William Palmer (1716-1775) and Dinah Piggot (?1716-1789).
My 6th great-grandparents.
William Palmer was said to be from Capel, Surrey, on his marriage record but there are no baptism records that fit so he’s likely the William born in nearby Ockley in 1716 and baptised at St Margaret’s Church on 9 November to William Palmer. His mother wasn’t named on the record.
William Jnr married spinster Dinah Piggot on 16 July 1734 in a clandestine service in London, either in or around the Fleet Prison on the western side of the city. Such marriages, which were legal as a result of a quirk in the law, allowed for an element of secrecy and could be undertaken without either banns or a marriage licence and away from the couple’s home parishes. In some cases couples opted for a clandestine marriage when there were objections from parents but why William and Dinah opted for one is unknown.
The marriage record mentioned that Dinah was of Wotton in Surrey but I have found no record of her baptism there or anywhere close by, although other Piggots were baptised in villages around Wottonat the time she would’ve been born.
William and Dinah had a large family and baptised their children in Capel and nearby Newdigate, Surrey. I’ve found no record that gives his occupation.
Several William Palmers who died in the area match my 6th great-grandfather. One, a pauper, was buried at St Peter’s, Newdigate, on 10 September 1775. A widow Palmer, who was otherwise not named, was buried there on 31 July 1789 aged 75. I believe these are most likely to be my ancestors. Another William Palmer was buried at the Quaker Burial Ground at Capel on 18 January 1895, his age given as 82 and described as a Capel resident. However, unless he became non-conformist in later life, there is no evidence that my William had been a Quaker.
William and Dinah’s children were:
- Ann Palmer (1735-1741), my 5th great-grand aunt. Ann was baptised on 29 July 1735 at St Peter’s in Newdigate and was buried there on 2 February 1741.
- Ruth Palmer (1738-1792), my 5th great-grand aunt. Ruth was baptised on 16 April 1738 at St John’s in Capel. She married George Weller on 23 May 1762 at St Peter’s in Newdigate. George came from nearby Rusper in Sussex, where he’d been baptised on 8 May 1737 to parents George and Sarah Weller. They had several children. The record series “Surrey, England, Jury-Qualified Freeholders and Copyholders 1696-1824” listed farmer George Weller in Newdigate in 1774 and this could’ve been him. Ruth died in 1792 and was buried on 9 September in Newdigate. George lived until 1825 and was buried on 12 January in Newdigate, although the ceremony was conducted by Thomas Smith, curate of Rusper. The couple had several children:
- Rebecca Weller (1763-????) was baptised in Newdigate on 11 November 1763 but what happened to her is unknown.
- James Weller (1764-1764) was baptised in Newdigate on 11 November 1764 and buried just days later on the 15th.
- George Weller (1766-1821) was baptised in Rusper on 23 February 1766. It’s likely, based on age, that he was the man buried in Newdigate, but a resident of Capel, on 24 November 1821. Several men were living in the area at the same time so it’s not yet been possible to pin-point a marriage record for him.
- Martha Weller (1767-?1844) was baptised in Rusper on 26 July 1767 at Rusper, although her parents were described as from Newdigate. She may have married labourer James Garrad in Rusper in 1799 although the 1841 Census return for this woman (now living in Ockley) made her 10 years younger than her actual age – not impossible but unusual. This Martha was buried in Ockley on 19 February 1844.
- John Palmer (1740-1741), my 5th great-grand uncle. John was baptised on 24 May 1740 at St John’s in Capel and was buried at St Peter’s in Newdigate on 28 January 1741.
- Dinah Palmer (1742-1803), my 5th great-grand aunt. Dinah was baptised on 13 June 1742 at St John’s in Capel. She was, through lack of alternatives, probably the woman who married Thomas Gosling at St James’ Church in Shere, Surrey, on 25 May 1779. He had been baptised there on 5 March 1736 to labourer Thomas Gosling Snr and his unnamed wife. The couple settled in Shere and had a number of children. Land Tax records for 1798 showed Thomas renting land in Shere valued at 3s 6d. He died in 1801 and was buried in the village on 26 April, described as an old man on the record. Dinah is most likely the “Widow Gosling” buried in Shere on 27 November 1803 – as no woman by her name has been found being buried locally. Dinah and Thomas’s children were:
- Thomas Gosling (1779-????) was baptised on 25 May 1779 in Shere but I’ve found nothing conclusive about him subsequently. A man by his name who matches in terms of age was in the Dorking Workhouse, Surrey, at the 1841 Census and died in the town in 1847 but I can’t prove that they are the same person. Dorking is about six miles from Shere.
- Ann Gosling (1780-????) was baptised on 20 October 1780 in Shere but I’ve found no records about her subsequently.
- William Gosling (1783-????) was baptised on 19 January 1783 in Shere. In his early 20s he signed on with the 57th Foot Regiment, serving in the 2nd Battalion and being promoted to sergeant in 1808. He married Elizabeth Mary Nicolle in St Helier, Jersey, the Channel Islands on 25 October 1810 – his battalion had spent much of the Napoleonic War up to that point on the islands. The 2nd Battalion was dissolved in 1815, coinciding with the end of the Napoleonic War. In 1816, he cropped up in Manchester, Lancashire, at the baptism of a daughter. I’m unsure what happened to him after this but the regiment did travel to Australia in 1824 and a Thomas Gosling was died there soon after, but whether this was the same man is open to doubt.
- Rebekah Palmer (1744-????), my 5th great-grand aunt. Rebekah was baptised on 1 February 1744 at St John’s in Capel, Surrey, but what happened to her is unclear.
- James Palmer (1747-????), my 5th great-grand uncle. James was baptised on 12 July 1747 at St Peter’s in Newdigate, Surrey. I’ve found no other records that I’m confident about, although it’s possible he was the man buried in Rusper, Sussex, in 1816 based on the age given on the record.
- Ann Palmer (1749-????), my 5th great-grand aunt. Ann was baptised on 11 November 1749 at St Peter’s in Newdigate, Surrey. I’ve found no other records that I’m confident about.
- John Palmer (1752-????), my 5th great-grand uncle. John was baptised on 13 June 1752 at St Peter’s in Newdigate, Surrey. I’ve found no other records that I’m confident about, especially as several men by this name were living in the area at the same time.
- Benjamin Palmer (1756-1808), my 5th great-grandfather. Benjamin was baptised in Newdigate and married Jane Hewitt. See his details here.
Sources: Birth, marriage, death and burial records including civil registrations from the General Register Office, census returns and other records at Ancestry.co.uk, Findmypast.co.uk and Sussex Family History Group.
Newdigate Local History Society and parish births, marriages and deaths.
Surrey History Centre records.
Military records at National Archives.