Siblings of James Jacobson

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Siblings of James Jacobson, and their descendants.
In looking into the history of the siblings of James Jacobson, Broker, I have found that the evidence available is quite fragmentary. Nevertheless, we have found much of interest, and I think it worthwhile to share the information that we have with my readers.

In an effort to avoid confusion, where a forename is used repeatedly in the Jacobson family I have used numbers in square brackets to identify individuals, eg James [1].

The father of James Jacobson[1] the Broker was Esco Jacobson[1]. We do not know when or where he was born, but based on the approximate birth dates of his children that we have calculated we believe he may have been born around 1660-1670. Apart from James[1]. We have certain knowledge of four other children of Esco[1] and his wife, whose name was Mary. They were:

Esco Jacobson[2] (born c 1690)
Henry Jacobson (born c 1690)
Avis Jacobson (born c 1694)
Jane Jacobson (born before Aug 1728)

You can see an abbreviated family tree for these people by clicking here. As this tree is quite large you will probably need to enlarge the print by clicking on the magnifying glass.

Esco Jacobson[2]
We know about Esco[2]from a number of sources. He was mentioned in the wills of both his parents (1), and both of these probate records enable us to pinpoint his place of residence with a fair degree of certainty. He lived in Stepney, to the east of the City of London .

In 1722, when his daughter – Mary – was baptised, he was recorded as a Shipwright (2) – presumably he had followed his father into that trade. However, by 1728, in a statement he made as part of the probate process in respect of his father’s estate, he described himself as a “Distiller” (3) which represents quite a change of trade. It would be good if we could find more evidence relating to Esco[2]’s occupations, but so far we have not managed to do this.

The records of St Margaret’s church in Rochester , Kent , show that on 14 June 1718 a certain Esco Jacobson married Susannah Rogers at that venue. It seems likely that this was “our” Esco[2], as the record of his probate (4) named his wife as “Susannah”.

The probate record regarding Esco[2]’s estate was dated 16 June 1744 (5), so we know that he died sometime before that date. He apparently had not settled in Kent after his marriage, as he was said to be of the parish of St George, Middlesex.

Susannah lived on for a further 24 years, her will being proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 16 August 1768 (6). She named her two sons – Samuel Jacobson and James Jacobson[3] – as her executors and sole beneficiaries. It is interesting to note that she left her sons quite a significant amount of property. One section of her will referred to a freehold estate, which was said to be situated in the Strand , opposite Somerset House, as well as other parts of Middlesex “adjacent”. Later in the same document she stated that she owned “freehold, Leasehold and Copyhold Estate and Estates situate in different places in the County of Kent “. These Kentish properties had been left to the testatrix by her father.

Children & grandchildren of Esco[2] & Susannah Jacobson
Mary Jacobson
As I mentioned above, Mary Jacobson, daughter of Esco[2] and Susannah Jacobson, was baptised in 1722. This event took place at Cartwright Street (ex-Church Yard Alley), Rosemary Lane in London (7). This baptism is the only record we have found regarding Mary. We note that she was not mentioned in the will of her mother, which was made in 1764(8). This could be taken as an indication that she had died before that date, but is not by any means conclusive evidence of Mary’s death.

Samuel & James Jacobson[3] and their descendants
We have not yet traced a record of the birth of either Samuel or James Jacobson[3]. We first learned of their existence when they were mentioned in various probate records(9) and later noted from the IGI that they were apparently both married at St Nicholas, Rochester , Kent . This was evidently a double wedding in which the two Jacobson brothers married two Bond sisters (10). These marriages took place on 25 April 1776 . Samuel Jacobson married Margaret Bond, whilst James Jacobson[3] married Ann Bond. We need to check the actual parish register entries for these marriages, but have not yet been able to do this. We are very confident that these marriages are those of “our” Jacobson men, however, as the spouses’ names are confirmed in the probate records of Sam uel and James Jacobson[3].

Samuel Jacobson’s will was proved in March 1791(11). He was stated to be living at Maidstone , a Gentleman, and possessed of a significant real and personal estate. His sole executor was his brother – James[3].

The will did not mention any children of Samuel and Margaret Jacobson, and we have not seen mention of any children of the couple in any other sources. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that they did have some offspring.

As for Margaret (Bond) Jacobson, we do not know the date of her birth, but we do know that her will was proved on 26 May 1809 (12). She had still been living at Maidstone , Kent , and the beneficiaries of her will were her sister – Ann Jacobson – and her nephew and niece James[4] and Ann Jacobson, the children of Ann and James Jacobson.

James Jacobson[3], the brother of Samuel, died about 1807. His will shows him to have been a man of some property(13). He owned a freehold estate in the Strand, London – presumably the property that had been left by his mother (see above), as well as government stocks. The beneficiaries of his will were his two children, and his spouse.

The death of Ann Jacobson, wife of James[3], occurred on 1 November 1819 , and was announced in The Times newspaper three days later(14):

DEATHS
“On the 1st inst, at her residence, Week-street, Maidstone, in the 69th year of her age, Mrs Jacobson, widow of the late J. Jacobson, Esq.”

