Friday 21 December 2018

Further Travels of Walking Boots


In the research article Boots Made For Walking, I uncovered the story of a maternal ancestor using pre-census and pre-civil registration information: a cordwainer (boot and shoe maker) who had travelled to-and-fro between Leicester and Nottingham.

Then, just when I thought I understood his family background, something unexpected popped out of the woodwork. The following presents the available evidence in the context of a working theory, but it cannot be construed as a reliable proof argument.


On 20 Apr 2017, during the writing of my previous article, I'd left a comment on a FamilySearch tree that the creator had included an inappropriate child of John3 and Elizabeth Hammond, namely a Mary Ann, because her baptism in 1823 was attended by a William and Elizabeth Hammond. Quite some time later, in Nov 2018, the tree creator (Duke Smith-Holley) contacted me from New Zealand. He admitted that the baptismal parents looked wrong, but noted that Mary Ann's subsequent marriage cited her father as a cordwainer named John Hammond, i.e. the one I had written about.

That was it: I was hooked and offered to collaborate on finding an answer.

So let's just examine this conflicting evidence. Mary Ann Hammond was baptised on 17 Oct 1823 at Leicester St Margaret to William (a "shoe maker") and Elizabeth Hammond of London Road.[1] Later, Mary Ann, of Pasture Lane (father John Hammond, cordwainer), married James Smith, cordwainer of Craven St (father John Smith,  cordwainer), on 8 May 1844.[2] So there was a difference in the father's given name; was it a simple clerical error? There were no other baptisms to this William and Elizabeth, and I could find no Leicestershire marriage of a William Hammond to an Elizabeth before 1875. Also, I could find no Hammond cordwainers in the county other than John3 and his first son, William (using trade directories, newspapers, and the 1841 census). It looked, for all the world, as though someone had stood in for John during the ceremony. Supporting this suggestion was the 11-year gap between John's first child (1820) and second child (1831) noted in my earlier article. Military service or imprisonment would have been obvious causes, but I could find no convincing evidence for either.

Important information from my previous article is that John3 Hammond was born c1796 in Whitwick, a small village in Leicestershire, and that his father was a woolstapler (dealer in wool; grader of wool) called William Hammond. Also, his father was not marked as deceased in John's 1840 marriage. So, his father was a "William", but with a quite different profession. Could the baptismal record be a combination of father-son details due to his father standing in for him?

Figure 1 – Whitwick St John the Baptist church; image credit: kev747, uploaded 11 Jan 2007; via Wikimedia Commons [CC-BY-SA-3.0].

Unfortunately, there was no record of a John Hammond born in Whitwick at that time, so could William have been his baptismal name? There was no William Hammond baptised anywhere in Leicestershire during 1796±5 so that possibility was ruled out. There were, however, two Hammond brothers living in that village during the same period: John2 (a yeoman: a man holding and cultivating a small landed estate; a freeholder) and William. Considerable detail of the family was available in John's2 will and its subsequent administration. Although no profession was mentioned for William, it is likely that both involved sheep in one way or another, e.g. via grazing or wool.

The following vital-event data for the associated Leicestershire hundred in later years puts the small local population into perspective. On the basis of this, it was decided that this William must have been the father of John3.

Year
Hundred of West Goscote[a]
B
M
D
1821
1128
372
622
1822
1108
359
732
1823
1063
359
687
1824
1118
371
786
1825
1117
435
781
1830
973
345
704
Table 1 – Vital-event statistics for associated Leicestershire Hundred.[3]
[a] West Goscote: 31 parishes, including Whitwick.

John2 Hammond had died in 1787, and his last will and testament mentioned his brother William, and three sisters: Ann West, Katherine Shuttlewood, and Sarah Hammond.[4]

