TOP of the Horrabridge tree

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This family tree starts with John WINGATE, christened in 1742 in Buckland Monachorum parish church, the son of "John WINDIATT and Sarah". As explained on the previous page, Horrabridge was a village that straddled several parishes including that of Buckland Monachorum.

John WINDIATT =Margaret HUTCHINGS (married 1770)
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Jenny H. WINGATE   John WINGATE   Sarah WINGATE  John WINDEATT  Sarah WINGATE   George WINGATE
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                                                    More                        More

You may need to scroll to the right to see all SIX children
Linked names lead to more information further down the page. Arrows lead to the next section of the tree on another page.

John WINGATE (1742-1823)

Here is an example of John WINGATE's neat signature. It appears on his own marriage certificate of 1770 and also on his sister Sarah's marriage certificate in 1763. Even his sister managed to sign her own certificate (although her signature appears somewhat laboured).

The fact that the family were literate at this early date is probably a tribute to the number and nature of charity schools available locally. In the very early 1700s Lady Modyford had endowed a school at Buckland Monachorum for six poor boys to learn to "read, write and cast accounts in three years and in instructing them in the Church of England catechism" (cited in Hamilton-Legget's archived account) and during the eighteenth century other schools were also endowed in the parish.

NOTE: Elementary schooling did not become compulsory until 1870 and it did not become free for the general population until the 1890s.

In 1684/5 a John WINDIATT, yeoman, signed a 99 year lease on a tenement in Sampford Spiney at a rent of Rent: 4s pa (FILE [no title] - ref. 81/R/12/3/2 - date: 1684/5). If this was our John's grandfather then the lease would have run out in 1784/5.

John was probably a mason like his son. There seem to have been masons galore in Horrabridge - perhaps because of the abundance of local granite.

The TOOPs from Horrabridge were perhaps the most well-known firm of masons in the area but there were also HOOPERs and FOOTEs in the vicinity.

John may have worked for one or other of these firms but he or/and his son seem to have set up shop on his/their own for a time. Evidence for this is:

From Mike Brown's transcription of churchwardens accounts for Whitchurch in 1816: " Paid John Wendatte the mason his bill Ł6 2s 7d. for two half sheeves of Reed to Stopt the leaks of the Church in Storms 10d. Spent on the men for Stopping the healing in Storms 1s. To John Crocker for acquainting The mason when the Healing of the Church hath Bee Blown away in storms 1s." Most of the other Mason's bills are for the Toops.
Among the plethora of monumental tombstones in the area, which were mainly carved by the TOOPs or William SHILLIBEER of Walkhampton, there is one tombstone in Meavy, dated 1800, that was carved by "...Windeatt, Sculp, Horrabridge" (Brown, n.d. p.22)

See the picture of Meavy Church below where one of the tombstones was carved by John or his son.

Buckland Monachorum Church / lithotint from nature by W.Spreat; C.Hullmandel's patent , 1842
Š Copyright Devon County Council, 2002

Meavy Church and oak / [by G.P.Hearder] ;
drawn for the 'Museum' by Mr.N.M.Condy , 1834
Š Copyright Devon County Council, 2002

1742 Buckland Monachorum baptism register

"April 9 1742, John Son of John WINDIATT and Sarah his wife was Baptised"

Burials in the Parish of Buckland Monachorum in the year 1823

Name	Abode	When Buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
John WINDGATE	Horrabridge	July 4th	83	R. Read

Link to a print of Buckland Monachorum church from 1823 - the year John Wingate was buried there.
Link to modern pictures of Buckland Monachorum church

Parents - John WINDIATT and Sarah

We know from the Buckland Monachorum parish register that the John WINDIATT, christened in 1742, was the son of John WINDIATT and Sarah. However, we have been unable to find his parents' marriage in any of the local parish registers. This is not too surprising, because John's father (also John), could have married anywhere in the Dartmoor region.

However, when the John referred to on this page was married in 1770 he was named as "John WINGATE the younger of Buckland Monachorum". So his father was probably still alive and also living in Buckland Monachorum - probably in Horrabridge. Similarly when the woman we assume was his sister was married in 1763, she was named as "Sara WINGATE the younger" which implies their mother was still alive and living in Buckland Monachorum too. But we haven't found records of their burials.

Siblings

John WINDIATT and Sarah
     |_______________________________________________________________________________
     |                        |                                     ?Elizabeth      ?Edward
John WINDIATT              Sarah WINGEAT dau of John WINGEAT
cd.09/04/1742              cd. 01/04/1744, Buckland Monochorum

Sarah WINGEAT (1744-?): We can be fairly certain that Sarah is John's sister, the parents' names, their closeness in age and the fact that a John WINGATE signed the marriage register as a witness when Sarah married John BREACH in 1763 all support this conclusion.

Marriage 1763 Buckland Monachorum
Banns of Marriage between John BREACH and Sarah WINGATE the younger were published on the eighth, fifteenth and twenty-second Days of May in the year 1763 by J. Crymes, Vicar. John BREACH of this parish and Sarah WINGATE the younger of this Parish were married in the Church by Banns on 24th Day of August in the Year One Thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Three by me J. Crymes, Vicar.
This marriage was solemnized between Us John BREACH (signed) Sarah WINGATE (signed) in the presence of James WOOD (signed) John WINGATE (signed)

?Elizabeth & ?Edward WINGATE: In 1765, two years after Sarah married John BREACH, an Elizabeth WINGATE married John POPE also in Buckland Monachorum. This time an Edward WINGATE signed the register as a witness. Both Elizabeth and Edward might be possible siblings of John and Sarah. BUT there is also an Edward christened on 17th March 1736 and an Elizabeth christened on 20th May 1734 according to the IGI and they are both recorded as the children of an Edward and an Elizabeth which would make them either unrelated or possible cousins.
More about Edward WINGATE: Thanks to a transcription on Genuki Devon by Martin Willocks and other volunteers of some 3000 workers at Plymouth Dockyard, we now know a bit more about Edward. According to this 18th century list of 'Plymouth Artificers', he was 39, although it is not clear whether he was 39 in 1772 on entry or in or in 1782 on discharge. He worked for six years and nine months as a Bricklayer's labourer before being discharged. If he is the Edward christened in March 1736 then he would have been 35 on entry and 46 on discharge rather than 39.
His personal details are given as: married with two children, from Buckland Monachorum, 5.3ź inches tall, fresh complexion and with a "cut cross 1st. Joint forefinger left hand" and a "Good Workman".

