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There's lots more information on the
On this page: [Introduction] [Guesswork Tree] [Before 1841] [John WINGATE & Mary FAST] [son Thomas] [ son George] [son Charles]
Introduction to the Kingsbridge WINGATE family
These pages contain some notes and speculations about Kingsbridge WINDGEAT families. This page is about the Kingsbridge family who mostly spell their name WINGATE.
It has been suggested that this family may have moved down from Horrabridge - a family disappeared from the Horrabridge area in the eighteenth century and one with similar first names (Thomas, Rosamond) and occupation (masons) then turns up in the Kingsbridge area. However, there also appear to have been WINDEATTs in the area in the sixteenth century because the DRO records
- a document [Feoffment 215M/T57]dated 20 September 1525 which refers to some "Messuages, one in Kyngesbrigge, between the mill of the Abbot of Buckefaste on the west, the King's highway on the south and east, and the tenement of the Abbot of Buckefaste on the north; one in Doddebroke, between the messuage formerly of Simon Horswill on the north and east, and the tenement of the heirs of Henry Wyndeyate on the south, and a piece of the land called Doddebroke Key on the west."
- some early deeds ([no title] DD/HI/C/473 1568-1774) which names a WYNDEATT of Kingsbridge as a tenant in Dodbrooke.
so they may well be of quite separate origin although it is possible that the Dodbrooke and Kingsbridge proper families are NOT related and the Dodbrooke ones are the original family and the Kingsbridge proper ones are those who moved down from Dartmoor.
Guesswork Tree
Here is a guesswork family tree worked out through speculation about the records below. It would be necessary to purchase copies of the relevant parish register entries and BMD certificates to confirm or disprove the guesses. You may need to scroll to the right to see all of John and Mary's eight children.
Thomas WINGATE = Mary STEER (m.5/9/1786, Kingsbridge) |____________________________________________________ | | |
Thomas WINGATE Rosamond WINGATE John WINGATE ? bpt.24/6/1787 bpt.19/10/1788 bpt. 3/6/1792 m. Mary FAST 20/7/1813 _______________________________________________|____________________________________________________ | | | | | | | | John Ann Thomas Mary Henry George Charles Elizabeth (?1815-1899) b.?1819 (?1819-1898) (?1822-?) (?1824-1876) (?1827-1880) (?1830-?) b.?1835 =Ann HURFORD =?James THORNING =?Elizabeth COUCH dsp dsp ? ? issue ? dsp
Before 1841
Pre-1841 records have not been thoroughly researched but the following page lists a few mostly culled from online sources. NOTE: Dodbrooke is 0.7 miles from Kingsbridge and 1.1 miles from West Alvington.
- Link to Kingsbridge parish records page
There are also some WHINYATEs recorded in the nearby parish of Charleton (submitted by an LDS Church member) but these may or may not be genuine and, even if genuine, may or may not be related.
JOHN AND MARY's FAMILY
1841 Census (taken 6th June 1841) © Crown Copyright
This is probably the John who married Mary FAST IN 1813. They appear to have had a lot of children and are also living with, by the look of it, a couple of lodgers or possibly aged relatives.
Living in Fore St., Kingsbridge [HO107/247/5/3]
| Name | Age (rounded down) | Occupation | Born in County? |
|---|---|---|---|
| John WINGATE | 45 | Mason | Y |
| Mary WINGATE | 50 | Wife | Y |
| Ann WINGATE | 25 | Milliner | Y |
| Thomas WINGATE | 20 | Mason | Y |
| Mary WINGATE | 18 | Y | |
| Henry WINGATE | 16 | App Mason | Y |
| George WINGATE | 14 | Y | |
| Charles WINGATE | 10 | Y | |
| Elizabeth WINGATE | 5 | Y | |
| Mary DOWNING | 85 | Widow | Y |
| Susan RYDER | 70 | Widow | Y |
There is another John WINGATE, mason, also living in Fore St. and it looks highly likely that he is the son of the John above. He would have been their first child born a year or so after John and Mary's marriage in 1813 and called after his father.
- Link to information about John WINGATE junior
For further details of the other children, select the linked names above to go straight to more information further down the page.
1851 (taken 30th March) © Crown Copyright
John now claims to be a Master Mason and there is a John WINDEATT listed as a Mason etc. in White's 1850 History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Devonshire (see transcription by Terry Partridge). Although it is a bit late in the century for the spelling variants to be used interchangeably, I think that this John WINDEATT has to be the same person as John WINGATE below. And especially as there appear to be no WINDEATTs in the census living in Kingsbridge.