We are thus able to deduce that Ann (Bond) Jacobson was born around 1751.

The fact that James Jacobson[3] and his wife Ann (Bond) Jacobson registered the births of their children at Dr Williams’s Library indicates that they were of a non-conformist religion. I should, perhaps, explain at this point that Dr Williams was a very prominent non-conformist minister who in 1743 established a register of births for use by Baptists, Presbyterians and Independents. As people had to pay to register a birth the register tends not to include events relating to people at the lower ends of society. Most of the entries cover Londoners, but the register was open to people who lived in other parts of the country, and it is certainly worth including it on your search list. Information stated in the entries encompasses the name of the child and parents, place and date of birth, and maternal grandfather. The records are held at The National Archives, Kew , and can be researched online at www.bmd registers .co.uk .

The record of the birth of James Jacobson[4], son of James Jacobson and Ann Bond, shows that he was born on 10 February 1777 at Week Street, Maidstone (15). Week Street is situated near the centre of Maidstone , and although I do not know this for a fact, I assume that it was the location of the eighteenth century Jacobson family home. This belief is reinforced by the fact that the following year James[4]’s sister – Ann Jacobson, was born there on 29 November 1778 (16).

An entry in the IGI – still to be verified – indicates that James[4] was baptised on 3 March 1777 at Earl Street Presbyterian Church, Maidstone (17). As far as we know, he never married, and never produced any progeny.

Sometime before June 1841 James[4] moved from Maidstone to Bearsted, and in the census of that year he was enumerated living at a property in that village called Snowfield. He shared the accommodation with three servants – one male and two female. As a matter of interest, Snowfield was later the home of Baroness Emmuska Orczy, the author of the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel(18).

James[4] was an important figure in his local community. In 1825 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Kent , and an item from The Times newspaper of 1830 records him sitting as a magistrate, dealing with a case arising from the Swing Riots (19):

The Times, 01 Dec 1830
“MAIDSTONE – Tuesday morning – Dyke, or Field, who was apprehended last week on suspicion of being connected with the fires at Bearsted and Thurnham, underwent re-examination before a full bench of magistrates on Saturday, in Maidstone . Among the magistrates were W.G.D. Tyssen, Esq, Major Dallison, Colonel Shaw, J.Jacobson, Esq, Mr Alderman Lucas, and others. …”

There follows an account of a seven hour long hearing, after which the defendants were committed for trial on charges associated with Swing.

The Swing riots took place in England between 1830 and 1832. Farm workers revolted against their poor pay and conditions of work, carrying out acts of violent protest and, when caught, were dealt with quite severely under the legal system(20).

Further evidence of James Jacobson[4]’s standing in his community comes in another item in The Times newspaper, dated 21 March 1831 (21). James[4] had reportedly chaired a public meeting in Maidstone that passed a motion in support of the first Reform Bill, which had been brought forward in Parliament by Lord John Russell eighteen days earlier(22). Thus we can see that James[4] was prominently engaged in the political events of the time.

In 1841James Jacobson[4]’s housekeeper – a certain Ann Beal – died. In her will, proved on 26 May 1841(23), she left small bequests to members of her family, and the rest of her estate to her master.

By 1851 James[4] had moved into the household of his sister (see below). He was living with her and her husband at Bearsted House in Bearsted. Although he was by now some 74 years old he was still described as “Barrister, JP”. Presumably he was still actively involved in his community(24).

James[4] died at Bearsted House on 30 April 1857 (25).

His sister, Ann Jacobson, was born on 29 November 1778 at Maidstone (26). In 1822, at St Martin in the Field, Westminster , she married Charles Wayth(27), an army officer. She was aged 41 at the time of her marriage, so it is no great surprise that the union of Ann and Charles did not produce any children.

At some time between their marriage and June 1841 Charles and Ann appear to have bought Bearsted House, in Bearsted near Maidstone , Kent . They were enumerated there on both the 1841 and 1851 censuses(28). The 1851 census tells us that as well as being an army major, Charles was a Justice of the Peace.

The death of Charles Wayth was registered at Bearsted in the June quarter of 1852(29). His wife lived on for a further ten years; she died a few days short of her 84th birthday, in November 1862(30).

Henry Jacobson and his children
We have estimated Henry’s date of birth as about 1690. This estimate is based on the assumption that he was aged about 21 years when . He married Magdalen Dorney, the daughter of Philip Dorey, at St Helier, Jersey on 27 May 1711(31). According to an entry on the IGI Magdalen was baptised in St Helier on 16 March 1684, the daughter of Philipe Doray and Esther Ahier(32). Although one should not take IGI entries at face value, we are confident that this entry relates to “our” Magdalen, as her father’s name agrees to the records of the baptisms entries of her children(33).

