People search
(married name will be ignored if broad check is ticked;
a broad check includes a search for nicknames, married names and other alternative names)Where were they from?
Search for places, see all people in the tree with events in that place, and (where added) see places marked on a map with photos, links and other information about the location.
John GOTHAM
1738 - 1799 (~ 60 years)
Has 10 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
-
Name John GOTHAM Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born 15 Aug 1738 Bridestowe, Devon, England 
- If I am right that John was the son of Thomas and Ann it would seem he would have been born between their marriage in 1737 and 1741, making him old enough to be listed as a freeholder in 1762.
If I am wrong, if for example he was a son of Thomas by an earlier marriage, or the link was not so direct, he could have been born some years earlier.
Baptised 18 Aug 1738 St. Bridget’s Church, Bridestowe, Devon, England Gender Male Occupation From 1762 to 1781 Lewtrenchard, Devon, England Yeoman - Freeholders lists (on FODA website).
Shown as a freeholder living in Lewtrenchard (1783, ref: QS7/53),
During his time in Lewtrenchard one Elizabeth Cloak appears to have lived with John (presumably as servant) for thirteen weeks, according to a settlement examination for her in 1783.
(Marystow settlement examination, PWDRO archive ref. between 890/121 and 201; image on FMP, viewed 5 July 2016)
Church role 1769 Lewtrenchard, Devon, England Churchwarden - name on bell - Ellacombe recorded that the inscription 'Iohn Gotham C.W.' appeared on the second bell, which was (re-)cast in 1769.
Journey 1787 Exeter, Devon, England - Brentor overseers' accounts for the year 1787 show a John Gotham was paid 16 shillings for making a trip to Exeter. The reason for this trip is not clear.
Property 1794 Bridestowe, Devon, England - From "Neighbours of North Wyke. Part V. Ash and South Zeal in South Tawton" by Miss Ethel Lega-Weekes, pp.325-374 in "Report and Transactions of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature and Art. [Princetown, July, 1905.] Vol. XXXVII. (Vol. VII, second series.)" (Plymouth, 1905)
"1794. Thomas Rowe of Coryton, yeom. and John Gotham & Mary his wife, to John Newton Jr. yeom. Demise of a tent. [tenement] called West Battishill in Bridestowe and two meadows and an orchard of uncertain boundary as to whether belonging to West or to East Battishill."
(from p.339; view this entry online)
Thomas Rowe who entered into the arrangement together with the Gothams was probably Mary's brother; shown as of Coryton when he was an executor of her will.
A sub-heading on p.333 shows this abstract was made from Sir Roper Lethbridge's collection (abstract by the author)
Lega-Weekes noted "By the kind permission of Sir Roper Lethbridge, of Exbourne Manor, K.C.I.E., I am drawing further upon my extracts from the large collection of old deeds which, as I had the pleasure of acknowledging in my paper for 1902, he then placed at my disposal."
Over a hundred years later, I don't know if these old deeds still exist, and if so where - I will make enquiries.
(found thanks to index on GENUKI)
Tax 1798 Lewtrenchard, Devon, England Land tax redemption - There are two consecutive entries in which John appears as 'proprietor', for both of which the occupier is given as John Walter. The sums assessed were £4 for the first, 4/- for the second; I suspect that the first was for a farm, the second for a house, with maybe a little land.
The land may have been that which John was himself farming at an earlier date (when shown in freeholder lists as a yeoman)
Tax 1798 Morchard Bishop, Devon, England Land tax redemption - A John Gotham was shown as the proprietor of land in Morchard Bishop. This John's father was born in Morchard Bishop, and of those born there or their descendants this is the only John I know alive in 1798. Hence, I think this John probably owned the land their, but I might be missing another John.
Administration 1799 Court of the Bishop of Exeter, Devon, England Calendar entry - Entry in the Calendar of Wills and Administrations In the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Exeter, 1532 to 1800 for Nicholas GOTHAM of Stokeintinghead in 1605
Buried 24 Jul 1799 All Saints’ Church, Okehampton, Devon, England - "July 24th John Gotham."
Fictional Child 1888 Squire Gotham in “Richard Cable, the Lightshipman” - Squire Gotham is the father of Richard Cable in the novel by the Revd. Sabine Baring-Gould, published in 3 vols. in 1888.
Probably mostly known these days as the author of "Onward, Christian Soldiers", Baring-Gould was also a novelist and antiquarian, and son and heir of the Lord of the Manor of Lew Trenchard, inheriting the role (including the advowson) in 1872. His early years were not spent in the parish, though, and it was after 10 years as rector of East Mersea in Essex he appointed himself to the living of Lew Trenchard when it became vacant in 1881 so becoming a 'squarson'.
The interior of Lew Trenchard Church as it is today owes much to Baring-Gould. His interest in the church there and things antiquarian must have led him to see the name Gotham both on one of the bells and in the church records, and I think there can be little doubt that it was this that led him to use the name in his novel, the Essex setting presumably using his knowledge from his time there, and explaining the displacement of 'Squire Gotham' from any of the locations where non-fictional Go(a)thams have lived.
John Gotham appears to have been the only Gotham to have lived in Lew Trenchard, although his father was also married there, and so references in the parish records are mostly to him. However, with him having died over 80 years before Baring-Gould lived in the parish, I doubt if the character owes of 'Squire Gotham' owes anything to John. From the review of the novel in the Illustrated London News I certainly hope it doesn't:
"Richard Cable is the disowned son of Mr. Gotham, the squire of the village, who is a despicable, mean, cowardly, imbecile old fool, and who betrayed and deserted Cable's mother, with an invalid form of marriage, nearly forty years ago."
