Hi All
First let me thank all those who have contributed to the thread. Spendlove & Skippy I've also found the documents you refer to and I'm hoping the trees Skippy mentions will close the loop on some unknowns
Let me try and summarise what I've found since I first asked the question about the tomb in Wormhill graveyard. The info comes mainly from Peak Forest and Wormhill PR, wills and documents in TNA plus the book the Real Oliver Twist by John Waller:
1. The tomb is that of John bap 1772 in Wormhill & Olive Swinden from Tinsley plus two of their 4 daughters. John is the son of John Needham bap 1736 Peak Forest and Hannah Hague. It was JN bap 1736 who bought Hargatewall. John & Olive had 4 children - 3 were baptised in Darley where John moved to farm with his uncle Samuel before returning to Hargatewell where the fourth daughter was born. When Olive died in 1827 she left her estate to her 2 remaining daughters who were both governess's and had moved away from the area
2. The father John bap 1736 married into money and acquired land over the northern part of Derbyshire including Hargatewell. He had three other sons plus John and one daughter. The eldest son, Ellis, lived at Hargatewall after his fathers death and up until he was made bankrupt in 1815. He died in Chapel-en-le-Frith in 1831. Ellis built and managed Litton Mill. He appears to have been a good farmer but was a poor business man and a tyrant of an owner who used orphans from London working them hard. He had the highest death rate of apprentices in the county.
3. John bap 1736 was the son of Robert Needham and Hannah Fryth of Perryfoot. I believe he had three sons John bap 1736 plus Elias and Samuel ( I can't find a baptism for these last 2 sons; if anyone can help I'd be grateful) plus 2 daughters Martha & Hannah. Samuel was wealthy and lived variously at Perryfoot, Stancliff near Darley, and Rushop near Chapel where he died.
4. Roberts father was Elias a yeoman from Perryfoot. Beside Elias I've found a daughter Grace, but I've no doubt there could have been other children. Are there any others?
5. I can find references in TNA back to Needham's (Nedham) being at Wormhill from 1410
6. I've ordered a copy of the family trees of the Needham's of Perryfoot and I'm hoping that it can unravel a few problem areas I have with the Needham's in the area
If anyone would like a copy of the detail I have which is summarised in spreadsheets then please drop me your email and I will send them to you
Nigel Needham
Author
Topic: John Needham buried Wormhill (Read 8421 times)