Family AA the Foleshill Jephcotts
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The Jephcott Family – Chapter 6 – Family AA, AG and DD __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Family AA The Foleshill Jephcotts Page 6.AA.1 Introduction and Acknowledgements 6.AA.2 An Account of the Early Family 6.AA.13 Francis Jephcott (AA248) and descendants Thomas - hotelier Francis - jeweller Francis Vernon Donald - engineer 6.AA.16 Francis Jephcott (AA333) and descendants Alexander - doctor Edmund - inventor Christopher - doctor 6.AA.20 John William Jephcott (AA503) 6.AA.21 Abe Jephcott (AA530) and family Howard - artist Dominic - actor Saul - actor 6.AA.27 Joseph Stanley Jephcott 6.AA.29 Frederick George Jephcott 6.AA.42 Arthur Henry Jephcott 6.AA.44 Winifred Green (née Jephcott) 6.AA.45 The Author 6.AA.46 Australian descendants Sydney Wheeler - poet 6.AA.49 A Few Branches 6.AA.50 Letters Received 6.AA.52 Family Trees 6.AA.61 Family AG 6.AA.64 Family DD ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction This is my family and I (the author) have unashamedly made it the first in this section of the book, with the code AA. This family is perhaps the most extensively researched of all those that follow and, because of its many branches, is represented on several pages of family trees. 6.AA.1 The Jephcott Family – Chapter 6 – Family AA, AG and DD __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The majority of the research has been carried out by me, although I could not have got as far as I have, without so much information having been supplied by other members of the family. The article on the following pages was written by me for serialisation in the society newsletters. I have updated it a little, as it was originally written in 1983 and a few more details have since come to light. Acknowledgements Some of the contributors to this section have been: Audrey Bennett of Coventry Sonia Biseker of Coventry Dorothy Gilfillan of Clitheroe Patricia Kendrick of Worcester Chris Jephcott of Enfield Don Jephcott of Irvine, California Francis Jephcott MBE, of Birmingham Harry Jephcott of Latchingdon Jeph Jephcott of Harwich Joseph Stanley Jephcott of Clevedon Mary Jephcott of Erdington Mick and Kath Jephcott of Coventry Paul Francis Jephcott of Peterborough Philip Jephcott of Stoke on Trent Steve Jephcott of Leicester Sue McBeth and Bob Jephcott Mabel Munday of Coventry Nancy Sear of Pinner Jill Sparrow of Kenilworth Elsie Wilson of Gloucester I am grateful for all of the help I have received from the above people, and apologise to any others whom I may not have mentioned. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The Foleshill Jephcotts This branch of the Jephcott family first appeared in the parish registers of Foleshill in the early part of the 18th century. They were to stay for over 200 years. They must have seen Foleshill change from what was then a small farming community to an industrialised urban area which has now become completely absorbed within the city of Coventry. This account relates to those persons shown on the family tree shown later in this section. It tries to give an insight into the various records that have survived the passing of time. Details have been taken from the parish registers of St Laurence Church, Foleshill, from wills and administrations held at Lichfield and at other repositories, Coventry city records, biographical works, stories from living memory, etc. It should be noted that the parish registers show that other, seemingly unrelated, Jephcotts came to Foleshill for much shorter periods - presumably attracted by the work offered by the rapid industrialisation that was taking place. It should also be noted that, whilst undoubtedly playing a major role in family life, the Jephcott women were not mentioned very much in surviving documents, other than in baptisms, marriages and burials. We consequently know very little about them. The family started with Thomas Jephcott (AA60), who was probably the son of Abraham and Judeth Jephcott. We assume that he was baptised in the adjacent parish of Stoke on the 30th June 1676. Abraham and his family came from Bulkington and thence possibly the family linked in with the Ansty Jephcotts. Thomas married Hannah Smith in St Michaels Church, Coventry (the old cathedral) on the 2nd November 1709. They were described as being both of the parish of Foleshill but it is not known why they married in Coventry. Their subsequent family produced the strong male line which is responsible for so many Jephcotts living today. 