Link to an 1842 print of Buckland Monachorum church

Spouse - Margaret HUTCHINGS of Whitchurch

John WINGATE the younger of Buckland Monachorum married Margaret HUTCHINGS of Whitchurch in Whitchurch parish church on 18/08/1770. He signed the register but she just made her mark. We don't know much about her but a James HUTCHINGS signed the marriage register as witness and was probably her father or brother. Also, later in 1777, a Richard HUTCHINGS married an Alice HILL in Whitchurch and is very likely her brother.

Marriage 1770, Whitchurch
John WINGATE of the Parish of Buckland Monachorum and Margaret HUTCHINGS of this Parish were Married in this Church by Banns this eighteenth Day of August in the Year One Thousand seven Hundred and Seventy by me I. HORNBROOK, Curate. This Marriage was solemnized between Us} John WINGATE (signed); Margaret HUTCHINGS (made her mark). In the Presence of { James HUTCHINS (signed) Robert MATHEWS (signed).

They went on to have five or more children and both lived to ripe old ages (83 and 88).

Link to picture of Whitchurch parish church

Burials in the Parish of Buckland Monachorum in the year 1832

Name	Abode	When Buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
Margarett WINDATT	Horrabridge	Aug 15th	88	R.S P?

Children

1. Jenny Hutchings WINGATE (1771-?)

From the Buckland Monachorum Parish Register:
Baptisms in 1771: June 3, Jenny Hutchings Daughter of John WINGATE & Margaret his wife < /p>

We don't know what happened to her. There was a Jenny WINDGETT who married a Roger TUCKER in Brixham in 1793 but we can't be sure this is the same person.

2. John WINGATE (1774-1776)

From the Buckland Monachorum Parish Register:
Baptisms in 1774: June 11, John son of John WINGATE & Margaret his wife
Burials in 1775: January 20, John Son of John WINGATE and Margaret his wife

This child was christened according to this family's tradition of naming the the first boy after his father. However he died in infancy.

3. Sarah WINGATE (1777-1780)

Buckland Monachorum Parish Register

From the Buckland Monachorum Parish Register:
Baptisms in 1777: February 12th, Sarah Daughter of John and Margaret WINGATE
Buried 20/05/1780, Buckland Monochorum

Again another child who died in infancy and, as the second girl, was called after her maternal grandmother.

4. John WINDEATT (?1778-1851)

Born around 1778/9 in Horrabridge
We have not been able to find his baptism in any of the nearby parish registers but he must be the child of John and Margaret because he gave the middle name of HUTCHINGS (after his mother's surname) to one of his children.
He married 26/06/1803 to Thomazin HOSKINS, in Sampford Spiney and was described as "John WINDEATT, Mason of Horrabridge". His name also follows the contemporary tradition of naming the next born child of the right sex after a previous child who had died.

Link to: More about John . . .

5. Sarah WINGATE (1783-1809)

Christened 16/03/1783 in Meavy
Married 28/06/1809 to Thomas ROWE in Buckland Monochorum

This looks like Sarah in the 1851 Census. She is probably the mother of Sally SKEWS. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found her in the 1841 census. And I don't understand how she could be both a 'widow' and 'unmarried' - presumably this is a transcription mistake.

Name	Relationship	Mar	Age	Sex	Occupation	Birthplace
Philip SKEWS	Head	M	44	M	Copper Miner	St Ewes, Cornwall
Sally SKEWS	Wife	M	34	F	---	Buckland Monachorum
Johannah T. SKEWS	Daur		11	F	Scholar	Buckland Monachorum
Sarah ROWE	Widw	U	68	F	---	Meavy
Walter M. BEVAN	Lodg	U	16	M	Copper Miner	Barnstaple
William T. PEARCE	Lodg				Copper Miner	St Agness, Cornwall

6. George WINGATE (1781-?1852)

christened. 12/?/1781 in Meavy, "the son of John and Margaret Wingate"

We feel fairly sure that this George is a child of John and Margaret from Horrabridge because he turns up in the 1851 Census in Shaldon on the coast and gives his birthplace as Meavy. In the census he gives his occupation as "House Builder" which indicates he was following the same trade as his father John (a mason). Moreover various other members of the family, including his brother, John, and several nephews also moved to the coast in nearby West Teignmouth or Torquay around the middle of the nineteenth century.

Link to: More about George . . .

More Children?

John and Margaret may have had more children but we have not found any yet. Horrabridge was on the boundary of four parishes and very near many others so it is difficult to know where to begin to look. Moreover not all the registers were well kept up or they are in poor condition so the baptisms may be missing or we just haven't managed to find them yet.

An "Ann of Whitchurch" married a Walter GLANVILL of Whitchurch on 27 Mar 1800. She is a potential later child of John and Margaret but is more likely to be the Ann WINGATE who was christened in neighbouring Whitchurch on 30.1.1767, the base daughter of Grace Wingate. This Grace could have been the one christened 15.1.1741 at Buckland Monachorum for whom the parents are not shown but she is the right sort of age to be John's sister.