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William WOTTON
Est 1639 - 1689 (~ 50 years)
Has 9 ancestors and 2 descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name William WOTTON Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born Est 1639 - based on a gap between siblings whose baptisms have been found and date he became an apprentice
Baptised - I am guessing that William was born in the gap between children, 1638-41, rather than the earlier gap (1631-6) because he became an apprentice in 1653, when he was most likely aged about 14.
Gender Male Apprentice Exeter, Devon, England 
- John Ridler, later to be William's brother-in-law, was apprenticed to William, and subsequently became his partner.
When he wrote his will in 1688 and added a codicil in 1689 one George Edwards was his apprentice. His will also mentions an apprentice Sarah Newton, though I guess she was probably not an apprentice goldsmith. In his will William made provision "in case George Edwards my present Apprentice shall not be willing or desirous to serve out his time with the said John Ridler my Partner ...", but it would appear that George was happy to complete his apprenticeship with John Ridler, as when he became a Freeman of the City of Exeter in 1698 he was shown as apprentice of William Wotton and John Ridler (my italics).
Other former apprentices who became Freemen were:
Joseph Hussey became a Freeman in 1682,
John Avery became a Freeman in 1689,
Thomas Gist became a Freeman in 1699.
Although I am not aware of any documentation, I suspect his nephew Richard was apprenticed to William, as, although he was baptised in Blackawton where his parents and siblings lived, aged about 19 he died in Exeter and was buried there.
William may well have had other apprentices who did not become freemen of Exeter, or perhaps who qualified on another basis and therefore who we do not learn of through the Freemen data.
His cousin William Eakins seems to have, like this William, become involved in the tobacco business as well as being a goldsmith, since of several apprentices of his listed in the Exeter Freemen book, one is recorded as a tobacco-cutter. Possibly this was the trade in which Saran Newton was an apprentice.
Occupation From 1653 to 1689 Exeter, Devon, England Goldsmith - There is an article in Report and Transactions of the Devonshire Association vo. 44 (1912).
I don't know how much this article can be trusted - it shows William's date of death wrongly and states "he came from the neighbourhood of Collumpton" which is clearly wrong if it means that's where he originated, but if it means he moved to Exeter from Cullompton, then that could be true. I have yet to explore his evident link with the Cullumpton area.
His apprenticeship would have ended in 1660, Chanter shows him as a goldsmith in Exeter from 1662 and he became a freeman in 1667. Was he in Collumpton part or all of the time 1660-1662 or, if Chanter has the date wrong, to 1665/6 when a daughter was baptised in Exeter?
Apprenticeship From 19 Mar 1652/53 to 1660 Exeter, Devon, England To his uncle, George Knowling - Indenture was dated 19 Mar 1653 (OS or NS?), for seven years
Freeman 1667 Will 5 Jul 1688 Written Will 22 Aug 1689 Added a codicil Died 29 Aug 1689 Buried 3 Sep 1689 St. Mary Arches Church, Exeter, Devon, England - In the PRs of St Thomas Church Exeter (sic):
"Sep the 3 was Buryed Mr Will Wotton Gentillman of Exon"
(Archive ref: 4781A/PR/1/1)
"(47) Mr William Wootton of Exeter was buryed Septemb. 3.
Certifyed by Hugh Stafford Esqr Sept. 14. that the sd Mr Wm Wootton was not buryed according to the Act for burying in Woolen for which the forfeiture was taken and paid according to Law."
(Archive ref: 4781A/PR/1/53 - the special register for recording receipt of burial in wool certificates)
The above shows that William must have been buried in linen, his family paying the fine for the previlege.
The surprising thing is that the above entries both occur in the register of St Thomas Church, although William was buried in the church of St. Mary Arches.
Had he moved to (or died in) the parish of St Thomas, and hence his burial was recorded there even though it was in St Mary Arches? Or were his remains only later moved to the church of St. Mary Arches? Maybe when his executor dealt with his will, and it became apparent what he had done for that parish they wished to honour him there (as they did later when they restored the valut and floor slab)
Buried in the Church of St. Mary Arches.
Date from PR - image on FMP. Not only is the year in the PR, but William's will was proved 10 July 1690, so he can't have died on 29 Aug 1690
In 1908 Beatrix F. Cresswell wrote a book "Exeter Churches: Notes on the history fabrics and features of interest in the Churches of the Deanery of Christianity Devon".
In it she recorded her readings of MIs. Amongst the floor slabs on the northside of St. Mary Arches she recorded:
"Here lie the remains of Richard Wotton nephew of Mr Wm Wotton of this parish goldsmith who died the -- ---- 1688 aged --.
Also the above named Mr William Wotton Goldsmith departed this life 29 Aug 16--.