In the name of God Amen. I John Hammond
of Whitwick in the county of Leicester Yeoman being weak
in Body but of sound and disposing mind and memory blessed
be allmighty [sic] God for the same do make and publish this
my last Will and Testament in Manner and Form following
(that is to say) First of all I will and require that all my
Just debts and funeral charges be paid and discharged by
my Executor hereinafter mentioned And First I give and
Devise to my loving Brother William Hammond all
that parcel of enclosed ground or enclosure lying in the
Liberty of Whitwick in the county of Leicester called the
Hollyhays to him his Heirs and assigns also. I give
and bequeath to my Three Sisters Ann West Katharine
Shuttlewood and Sarah Hammond all my right to and unto
the moneys arising from the Rents Profits or sale of the
Lands Tenement and Estate called the Waste Farm to be
equally divided amongst them share and share alike Also
I give and bequeath to Mary Upton of Whitwick Widow
the sum of Ten Pounds to be paid her by my Executor And
lastly I nominate and appoint my brother William
Hammond sole Executor of this my Last will and
Testament hereby revoking all former Wills by me
made. In witness where of I have hereunto set my Hand
and seal this Ninth Day of April in the Twenty Seventh
year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third
by his grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland
King defender of the faith and so forth and in the year
of our Lord one thousand seven hundred eighty seven. [9 Apr 1787]

Signed sealed Published and Declared
by the above named John Hammond                  John Hammond
to be his Last Will and Testament in                    his Mark
the presence of us who have hereunto
subscribed our names as witness in the
presence and by the duties of the
Testator.


Benjamin Ward
John Rowells
Jonathan Fox

Locating John's2 burial at Whitwick St John the Baptist on 10 May 1787 was straightforward,[5] but note that his will did not mention any wife, suggesting that he was either unmarried or that she had died before him.

Having the names of five siblings allowed their parents to be identified: John1 (b.c1714, of Leicester St Martin, aged above 25) had married Sarah More (or Moor/Moore, b.c1718, of Whitwick, aged above 21) on 17 Sep 1739 at Shepshed.[6] By comparing the marriage register with the licence, it would appear that Sarah was originally from Shepshed, about 4 miles NE of Whitwick, and John2 was originally from Leicester St Martin, about 13 miles SE. The licence gave permission for their marriage in either Whitwick or Shepshed, and they chose Shepshed. The licence also includes a bond of £200 and marriage allegations sworn by John. Findmypast's transcription gives John's occupation as "yeoman" although I cannot see such a mention in the images. A corresponding note was recorded in the Leicester St Martin marriage register because that was John's parish.

Given that Leicester St Martin was John's1 original parish, it was found that he was baptised there on 16 Feb 1713 to a William and Catherine Hammond (note the familiar given names).[7] Sarah Moore was baptised 4 Aug 1717 at Whitwick St John the Baptist to a William and Elizabeth More.[8] A very close alternative in the same parish (18 Nov 1719) was ruled out, partly on Sarah's marriage age (21) and partly because the associated parents' names (George and Ann) were not carried forward in this family.

The Hammond siblings were identified further as follows.

Name
Baptism
Notes
Henry More
15 Aug 1742, Leic. St Martin [a]
Identifiable by middle name. Buried 30 Apr 1778 at Whitwick [h]
Ann
1 Jul 1746, Leic. St Martin [b]
Ann married Stephen West, of Northamptonshire, at Leic. St Martin on 29 Dec 1779. [i]
Katharine
5 Oct 1749, Leic. St Martin [c]
"Katherine Hammond", of Belgrave Leic., age 21, married Samuel Bonnett, of Whitwick, age 20, on 11 Feb 1776 at Belgrave St Peter. [j]
"Catharine Bonet" later married John Shuttlewood on 18 Jun 1786 at Walton on the Wolds. [k] NB: she signed as "Katharine Bonnett". The associated licence (15 Jun 1786) indicated she was a widow. [m]
William
10 Jan 1750, Leic. St Martin [d]
Buried 18 Feb 1752 at Leic St Martin, aged 1 [n]
John2
13 Feb 1752, Leic. St Martin [e]
Born 16 Dec 1752. [e] Although this date may look higher than the baptism date, remember that the "old style" civil year began on 25 Mar at that time. This means that John was only 35 when he died.
Sarah
9 Dec 1756, Leic. St Martin [f]

William
20 Jun 1764, Whitwick [g]