Living in Fore St., Kingsbridge
| Name | Relationship | Mar | Age | Sex | Occupation | Birthplace | Possible DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John WINGATE | Head | M | 58 | M | Master Mason | Kingsbridge-DEV | 1792 |
| Mary WINGATE | Wife | M | 61 | F | Master Mason | Kingsbridge-DEV | 1789 |
| Thomas WINGATE | Son | U | 31 | M | Journeyman Mason | Kingsbridge-DEV | 1819 |
| Henry WINGATE | Son | U | 26 | M | Journeyman Mason | Kingsbridge-DEV | 1824 |
| Charles WINGATE | Son | U | 19 | M | Cabinet Maker | Kingsbridge-DEV | 1831 |
| Mary WINGATE | Daur | - | 29 | F | Dress Maker | Kingsbridge-DEV | 1821 |
| Elizabeth WINGATE | Daur | - | 15 | F | Employed At Home | Kingsbridge-DEV | 1835 |
John now has three sons who are masons while one is a cabinet maker. John and Mary's eldest son, also John, is still living in Fore Street and with a growing family (see separate page) and working as a mason (probably for his father). The other two boys are probably also working with him.
- His daughter, Ann, has married James THORNING [Kingsbridge 9 427, June quarter 1847] and his son, George, has left home.
1861 (taken 7th April) ©Crown Copyright
John and Mary's eldest son, John junior, is now living right next door to them in Fore St. Thomas and Charles have now left home. Thomas has married and changed his profession but Charles is still unmarried and lodging with his brother George and family in Plymouth.
Living in Fore St., Kingsbridge in a house to themselves RG9 1425/25/2
| Name | Relationship | Mar | Age | Sex | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John WINGATE | Head | M | 68 | M | Mason | Devon, Kingsbridge | 1792 |
| Mary WINGATE | Wife | M | 72 | F | Mason's Wife | Devon, Charleton | 1788 |
| Mary WINGATE | Daugh | U | 39 | F | Dressmaker | Devon Kingsbridge | 1821 |
| Henry WINGATE | Son | U | 36 | M | Mason | Devon Kingsbridge | 1824 |
| Elizabeth WINGATE | Daugh | U | 24 | F | Dressmaker | Devon, Kinsbridge | 1836 |
1871 (taken 2nd April) ©Crown Copyright
John has died but Mary is still alive and has her two unmarried children still living with her. Not sure what happened to Elizabeth.
Living in Fore St., Kingsbridge in a house with two other families (HANNAFORD and ELLIS) [RG10 2103/7/6/25]
| Name | Relationship | Mar | Age | Sex | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary WINGATE | Head | M | 82 | F | Mason's Widow | Devon, Kingsbridge | 1788 |
| Mary WINGATE | Daur | U | 48 | F | Dressmaker | Devon Kingsbridge | 1821 |
| Henry WINGATE | Son | U | 47 | M | Mason | Devon Kingsbridge | 1824 |
A Mary WINGATE died in the June quarter of 1871 aged 83 [Kingsbridge 5b 147].
A Henry WINGATE died aged 52 in the September quarter of 1876 [Kingsbridge 5b 137]. I think we can assume he didn't have any children.
1881 census (taken 3rd April 1881)
I can't find any of them in the 1881 - I assume Mary and her son Henry died in the intervening years (see immediately above) but I don't know what happened to Mary the daughter. It's possible, I suppose, that she got married.
son THOMAS (?1819-1898)
We haven't found a record of his birth or baptism, although from census data it must be around 1819. Thomas was a mason in 1841 and 1851, single and living at home (see above).
1861 (taken 2nd April) ©Crown Copyright
Between 1851 and 1861, Thomas appears to have married and changed his profession. It's likely that the 1850s saw a slump in the housing market and he had to move out of the building trade. It's probably not a coincidence that most of the Horrabridge family of masons and builders also moved out of the building trade at this time.Living in Fore St., Kingsbridge [RG9/1425 /15/24/123]
| Name | Relationship | Mar | Age | Sex | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas WINGATE | Head | M | 42 | M | General Grocer | Devon, Kingsbridge | 1819 |
| Elizabeth WINGATE | Wife | F | 44 | F | Devon Loddiswell | 1816 |
A Thomas WINGATE married Elizabeth COUCH in the March quarter of 1855 [Kingsbridge 5b 322].
1871 (taken 2nd April) ©Crown Copyright
Living in Madges Court, Fore St., Kingsbridge [RG10 2103/9/11/51]| Name | Relationship | Mar | Age | Sex | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas WINGATE | Head | M | 50 | M | Grocer | Devon, Kingsbridge | 1820 |
| Elizabeth WINGATE | Wife | M | 52 | F | Devon Churchstow | 1818 |
1881 (taken 3rd April) ©Crown Copyright
Elizabeth has probably died (although I can't find a suitable candidate in the index nor in the census) and poor old Thomas is now living in lodgings. He must have given up the shop and appears to be back working as a mason (if indeed he is working).
Living in Ports Court, Kingsbridge [RG11 2183/9/12]| Name | Relationship | Mar | Age | Sex | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Lamble | Head | M | 49 | M | Blacksmith | Blackawton, Devon | |
| Sarah Lamble | Wife | F | 53 | M | Thurlestone, Devon | ||
| Thomas WINGATE | Lodger | W | 61 | M | Mason (Mason) | Devon, Kingsbridge |
1891 (taken 5th April) ©Crown Copyright
One of the penalties of having no children to look after you in your old age was that you had to go into the workhouse once you could no longer work. In 1891 Thomas was in the local Kingsbridge Union Workhouse along with some 86 other poor or elderly people. including William LAMBLE with whom he had been lodging in 1881 and what might be William LAMBLE's unmarried daughter, Sarah Ellen aged 33.
