BRANSCOMBE TIMELINES

The Eighteenth Century

The header for each year is preceded with an @ sign to facilitate searching

 

 

@1700

14 February, St.Mary Arches, Exeter: Thomas Braunscombe marries Joan Bawden. (IGI) [Bowden?]

 

15 July, Withycombe Raleigh: Mary, daughter of William & Jone Brancsomb, baptised. [poss d.1701? Poss fifth & last child of William & Joan ? No marriage date yet, but William poss bp.1662 Woodbury? Poss siblings: Charity (1689-1695?), John (1690), William (1695/1696?), Martha (1698)? William senior poss d.1716 & Joan 1736?]

 

3 September, Sandford: Joan, first child of Robert Brownscomb & Joan (Carpenter - m.1698), baptised. [siblings Mary Dec 1700, Elizabeth 1704-1706, Elizabeth 1709]

 

7 September: Complaint regarding presence of Captain Branscomb's ship in St Johns harbour, Newfoundland. [cf: 1701]

 

27 September, Clyst St.George: Hannah Branscombe of Woodbury marries Jacob Dolling of East Budleigh.[1] [cf:Dollings of Dawlish 1841. Also, Hannah bp.1706 Woodbury, daughter of Phil Branscombe, overseer of apprentices 1702. Is it possible that this is the widow of John bp.1659 Woodbury, second child of John & Grace (Clapp - m.1656 Woodbury), poss will administered 1698 Broad Clyst? If so they had at least five children, all bp. Broad Clyst: An (1686), William (1688), Samuel (1691), Sarah (1693), Philip (1694)]

 

17 October, St.Sidwell's, Exeter: Jone Branscomb marries Robert Ridler. (IGI)

 

??, Woodbury: John Branscombe, son of Philip, christened. (IGI) [poss first child of Philip, overseer of apprentices, poss bp.1664 Woodbury, fourth child of John & Grace (Clapp - m.1656 Woodbury)? Poss siblings: Philip (1705), Hannah (1706). John junior poss m.1720 Woodbury, Mrs Mary Adams?]

 

16 December, Sandford: Mary [S?], second child of Robert Brownscombe & Joan (Carpenter - m.1698), baptised. [siblings Joan Sept 1700, Elizabeth 1704-1706, Elizabeth 1709. Mary married 1726 (John Southcott), died 1778. Robert prob d.1737 Sandford]

 

Captain Branscombe mentioned in a letter to the Admiralty Office from J.of St.Johns, Newfoundland. The letter is a list of complaints against Captain William Lilburne, Captain William, Commander of H.M. forces in Newfoundland. Included is a complaint that a local fishing vessel was ejected from the harbor to make room for Captain Branscombe's ship, on 7 September, 1700. (cf:1702)

 

[A John Branscombe of Topsham, ship's captain in the Newfoundland trade, is flourishing at this time. The Branscombes in the Newfoundland trade are said to mainly sail from Topsham, but sometines also Beer][2]

 

`England and Wales at the beginning of the eighteenth century were inhabited by about 5½ million people - far fewer than the population of present day London ... Roughly a third of the total population lived in south-eastern England ... It was estimated that in many towns in the early eighteenth century half the children born died before they were five. Consequently the total population increased only slowly - especially up to about 1750 ... smallpox, dysentry, typhus and consumption were widespread ... in the period 1720-50 cheap gin was consumed in great quantities, especially in the London area. However in 1751 Parliament greatly increased the tax on spirits, and strictly controlled their sale by distillers and shopkeepers ... Queen Anne (1702-14) had seventeen children, yet none reached maturity. However the death rate fell in the second half of the eighteenth century. Consequently the population of England and Wales reached 9 million by 1801.'[3]

 

Upton Hellions: poss year of birth of Ann Branscombe, who m. 1721, Edward Haydon?

 

`Between 1697 and 1815 there are, for Britain, more years of war than of peace.'

 

`By the early 1700's there were no less than 26 coffee-houses, and 30 taverns, where financiers of various kinds met, mostly situated around 'londonChange Alley, at the back of the Royal Exchange, between londonCornhill and londonThreadneedle Street.'

 

`Nothing today could look less like an important harbour than the mouth of the , for its tiny stream struggles with difficulty between cliff and shingle, to reach the sea. Yet as recently as monarchsWilliam III's reign [1689-1702], ships traded here from distant countries. And though now the little bay is silted up, it is admirably sheltered from rough weather...it is easy to believe that prehistoric shipping would have found it a commodious harbour.' [4]

 

`Until the 1700's, much of the paper used in Britain is imported from the Continent.'[5]

 

St.Thomas the Apostle, Exeter: poss marriage of Joan Branscombe? [6]

 

@1701

2 March, Okeford (Oakford - nr. Bampton?): Bartholomew Brunscombe baptised, son of Bartholomew & Agnes.[7] [Bartholomew m.1701 Oakford, Agnes Lake. Prob siblings: James (1703), Andrew (1707)]

 

24 April, Okeford (Oakford - nr. Bampton?): Bartholomew Brunscombe marries Agnes Lake.[8] [prob children: Bartholomew (1701), James (1703), Andrew (1707). The old calendar makes it look as if their first child was born out of wedlock!]

 

10 November, Withycombe Raleigh: Mary Branscom, daughter of William, buried.[9] [Mary poss bp.1700?, poss fifth & last child of William & Joan?]