Table 2 – Siblings of John2 Hammond.
[a] Leic-Baptisms, p.163; citing archive ref. DE1564/1.
[b] Leic-Baptisms; citing archive ref. DE1564/1.
[c] Ibid.
[d] Leic-Baptisms, p.172; citing archive ref. DE1564/1.
[e] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NPCG-B59 : accessed 17 Dec 2018, John Hammond, 16 Dec 1752); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 596,720. Same record not visible on Findmypast.
[f] Leic-Baptisms; citing archive ref. DE1564/1.
[g] Leic-Baptisms, p.18; citing archive ref. DE1760/6.
[h] Leic-Burials; citing archive ref. DE1760/6.
[i] Leic-Marriages; citing archive ref. DE1564/6.
[j] Leic-Marriages; citing archive ref. 17D64/A/IV/1.
[k] Leic-Marriages; citing archive ref. DE2934/7; Walton on the Wolds is a village about 12 miles E-NE of Whitwick.
[m] "Leicestershire Marriage Licences, 1604-1891", Findmypast.
[n] Leic-Burials; citing archive ref. DE1564/14.

So where was this enclosure called Hollyhays? A quite detailed description of a walk, in 1834, places it near the Ashby and Leicester Road in Whitwick.

... pointed for White Horse Wood ; then bore away over the Loughborough and Ashby road to Whitwick Rocks, over Fenton's Allotment, along the Tin Meadows to Hollyhays, across the Ashby and Leicester road, pointing towards Ravenstone for two miles ...[9]

A later reference, in 1881, described it as "... Hollyhays — a wood near Whitwick", so its usage had clearly shifted by then from that of an agricultural plot.[10] Looking at an Ordnance Survey map of Whitwick from 1882 confirmed that there was a wood called Hollyhays, to the SE of the village, between the Leicester Road and the small local river.[11] Although the wood has since gone, there is even now a road there called "Holly Hayes Road".

Looking for Waste Farm initially ran into a red herring: many newspaper references to a Waste Farm (or sometimes Waste Hill Farm) near Hurley, in Warwickshire, during the 1840s. This was only about 20 miles SW of Whitwick and so it could have been correct, but then I spotted some later 1950s references to a Whitwick Waste Farm on the Greenhill Road in Coalville, just 1.5 miles S of Whitwick. Looking at an 1885 map of Coalville[12] showed that it had been a long-standing place, just to the east of the village, in an area known (unsurprisingly) as Whitwick Waste.

Although William Hammond was intended to be executor of his brother's will, he renounced this obligation.

Know all men by these presents that I William
Hammond the sole Executor named in the last Will and
Testament of John Hammond late of Whitwick in the county
and Archdeaconry of Leicester Yeoman deceased for divers good causes and
consideration we hereunto specially moving to hereby renounce the
Burthen of the Execution of the said Will and I do declare that at present I
have not intermeddled, nor for the future Will intermeddled in the
administration of the goods, chattels and credits of the said deceased and
to the end that this my renunciation may have its due effect in Law
I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint John Stockdale Notary
Public and one of the exercent proctors of the Archdeaconry court of Leicester
to be my true and lawful proctor for me and in my name to appear
before the worshipful Edward Taylor Esquire Bachelor of Law Official
of the Archdeaconry of Leicester lawfully constituted his Surrogate or some
other competent Judge in this behalf to exhibit this my proxy of
Renunciation of the Execution of the said Will as aforesaid and to pray the
same to be admitted and enacted And I do hereby promise to allow for
firm and valid all and whatsoever my said proctor shall lawfully do
or cause to be done for me and in my name in and touching the premises
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirteenth
day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and
eighty seven [13 Dec 1787]

Wm. Hammond

Sealed and delivered
in the presence of
W Harrison jun(r) [13]

His sister, Sarah Hammond, single and living in Narborough at the time, administered the will in his place.

Know all men by these presents that we Sarah
Hammond of Narborough in the county of Leicester
spinster, Caleb Lowdham of Leicester in the
said county Gentleman & John Stockdale
of the same place Gent
are held and firmly bound to Edward Taylor Esq B. L. L.
Official of the Archdeaconry of Leicester carefully
constituted with a sum of four hundred
pounds
of good and lawful money of Great Britain to be paid to the
said official
or his certain Attorney Executors Administrators or Assignes for
the true payment whereof we bind ourselves and every
of us by herself and himself for the whole our and every of our
Heirs Executors and Administrators ____ firmly
by these presents sealed with our seals Dated this twentieth
day of December in the twenty eighth year of the reign of our sovereign
Lord George the third by the grace of God of Great Britain ffrance [France]
and Ireland King Defender of the faith and soforth and in the
year of our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred and Eighty
Seven [20 Dec 1787].

