Page updated 13th May 2004 by Sue Froud

SERCOMBE FAMILY TREE

My thanks to Daniel Morgan who has given me some vital information on the early Sercombe's, and Marian Kristensen a distant cousin.

WILLIAM SERCOMBE 1656 - 1720 info from Daniel Morgan and Dunchideock parish registers

William was born about 1656, he married Elizabeth Townsend at Bovey Tracey on 29th November 1681. They had 5 children, Elizabeth baptised at Bovey Tracey on 19th September 1682, William baptised 1st November 1686 at Dunchideock, Thomas baptised 1st May 1688, John baptised 31st October 1691, and Sarah baptised 24th June 1694.  William's wife Elizabeth died and was buried 28th June 1695, she was attended to by Mary Hix. William received 7s 6d from the overseer when his wife died. William married Mary Hix on 5th December 1695 at Dunchideock. Sarah sadly died aged 18 months and was buried 11th November 1696.Mary died in 1713 she was buried 4th November. William died in 1720 and was buried 9th April.

JOHN SERCOMBE 1689 - info from Daniel Morgan

John was the 4th child of William Sercombe and Elizabeth Townsend, he was baptised at Dunchideock on 1st October 1691. He married Joan Thomas daughter of Roger & Joan Thomas at Dunchideock on 18th May 1714. Their first child Elizabeth was born at Dunsford, where the couple moved to, but sadly Elizabeth was baptised and buried on the same day 16th November 1714. Their next child John was baptised 25th September 1718, then Betty was baptised 11th May 1721, she married Thomas Wills. William was baptised 7th August 1724.

WILLIAM SERCOMBE 1724 - info from Daniel Morgan

William was the 4th child of John Sercombe and Joan Thomas, he was born at Dunsford in 1724 and was baptised 7th August 1724. He married Ann Rowe at Bridford on the 9th February 1746. The couple settled at Dunsford where their 7 children were born. Mary who was buried 1st January 1746/7, William baptised 11th December 1748, Mary baptised 2nd June 1751, John baptised 3rd March 1754 but sadly died the following year, and was buried 27th July 1755, James baptised 4th July 1756, he married Mary Crispin, John baptised 1st January 1759 and Samuel baptised 2nd May 1762 who married his cousin Elizabeth Sercombe.

JOHN SERCOMBE 1759 - info from Daniel Morgan

John was the 6th child of William Sercombe Ann Rowe, he was born at Dunsford in 1758 and was baptised 1st January 1759. John was educated and signed his name when he married Elizabeth Norrish on 10th March 1785 at Dunsford, witnessed by William Sercombe who also signed his name. They had 7 children, John baptised 7th September 1788, George baptised 18th July 1790, William baptised 12th May 1793, Thomas baptised 8th October 1795, Elizabeth baptised 29th May 1798, Robert baptised 12th January 1801, Benjamin baptised 1st September 1803.

GEORGE SERCOMBE 1790 - 1876

George was born at Dunsford and was baptised on 18th July 1790, the 2nd son of John Sercombe and Elizabeth Norrish. I found him aged 29 on the Dunsford 1821 census working as a servant to perhaps his grandfather John Norrish, he was paid by the year; his brother Benjamin was an Apprentice. He married Mary Vinicombe from Highweek on 7th December 1825 at Dunsford, earlier that year George was a witness at James Vinicombe's wedding at Ide with Elizabeth Vinicombe. Their first child Susan was baptised at Exminster on 17th September 1826. George and Mary moved to Dunsford where their son John Norrish was born, he was baptised 8th June 1828. Mary was baptised on 27th April 1834, she sadly died aged about 18 months and was buried 1st November 1835, they had another child and named her Mary Ann baptised 17th March 1839 privately and then baptised again 14th April 1839.

In 1841 the census for Dunsford shows the family living at North Cottage. John Norrish age 75, Farmer. George Sercombe age 45, Farmer. Mary Sercombe age 40. Susan Sercombe age 15. John Sercombe age 13. Mary Sercombe age 2. Ann Jones age 15, female servant. William Fewins age 13, male servant.