The novel can be found on the internet archive. Popular in their day, and compared to Thomas Hardy in some respects (Baker, The History of the English Novel, vol. 1), Baring-Gould was not so gifted a novelist and his novels are little read today, and the tale of Richard Cable does not appear to have been one of the better ones. In 'The Bibliophile Dictionary: A Biographical Record of the Great Authors', Dole describes it as "An Essex story of a peasant who married an heiress - the pathos of humble life, tempered with farcical scenes".
Some of Baring-Goulds novels are set in Devon, and it is these that may be more usefully read to get an impression of the environment - the manners and customs - of the land in which Devon ancestors dwelt, although the novels being full of melodrama, the main events are those which most will not have encountered.
Died - He was clearly alive 1794 but dead in 1806, as Probate info shows that his wife was a widow when she died.
I would have guessed he would have been buried in the same place as Mary.
However, Dartmoor Press has all Coryton burials 1754-1812, and they are also on FMP - neither has a burial for any other Gothams. Nor does it seem to have been at Bridestowe - Dartmoor Press has all burials for the same years.
Is there a mistake in a register or has the entry become illegible?
The answer to this seems to be know, as there is a burial of 2 John Gothams in Okehampton in the late C18th, though I only knew of one living there, and have come across no other Gotham families in this part of Devon.
One of these burials was in 1799, i.e. in the range within which other documents point to him having died.
Did he die away from home? Or did John and Mary live at Okehampton at the time of his death? I do not know, but I think they probably did live in the parish of Okehampton, as there is no note in the burial register to show him as being from another parish.
Siblings1 brother and 3 sisters Patriarch & Matriarch 
Andrew GOTHAM, b. Est 1585, (probably), Abbotskerswell, Devon, England, bur. 10 Mar 1673/74, St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England (Age ~ 89 years) (2 x Great Grandfather) 
Elizabeth, d. Yes, date unknown (Grandmother)Notes - (Research):With marriages in this part of Devon indexed by the DFHS and now most being on FMP the marriage of John and Mary with links to Coryton and Bridestowe should show on FMP. The only one to fit was at Lewtrenchard, with John being shown as of that parish. This seems to confirm that it was this John who was a yeoman there, listed in the freeholders lists.
John was marrying where his parents had married: Lewtrenchard was John's mother's parish at the time of the marriage. If her family were in Lewtrenchard John may have inherited property there, or at least the links may have led to him farming there.
Lewtrenchard is in any case a neighbouring parish of Bridestowe, so close enough for no special link needed to know of an available farm.
Person ID I300452 All | All in the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study , All subjects of the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study Last Modified 25 Sep 2020
Father The Revd. Mr. Thomas GOTHAM, bap. 26 Dec 1699, St. Mary’s Church, Morchard Bishop, Devon, England , bur. 17 Jan 1756, St. Bridget’s Church, Bridestowe, Devon, England (Age ~ 56 years) Mother Ann MADDAFORD, b. Abt 1710, bur. 7 Jul 1797, St. Bridget’s Church, Bridestowe, Devon, England (Age ~ 87 years) Married 23 May 1737 St. Peter’s Church, Lewtrenchard, Devon, England - From PR entry (image on FMP)
"Thomas Gotham Cur:t of Bride Stow And Ann Madaford ware maried the 23: day of may 1737 "
Family ID F300152 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family Mary ROWE, b. Est 1735, bur. 21 Aug 1806, St. Andrew’s Church, Coryton, Devon, England (Age ~ 71 years)
Other Partners: John FRIEND m. 2 Dec 1759Married 19 Dec 1781 St. Peter’s Church, Lewtrenchard, Devon, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 13 Feb 2014):
"John Gotham of this Parish of Lew Trenchard
and Mary Friend Sojourner of the
Parish of Lydford were
Married in this Church by Licence this
Nineteenth Day of December in the Year One Thousand Seven
Hundred and eighty one by me Saml Harvip(?), Curate
This Marriage was solemnized between Us John Gotham
Mary Gotham (late Friend)
[ (late Friend) added by the curate]
In the Presence of John Rowe
David May"
(David May was witness at a number of weddings around this time; probably Parish Clerk)
No information about marital status in the entry; John seems to have been in his 40s when he married (if my assumptions are correct), Mary a widow. Her maiden name seems to have been Rowe so John was almost certainly a relation, maybe a brother or father.
Last Modified 25 Sep 2020 Family ID F300151 Family Group Page | Family Chart
- If I am right that John was the son of Thomas and Ann it would seem he would have been born between their marriage in 1737 and 1741, making him old enough to be listed as a freeholder in 1762.
-
Event Map Click to hide 
Born - 15 Aug 1738 - Bridestowe, Devon, England 
Baptised - 18 Aug 1738 - St. Bridget’s Church, Bridestowe, Devon, England 
Occupation - Yeoman - From 1762 to 1781 - Lewtrenchard, Devon, England Church role - Churchwarden - name on bell - 1769 - Lewtrenchard, Devon, England 
Married - 19 Dec 1781 - St. Peter’s Church, Lewtrenchard, Devon, England 
Journey - 1787 - Exeter, Devon, England Property - 1794 - Bridestowe, Devon, England Tax - Land tax redemption - 1798 - Lewtrenchard, Devon, England 
Tax - Land tax redemption - 1798 - Morchard Bishop, Devon, England 
Buried - 24 Jul 1799 - All Saints’ Church, Okehampton, Devon, England = Link to Google Earth (if installed; see link below to install) Pin Legend 
