Susanna Sharman - Housekeeper to the Rev. Humprey Hyde of Bourne

This is the story of Susanna Sharman, spinster housekeeper to the Reverend Humphrey Hyde of Bourne. It is also an example of how one Will opened unexpected avenues of research in my family tree and led me to establish that Susanna's life influenced others long after she died.

It is thanks to the work undertaken by the London branch of the Lincolnshire Family History Society that enabled me to locate information in some crucial Wills to enable me to identify Susanna and to connect her to my family tree and through her add a whole branch to my family tree. Members of the London branch undertook a project to review the Death Duties ledgers of the Inland Revenue held at National Archives and record any testator or beneficiary with Lincolnshire connections. Where a testator or beneficiary was shown as being a Lincolnshire person the details of all other names listed were recorded. The result was the publication of the Society's Death Duties CD covering the period 1796-1821.

I had known for many years that my 3x Great Grandmother Mary Bland was a Harrison before she married William Bland at Folkingham on 25 October 1796. As Harrison is a fairly common name in the area and as there were no obvious links with Harrison’s in the area, I had given up any hope of finding where she came from.. The information in the CD enabled me to find the crucial clue. Mary Bland was a beneficiary in the Will of Susanna Sharman.  I duly located it at Lincolnshire Archives and ordered a copy.

The Will of Susanna Sharman LCC Wills 1814/226 

The last Will and Testament of me Susanna Sharman of Bourn in the County of Lincoln Spinster – I give and bequeath unto my Sister Mary the Wife of Thomas Harrison the interest of two hundred & fifty pounds in the Black Sluice Drainage between Bourn and Boston for the term of her natural life and I give to Thomas Harrison her Husband five pounds provided that he is living at her decease, and the like sum of five pounds to William Parham the Husband of my late Sister Elizabeth, each sum to be paid at the death of my said Sister Mary Harrison and after the death of my said Sister Mary I give and bequeath the above sum of two hundred & fifty pounds to be equally divided between the children of my said Sister Mary and my said Sister Elizabeth and the survivors of them and the Wives of their respective Husbands if the said Husbands are dead subject nevertheless to the payment of the above two legacies of five pounds each. I give and bequeath my bed & bedding unto my Niece Mary the Wife of William Bland of Falkingham in the County of Lincoln. I give my seven parlour chairs, Table Glass and all that may be in my parlour cupboards at the time of my decease unto Mary the Wife of John Harrison of Bourn aforesaid. I give my Chest of Drawers to my Niece Anne Harrison Spinster. All my Linen I direct to be equally divided between the said Mary the Wife of John Harrison and Eleanor the Wife of Thomas Harrison Shoemaker of Bourn aforesaid. My wearing apparel I direct to be divided share and share alike between Susanna Willowby and Susanna Peper (sic). The remainder of my Household goods of what nature and kind soever I give to the said Eleanor Harrison. I give and bequeath unto my said Niece Mary Bland all my ready money that may be found in my House at my decease subject to the payment of my just Debts and Funeral Expenses. And I do hereby constitute & appoint my said Niece Mary Bland my sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament and lastly I do publish & declare these two sheets of paper written on one side only and each of them signed by me and the last of them sealed with my seal to contain my last Will & Testament the first day of May in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eleven. 

Susanna Sharman 

Sealed and published these two sheets of paper the last Will & Testament of the said Susanna Sharman in the presence of us. 

Joseph Rooke

Catherine Digby

The Will told me that Susanna was Mary's Aunt, but it also told the names of other Harrisons. At last I had some clues to research the Harrison branch of my family and as a bonus gave me the names of her sisters Mary & Elizabeth Sharman.  

I know for definite that that two of the three siblings were born in Edenham near Bourne in 1734. Mary born in 1732 and baptised there on 1 October 1734, Susanna was born in Edenham in 1734 and baptised there on 13 March 1734. To date Elizabeth remains elusive. Two, if not all three were the daughters of John & Ann. 

The fact that Lady Catherine Digby witnessed the Will was intriguing. I knew of Catherine and her part in Bourne’s history but I never thought I would have to research her family tree! However, after looking again at the Death Duties CD I noted that Susanna was a beneficiary of the Wills of both the Rev’d Humphrey Hyde and Mary Hyde. The pieces of the jigsaw began to fall into place. A visit to Bourne Abbey churchyard also provided a vital clue. Susanna's gravestone. I found it adjacent to the Abbey. 