The family moved to Perry Farm, Doddiscombesleigh, which on the 1851 census he described as being 100 acres and employing 3 Agricultural Labourers. George was 60, he wife Mary 51, John his son age 21, a servant 15 year old niece Sarah Vinnicombe, and two other servants working on the farm were John Tothill age 34 and James Endicott age 14.

10 years later the 1861 census shows George and Mary are still in charge of the farm, their son John has married and they have 5 grand children, and 2 house servants. By 1871 there are 10 grand children, and no more servants living at the farm. George died age 87 on 12th April 1876 from Natural Decay, His wife Mary out lived him by 10 years, she died age 86 on 25th March 1886. They are both buried at Doddiscombesleigh.

JOHN NORRISH SERCOMBE 1828 - 1915

John Norrish was born at Dunsford, and was baptised 8th June 1828, his parents George & Mary Sercombe moved to Perry Farm at Doddiscombesleigh, it was a large farm of 100 acres. John put down his profession as Germistor on his marriage certificate when he married Martha Jervis daughter of William Jervis a Farmer at Pilt Farm, They married at Doddiscombesleigh on 8th July 1852. They lived at Perry Farm with George & Mary Sercombe. The Farm House is large and still stands today, as two dwellings, the surrounding Farm has gone, and some of the Farm buildings have been turned into dwellings, The complex is now named Perry Barton, Perry Lane, Doddiscombesleigh. John and Martha had a large family of 10 children. Miriam was baptised 5th September 1852, John was born 1854, Lucy Mary was baptised 27th March 1856, William George was baptised 7th March 1858, Ellen was baptised 22nd January 1860. Jessie was baptised 13th April 1862, Olive was baptised 31st January 1864, Harriett Ann was baptised 25th December 1865, Charles was born on 27th April 1868, and Frederick was baptised 30th October 1870.

The 1861 census shows the family living at Perry Farm, with John's Parents who were still in charge of the Farm, John's profession is not listed, but I expect he was helping on the Farm, both John and Martha are aged 32, Miriam is 8, John is 7, Lucy Mary is 5, William is 3 and Ellen is1. There are 2 House Servants as well. By 1871 the next census, their eldest daughter Miriam has moved away, and 5 more children had been born making the family complete. Tragedy struck when Ellen drowned age 16 on 16th May 1875, she was buried at Doddiscombesleigh. The following year John's father died age 87, Leaving him in charge of the Farm, with his son William G. helping. The 1881 census show's that John N. is now head of the family, aged 52 and a Farmer, his wife Mary age 52, his mother Mary age 81, son William G. age 23 also a Farmer, daughter Harriet A. age 15 a scholar, son Charles age 12 a scholar, son Frederick age 10 a scholar, and his wife's brother Jeremiah Jervis is staying with them, I believe he was ill, and lived with them until he died 2 years later age 50, on 1st June 1883, he is buried at Doddiscombesleigh.

John and Mary lived all their married lives at Perry Farm, Martha died age 70 on 24th September 1898, at 44 Commercial Road, Exeter, her daughter Harriet Ann Sercombe present. John lived on till 26th August 1915 age 87. The gravestone at Doddiscombesleigh show's that they are both buried with their daughter Ellen. But I have recently found out that Martha is in fact buried at Dunsford. John sometimes used the initial N for a middle name, his gravestone gives the name of John Norrish Sercombe, which I now know is his grandmother's maiden name.

CHARLES SERCOMBE 1868 - 1916

Charles was the 2nd youngest child of John Sercombe and Martha Jervis, he was born on 27th April 1868 at Perry Farm, Doddiscombesleigh. Growing up on a Farm he was used to handling animals and had great love and respect of them. John left the Farm when he grew up, and got married age 22 to Agnes Lily Cruse who was 17, daughter of Daniel Richard Cruse. They married by banns at Dawlish church, on 8th December 1889, the witnesses were Agnes' mother Mary Jane Cruse and William H Discombe. Their first child Madeline Eugenie was born on Tuesday 2nd August 1892, baptised 28th August 1892. The family moved to Ide where Agnes's mother had a General Store, and 10 years later they had another child Phyllis Margaret born 4th June 1902, baptised 20th July 1902. Charles was a Market Gardener, and worked from 31 Westfield Road, Exeter. His wife Agnes helped in the shop. The family were well respected in the village, and Charles was often called upon to attend sick animals in preference to the Blacksmith.

