Chapter 3: William Eggleton (b.1758 d.>1813)

William appears to have lived all his life in Broad Blundson, although he married Ann Hiscock Minety, a parish 12km due West of Broad Blunsdon. This was presumably Ann’s home parish. All of William and Ann’s six children were born in Broad Blunsdon. Of these children (William) John (chapter 4) married and had a large family in Broad Blundson, as did James. Their sisters Betty and Sarah also married in the family parish.

Broad Blunsdon Parish Church

James is known to have been an agricultural labourer, an occupation followed by the majority of the British population in the early-nineteenth century. He married Phillis Webb on 21 August 1828. Phillis died between 1861 and 1871, having raising six children. In 1877 widower James married widow Elizabeth Ockwell. Unfortunately Elizabeth died very shortly afterwards. In 1881, second time widower James was living in nearby Highworth.

Five of James and Phillis' children are known to have married and had families of their own. Their oldest child Thomas married Charlotte Smith of Stanton Fitzwarren in Broad Blunsdon in about 1856. The couple had two children whilst living in the latter parish, before moving a short distance south to Rodbourne Cherney where a child was born. Four more children are known to have been born to Thomas and Charlotte. By 1881 Thomas, a dairyman, and Charlotte, a dairywoman, had moved to Castle Eaton, immediately north of their home parish. By that time their two older children, George and Ann, had left home. George living in Stratton St Margaret where he was an ironworks labourer, probably in the iron rolling mill that was built in Swindon in 1841 and manned largely by Welsh iron workers. George married Fairford born Harriet Westbury in 1877. His two known children, Florence Emily and Gertrude Ellen, were born in Gorse Hill in the late 1870s. Nothing is known of the lives of George’s sister Ann or brother Henry.

James (chapter 6) and Job (chapter 7) are considered elsewhere. In 1856 Emma married agricultural labourer Richard Hancock in Broad Blundson parish church. They had at least five children born in the same parish, but by 1881 were living in the village in neighbouring Highworth. At that time their oldest daughter was working from home as a domestic servant.
Mary Ann’s life mirrored her sister’s in that she married a labourer, Robert Tombs, in Broad Blunsdon, had her family there and moved to Highworth in later years. Both of Mary and Robert’s known sons were agricultural labourers working from home in the early 1880’s.

Highworth

Of William and Ann’s other children; William stayed at home until he was at least 42 years old, betty had a daughter born six years before she married Thomas Bell/Ball and Sarah married John Lansdown.

William EGGLETON b.1758 m.Ann HISCOCK
….(William) John EGGLETON b.1795 (chapter 4)
….James EGGLETON b.1797 m.#1 Phillis WEBB m.#2 Elizabeth OCKWELL
……..Thomas EGGLETON b.1829 d.1895 m.Charlotte SMITH
………… George EGGLETON b.1855 d.>1901m.Harriet WESTBURY
……………. Florence Emily EGGLETON b.1877 d.>1901m.Donald HIGGINS
…………….Gertrude Ellen EGGLETON b.1879 d.1899 m.- -
…………Anne (Annie) EGGLETON b.1857 d.-
…………Henry (Harry) EGGLETON b.1869 d. >1881<
…………Edward EGGLETON m.- -
…………….male EGGLETON m.- -
…………….….female EGGLETON m.- -
……………………Annette M. -
…………Charles EGGLETON
…………Thomas EGGLETON
…………Emily EGGLETON
…………Fanny EGGLETON
……..Ann EGGLETON c.1830
……..James EGGLETON b.1832 (chapter 6)
……..Emma EGGLETON b.1835 d.>1881 m.Richard HANCOCK
…………Elizabeth HANCOCK b.c1869 d.>1881
…………Mary J. HANCOCK b.c1871 d.>1881
…………Lucy HANCOCK b.c1873 d.>1881
…………George HANCOCK b.c1876 d.>1881
…………Frank HANCOCK b.c1878d.>1881
……..Mary Ann EGGLETON b.1836 d.>1881 m.Robert TOMBS
…………John TOMBS b.c1865 d.>1881
…………Henery J. TOMBS b.c1868
…………Martha TOMBS b.c1874 d.>1881
…………Anne L. TOMBS b.1876 d.>1881
…………Adah E. TOMBS b.c1878 d.>1881
……..Job EGGLETON b. 1839 (chapter 7)
….William EGGLETON c. 1799, BROAD BLUNSDON P.C.;WIL d.>1841
….Mary Ann EGGLETON b.c1806
….Betty EGGLETON c.1809 m.Thomas BELL\BALL
…………Mary EGGLETON c.1824
….Sarah EGGLETON c.1813 m.John LANSDOWN