Untitled

Sommerwill -a Devon Family: Introduction

Introduction

Copyright
All rights reserved. No part of this web site publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the author, John S. Summerwill.

Permission is hereby granted to members of the Somerwill family (regardless of how the name is spelled) by birth or marriage to store, copy and print material from this web site solely for their own personal use or for personal use by their close relatives provided no charge is made.

Disclaimer
Although every care has been taken to ensure that the information in these pages is accurate the record can only be as reliable as the sources from which it is drawn. Some of the connections are inevitably speculative: that is the nature of genealogical research. I therefore cannot guarantee that this account of the Somerwill family is free from errors. If any reader recognises an error in it I should be grateful to be informed so that I can correct it.

Introduction to the 7th Edition
When Henry VIII ordered that every parish church must keep a register of all baptisms, marriages and burials, he made it possible for most citizens in England, however humble their birth, to trace their family tree. Long lineage is not the prerogative of the titled and the rich: it is characteristic of us all. The Somerwills of Devon were neither titled nor rich, as far as one can tell. Mainly yeoman farmers or agricultural labourers, they have left little mark apart from the scanty entries in parish registers, census returns and tax lists, along with their small, anonymous contribution to the shaping of the Devon landscape.

Yet even so insignificant a family as this has some story to tell. The information in these pages has been built up over a period of sixteen years from visits to Devon and London and by correspondence with a number of people. My original intention was simply to trace my own ancestors, not to produce a comprehensive genealogy for the whole Somerwill family. The work widened partly because it was difficult to trace my own line without first sorting out the relationships between all the many references to Somerwills I found in the parish registers but mainly because I, like so many others, have found such enjoyment in genealogical research that it has become a hobby.

In 1983-84 I sent copies of a shorter version of this booklet to a number of Summerwills listed in the telephone directories, several of whom replied with more detailed information about their branches of the family. In June 1987 I sent copies of the 3rd edition to a number of Somerwills and Somervilles listed in the Devon telephone directories, and this produced a wealth of new information that helped to update the records, especially in Swimbridge, Atherington, South Molton, Exeter and Combe Martin. The results were put into a 4th edition, which was quickly outdated by some findings of Mr Alan Somerwill and his family, which connected his branch with Tawstock. On reviewing the evidence, it seemed likely to me that the High Bray and Tawstock Somerwills were descended from those of Goodleigh and Charles, and if my guess concerning one key character is correct, this branch has the longest traceable line. I therefore reorganised all the material and renumbered the groups in the 5th edition. The 6th edition incorporated some corrections and further new information. This 7th edition takes account of the 1891 census. It is as accurate as I can make it from the sources available, but I do not pretend that it is the definitive record. There are still other sources to be consulted as well as other information which I have not yet been able to utilise. Much more could, I am sure, be written about 20th century members of the family. I should be glad to hear from anyone who can find errors or who could supply additional information, especially concerning branches of the family that moved away from Devon.
Bangor 1992

Introduction to the 8th Edition
This edition incorporates my discoveries over the past four years, including some minor corrections. It is not greatly different from the 7th Edition: nowadays I am finding only small details to add. I have taken the opportunity to improve the print and to rearrange some of the groups. I should still welcome any further information that members of the family and other genealogists can provide.
Bangor 1997

Introduction to the 9th (Web) Edition
The development of the World Wide Web now makes it possible to make this family history more widely and easily available and to link it to other resources. This electronic edition incorporates some minor additions and amendments, and also new information provided by Mrs Lora Summerwill about the American descendents of Samuel Summerwill, who emigrated to the USA in about 1845.

To safeguard privacy the pages containing details of living persons are password protected. Members of the family by birth or marriage are welcome to contact me to obtain access.
Leeds 1998

Introduction to the 10th (Web) Edition
Information kindly provided by Mr George Leonard Somerwill OBE has enabled me to link in several groups of descendants of the 19th century Exeter Somerwills, including some in America and Canada. I have reorganised all of the Group A material to accommodate them.
Leeds 1999

Introduction to the 11th (Web) Edition
In July 1999 my daughter Kathryn and I spent three days in Exeter and Plymouth, finding much new information, particularly about the Stoke Damerel Somervilles. They are now listed in a separate group, Group F. Kathryn has also supplied photographs of Thelbridge and background information about medieval Thelbridge.

The entire British 1881 Census (indexed) is now available on CDs from the Latter Day Saints. This has been a marvellous help, enabling me to find many Somerwills missing from Devon and fill out the details on many individuals, which has made some reorganisation of groups necessary.