One story about Charles has been passed down, 'A Cart drawn by 2 horses overturned in an open drainage ditch, Charles was sent for, to deal with the horses, they could not get the horses out and Charles had to shoot them, which upset him, he turned to the Constable and said " I would rather shoot the driver than these horses," in his opinion the accident should have been avoided if the driver had been more careful.'

Life on the whole was fairly good for the family, until one night in December 1916 when Charles didn't return home, his horse did get home. He was missing all through Christmas and his body was found and pulled from the river on 19th January 1917, at Mill Leat, Countess Wear, Topsham. The Coroner held an inquest the following day, his verdict was Accidental Drowning. The family could not understand why it had happened, Charles knew the route very well and he was a strong swimmer. His wife Agnes had to identify the body, which must have been horrific. Talk around the village suggested that Charles was drunk, but he never drank to excess. Charles was buried at Ide in the church yard, no gravestone was erected, due to family finances after his death.

PHYLLIS MARGARET SERCOMBE 1902 - 1984

Phyllis Margaret was the 2nd and youngest child of Charles Sercombe and Agnes Lily Cruse. She was born at Ide on 4th June 1902. She had a sister Madeline Eugenie who was 10 years older than her. Phyllis Margaret grew up as she told me privileged, nice clothes and the best toys.

One story she told me ' Every Christmas in the Local Hall, there would be a Party for the children of the village, under the big tree there were presents, (presumably unwrapped) one of the presents to be handed out was a beautiful doll, one of Phyllis's friends said that it was for her, she said that it couldn't possibly be for her, but her friend was right, the doll was given to Phyllis Margaret.'

Phyllis Margaret went to St Winifred's School, and her father would take her in the horse and trap. Another story she told me was in the Summer every afternoon she would fall asleep at her desk, no one could understand why, until it was realized that the sun shone on her during this time and made her sleepy.

Life couldn't be better, her father was a successful Market Gardener, her Mother and Grand mother owned the village General Store, serving the big houses nearby. All this changed very quickly when her father died, Phyllis Margaret was 14 years old. They sold up and moved away to find work, I know they went to Bath, where her grandmother Mary Jane (Scanes) (Cruse) Yendell died. They eventually ended up living at 2 Fairview Cottages, Alexandra Road, Ash, Surrey. Margaret as she preferred to be called, fell in love with the boy next door Arthur Nicholas Stallard. Margaret became pregnant, and married quickly at Farnham Register Office on 26th February 1921, her sister Madeline Eugenie was a witness. For some reason Margaret put her fathers occupation down as Railway Clerk.

Margaret and Arthur moved to their own house 2 Oak Villas, Victoria Road, Farnborough, where they lived throughout their married life together. Josephine Mary their first child was born 22nd June 1921, it was 4 years before their next child Arthur Charles was born 20th June 1925, the house was always full of Stallard relatives, and Iris Mary Bohey daughter of Caroline Violet was also born in the house. Caroline Violet and her husband Ernest George Bohey had another daughter in 1928 named Betty Patricia, Margaret liked the name so much that when their next child was born the following year on 23rd July 1929 they named her Betty Patricia. 3 years later Raymond Trevor was born 7th May 1932, followed by David Lawrence on 24th March 1934, Wendy Ann on 28th August 1937 and Elizabeth Maureen on 24th January 1940.

It was a happy family until Artie died in an Accident on 8th June 1944 age 18, Margaret never got over his death all her life. Her husband Arthur died age 62 on 5th May 1960. A new shopping centre had been built on fields behind the house, her children had all married, so after pressure she sold 26 Victoria Road, and moved to a new house in Cove during 1962. Her daughter Wendy with her husband and daughter moved in with her. Margaret died age 80 on 5th June 1984 leaving 10 grand children and 7 great grand children.

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