The said Mr W. Wotton gave to this parish of St Mary Arches an estate called East Culme in the parish of Cullumpton for the establishment of a school.
This vault and stone were repaired at the expense of the parish.
Charles Collyns
Richard Dewdney wardens"
Cresswell noted that the property of East Culme was still in the hands of parochial trustees.
(p.108, link to online copy)
Probate 10 Jul 1690 Prerogative Court of Canterbury, London, England Siblings2 brothers and 3 sisters Patriarch & Matriarch 
William WOTTON, [Parents?], bap. 16 May 1605, St. Leonard’s Church, Halwell, Devon, England, d. Jun 1670, Blackawton, Devon, England (Age ~ 65 years) (Father) 
Sarah KNOWLING, b. Est 1605, bur. Aft 1652 (Age ~ 48 years) (Mother)Notes - (Research):A Wm Wotton of Blackawton married Mary Bickford of East Allington in Blackawton in 1654; is that an earlier marriage of this William? - I'm sure it can't have been since this William would have been an apprentice at that time.
Children?
From his will I think we can safely assume William left no surviving children. But had he had any who had not survived?
There were a number of baptisms of children of William Wotton(s) in Exeter, 1660-1690. None show the father with the prefix of Mr or a description of goldsmith, which would suggest this William, but absence does not preclude the possibility that he was the father.
Possible children:
- a Robert was baptised at St Mary Major in 1663 and buried there in 1664 (shown at burial as son of Wm Wotten)
- a Martha was baptised at St Mary Arches in 1665/6 and buried in St Thomas 1666 (shown at burial as daughter of Wm Wootten)
- a Mary was baptised at St Mary Major in 1666 and buried there in 1681 (shown at burial as daughter of Mr Wm Wootton)
- a Susanna was baptised at St Mary Arches in 1667 and buried in St Thomas 1668 (shown at burial as daughter of Mr William Wotten)
In additon there were the following burials at St Mary Major, no sign of burials before this William died, so it would seem they were probably not his children:
Joseph - 1674
Mary - 1683
William 1684
John - 1687
William - 1689
William was a very common Christian name and Wotton a common enough surname that I think that there was another William Wotton, and the baptisms at St Mary Major were unconnected with this William.
However, far fewer people would have qualified for the prefix Mr., and I think Martha and Susanna were the children of this William.
Not only does the 'Mr' at their burials suggest him, but also the churches in which they were baptised and buried suggest it.
There are no baptisms of any children of William Wottones indexed on FMP (as at 30 Aug 2014) in any Exeter Church 1620-1662, despite there being lots of entries for the aforementioned churches, which adds to the probablility that it was this Mr William Wotton who was the father of Martha and Susanna.
I don't know why the burials would have been at St Thomas's Church rather than St Mary Arches, but the same is found with the family of William's brother-in-law and partner, John Ridler.
Person ID I15776 All Last Modified 26 Aug 2024
Father William WOTTON, [Parents?], bap. 16 May 1605, St. Leonard’s Church, Halwell, Devon, England , d. Jun 1670, Blackawton, Devon, England (Age ~ 65 years) Mother Sarah KNOWLING, b. Est 1605, bur. Aft 1652 (Age ~ 48 years) Married 5 Oct 1628 St. Michael’s Church, Blackawton, Devon, England Family ID F6060 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 1 Martha RIDLER, bur. 11 Nov 1669, St. Thomas’s Church, Exeter, Devon, England Married 11 Apr 1665 St. Thomas’s Church, Exeter, Devon, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 26 Aug 2024)
"The 11th of Aprell was maried mr William Wotten to Mris Martha Ridler both of Exon"
The use of 'Mr' and 'Mris' point to it being the marriage of this William Wotton.
Children2 children Last Modified 26 Aug 2024 Family ID F6887 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 2 Susanna, bur. 22 Sep 1712, St. Thomas’s Church, Exeter, Devon, England Married Aft 1669 - Must have married after the death of Willam's first wife, Martha Ridler.
Christian name of wife when he died from Court of Chancery case regarding her husband's will (C 6/324/47)
In his will William refers to a 'brother Samuell Townsing'; listed after Ridler brothers-in-law, referred to as brothers, this could mean a brother-in-law - brother of his wife Susanna? Whilst one possibility there are others (e.g. half brother-in-law, by either marriage, or I could be missing a third wife) so can't assume that Townsing is Susanna's surname.
Even if Susanna's surname was Townsing she may have married William as a widow, so a marriage would not necessarily use that surname.
I haven't found a Townsing (etc. - Townsend, Tamsin or similar) family with siblings Susanna and Samuel. There was a Susana Townsine, daughter of Peter, baptised in Totnes in 1629.
Last Modified 26 Aug 2024 Family ID F6524 Family Group Page | Family Chart