William Jessop 1752 - 1805

Owned by Liz Hardie
Last updated: Nov 06, 2019

William Jessop (~1752 - 1805)

William Jessop was born to Robert Jessop and Martha Smith in the Huntingfield, Suffolk. We have been unable to identify primary sources for this, but the naming patterns of his children are consistent with this relationship. It is most likely that he was born some time around 1752.

He married Elizabeth Nunn on 14 Feb 1777 in Huntingfield. The marriage is witnessed by Rebecca Newson and Richard Nunn - either Elizabeth's brother or father. We have been unable to identify baptismal records for Elizabeth.  There are a number of Nunn families living in Cratfield and Bramfield in this period

  • Richard Nunn and Rebecca
  • Richard Nunn and Susanna Pallent
  • William Nunn and Mary Fuller

William and Elizabeth lived in Huntingfield. They had at least 12 children including:

  • Robert Jessup Born 1780 
  • Charles Jessup Born 1782. Died 1859. Married Sarah Randlestone
  • James Jessup Born 1784. Died 1855. Married Mary French in 1807 then Elizabeth Lee in 1819
  • Ann Jessup Born 1786 
  • John Jessup Born 1788. 
  • George Jessup Born 1791. Died 1874. Married Hannah Foster
  • Benjamin Jessup Born 1793. Married Harriet Culham
  • Mary Jessup Born 1794. Died 1876
  • Sarah Jessup Born 1796
  • Stephen Jessup Born 1798 Died 1799
  • Frances Jessup Born 1799
  • Phoebe Jessup Born 1802

Many researchers place Zipporah Jessup as the child of William Jessup and Elizabeth Nunn, but this is not correct. Zipporah is the child of William Jessup and Elizabeth Stofer of Walpole, Suffolk. They married in 1800 and had at least 5 children between 1801 and 1815 (David - aka Javis ; Zipporah ; Ephraime ; Phoebe and Jobey), they were non conformist.

Interesting the couple appears to be missing a son named William who - based on naming patterns - should be amongst the eldest children. The William who marries Elizabeth Stofer and is found in Walpole has an estimated year of birth of 1777 and could be a possible candidate for this missing child.

William dies in April 1805 and is buried at Huntingfield on 28 April 1805.

The 1841 census sees Elizabeth living with George and Hannah at Huntingfield Hall. Elizabeth subsequently dies in June 1847 in Huntingfield and was buried in Huntingfield on 4 Jun 1847 (her death is registered in Blything V13 P286).