Whereas John Hammond late of Whitwick in the
county and archdeaconry of Leicester Yeoman
deceased did whilst living being of sound
and disposing mind memory and understanding
duly make and execute this last Will and Testament
in writing dated 9th April 1787 and thereof appointed
his Brother William Hammond sole Executor who
hath duly renounced the burthen of the execution
of the said Will void the condition of this obligation
is such that if the above bound
Sarah Hammond and one of the natural & lawful
sisters of the said deceased and administratrix
with the said Will annexed of all and singular the
the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased do
make or cause to be made a true and perfect
inventory of all and singular the goods, chattels
and credits of the said Testator which have or
shall come to her hands possession or knowledge
and the same so mind & do exhibit or cause to be
exhibited into the Registry of the Archdeaconry court

of Leicester on or before the last day of March
next ensuing and the same goods chattels and
credits do well and duly administer that is to
say do pay the Debts of the said Testator
which he did owe at his death and then the
Legacies contained in the said Will so far as his
goods chattels and credits will thereto extend and
the Law change her and further do make or cause to
be made a true and just account of her said
administration when she shall be thereunto
lawfully required and all the rest and residue of the
said goods chattels and credits which shall be
found remaining upon her said account and
and not otherwise disposed of in the said Will the
same being first examined and allowed of by the
judge of the said court for the time being shall
distribute and dispose of in such manner and
form as shall be comitted [sic] by the discretion of the
said judge And lastly do at all times hereafter
clearly acquit discharge and save harmless the within
named official and all other officers of the said court
against all persons having or pretending to have
any right title or interest unto the said goods chattels
and credits of the said deceased then this obligation
to be void or else to remain in full force & virtue

Sealed and delivered
being first duly stamped                          S. Hammond
by the said Sarah Hammond
in the presence of

Tesse Berridge

Sealed and delivered by the                       Caleb Lowdham
said Caleb Lowdham and John
Stockdale in the presence of                      John Stockdale

W. Harrison jun(r) [14]

NB: Caleb Lowdham was also a witness to Katharine's first marriage, to Samuel Bonnett, in 1776.

Another document exists relating to Sarah's administration in the probate file containing the will. This is an interesting one because it is the only suggestion that John2 had a wife; there is no mention of a wife in his will, and no evidence of him having married during his short life.

20th December 1787
Lot Letters of Administration of all and singular the
goods, chattels and credits of the within named John
Hammond deceased with his wife annex'd be made
out and committed under seal to the within bound
Sarah Hammond

She being duly sworn as well to the
faithful administration of all & singular
the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased according to the Tone & Effect
of his said will as that the same goods
chattels and credits do not amount
in value to the sum of three hundred
pounds

before me
J. Pigott jun(r) [15]

The only other reference to a William Hammond, woolstapler, was in an apprenticeship stamp book from 1796. This showed the stamp duty paid by William Hammond, woolstapler of Loughborough, for the 7-year indenture of apprentice John Bonnett on 13 Oct 1796.[16] As well as the proximity to Whitwick, note that the apprentice has the same surname as the first husband of Katharine Hammond, suggesting a possible family connection. In conjunction with the occupation, these observations support the theory that John's3 father was the William Hammond brother of John2.

Looking at other probate entries uncovered an earlier will for a John Hammond. As it mentions two sons and three daughters with names identical to the five siblings identified above, then it was clearly that of John1. The will itself comprises three of the five images available online, and they describe the apportionment of silverware, land, and property between the children of a "gent" [gentleman]. The land included the Swines Market in Leicester High Street, six acres of open field in Whitwick described as "Tippitts alias Tibbotts Waste", and four acres in Abbey Gate, Leicester. [17] The introductory page, transcribed below, mentions the same Caleb Lowdham we have observed elsewhere, and so he must have handled most of the family's legal affairs.