 

Knowstone: Thomas Brownscombe marries Elizabeth (Tar?) and Agnes Brownscombe marries ? [10]

 

Dawlish: poss marriage of Thomas Branscombe and Joan (Bowden?).[11]

 

@1702

6 March, Woodbury: Phillip Braunscombe is an Overseer of Apprentices. [12]

 

5 April, Littleham: Thomas Branscom marries Joan Adames of Exmouth.[13] [poss. son of Nicholas & Susanna, bp.1681 Dawlish? If so, brother John marries Mary, daughter of Thomas & Bessie Adams. OR poss second child of Thomas Branscombe & Susanna (Elson - m.1646 Littleham)? Poss d.1715?]

 

29 April, Talaton: Robert Branscombe marries ayres, Agnes Ayres. (IGI) [cf:1717 Talaton, John Branscomb m. Anne Mare]

 

19 May, Broadhempston, Devon: Philip Pearse (b.1678?) son of Philip, marries Purthesay Avery. They have at least three children: Philip (buried 1711), Philip (bapt. 1713), Thomas (bapt. 1717)[14]

 

22 July, Crediton: Ann Brownscomb marries Thomas Jacob. (IGI)

 

Reign of King William III of Orange ends (since 1689). monarchsAnne succeeds (to 1714).

 

Captain Nicholas Branscombe, Shipmaster, given permission by the King to embark for Newfoundland, despite an embargo, on condition of being ready within a month. Nicholas is the Master of a 60-tun vessel, the shipsSusan & Mary, carrying 12 seamen and 10 landsmen. The fortifications being built in Newfoundland are almost complete. A long list of ships, perhaps including the Susan & Mary, are given permission to sail against the embargo, providing they carry a minimum cargo of supplies for this.

 

There is a reference to a ship called the Susan & Mary being taken as a prize by a Captain Norriss, Captain in 1703.

 

Woodbury Phillip Braunscombe an overseer of apprentices. (EBMI) [poss bp.1664 Woodbury, fourth child of John & Grace (Clapp - m.1656 Woodbury)? Poss children: John (1700), Philip (1705), Hannah (1706). John junior poss m.1720 Woodbury, Mrs Mary Adams?]

 

Grand Junction Canal extended to londonPaddington.

 

@1703

14 April, North Molton: Philip Braunscombe marries Alice Okeham. (IGI) [there appear to be no baptisms for North Molton in the IGI, so this parish may be worth checking, as there are two later marriages here, both of which could be descendents of Philip & Alice: Agnes m.1758 Jonathan Pasmore, Betty m.1790 Thomas Dinner]

 

22 April, Topsham: Martha Branscome marries Renolds, Joseph Renolds. (IGI)

 

13 July, Newton St.Cyres: Mark Branscombe marries helmore, Hanna Helmore. (IGI) [cf:1710 Mark Branscombe of Thorverton makes his will. Also cf:1740, Martha Brownscombe, daughter of Mark, mason of Thorverton. Mark Brownscombe's will administered in 1763]

 

9 November, Plymouth St Andrew: George, son of George Branscum senior, baptised.[15]

 

23 November: Marriage allegation between Edward Edwards of Washford Pine, cooper, and Sarah Philp of Morchard Bishop, spinster. Bound by Peter Crapp of Kenton, (master/mariner?)

 

23 November: Marriage allegation between Peter Crapp and Elizabeth Branscombe of Dawlish, spinster. Bound by William Sp(ring?) of Topsham, (master/mariner?), and William Barrett of (eadam/cadam?), (master/mariner?). [16]

 

23 November, Highweek: Elizabeth Branchcumb marries Peter Crapp. (IGI) [poss Elizabeth, bp. 16 November 1679, St.Gregory's, Dawlish, daughter of Nickolas Branscame. Poss siblings: Thomas (1681), Nicholas (1685-1692?), John (1687), (Susanna/Sarah? - 1689). Also cf:1656, Clapp/Branscombe]

 

3 December: Marriage allegations between Thomas Leigh of Dartmouth and Honor Hayman of same. Bound by Daniel Downe of Topsham, (master/mariner?). [17][cf:1770 bp of Honor Leigh, future wife of William Branscombe]

 

17 December, Okeford (Oakford - nr. Bampton?) James Brunscombe baptised, son of Bartholomew & Agnes.[1] [Bartholomew m.1701 Oakford, Agnes Lake. Prob siblings Bartholomew (1701), Andrew (1707)]

 

Thomas Branscombe of St.Thomas's, Exeter, makes his will.[19] [poss. son of Nicholas & Susanna, bp.1681 Dawlish? m.1702 to Joan Adams?]

 

Foundation of St.Petersburg, capital of the Russian empire.

 

A great storm hits Britain... possibly a tornado. Daniel says up to 8000 people died.

 

Eddystone lighthouse destroyed, with its designer inside.

 

Dawlish: Thomas Tripe rents the Dawlish Fishery, let by the Dean & Chapter of Exeter, for the antient [?] rent of £2.13.4d with a covenant to review for a further five years if he thinks fit.[20] [cf: typed ms. by P.R. Whiteaway, The History of Rixdale Farm, Dawlish and the Tripe Family, WCSL Exeter]

 

Dawlish: poss marriage of Elizabeth Branscombe?