In Memory of Susanna Sharman who died February 17 1814 aged 80 years

She lived upwards of forty 

Years a true and faithful 

Servant in the family of the late 

Rev’d Humphrey Hyde of this Place

It's prime position combined with the information that she had been a true and faithful servant of the family together with Susanna's involvement in witnessing the Will makes me think that it may well have been paid for by Lady Catherine Digby. My further research into the Hydes in my mind makes that a certainty.

The Hydes

The Reverend Humphrey Hyde MA BA was baptised at Dowsby on 14^th February 1737 and was the last male in a line that had links with the village of Langtoft from 1607. The Church at Langtoft has many family memorials to the family who lived at the east end of Langtoft. 

Humphrey attended Queen’s College, Cambridge and was ordained into the Church by the Bishop of Lincoln on the 7 March 1762 at St James Parish Church, Westminster and appointed Vicar of Langtoft on 8 March 1762 and subsequently appointed Vicar of Bourne on 9 June 1763. He held both positions until 28 February 1774 when he ceased to be Vicar of Langtoft. A few months earlier on 30 November 1773 he was appointed Domestic Chaplain to the Duke of Ancaster and a few days later on 6 December 1773 he was appointed Rector of  Dowsby.

On 4 September 1766 Rev. Humphrey Hyde married Catherine Hyde daughter of John Hyde, Surgeon of Bourne at Bourne Abbey. The couple had two children, John who was baptised at Bourne on 22 July 1767 who became a minor Canon at Peterborough Cathedral and predeceased his father on 9 February 1803 and Catherine, baptised at Bourne on 20 May 1773. The Rev. Hyde’s wife died in 1790 and was buried at Bourne on 14^th May 1790. This therefore left Catherine without a mother at the young age of 17 and therefore one can speculate as to how much she and Humphrey relied on their Housekeeper Susanna Sharman.

Brook Lodge built by the Rev. Hyde in 1776 as the first Vicarage for the town by the Abbey which still stands today. © John R G Bland

Humphrey Hyde remained as Vicar of Bourne until his death on Sunday 25 January 1807 aged 68.

Will of Rev. Humphrey Hyde – Ref PROB 11/1456/214

In the Name of God Amen.

I Humfrey Hyde of Bourn in the County of Lincoln, Clerk do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say first I direct that my body shall be interred in a decent manner and as becometh my station in the Chancel of the Parish Church of Dowsby in the said County of Lincoln. Also I Direct that my just debts, legacies and funeral expenses shall be fully paid and satisfied by my Executrix hereinafter appointed. I give and bequeath  unto  my Housekeeper  Susanna Sharman all the furniture bed and bedding with the appendages in her own sleeping room, four pair of Servants Sheets the six Kitchen Chairs, the two Kitchen Tables a Coal Scuttle, tea kettle and a few kitchen requisites such as pots pans, Candlesticks etc.

 I give and bequeath the sum of ten pounds to be paid within one month after my decease to the Churchwardens of the said Parish of Bourne the whole to be by them distributed and divided amongst such of the industrious poor families as do not regularly receive parochial relief. I likewise give and bequeath the sum of five pounds unto the Churchwardens of the Parish of Dowsby aforesaid to be paid to them within one month after my decease and to be by them distributed amongst such of the industrious poor families of the said Parish of Dowsby as do not regularly receive Parish Relief.

I give and bequeath unto my most respected relation and friend the Reverend Thomas Foster Tinwell in the County of Rutland Clerk the sum of ten pounds to buy a ring And to James Digby of Bourn aforesaid Esquire the sum of ten pounds to buy a ring to be paid to the said Thomas Foster and James Digby respectively within two months next after my decease.  I give and bequeath to the said Thomas Foster all my books which I request he will immediately divide as equally as may be between his two sons. I give and bequeath unto my friends Roger Baskett  of Tickhill in The West Riding of the County of York esquire and James Torkington  of the Parish of All Saints Stamford in the said County of Lincoln Esquire all and every my household goods and Furniture, ready money, securities for money, plate, linen, china and all other my personal effects not hereinbefore by me disposed of to hold to them the said Roger Baskett and James Torkington and the Survivor of them His Executors Administrators and assigns upon trust that they or the survivor of them do and shall  pay or cause to be paid (out of the Interest arising  from my Black Sluice Drainage Securities) unto my dear sister Mary Hyde of Bourn aforesaid Spinster an Annuity or yearly sum of eighty pounds for her life and to my Housekeeper Susanna Sharman an Annuity or yearly sum of thirty  pounds during her life the said two several annuities of eighty pounds and thirty pounds to be paid and payable by equal payments  clear of all deductions half yearly that is to say on the twenty fifth day of March and the twenty ninth day of September in each and every year the first payment thereof to be made on which ever of the aforesaid days shall happen until next after my decease and I do hereby charge the said securities I hold on the Black Sluice Drainage to and with the payment of the said two several  annuities.

