Chapter 17 A Prosperous Generation.
John(1703.42) had been educated to quite a high standard before becoming established as a yeoman250 by the age of twenty-one. A yeoman might have been either a foreman in the employ of a gentleman farmer or, more probably, an independent farmer. John(1703.42) seems to have inherited his father’s business sense. Later, with one eye on providing for his children’s future, he leased another smallholding from the Marquis of Bristol just within the bounds of Tuddenham on which he later built the windmill for his son William(1733.46) 251.
John(1703.42) remained interested in the church taking the post of Churchwarden at Tuddenham. John(1703.42) married Ann Chapman. On Saturday 10th July 1728 at Chevington by Licence. Both John and Ann were 21 years old. Ann had lived at Westley four Miles from Chevington. Ann died fifteen months after their marriage and was buried at Herringswell on 18th October 1729. It is not recorded how she died, it may have been in childbirth but there is no record of a baptism or burial around this date John(1703.42) Limmer wasted no time in marrying again. By the 19th March 1730, he married Alice Ridley, a single woman, at Tuddenham St Mary. Marriage licence details declare: John(1703.42) and Alice Ridley lived in Herringswell.
The couple had six children. The first barely saw her first birthday.
1) Ann(1731.46) Limmer was baptised July 1731 at Herringswell and buried in August 1732.
2) The second, John(1732.46) Limmer, born about 1732.
3) Third, William(1733.46) Limmer, baptised 12th September 1733.
4) Edward(1737.46) Limmer came fourth, (pardon the pun). He was baptised 6th November 1737.
5) Fifth came Mary(1739.46) Limmer born about 1739.
Alice Limmer died giving birth to Jemima, Alice was buried at Herringswell 4th June 1740 - the same day her daughter Jemima was baptised. Two years after Alice’s death, John(1703.42) married again. This time John(1703.42) married Mary Tetsall 21st September 1742 at Norwich St Mary in the Marsh.
The facts we know of Mary begs the question, Why Norwich? There were Tetsall families in Norfolk at the time but they were in Ipswich some fifty miles away from Norwich. Mary’s relations evidently centred around Westminster, London.252
At the time, a number of Limmers lived in New Buckingham253, just twelve miles or so from Norwich. New Buckingham was on the stagecoach route between Tuddenham and Norwich254. The administrative area of the cathedral, (then known as St Mary in the Marsh, but later known as Holy Trinity, and today known simply as Trinity).255 It actually acted as the administration area to seven church parishes in and around Norwich.256
Parish register notes say that both John(1703.42) and Mary were from Tuddenham that meant they had both lived in the parish for at least six months before the wedding257. Was Mary the Children’s nanny?
Did she act as housekeeper when Alice died? As Yeoman, John would have been too busy to raise the children himself. He would have had to employ someone to help with 6 children all under 11 years of age. John(1703.42) may have arranged to have the ceremony at St Mary's because it was half way house between his relations in New Buckingham and Mary's relations in Ipswich. Being a key worker in the Parish Church of Tuddenham, he would have had built a relationship with Bishop who would have had to give permission for the couple to marry outside of heir parish.
We must put these questions aside for now as our story moves on.
After John(1703.42) married Mary Tetsall, they had a further six children258.
1) Stephen(1743.46) baptised 31st October 1743 Tuddenham.
2) Lucy(1746.46) baptised 29th September 1746 Tuddenham.
3) Philip(1748.46) baptised 28th November 1748 Tuddenham.
4) Charles(1751.46) baptised 7th November 1751 Tuddenham. Possibly died in 1833 age 81 at Coggleshall.
5) Frances(1753.54) baptised 25th February 1753259 Tuddenham. Married Edward Lee 5th October 1775 St Mary Marylebone. Edward Lee died pre 1818 buried at Bocking with a Fanny Lee October 1833 age 79.
6) Jemima born 1740 Herringswell, Suffolk, England.
Mary was buried 22nd August 1790 at Tuddenham. John(1703.42) lived a further five years as a widower until he was buried 10th July 1795 Tuddenham.
John's(1703.42) Brother Thomas(1705.42) lived less than four months, being baptised on the 7th October 1705 and Buried 7th February 1706 Chevington.