Information and photographs kindly provided by Morna Louise Elhage, John C. Alger and Joyce Somerwill have been included.
Leeds August 1999

Introduction to the 12th (Web) Edition
This edition includes much additional information gained from visits to the Family Record Centre and the Public Record Office, especially regarding the Stoke Damerel Somervilles and the Summerfields of Botus Fleming. Some errors have been corrected. Photos of Summer Farm provided by Kristin Summerwill have been added.
Leeds April 2000

Introduction to the 13th (Web) Edition
Much information has been added in the last year, most notably the 'discovery' of a family of emigrants to Canada. I am grateful to Mrs Gwen Clark for information and photographs.
Leeds April 2001

Introduction to the 14th (Web) Edition
I am grateful to Mr John Sommerwill of Orlando, Mrs Jill Wilson, Mrs Anna Howard and to Mr Murray J. Mandley of Canada for filling out a number of details and for supplying further photographs. This edition incorporates material from the 1901 census.
Leeds December 2002

Version 14.9
This version incorporates numerous minor additions and corrections resulting from further days of research in London, Exeter and Plymouth, plus some significant amendments to Group F which follow from information provided by Marguerite Valence. Some useful resource documents and photos about Canadian and American Summerwills have been found on the internet and added here. Over the last two years I have received information from several more family members, including Mrs Sue Reynolds; Mrs Kathleen Edmonds of Australia; Jean Wendorf of California; Mrs Vanessa Swales; Mrs Laurie Gaye Ellis of Sydney, Australia, and Miss Ellen Somerwill. I am grateful to them all. The work goes on!
Leeds December 2004

Version 14.12
It has been a busy year. The availability of most of the English and Welsh censuses, indexed, on the internet (from www.ancestry.co.uk) has made it practical at last to find many 'strays' who left Devon in the 19th century. Meanwhile, another website— www.freebmd.org.uk—gives indexed transcriptions of birth, marriage and death registrations in England and Wales from 1837 to about 1900, bringing to light a great many more entries. It has taken some time to search these sources and incorporate the wealth of new information.
Cathy Pineau and Shirley Ann Gray are the principal sources of the information in the fascinating new Group C5a. It seems highly improbable that a blacksmith from Combe Martin would marry in Cumberland and bring up his family in Hastings on the south-east coast, yet the documentary evidence quite clearly supports it. Many thanks to them for sharing their data.

Then there are our Australian cousins! Two Somerfield brothers from Ashford emigrated around 1860, one of whom had 11 children and similar numbers of children and grandchildren. This large tribe, in Group C11a, necessitated not only a new group but a fairly large reorganisation of other groups around it. I am very grateful to Carol Wilson (nee Somerfield) for the mass of information and photographs you has kindly provided, and to Jo Field for much additional detail in Group C11b.

Thanks also to Mrs Patricia Morgan of Barnsley for filling out some details of Dunvant Summerwills in Group C21; to Mark Elliott for several photos of Canadian Summerwills In Group C19a; and to Jen Dixon for a photo of her parents in law, Beatrice and Ernest Dixon.
Leeds November 2005

Version 14.13
- And still it grows! David Smith has added more information that extends Group C9. I'm very grateful.
Leeds February 2006

Version 14.14
The latest addition is a new Group C22b, connecting Devon with Scotland, thanks to the diligent research of Izabel Carter.
Leeds April 2006

Version 14.15
Information on Group C11b has been much expanded by the inclusion of much carefully researched material from Mary Toscano, an Australian descendent of Rose Somerfield and her husband, Francis Gay, for which I'm very grateful
Leeds September 2006

Version 14.16
Jen Dixon and John Sommerwill have given me an update on Group C6b, and Heidi Gillard has sent me information and photos that bring another branch of the family tree up to date—Group C19b, descendants of Thomas & Prudence of Braunton. My sincere thanks to them both.
Leeds August 2007

Introduction to the 15th Edition
Over the last two years I have added more details in various places thanks to contributions from Sally Cooper Group (C15a), Heidi Gillard (Group C19a/b), Ray Hayes (Group D), Mike Hudson (C14), Philip Summerfield (Groups C10/a/b) and Bryan Summerfield (C6b), which has required some reorganisation of groups in places. A couple of visits to the Somerset Record Office in Taunton have proved fruitful, though also a little frustrating in that the extensive data found is too full of gaps to allow it all to be joined up and linked to the Devon data. A new Group S has been created for it.
Leeds December 2008