7th October 1776
Received of Mr John Stockdale Deputy Registrar of the Archdeacon's court
of Leicester the original Will of John Hammond Gent Deced (whereof the within
written purports to be a copy) in order to be proved in the Prerogative court
of Canterbury, he having effects at the time of his Death sufficient to
found the jurisdiction of that court

            Caleb Lowdham jnr
            one of the Executors named in the
            said Will [18]

Having found the will of John1, it was straightforward to find that he was buried Leicester St Martin on 29 Nov 1775.[19]

There are some other Hammond deaths in Whitwick that are deserved of review:

  • Sarah Hammond, buried St John the Baptist on 29 May 1768.[20] We have seen that the will of John1 Hammond makes no mention of his wife, Sarah, and the fact that this death pre-dated his own death, in 1775, suggests that it must have been his wife.
  • William Hammond, buried St John the Baptist on 10 Nov 1812.[21] This is the best candidate found for William Hammond, the father of John3.
  • John Hammond, died aged 42, buried St John the Baptist on 28 Oct 1838.[22] Although his lineage was not determined, an account of his death due to catastrophic head injuries appeared in the newspapers of the time. He, John Bird, and William Bird died when a rope pulling soil up a shaft at Whitwick colliery snapped. [23]

Since there was no birth record for John3 in Whitwick, and no visible marriage for his father, it was considered that he was illegitimate, and that his father might never have married. Looking at the Whitwick baptisms for any John, there was only one good candidate, to single-woman Sarah Knight on 25 Jun 1797 at Whitwick, St John the Baptist.[24] The only other single-woman baptisms of a John at Whitwick during 1794–1798 were John Fewkes (Brown) on 12 Oct 1794 to Ann Brown, and John Shepherd on 1 Sep 1794 to Ann Shepherd, neither of which fitted well with the given date.

The mother, Sarah Knight, later married (by banns) John Barlow at Ashby-de-la-Zouch St Helen, about 6 miles W of Whitwick, on 10 Dec 1798;[25] the banns was not found. John and Sarah1 Barlow had only one child together: Sarah2 baptised to John (cordwainer) and Sarah Barlow on 24 Jul 1814 at Ashby-de-la-Zouch St Helen.[26] John3 would have been 17 at that time. There were more baptisms there for a John (labourer) and Sarah Barlow during 1837–1841, but they were clearly a different couple: Sarah Poyser had married a John Barlow in 1834, and had children Ann (1837), Mary (1838), and Jane (1841).

But we are getting somewhere because John Barlow was a cordwainer. This is an important occupation because John3 Hammond, John's son (WIlliam), James Smith (husband of Mary Ann Hammond), and James's father (John Smith), were all cordwainers. This is hardly surprising if John3 was raised by a cordwainer: John Barlow. Not only that, the fact that John3 did not follow in the line of gentlemen or land owners further supports an illegitimate lineage.

There's a burial of a John Barlow on 11 Jun 1815, aged 69, in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.[27] If that was the same John then he would have been a bit older than Sarah when he married her (52). I could not find Sarah1 after that point — the other Sarah Barlow died in 1861 aged 85.

Sarah Knight was probably baptised 25 Nov 1778 at Whitwick, St John the Baptist to Joseph and Hannah.[28] That would make her 19 when John3 was born, and 36 when Sarah2 was born — quite a gap.

Sarah2 Barlow (then at Church Street) married a William Walker (farmer, 23, of Packington) on 29 Oct 1839 at Ashby-de-la-Zouch St Helen.[29] The couple can be found in the 1841 census, together with their children and William's father, at Mill Street, Packington, about 6 miles W of Whitwick.[30]

James Smith and Mary Ann Hammond went on to have several children during 1844–1863, but finding her in the 1841 census (three years before her marriage) was not easy. The best candidate was a "Mary Haman", a seamstress lodging or boarding on Upper Brown Street, Leicester St Mary.[31] Her age was given as 15 rather than 18 but remember that for persons aged 15 or more during this census, their ages were rounded down to the previous multiple of 5.

So, we've painted a picture of John3 Hammond as the illegitimate son of woolstapler William, a member of a comparatively wealthy family, but was he absent from the baptism of his second child, Mary Ann, and did his father stand on for him? If the 1812 death of the William in Whitwick was that of his father than it must mean that Mary Ann's baptism entry was the result of a clerical error. Even if this was true then where was John for the now 8-year gap between his second and third child (1823–1831)?

