John Musgrave of Milverton, Somerset

[tenterfieldjulie]

I am trying to find a little more about two John Musgraves of Milverton, Somerset.

The first John Musgrave (yeoman) married on the 18/5/1758 to Sarah Marshall at Milverton.
1798 Land Tax Redemption at Milverton, Weekmoor & Houndsmoor, Jn Musgrave paid Rev. LM Luxton 3 lots of taxes 4.18.8., 1.12.4 and 2.7.3.
On the 17/4/1805 at Milverton a 85 yr old John Musgrave was buried.

In 1832 & 34 the Poll Books showed Houndsmoor John Musgrave freehold houses late Warrens. I presume this John Musgrave married Charity Dyer on 5 Aug 1785 at Milverton, 8 children from 1785 to 1805, baptised Milverton. Charity died 1816. John is in the 1841 Census at Milverton aged 75 Ind. born Somerset with 60 yr old Betty born Somerset. I found a marriage 9/8/1824 of John Musgrave to Betty Chorly. John Musgrave buried 16/3/1842 Milverton aged 78.

There is an Ancestry tree which shows the 2nd John as being a son of the first, but I have not found a baptism at Milverton. Children of John and Sarah I have found at Milverton are Jenny buried 23/4/1766, Sarah baptised 26/10/1768, and Thomas 4/10/1771. I feel there are other children between 1758 and 1766 including John.

What I am hoping for is that there are surviving wills for John died 1805 and John died 1842. Can anyone locate their wills please? Thanks. Julie

[kiterunner]

This is the Somerset will search page but there are no entries for Musgrave:
http://www1.somerset.gov.uk/archives/ASP/ddedsearch.htm

Though it wouldn't include 1805 anyway.

[tenterfieldjulie]

I just briefly read the blurb and it says that most of the wills were lost in the bombing of Exeter in WWII.
I feel that as both Johns were at Houndsmoor there should be a connection .. but how to prove it is the problem. Thanks Kate. Julie

[kiterunner]

Looking at FreeREG, the 1785 marriage was by licence, witnesses Joseph Loney and Betty Dyer, and the 1824 marriage was also by licence, witnesses Thomas Dyer and Hannah Cornish. Betty Musgrave was buried 2 Sep 1859, age 80.

There is no will or admon shown for John Musgrave in 1842 in the Index to Death Duty Registers.

[kiterunner]

Maybe I'm missing something, Julie, but how do you know that the John Musgrave at Houndsmoor in 1798 isn't the same one who was there in 1832?

[Shona]

Have you seen this on Rootsweb, Julie?

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pbtyc/H_m_w/Mil/Baps/1537-1564.html

[tenterfieldjulie]

Hi Shona, Yes I use those Milverton records all the time, but while my Musgrave's are born at Milverton, they aren't all baptised there unfortunately.
I just saw that in Milverton there were Independents (probably Baptist) from 1784-1837 and also Wesleyan from 1813-1837 so it is possible they attended there. I saw that there was a chapel at Houndsmoor which might be earlier as well.
What is interesting is that the first record of children of John and Sarah is the burial of Jenny in 1766, then Sarah baptised 1768 and Thomas 1771. From what I can ascertain John was born 1764 and James 1765, but the marriage was 1758 so probably others earlier.
I had Bryant ancestors who I had the birth dates of all the family and I could not find 2 baptisms, which happened when they moved from Perranuthnoe to Altarnun. Strangely enough, the day 3 yr old Anna was buried her sister Marina was baptised. Recently I just happened to look at the Wesleyan records and there was the baptism of Anna and Mary Anne who I couldn't find. Maybe the possible sin/death scenario of some "bible" ministers changed their convictions. I am wondering if it might have happened with the Musgraves as well. Julie

[tenterfieldjulie]

Kate I don't know that the 1798 John is the elder. The only thing I really know about Johnthe elder is that it was noted on his marriage in 1758 that he was a yeoman.