All  and singular my messuages, Cottages, lands, tenements heriditaments and real Estate whatsoever and wheresoever and also all the residue and remainder of my said personal  estate and Effects and all other my estate and interest of what nature or kindsoever which at the time of my decease I or any person or persons in trust for  which I in trust for any other  person or persons is or are possessed  of or any ways entitled unto and not hereinbefore by me disposed of I give devise and bequeath the same and every part thereof unto them the said Roger Baskett and James Torkington their heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns upon trust that they and the survivor of them do and shall stand and be possessed thereof during the natural life of my daughter Catherine the wife of the said James Digby and from time to time pay and dispose of the yearly and other rents issues profits and proceeds thereof unto such person and persons and for such intents and purposes as my said daughter whether or  sole and notwithstanding any her future coverture shall by any writing or writings signed with her hand from time to time order direct or appoint and in default of or until she  shall make or give  such order direction or appointment do and shall pay the said rents Issues profits and proceeds into the proper hands of my said daughter Catherine Digby or otherwise shall and do permit and suffer her to receive and take the same to and for her own sole and separate use and benefit for and during the term of her natural life to the intent that the same or any part thereof may not be at the disposal of or subject or liable to the continual forfeiture debts or engagements of her present or any future husband but only at her own and separate disposal and I do hereby declare that any receipt or receipts under her hand or under the hand of such person or persons as she shall from time to time order or direct to receive the same shall from time to time notwithstanding her coverture be a sufficient discharge for the said rents Issues Profits and Proceeds or for so much thereof for which such receipt or receipts shall be given and from and after the decease of my said daughter Catherine Digby then as to all and singular my said real Estate and the residue of my said personal Estate upon Trust for and to the only proper use and of the heirs Executors Administrators and assigns of the said Catherine Digby for ever and I do hereby declare my will to be that it shall and may be lawful to and for them the said Roger Baskett and James Tockington and the Survivor of them by and out of any of the monies which by virtue of this my will shall come to their hands to retain and reimburse himself and themselves all such reasonable Costs Charges and Expenses.  And as they or any of them shall or may sustain or be put unto in the Execution of the trusts hereby in them reposed and that they or the survivor of them shall be charged and chargeable only with and for his own separate neglect and wilful defaults and not otherwise and shall not be charged or chargeable with or for any sum or sums of money other than what shall actually come to his or their hands by virtue of this my will nor with or for any loss or damage which may happen in or about the Execution of the Trusts thereof but  each of them to be charged and chargeable with and for his own separate acts deeds and wilful defaults only And lastly I hereby appoint my said daughter Catherine Digby sole executrix  of  my Will and hereby revoking all former and other wills and codicils by me heretofore made I do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament  In Witness whereof I the said Humfrey Hyde the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in five sheets of paper my hand and seal that is to say to the first two sheets my hand and to this third and last sheet my hand and seal this sixteenth day of January in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven.

Humfrey Hyde

signed sealed published and declared by the said Humfrey Hyde the testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have  hereunto subscribed our names 

as Witnesses-----T M Maidwell-----Chas. Christopher Junr -----Mary Walker----

This Will was proved at London on the twenty first day of January in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and seven before the Right Honourable Sir William Wynne, Knight  Doctor of Laws Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury Lawfully constituted by the Oath of Catherine Digby Wife of James Digby Esquire the daughter of the deceased and sole Executrix named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said Deceased she having to be first sworn duly to Administer.

As requested in his Will, The Rev. Hyde was buried at Dowsby on 23 January 1807. 

Thus, this Will shows that the Reverend Hyde made generous provision for Susanna Sharman for her loyal service for forty years. 

The Will mentions a legacy to one of the Rev. Hyde’s sisters, Mary who was buried at Dowsby on 6 February 1811. Mary never married and was living in Bourne at the time of her death. I therefore checked her Will.