The following tree depicts the relationships presented here in conjunction with those presented in the previous article, and serves to help visualise who's who if you re-read it.

Generated by Parallax View's SVG Family-Tree Generator V5.1.4. See https://parallax-viewpoint.blogspot.com/2018/09/svg-family-tree-generator-v50.html John Hammond (b.1714, yeoman of Whitwick, age 25) married Sarah More (b.c1718, of Shepshed, age 21) on 13 Sep 1739 at Shepshed. Never married, John baptised to Sarah alone. Sarah Knight married (by banns) John Barlow at Ashby-de-la-Zouch St Helen on 10 Dec 1798. Ann Hammond married Stephen West, of Northamptonshire, at Leicester St Martin on 29 Dec 1779. One child, William, b. c1787. "Katherine Hammond", of Belgrave Leicester, age 21, married Samuel Bennett, of Whitwick, age 20, on 11 Feb 1776 at Belgrave St Peter. One child, Sarah, b. c1776. "Catharine Benet" married John Shuttlewood on 18 Jun 1786 at Walton on the Wolds. NB: she signed as "Katharine Bennett". The associated licence (15 Jun 1786) indicated she was a widow. John married Catherine Brewin on 22 Jan 1840 at Leicester St Margaret. Occ(John): ‘Shoemaker’. Occ(John’s father, William): ‘Woolstapler’. Occ(Catherine’s father, Joseph): ‘Carrier’. Address(John): Dover St. Address(Catherine): Charles St. Witnesses: John Thomas Hallam and Susanna Brewin. Sarah Barlow (then at Church Street) married William Walker (farmer, 23, of Packington) on 29 Oct 1839 at Ashby-de-la-Zouch St Helen. The couple can be found in the 1841 census, together with their children and William's father, at Mill Street, Packington. John Hammond married Elizabeth Whalley on 7 Apr 1820 at Melton Mowbray. Mary Ann, of Pasture Lane (father John Hammond, cordwainer), married James Smith, cordwainer of Craven St (father John Smith, cordwainer), on 8 May 1844 at Register Office. John Knight bpt. 25 Jun 1797 at Whitwick, St John the Baptist, to Sarah Knight alone. d. Nottingham in 1865, aged 69, and was buried 29 Aug 1865 in Radford Christ Church. John Hammond (1797–1865) Bpt. 2 Mar 1791 in Melton Mowbray. b. "same day". d. 22 Sep 1838 at 24 Narrow Marsh, Nottingham, aged 47, associated with “child birth”. Occupation of her husband, John, was a cordwainer. Elizabeth Whalley (1791–1838) Cordwainer. Bpt. 13 May 1820 at Melton Mowbray. Occupation father (John): ‘Shoe Maker’. William Hammond (1820–1904) Bpt. 27 Apr 1831 at Leicester St George. Occupation father: 'Shoe maker'. Address: Chatham Street, Leicester. Eliza Hammond (1831–1917) aka "Kate". Bpt. : 11 May 1834 at Nottingham St Mary. Address: Pipe Street. Occupation father (John): ‘Cordwainer’. Catherine Hammond (1834–?) Bpt. 28 Sep 1806 in Hoby parish, Leicestershire. Bur. 13 Aug 1881 at Nottingham General Cemetery. Catherine Brewin (1806–1881) Bpt. 14 Oct 1842 at Leicester St Margaret. Occupation father: Shoemaker. Address: Lower Church Gate. Bur. 23 Oct 1842 at Leicester St Margaret. Age: 2. Address: Lower Church Gate. Maria Hammond (1842–1842) Bpt. 17 Oct 1843 at Leicester St Margaret. Occupation father: Shoemaker. Address: Lower Church Gate. But. 5 Dec 1843 at Leicester St Margaret. Infant. Address: Lower Church Gate. Susanna Hammond (1843–1843) b. c1844 in Leicester.Married Henry Barradell (b. c1837 in Hyson Green, Radford) on 11 Jun 1864 at Radford St Peter, in Nottingham. Emma Elizabeth Hammond (1844–1911) b. c1846 in Leicester. Anne Maria Hammond (1846–?) b. Leicester 1849. d. Leicester 1850. John Edward Hammond (1849–1850) Bpt: 21 Feb 1858 at Nottingham St Barnabas R.C. Harriet Hammond (1851–?) Bpt. 17 Oct 1823 at Leicester St Margaret to William (a "shoe maker") and Elizabeth Hammond of London Road. Mary Ann Hammond (1823–?) Yeoman. Bpt. Leicester St Martin on 16 Feb 1713 to William and Catherine. Bur. Leicester St Martin on 29 Nov 1775 John Hammond (1714–1775) Bpt. 20 Jun 1764 at Whitwick, St John the Baptist. Mother (Sarah) would then have been 46. Bur. St John the Baptist on 10 Nov 1812. William Hammond (1764–1812) Bpt. 1 Jul 1746 at Leicester St Martin Ann Hammond (1746–?) Bpt. 5 Oct 1749 at Leicester St Martin Katharine Hammond (1749–?) Bpt. 4 Aug 1717 at Whitwick St John the Baptist to a William and Elizabeth. Bur. Whitwick St John the Baptist on 29 May 1768, Sarah More (1718–1768) Bpt. 9 Dec 1756 at Leicester St Martin Sarah hammond (1756–?) Bpt. 10 Jan 1750 at Leicester St Martin. Bur. 18 Feb 1752 at Leicester St Martin, aged 1. William Hammond (1750–1752) Bpt. 15 Aug 1742 at Leicester St Martin (identifiable by mother's maiden name). Bur: 30 Apr 1778 at Whitwick, St John the Baptist. Henry More Hammond (1742–1778) Bpt. 25 Nov 1778 at Whitwick, St John the Baptist to Joseph and Hannah. Sarah Knight (1778–?) James Smith b. 17 Dec 1854. Isaac Smith (1854–?) Cordwainer. Bur. 11 Jun 1815, aged 69, in Ashby-de-la-Zouch. John Barlow (1746–1815) Bpt. 24 Jul 1814 at Ashby-de-la-Zouch St Helen. Sarah Barlow (1814–?) Farmer. William Walker (1816–?) Stephen West Samuel Bonnett (1754–1783) John Shuttlewood (1740–?) 13 Feb 1752, Leicester St Martin. Born 16 Dec 1752. Although this date may look higher than the baptism date, remember that the "old style" civil year began on 25 Mar at that time. This means that John was only 35 when he died. Bur. Whitwick St John the Baptist on 10 May 1787 . John Hammond (1752–1787)



