James Escott and Jane Goodman of Axbridge

My 3 x great grandparents James Escott (1797-1883, an agricultural labourer) and Jane Goodman (1802-1892) spent their whole lives in Axbridge (Somerset). They lived in Moor Lane, Axbridge, which is the main road out west from the centre of Axbridge towards the village of Compton Bishop. Three of their 4 children, including my 2 x great grandmother Elizabeth Escott, moved to the Paddington area of London. Elizabeth was the only one who had children surviving beyond the age of 6.

James Escott

James was baptised in Axbridge on 14 July 1797, the son of William Escott and Jane Bowden. https://birdsofcressingham.wordpress.com/2020/10/09/william-escott-and-jane-bowden/

James married Jane Goodman in Axbridge on 20 January 1823. He was illiterate, but she was literate. The witnesses were John Young and Sarah Brown.

Jane Goodman

Jane was baptised as Jenny Goodman on 18 July 1802, daughter of John Goodman and Elizabeth Young. Jane later just used the name Jane, except that the 1891 census lists her as Mary J. The 1881 and 1891 censuses say that she was deaf.

A girl called Ann Goodman was baptised in Axbridge on 25 October 1790 and another called Sarah Goodman was baptised there on 11 Nov 1790. Both were daughters of John and Mary Goodman. It is not clear whether this was one couple or two separate couples. It is also unclear whether this John Goodman (or one of them, if there were 2) was also Jane Goodman’s father. For information about Sarah Goodman, please see https://birdsofcressingham.wordpress.com/2022/08/05/herbert-samuel-elworthy-chemical-engineer

Children

James and Jane had four children:

• John Escott (1824-1852). Married Priscilla Filer in Axbridge in 1844. They were living in Cheddar in 1851. He was an agricultural labourer and she was a charwoman. No children. Priscilla remarried first Maurice Jervis (1792-1859, a corn dealer and tallow chandler from Axbridge) and then Luke Boyce (1814-1891, a farmer from Cheddar (Somerset))
• Elizabeth Escott (1827-1910). My 2 x great grandmother, Married Charles Clark. 5 children. https://birdsofcressingham.wordpress.com/2021/05/14/charles-clark-and-elizabeth-escott
• Henry Escott (1833-1915). Married Sarah Rutherford (1828-1886, from London) in Paddington in 1852 and then Sarah Whittington (1838-1915, from Newton St Loe (Somerset)) in Paddington in 1888. No children.
• Charles Escott (1837-1890). Police Constable. Married Mary Melloy (1840-1866) at Holy Trinity, Paddington in 1858. They both gave their address as 4 John Street: Charles’ sister Elizabeth was living there when her first child (John Clark) was baptised in 1858. Charles and Mary had two short lived children: James Charles (1859-1865) and Elizabeth Jane ( 1862-1865). The deaths of Mary and the two children were registered in Kensington (London). Charles remarried in 1869 to Margaret Hillier (née Philpott) in Abergavenny (Wales), and had another 2 children with her in nearby Blaenavon. https://birdsofcressingham.wordpress.com/2022/01/07/escotts-got-to-blaenavon-before-clarks/

Henry Escott in the census
1852 (date of 1st marriage) 15 Woodfield Road, Paddington
1861. 2 Carlton Terrace, Paddington, Coffeee House. Henry was a gardener (with a lodger and 4 boarders).
1881. 13 Woodfield Road, Paddington. Labourer at lhr [?] (wagon works).
1891. 168 Mornington [?] Road, Kensal Town, Labourer at railway works.
1901. 4 Ranscroft, North Hammersmith, 3 doors from distant relatives. https://birdsofcressingham.wordpress.com/2020/09/26/did-these-people-know-they-were-related/ Railway points lifter.
1911 Elgin avenue, Paddington. Both old age pensioners.