6.AA.2 The Jephcott Family – Chapter 6 – Family AA, AG and DD __________________________________________________________________________________________________ He died in 1745, a widower and intestate (without having made a will). His eldest son Abraham (AA85) a collier, was granted Letters of Administration to dispose of his father's estate. Thomas was described as being a yeoman and, an inventory made of the goods and chattels of the deceased, simply read: Two Flock Beds and Blankets 16s A Waggon, Carte, Plough and Harrowe £3 0s Kitchen Furniture and a Pig £1 10s Five Horses £6 0s Three Cowes and Calves £5 0s Hay and Oates £1 0s Fourteen Sheep £1 10s Total £18 16s Why did he have so many horses? Most probably they would have been used by him and his sons at the nearby collieries at Hawkesbury? Another curious aspect of the inventory is, why were the pig and the kitchen furniture put together? Did the pig live in the kitchen? It may seem strange to us in this day and age but, most probably it did! The fourth son William (AA89) died shortly after in 1749 at the age of 22. His will, written 20 days before his death, instructed that his estate should be divided between his housekeeper Sarah Smith, his brothers Abraham and Francis, a niece, two aunts, an uncle and two of his good friends. There was no mention of his brother Thomas (AA86). For a man of only 22, the will seemed to be that of a very caring and thoughtful person. William obviously knew that he was dying and it must have been a time of great sadness within the family. It is interesting to note that both Abraham (AA85) and William (AA89) were able to sign their names clearly, as many working class people in those days could not read or write. So here we appear to have a family who are certainly not at the bottom of the social scale. They appear to have had a certain level of education and to have sufficient means to provide a reasonable standard of living. They seem to have retained their farming links (as so many Jephcotts before them) and were beginning to adapt their ways to the needs of the modern world. You can just imagine those horses hauling coal in big wooden carts, along the rough roads to Coventry, with the Jephcott men (and perhaps the children at times) walking alongside them. The cutting of the canal was a few years off yet! It may be of interest at this point to comment on the apparent practice of naming children. It was usual to name the first son after either the father or the paternal grandfather. Daughters were often named after the mother or one of the grandmothers, but this did not necessarily fall into the same pattern as the male line. Note how many times the names Abraham, Francis, William and Joseph have passed down through the generations. What perhaps might seem in poor taste now was, in order to ensure that a particular name (usually male) was perpetuated, it appears to have been quite normal to name subsequent children of the same sex, following an infant death, by that same name. This occurs three times on this family tree. Francis (AA88), the third son of Thomas and Hannah, was described as a yeoman and a coalcarrier. His first wife Elizabeth died within days of giving birth to their second son, Thomas. The baby also died shortly afterwards. Francis married again and his second wife Ann, bore him five sons and one daughter. It was from 1768 to 1769 that the Coventry Canal was built. It passed through the centre of Foleshill. One can just imagine the various Jephcotts watching its construction with interest and even possibly assisting with the work. It must have taken away a lot of the coalcarrier's livelihoods, requiring yet more adaptation to change. The next major event to take place in Foleshill was the controversial Inclosure Award of 1775, whereby the common land was divided up into allotments and awarded to the villagers according to their entitlement. The award gave Francis (AA88) two plots of land amounting to 19 perches lying on Courthouse Green and 33 perches alongside the road leading to Bell Green. This land was "in compensation of the right of common which he has been permitted to exercise and enjoy upon and over the said heath and waste grounds in respect of an ancient cottage....." The Award also provided plots of 8 perches and 2 roods, and 10 perches, to Rebecca Jephcott (AA86W), the widow of Thomas. 6.AA.3 The Jephcott Family – Chapter 6 – Family AA, AG and DD __________________________________________________________________________________________________ How did the people of Foleshill react to this division of land that they had farmed for centuries? It must have caused some ill feelings in the community. (There is a story about a Henry Jephcott who was a lawyer from Northampton. He is reputed to have been murdered over a dispute arising from his presiding over an Inclosure Award in another village. This story was written by the author Fred Archer and its authenticity requires further study - see section 21 'by Hook or by Crook'). Richard (AA122), the son of Francis and Ann, took up the trade of a woolcomber, and on completion of his apprenticeship was made a Freeman of the City of Coventry.