Dear Jean, This is so kind of you to take this trouble! Thank you so much!
As I live in Yorkshire I have to make notes for future research visits to Herefordshire/Worcestershire, which now that I'm 71 are not so frequent
You are obviously knowledgeable about history. Your theories about the possible waywardness of William have occurred to me from time to time-although not with any pleasure
As to his son, my ancestor Thomas Coningesby Watson, I have also had little research luck in Herefordshire after his birth. He obviously received an education, for when I found him in Norfolk [working backwards in the traditional Family History way] he was the land steward to the Wodehouse family of Kimberley [same family as the later P.G. Wodehouse] I have found many documents in his beautiful hand. He married at Wymondham in 1775 but lived at Crownthorpe on the edge of the Kimberley estate. He was the Church warden at Crownthorpe. Part of his work was to organise the Crownthorpe Enclosure Act. I have details of his travel expenses to London and his appearance in Parliament to give evidence. At some time while still employed by the Wodehouses,
Thomas started a brickmaking business for himself in Wymondham. I visited the archives there, where I found numerous documents about the business-plus a hand written part pedigree showing his origins in Herefordshire!
By the way, Thomas did not have the Coningesby middle name because of his mother's first husband Thomas Coningesby of Grendon. He had it because of his own great grandmother Cecily Coningesby, who was married to Rev William Watson of Sutton Coldfield. This Cecily was of the Hampton Wafer Coningesby branch-the senior branch but obviously not as famous, or rich, as the Hampton Court lot!