This article collects a large amount of evidence for John's family and assembles it into a story that is merely a working theory. It might never be possible to confirm this story to a better degree without some new evidence, but ideally the work may be referenced by future researchers.



[1] Leicester St Margaret Parish (Leicestershire), Baptism Register, p.67, no.533; “Leicestershire baptisms”, database with images, Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 13 Dec 2018), entry for Mary Ann Hammond, 17 Oct 1823; citing archive ref. 24D65/B3; Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland; database hereinafter cited as Leic-Baptisms.
[2] England, marriage certificate for James Smith and Mary Ann Hammond, married 8 May 1844; citing 15/146/112, registered Leicester Union, 1844/Jun [Q2]; General Register Office (GRO), Southport.
[3] "England and Wales, Parish Register Abstract, 1831", digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 14 Dec 2018); hundred of West Goscote (p.163, img.176); although the 1831 census (taken on 30 May 1831) was published in 1833, the publisher is unidentified.
[4] "Leicestershire Wills And Probate Records, 1500-1939”, database with images, Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 14  Dec 2018), entry for John Hammond, 1787, yeoman of Whitwick, image 2 of 6; citing archive ref. 1787 A-M; Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland; images hereinafter cited as Will-JohnHammond2.
[5] Whitwick Parish (Leicestershire), Burial Register; “Leicestershire burials”, database with images, Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 13 Dec 2018), entry for John Hammond, 10 May 1787; citing archive ref. DE1760/6; Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland; database hereinafter cited as Leic-Burials.
[6] Shepshed Parish (Leicestershire), Marriage Register; “Leicestershire marriages”, database with images, Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 14 Dec 2018), entry for John Hammond and Sarah More, 17 Sep 1739; citing archive ref. DE610/5; Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland; database hereinafter cited as Leic-Marriages. "Leicestershire Marriage Licences, 1604-1891", database with images, 13 Sep 1739, two pages with bond, licence, and allegations.
[7] Leicester St Martin Parish, Leic-Baptisms, entry for John Hamond [Hammond], 16 Feb 1713; citing archive ref. DE1564/1.
[8] Whitwick Parish, Leic-Baptisms, p.12, entry for Sarah Moore, 4 Aug 1717; citing archive ref. DE1760/5.
[9] Will Careless, "Lord Hastings' Hounds and Neighbouring Parks", The Sporting Magazine, vol.8, series 2 (London: M. A. Pittman, 1834), p.301.
[10] "Hunting Notes", Leicester Chronicle (19 Mar 1881): p.3, col.6.
[11] "Old Maps of Whitwick: Whitwick, 1882", Francis Frith (https://www.francisfrith.com/whitwick/maps : accessed 14 Dec 2018), Ordnance Survey county edition, scale: 1:10560.
[12] "Map of Coalville, 1885", Francis Frith (https://www.francisfrith.com/coalville/coalville-1885_hosm34345 : accessed 15 Dec 2018), Ordnance Survey county edition, scale: 1:10560.
[13] Will-JohnHammond2, image 6.
[14] Will-JohnHammond2, images 34.
[15] Will-JohnHammond2, image 5.
[16] "Board of Stamps: Apprenticeship Books", Country Registers Feb.1796 - June 1798, The National Archives (http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C233915 : accessed 20 Dec 2018), images 3056 of 458, ref. IR 1/68 f.153, entry for woolstaper William Hammond of Loughborough, payment date 13 Oct 1797; The National Archives of UK (TNA), Kew; explanatory notes at http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9339.
[17] "Leicestershire Wills And Probate Records, 1500-1939”, database with images, Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 20  Dec 2018), entry for John Hammond, 1775, Gentleman of Belgrave, Leicester; citing archive ref. 1775 A-P.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Leicester St Martin Parish, Leic-Burials. entry for John Hammond, 29 Nov 1775; citing archive ref. DE1564/14.
[20] Whitwick Parish, Leic-Burials. entry for Sarah Hammond, 29 May 1768; citing archive ref. DE1760/6.
[21] Whitwick Parish, Leic-Burials. entry for William Hammond, 10 Nov 1812; citing archive ref. DE1760/7.
[22] Whitwick Parish, Leic-Burials. entry for John Hammond, 28 Oct 1838; citing archive ref. DE1760/15.
[23] "Melancholy Accident: Three Lives Lost", Leicester Chronicle (27 Oct 1838): p.3.
[24] Whitwick Parish, Leic-Baptisms, entry for John Knight, 25 Jun 1797; citing archive ref. DE1760/7.
[25] Ashby-de-la-Zouch Parish (Leicestershire), Leic-Marriages, entry for John Barlow and Sarah Knight, 10 Dec 1798; citing archive ref. DE1013/12.
[26] Ashby-de-la-Zouch Parish (Leicestershire), Leic-Baptisms, p.25, no. 200, entry for Sarah Barlow, 28 Jul 1814; citing archive ref. DE1013/4.
[27] Ashby-de-la-Zouch Parish, Leic-Burials, p.17, no.131, entry for John Barlow, 11 Jun 1815; citing archive ref. DE1013/18.
[28] Whitwick Parish, Leic-Baptisms, entry for Sarah Knight, 25 Nov 1778; citing archive ref. DE1760/6.
[29] Ashby-de-la-Zouch Parish, Leic-Marriages, p.44, no.87, entry for William Walker and Sarah Barlow, 29 Oct 1839; citing archive ref. DE1013/15.
[30] "1841 England Census", database with images,  Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 14 Dec 2018), household of James Walker (age 70); citing  HO 107/192, bk.2, fo.7, p.9; TNA.
[31] "1841 England Census", database with images,  Ancestry (accessed 14 Dec 2018), household of Ann Coates (age 50); citing  HO 107/605, bk.8, fo.11, p.14; TNA.