The first child of Henry and Magdalen Jacobson another Esco[3] – was baptised in 1712 at Gosport, Hampshire (34)

We are not sure when Henry moved to Jersey . Maybe this event occurred after the baptism of Esco[3] in 1712 but before the baptism of his daughter – Esther – which took place in St Helier in 1714. On the other hand, he could have been living there at the time of his marriage in 1711, in which case we wonder why his first child was baptised in Hampshire, on the English mainland. It is unlikely that we shall ever know the answer to this. However, it is apparent that by 1714 Henry and Magdalen were settled in Jersey, as the parish registers for St Helier contain a number of entries relating to their children.(35). Brief details are as follows:

Esther Jacobson Baptised 27 June 1714 Buried 15 May 1781
Marie Jacobson Baptised 21 August 1715 Buried 16 September 1715
Elizabeth Jacobson Baptised 17 October 1716 m Edward Le Maistre 14 Apr 1768 .
Marie Jacobson Baptised 25 December 1717 m Theophilus Major 9 Sep 1764 . Buried 4 December 1786
Henry Jacobson Baptised 14 June 1719 Buried 3 November 1720
Magdalen Jacobson Baptised 31 May 1721 Buried 5 June 1781
Jean Jacobson Baptised 6 December 1723 Buried 14 October 1724
Philippe Jacobson Baptised 25 February 1728/9

The burial register shows that Esco[3], the first child of Henry and Magdalene, was buried on 14 Apr 1760 (36).

We have traced the wills of Esther Jacobson and Magdalen Jacobson.

Both probates were granted in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury – Magdalen’s on 23 June 1781 (37) and Esther’s on 7 July 1789 (38). Both contained a number of bequests to members of the Hunt and Jacobson family who feature in the pages of this website. Thomas Hunt, the Lawyer was named as an executor in both wills, but only carried out this role in dealing with Magdalen’s affairs. He had died six months before probate of Esther’s estate was granted.

As far as we know Henry Jacobson and Magdalen (Dorey) Jacobson lived out their lives in St Helier . Henry was apparently a prosperous merchant, and no doubt the family enjoyed a lifestyle befitting his status. As an example of his prosperity, we learned that:

‘In 1750 Henry Jacobson supplied for the funeral of Captain Snow 4 black laces at 3s. per yard, 3 ells of silk at 4/10, 3 yards of cloth for the church, 8 pairs of women’s gloves and 6 pairs of men’s gloves, for a total of £21 tournois.’

Apparently, in modern values, £21 in 1750 would be the approximate equivalent £3300 pounds today(39).

He died in May 1760, being buried in St Helier on the 15th of that month(40). His wife lived on for four more years; her burial took place on 8 July 1764 (41). I have recently obtained copies of the wills of Henry and Magdalen Jacobson(42). They were written in the French language and proved in Jersey, whereas the wills of his children, mentioned above, were in English and proved in London .

I am grateful to Dot Eason and Dulcy Bryan for sharing with me the results of their research into the Jacobsons of Jersey.

Avis Jacobson
We have very little information about Avis. We first became aware of her when she was mentioned in the will of her brother, James Jacobson[1](43), but at that time she was just a name – Avis Kimble. Since then we have added a bit of flesh to that mere “bone”, but there is much still to be learned about this lady.

Avis was born about 1694(44), possibly in the London area. On 31 March 1719 Jonah Stevens applied for a licence to marry her. She was said to be a spinster of the parish of St Botolph, Aldgate, aged 24. He was four years her senior(45). The marriage took place at Allhallows, London Wall, a couple of days later, on 2 April(46).

We have only traced one child of Avis & Jonah – Jonah Stevens, who was baptised at the church of St Dunstan, Stepney on 8 February 1722/3 (47). Incidentally, when he became an adult he married a certain Mary Ann Ogier on 31 August 1746 at St Botolph’s church, Bishopsgate, in the City of London (48).

We have no further knowledge of Jonah and Avis Stevens, but we do know that by the time Avis’s mother – Mary Jacobson – made her will on 5 April 1746 (49), Avis had become known as Avis Kimble. We therefore deduce that Jonah Stevens had died, and Avis had remarried. However, we have not yet traced the records of either of these events.

On 8 August 1758 , when Avis’s brother, James Jacobson[1], made his will she was still known as Avis Kimble, and she was a beneficiary in the will(50).

Jane Jacobson
Our only certain knowledge of Jane comes from the wills of her mother – Mary Jacobson(51) – and her brother James Jacobson[1](52). Both documents refer to her as “Jane Garrett” and include bequests to her. We have no idea when she may have been born – except to say that if she was the daughter of Esco Jacobson[1] she must have been conceived before he died(53).

Further children of Esco Jacobson and Mary, his wife?

In addition to the above children, we have some evidence that Esco[1] and Mary Jacobson had further offspring. However, as we are far from sure about this, we have not included them in our family history. If you are interested in these people I shall be happy to share with you such information as I have. You can contact me by following this link.

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G M Culshaw 20 Feb 2009

  • This page was last updated on Saturday July 2nd, 2011.