but I am struggling to find births for them.

Peter Eastman was born about 1759, he married a woman called Elizabeth sometime before 1781 and had two children with her in Stoke Damerel.  They then moved to Okehampton where he fathered two illegitimate children by an Elizabeth Lewis in 1805 and 1807.  His approximate year of birth is taken from his age at death in 1832, aged 73.

Richard Eastman died in Bideford in 1846 aged 85, suggesting a birth in about 1761.  He married in Bideford in 1787, and had several children in the town.

I would appreciate it if anyone could help with baptisms for either of these chaps, or a marriage for Peter.  It would also be useful to know if Peter and his wife had any other children elsewhere other than the two I have found in Stoke Damerel in 1781 and 1784

Many thanks for your help

Ashley

[JosiahS]

Hello Again

I'm clearly not the only one who is struggling with this one.

Richard Eastman's children were called Mary, Margaret, Richard, Christian, William, Susan, And Rebecca

I've researched a lot of the other Eastmans in and around Bideford and I suspect looking at the names etc that they are all related.  Apart from a marriage in 1640 they appear in Bideford in 1753.  Here is a digest of the main information:

INSTOW
William Eastman of Westliegh M Christian Branton of Alscott 21 Sep 1747 by licence

WESTLEIGH
John Eastman 5 May 1751 William and Christian
Noah Eastman 30 Jan 1756 William and Christian
Robert Eastman 30 Jan 1756 William and Christian

BIDEFORD
Thomas Eastman 9 feb 1753 William and Christian
George Eastman 27 dec 1762 William and Catherine (sic)
William Eastman 13 july 1777 John and Mary
John Eastman 2 apr 1780 John and Sarah
Ann Eastman 28 apr 1782 John and Mary
Christian Eastman 2 nov 1782 Thomas and Grace
Jenny Eastman 17 jul 1785 Thomas and Grace
Christian Eastman 6 may 1787 Noah and Susannah
Thomas Eastman 16 nov 1788 Thomas and Grace
Susanna Eastman 24 jun 1792 Noah and Susannah
Mary Eastman 11 nov 1792 William and Mary
Richard Eastman 30 dec 1792 Thomas and Grace
William Eastman 30 dec 1792 Thomas and Grace
Mary Eastman 20 jul 1794 Thomas and Grace
Joanna Eastman 13 nov 1796 Noah and Susanna
William Eastman 4 dec 1796 Willian and Mary
Tamzina Eastman 24 jun 1798 Noah and Susanna
Harriet Eastman 16 jun 1799 George and Catherine (marriage and first child Weare Giffard)

Thomas Eastman M Grace Harding of Westleigh 27 sep 1782 wit William Harding and George Dunn (P)
William Eastman M Mary Kidwell 31 oct 1783 witnesses Richard Eastman and Noah Eastman
Noah Eastman Banns Grace Southwood 10 apr 1785
Noah Eastman M Susanna England 19 apr 1786 wit Thomas Backway and Christian Towel
Robert Eastman M Ann Iliff 27 dec 1798 wit John Eastman and John Parish (P)
Grace Eastman M John Rodd 18 apr 1799 wit Mary Eastman and John Parish (P)

Peter Eastman bu 18 jan 1782
John Eastman bu 12 may 1784 aged 9
William Eastman Bu 21 mar 1786 aged 80
Noah Eastman bu 11 Sep 1837 aged 81

MONKLEIGH
Robert Eastman (a private in the 2nd Battalion of the Devon Militia, sojourner in this parish) M Mary Morrish  6 mar 1780 Wit Peter Eastman and Robert Ellis (P)

Elizabeth Eastman 28 feb 1782 Robert and Mary
Mary Eastman 11 jul 1784 Robert and Mary
Jane Eastman 2 jul 1786 Robert and Mary
George Eastman 13 Apr 1788 Robert and Mary
William Eastman 2 may 1790 Robert and Mary
Christian Eastman 17 jun 1782 Robin and Mary
Peter Eastman 19 Jan 1800 Robert and Mary

Jane Eastman M William Harris 19 Mar 1815 Wit George Eastman and William Lile (P)

Robert Eastman BU 14 Jan 1836 aged 80

The signature of Peter Eastman on the marriage of Robert Eastman in Monkleigh and the signature of Peter Eastman on Betty Lewis's marriage 39 years later are similar allowing for the passage of time, but equally it could be the signature of the Peter Eastman who died with no age given in 1780.

Either way it looks possible that Thomas, Richard, Noah, William, John, and Robert were siblings judging by the way they named their children.

Based on this wider information can anyone help?

Many thanks

Ashley

[JosiahS]

Hello there

Tahnk you to everyone who has shown interest in this one.

While I have not found Peter's baptism I have prived his link as he had a child whose first two names were Christian Branton, so she must also have been his mother as well as to the other Eastmans.

All the best

Ashley

[sally88]

Hi There, I stumbled over your post on the Eastman's of Bideford. I haven't done any family history for sometime now and need to get my information back out and go over it, bit rusty!
My gran was an Eastman, born in Appledore North Devon, her name was Sarah Jane, but everyone know her as Sally.
I did get back as far as William and Christian, but that was as far as I got. There are Eastman's that moved up to London and worked at the docks there.
Like I said, I've not looked at the tree for sometime now so can't fill in much here, but I'm looking to getting it back out and start again.
All the Best Sal.

[JosiahS]

Hi Sal

I haven't got any further back than William either - his wife was Christian Branton b 20 Apr 1723 bap 16 May 1723 in Alverdiscott, the daughter of Thomas Branton and Joan Bayley.  While I don't have the parentage of either of them there is a burial in the same parish on 22 Dec 1717 for a Christian Branton, whom I presume to have been Thomas's mother.

All the best

Ashley

[sally88]

Hi, thanks for getting back to me.
I really do need to get into the attic and get my records down! I live not far from the church at Alverdiscott, so will take a trip over there at the weekend and have another look over the churchyard.
There are baptisms for a Noah and a William Eastman at Cheldon, for 1713 and 1719, but that's a bit of a stab in the dark really!
All the Best Sal

[louisawilliams]

Hello, this is all new to me, this thread came up in a search looking for my great x 4 grandmother Grace Eastman who married William Dowdle in 1808 in Huntshaw Devon. I can't find any other links to her family, birth etc. I'd love to go back a little further, If anything comes up in your search can you let me know please?  Many thanks

[JosiahS]

Hi Louisa

Welcome to Rootschat and good luck with your research.

I'm afraid I've come to a halt on the Eastman's other than the information I have given above.  Should anything else turn up I'll post it here.

All the best

Ashley