Introduction to the 16th Edition
The main addition this year has been the details that have emerged from the early publication of the 1911 census.
I have taken the opportunity to redesign the website, making the diagrams larger and clearer, and the private files more secure. In the process I have renumbered some of the groups around C19-C21.
Leeds December 2009

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the Devon and Cornwall Record Society for the use of its invaluable collection of transcripts and other documents, without which this research would not have got far. I also appreciate the assistance given me at the Devon Record Office, the West Country Studies Library, the Ilfracombe Museum, the North Devon Athenaeum at Barnstaple, the Society of Genealogists in London and the CLS Family History Centre at Chester. I am especially grateful to the several members of the family who have searched their memories and given me a great deal of information about recent generations: my late parents, William and Violet Summerwill; my late aunt, Mrs Florence John; the late Miss Violet Summerwill, Mrs Betty Ardsley, Mrs Winifred Summerwill and Mr William Summerwill of Ilfracombe; Mr Anthony Summerwill of Clevedon; Mr John Summerwill of London; Mr Frederick Sommerwill of Tiverton; Mr Haydn Summerwill of Leeds; Mr A.G. Bradford of Liskeard; Mrs Eileen Summerwill of Neath; the late Mrs Constance Elphick of Braunton; Mr Alan Somerwill of Exeter; Mr Christopher Somerwill and Mr Walter James Somerwill of South Molton; the late Mrs Rhoda Somerville of Barnstaple; Mrs Maureen Goss of Combe Martin; Mr Harold Somerwill of Chislehurst; the late Mr Desmond Hill of Barnstaple; Mrs Peggy Fisk of Lincoln; the Revd Kenneth Francis of Felixstowe; Mr Clive Spratt of Chelmsford; Mr Derrick Winston Summerwill of Redruth; Mrs Lora Summerwill of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Mr George Leonard Somerwill OBE of Stowmarket; Mrs Morna Louise Elhage of Inverness, Florida; Mr John C. Alger of Gower; Joyce Somerwill of California; Jane Hyland of Tasmania; Mrs Nancy Gatrall Hallas of Westport, Connecticut; Mrs Heather Playfoot of Horsham; Mrs Kristin Summerwill of Iowa for photos of Summer Farm; Mrs Patricia Nicholas; Mrs Mary E. Cridland (née Somerwill) of Exeter; Mrs Haidee Young (née Summerwill) of Lenzie, East Dumbartonshire; Mr Jim Sprague; Mrs Jean Brown and Mr Simon Brown of Stockport; Mr Gareth Summerwill of Henley-on-Thames; Mrs Gwen Clark (née Summerwill) of Toronto; Mr John Sommerwill of Orlando; Mrs Jill Wilson; Mrs Anna Howard; Mr Murray J. Mandley of Canada; Mrs Sue Reynolds; Mrs Kathleen Edmonds of Australia; Jean Wendorf of California; Marguerite ; Mrs Vanessa Swales; Mrs Laurie Gaye Ellis of Sydney, Australia; s Gwen Clark (née Summerwill) of Toronto; Mr John Sommerwill of Orlando; Mrs Jill Wilson; Mrs Anna Howard; Mr Murray J. Mandley of Canada; Mrs Sue Reynolds; Mrs Kathleen Edmonds of Australia; Jean Wendorf of California; Mrs Marguerite White of Valence, France; Mrs Vanessa Swales; Mrs Laurie Gaye Ellis of Sydney, Australia; Miss Ellen Somerwill; Mrs Cathy Pineau; Mrs Shirley Ann Gray; Mrs Jo Field (nee Somerfield); Mrs Carol Wilson (nee Somerfield); Mrs Patricia Morgan of Barnsley; Mr Mark Elliott of Vancouver; Mrs Jen Dixon; Mr David Smith; Mrs Izabel Carter; Mrs Mary Toscano of Queensland, Australia; Sally Cooper; Mrs Heidi Gillard of Middlesex; Ray Hayes of Tasmania; Mike Hudson; Philip Summerfield of Builth Wells; Bryan Summerfield; Edward Somerville of Western Australia; Mr Alex Dow of Fife; Mr Shaun Summerwill of St Austell; Mr David Watkins.

Special thanks are due to my late sister and her husband, Thelma and Raymond Stock, for their searches in many of the churches and graveyards of North Devon which have yielded several vitally important clues.

I am particularly grateful to my daughter Kathryn for much assistance with searches, including medieval sources, and translations of Latin texts.

John S. Summerwill