Chapter 10: SUTTONS of HILLFARRANCE, SOMERSET

Although the Suttons spent at least two generations in Hillfarrance, near Taunton, the family originated in the south east of England. William Sutton was born in about 1806 in Hastings. The name Sutton is derived from the places of the same name, of which there are examples in Sussex and Kent. Why William should then have moved from the Southeast to a small, relatively unremarkable, village in rural Somerset is not clear. There is no evidence of any siblings having moved to the same area, so presumably he relocated on his own, not with his parents. William was a blacksmith so perhaps Hillfarrance smithy was vacant and he took the opportunity to set up in business on his own.

Hillfarrance Parish Church

William’s, Hillfarrance born, wife Mary was 31 years his junior. Even at the age of 75 William was still working as a blacksmith in Hillfarrance in 1881. He had however given up his trade ten years later when Mary was supporting them both by working as a laundress. The couple had at least five children. The oldest, William, raised his two daughters in Weston-super-Mare, where he was head of the Prudential. A brother, John, started life as agricultural labourer living at home in Hillfarrance in 1881. He became a coachman and moved to Neath, then Abergavenny where he became a greengrocer and then managed a plant nursery.

John Sutton with his son Benjamin

John had nine children by his wife, Matilda Salter (Chapter 11). Most of these stayed in South Wales, however the oldest, Harold died in Weston-super-Mare and Sarah Jane Helena died in Bristol (see Chapter 9). Harold served in an infantry regiment, the South Wales Borderers, during the First World War. Sarah Jane Helena was raised by her aunt, Annie Mayall née Sutton. Another sibling, Flossie Amelia married Ellis Dobson. Her son Bernard Elmo Dobson served in the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War.

Harold Sutton

Sarah Jane Helena Sutton

In 1934 John was resident at 120 St Helens Road in Abergavenny, but died of a heart attack in Bradford on Tone near having returned ‘home’ to the Hillfarrance area. S. Walter Jones, his son-in-law, of 126 St Helens Road was the death informant.

William SUTTON b.c1806 d.1893 m.Mary - 
        William SUTTON b.c1861 m.- -
            Mabel SUTTON m.- CHRISTOPHSON   
            Bessie SUTTON   
        Samuel SUTTON b.c1863 m.Henrietta -
            Elizabeth A. SUTTON b.c1899 
            Alice M. SUTTON b.c1892
            Alfred M. J. SUTTON b.c1896
            Mabel K. SUTTON b.c1898
        John SUTTON b.c1866 d.1934 m.Matilda SALTER (Chapter 11)
            Harold SUTTON b.c1891 m.- - 
                child SUTTON   
            Flossie Amelia SUTTON b.1892 m. Ellis DOBSON   
                Gordon DOBSON   
                Bernard Elmo DOBSON   
            Sarah Jane Helena SUTTON b.1894 d.1980 m.Percival Edwin SEVIOUR (Chapter  9)
            John Samuel SUTTON b.1896 m.- - 
                Dorothy SUTTON   
                Vera SUTTON   
            Dorothy (known as Aunt Dol) SUTTON b.c1898 m.S. Walter JONES   
                Jean JONES m.- - 
                    child m.- -
                    child m.- -
                Douglas Sutton JONES m.- - 
                    Angela JONES   
                John Sutton JONES m.- - 
                    female JONES   
                    Michael JONES   
            Violet SUTTON b.1900 d.1900
            William Albert SUTTON b.1902 m.- - 
                Mollie SUTTON   
                John SUTTON               
            Archibald Cyril L. SUTTON b.1908 m.Myra -  
            Percy Alfred SUTTON b.1906   
        Annie SUTTON b.c1870 m.William MAYALL   
        male SUTTON