Of their children

  • Robert Jessup
    • Is baptised in Huntingfield on 15 Oct 1780
    • There are no additional records - some researchers make Robert Jessup who marries Lucy Cole as our Robert however census records put his place of birth as Chattisham, and his children as Raydon (near Ipswich) not Reydon (near Halesworth), and Lucy Cole is of Wenham near Ipswich.
  • Charles Jessup
    • Was born in Huntingfield, and then baptised on ?.
    • On 11 Sept 1810 he married Sarah Randlestone in Holton - abt 6 miles from Huntingfield.
    • We havent identified any children from this marriage.
    • The 1841 census sees the family in Henstead where Charles is a farmer and Sarahs neice - Sarah Blanch - is living with them  
    • The 1851 census sees the family in Bradwell where Charles is noted as a farmer and Sarahs neice - Elizabeth Blanch - is living with them. The 1851 has a note in the occupation which appears to be "Farm own occupation ? ?"
    • Sarah dies in 1855 and Charles dies in Bradwell on 17 Dec 1859 where he is buried on 23 Dec 1859.
    • His Probate was granted on 2 January 1860 at Ipswich - with effects under £20 - left to George Jessup - his brother of Heveningham a husbandman
  • James Jessup
    • Was born in Huntingfield and baptised on 14 November 1784
    • James joined the Royal Horse Artillery as a Gunner Third Class on September 1st 1803. That James must have spent all his time in either E or F Troop which were raised in Woolwich Kent in 1794, this is because between 1807 and 1811 Troop A, B, C, D, G, H and I all saw service in the Peninsular or elsewhere - and we know James was based in England that whole period.  
    • On February 12, 1807 in All Saints Church at Easton, Wickham Market, Suffolk he married Mary French by whom he had 2 children with Mary - James Jessup b. 1808 d. 1809 and Harriett Ann Jessup b.1810 d. 1902 m. James Durrant 1834
    • From April to August 1807 James troop was stationed at Woodbridge, Suffolk before moving to Ipswich in Sept 8908 where James became a Gunner Mounted. From there the troop moved on to Warley in Essex and then by December to Woolwich in Kent. In January 1809 James became a member of 'G' Troop Royal Horse Artillery, which returned to Woodbridge from Buenos Aires around March 1809. In Sept 1810 James was promoted to Gunner Mounted 2nd Class and given a pay increase. In February 1811 James reported sick. 
    • Soldiers of the Royal Horse Artillery had a reputation for decent behaviour, which made the events of 1811 suprising. On Thursday May 23rd 1811, James with two others - John Rose and Samuel Stain - entered the premises of Stephen Oxborrowe molecatcher, at Bredfield, Suffolk and feloniously stole and carried away a certain quantity of his property. He was arrested on June 1st 1811 and committed by William Carhew Esq, to Woodbridge goal for further examination. On June 5th 1811 to Ipswich goal to await trial at the next assizes. At the Summer Assizes in Bury St Edmunds on 8 August 1811 he is convicted for burglary and sentenced to be hanged which was later commuted to transportation for life.
    • His wife Mary was on June 3rd 1811 committed by William Carhew Esq. for further examination, being of decent behaviourer and not employed. The prisoner with a child was charged with having received a quantity of goods from her husband the property of Stephen Oxborrow of Bredfield, knowing them to have been stolen. On June 5th 1811, she the case against her was drop and she was discharged. It appears that she passed away in 1812, leaving her surviving daughter to be raised by relatives.
    • On 6 April 1812 he sailed from England on the 'Indefatigable' arriving in Hobart Van Diemen’s Land on 19 October 1812. It was the first convict transport to arrive in Hobart, which was just being establish, another convict transport did not arrive until 1818.
    • He ended up in Launceston, and then George Town where on 20 January 1819 at St. Johns C of E Church, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, he married Elizabeth Lee - eldest daughter of James Lee and Catherine Riley. They had four daughters Maria 1818, Elizabeth 1819, Ann 1821 and Sophia 1823 all born in George Town. Because the children's mother was supposed to be of a bad character, in 1826 all were placed in an orphanage at Norfolk Plains, Tasmania.
    • He served out his sentence there where he proved to be quite incorrigible with convictions for assaulting his wife, theft and receiving stolen goods and perjury. He forfeiting his ticket of leave in 1821 - and not regaining it until 1831. He finally received his conditional pardon in 1836, followed by his Certificate of Freedom on 6 May 1840. After which point in time it appears that he and Elizabeth went to live with their youngest daughter Sophia and her husband John Brain
    • On November 27th 1855 at the age of eighty four, James passed away.
    • In his convict records, James was described as being 5' 6" tall with dark brown hair and blue eyes
  • Ann Jessop
    • Born in Huntingfield and baptised there on
    • No apparent records available for Ann Jessop
  • John Jessop
    • Born in Huntingfield and baptised there on
    • There is a potential death for John Jessop in Huntingfield in 1804.
    • There is also a marriage in Huntingfield in 1810 to Jemima Nunn - which required further investigation
  • George Jessup
    • Born in Huntingfield and baptised 1791. 
    • On 5 Nov 1822 he married Hannah Foster - daughter of ? - at Huntingfield. They have a total of 11 children between 1821 and 1845 - Phoebe 1821, Sarah 1823, Mary 1825, Hannah 1828, William 1830, George 1832, Ann 1835, Emma 1837, Charles 1839, John 1841 and Ellen 1845 who were all born in Huntingfield
    • In 1821 there is a George Jessup convicted of Larceny in Lent Assizes of Bury St Edmond and sentenced to 1 week and a whipping
    • In 1827 there is a George Jessup acquitted of Larceny in the April Session of Suffolk
    • On the 1841 census the family are living at Huntingfield Hall in Huntingfield however George is not home - we can find no record of him, and his mother Elizabeth is living with the family
    • On the 1851 thru 1871 censuses the family are living at Heveningham St in Heveningham and George is recorded as an agricultural worker
    • In 1860 he is the sole executor of his brother Charles will where he is noted as a husbandman
    • He dies in February 1874 and was buried at St Margarets Heveningham on 15 February 1874
  • Benjamin Jessop
    • Born in Huntingfield, Suffolk in 1793 and baptised there on 14 January 1794.
    • On 12 October 1813 he married Harriet Culham at Holton by Halesworth - the same place his brother Charles married. They have at least 8 children between 1814 and 1829 - Maria 1814, Hannah 1815, Elizabeth 1818, Mary 1818, Harriet 1823, Elizabeth 1827, Lydia 1827, Fanny 1829
    • In 1827 there is a Benjamin Jessup acquitted of Larceny in the April Session of Suffolk
    • We have been unable to find Benjamin in the 1841 census, though there is a Harriet Jessup, living in Halesworth with a William Clark with children Elizabeth 15, Lydia 20, Harriet 8 and Fanny 14
    • Have not found death records for Benjamin
  • Mary Jessop Born 1794. Died 1876 
  • Sarah Jessop Born 1796 
  • Frances Jessop Born 1799
  • Phoebe Jessop


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