Living in Kingsbridge Union Workhouse, Churstow [RG11 2183/9/12]| Name | Relationship | Mar | Age | Sex | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Others . . . | |||||||
| William DAMARELL | Inmate | W | 78 | M | Agricultural Labourer | Devon Morley | |
| 3 others . . . | |||||||
| Thomas WINGATE | Inmate | W | 71 | M | Mason (Mason) | Devon, Kingsbridge | 1819 |
| William Lamble | Inmate | W | 61 | M | Blacksmith Retired | Blackawton, Devon | |
| Others . . . |
Thomas was already perhaps suffering from dementia because he was evidently confused when he and William DAMARELL were accused of manslaughter some six years later.
- Link to Court Report on the case against Thomas and William
A Thomas WINGATE died in the June quarter of 1898 [Kingsbridge 5b 121] aged 79.
son GEORGE (?1827-?1880)
We haven't found a record of his birth or baptism, although from census data it must be around 1827. In 1841 George was 14 and living at home (see above). Ten years later he should have been 23 or 24. I haven't found him in 1851 yet but it is possible he was already a tailor in Plymouth.
1861 (taken 2nd April) ©Crown Copyright
In 1861 he is married with a family of two small sons and has his brother and a colleague living with him.
Living at 10 Milton St., Plymouth [RG9/1443 /35/65/371] in a house with one other family of three| Name | Relationship | Mar | Sex | Age | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George WINGATE | Head | M | M | 32 | Tailor | Devon, Kingsbridge | 1827 |
| Elizabeth WINGATE | Wife | F | F | 30 | - | Cornwall, Helston | 1830 |
| Fred G C | Son | U | M | 5 | Scholar | Devon, Plymouth | 1855 |
| Ernest J. H. | Son | - | M | 1 | - | Devon, Plymouth | 1860 |
| Charles WINGATE | Lodger | U | M | 29 | Carpenter Journeyman | Devon, Kingsbridge | 1831 |
| Thomas MUTTON | Lodger | U | M | 20 | Tailor Journeyman | Devon, Milton Abbot | 1840 |
1871 (taken 5th April) ©Crown Copyright
Not found yet.
Frederick George Carter WINGATE died in Plymouth [5b 165] in the September quarter of 1862 and a little later Ernest John Howard WINGATE also died in Plymouth [5b 167] in the same quarter. I don't know if they had any more children until I find them in the 1871.
1881 (taken 2nd April) ©Crown Copyright
George has probably died (possibly in the September quarter of 1880, aged 52, Plymouth 5b 201) but I think I have found Elizabeth living alone in Plymouth and living off 'house rents', so presumably she owns or leases the house and is charging rent to the ROSEWEAREs and the WOTTONs who also live there. However, the birthplaces are not exactly the same so this may not be her.
Living at 9 Penrose St., Plymouth [RG11/2196/90/32] in a house with two other families
| Name | Relationship | Mar | Sex | Age | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth WINGATE | Wife | W | F | 51 | - | Cornwall, Millbrook | 1830 |
son Charles (1830-?)
We haven't found a record of his birth or baptism, although from census data it must be around 1827. In 1841 and 1851 Charles was living at home (see above) and aged 10 and 19 respectively. In 1851 he was a cabinet maker but by 1861 and aged 29 he had become a carpenter journeyman and was lodging with his brother George in Plymouth (see above).
I haven't yet found him in 1871 but here he is in 1881, now married and with a son.
1881 (taken 3rd April) ©Crown Copyright
Living at 66 Cambridge St., Plymouth [RG9/2197 /80/20] in a house with five other households (13 other people)| Name | Relationship | Mar | Sex | Age | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles WINGATE | Head | M | M | 48 | Foreman Contractor HM Dockyard | Devon, Kingsbridge | 1831 |
| Mary WINGATE | Wife | M | F | 47 | Cornwood, Devon | 1832 | |
| Charles E WINGATE | Son | M | 18 | Carpenter & Joiner | Plymouth, Devon | 1862 |
1891 (taken 5th April) ©Crown Copyright
Living at 11 Wyndham Street West, Plymouth [RG12/1731 /128/52/411] in a house with two other households (12 other people)| Name | Relationship | Mar | Sex | Age | Occupation | Birthplace | ?DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles WINGATE | Head | M | M | 57 | Joiner (Employee) | Devon, Kingsbridge | 1832 |
| Mary WINGATE | Wife | M | F | 57 | Cornwood, Devon | 1832 |
Not sure what has happened to his son Charles E. - couldn't find him in the census above when he should have been 28. There is however, a Charles E. WINGATE, born in Plymouth, Devon in the 1901 census - still in Plymouth and working as a builder. The age is given as 35 - however this could be a mistranscription of 38 I guess.
1901 (taken 5th March) ©Crown Copyright
I have only seen the index of this census but there is a Charles T WINGATE aged 70 living in Plymouth - no occupation - but born in Kingsbridge in the index. This could be this Charles.