Her bequests were as follows:

To Elizabeth Clay, the wife of Bennett Clay of Allington, grazier:

- her share of £150 in the South Holland Drainage with all securities for same and all interest due

- her shares of £100 and £50 in the Black Sluice Drainage with the securities for same and all interest due for her (and her executor and heirs) "absolute use benefit and disposal".

To Susanna Sharman of Bourne

- one annuity of £5 a year for life to be paid half-yearly from the residue of her personal estate.

To her niece Katherine Digby, the wife of James Digby of Bourne esquire

- the residue of her personal estate and effects (after payment of debts, funeral expenses and charges for proving her will) on condition of her paying the aforesaid annuity.

Catherine Digby was appointed sole executrix.  She was sworn on 2 March 1811 and made oath that the goods chattels and credits of Mary Hyde were not more than £1,000.

Lady Catherine Digby of Red Hall, Bourne

The Red Hall at Bourne, Lincolnshire by Rex Needle CC BY-SA 2.0

Catherine Hyde, daughter of the Rev. Hyde married James Digby of Red Hall, Bourne on 28th July 1796. James was widower and at the time of the marriage was aged 61, whilst Catherine was only 23. However, James was a Deputy Lieutenant of the County and a Magistrate of the County and was the last member of the North Luffenham branch of the noble Digby family whose roots can be traced back to John Digby of Eye Kettleby, Leicestershire who was Knighted by King Henry VII for services on the field at the battle Of Bosworth Field which took place in 1485 during the War of the Roses. It was James’s Grandfather who acquired the Red Hall, but Katherine was one of the longest occupiers living there from her marriage in 1796 to her death in 1836. It would seem that the marriage was one of convenience. James Digby had no issue but had wealth; Katherine had only one sibling at the time of the marriage. Whether the plan was that Catherine would produce an heir for James is conjecture, but not impossible as similar arrangements were known to have taken place. As it was, no children were born out of the Union and James died on 7th August 1811 aged 76. 

James was perhaps frugal in his lifestyle yet amassed a large fortune as can be gleaned from a news story that appeared in the Chester Courant Newspaper on 10 September 1811 following his death.

EXTREME PENURY. 

THE late James Digby, Esq. of (whose death took place about three weeks ago), though a very penurious character, and distinguished by some the traits of an Elaves and a Dancer, was, notwithstanding, an excellent landlord, never advancing his rents. He was exceedingly mean in his apparel; and although died worth more than 200,000/. his whole expenditure is said not to have exceeded two hundred pounds per annum. The writer of this article has frequently seen him dressing scabbed sheep, picking up sticks, locks of wool, cabbage leaves, &c.; and there is a heap of stones or coggles, upon his premises, which are said to have been brought thereby a few at a time in his own pockets. Some years since a very considerable estate was to be sold in the Southern part of the kingdom: Mr. Digby attended the sale, in a dress not worth forty shillings, great coat included. The auction room was crowded with persons of the first distinction; of course there were many side-looks and secret whispers about the curious looking stranger ; and some supposing the old Hunks could have but little business there, asked him if knew the conditions of sale ? He said he should be glad to hear them read—they were read, and business proceeded with.—Mr. Digby was silent till the estate got to forty thousand pounds; then bid! —and the whole assembly stared with amazement! The biddings went on briskly for a time ; but his competitors, imagining, perhaps, he could not make good the engagement, and that there would be a re-sale, adropt the contest, and the estate was knocked down to Mr. Digby at about five and forty thousand pounds.—Being directly called upon for the deposit, said, " you shall have it, gentlemen, immediately, and the money for the whole estate to-morrow, you can make it safely over to me by that time." He took out his pocket-book, and gave a draft at sight on his banker for the sum required. No sooner was the signature seen than the name was known though the person was not; and many congees, compliments, and congratulations followed.—Mr. Digby has often told this tale himself, and seemed to dwell upon it with peculiar pride and satisfaction.

The death of James Digby left Catherine widowed at the young age of 38. She had been left legacies by her father, aunt and husband. She continued to live in Red Hall for the rest of her life until her death at the age of 63 on 29th February 1836. Of the many legacies in her Will there were many of a benevolent nature including:-

• To the Minister and Churchwardens of the Parish of Bourne, income from a £500 investment to go towards a salary for the officiating organist and in the event of there being no organist, or in case the organ required repairing, the income was to be used to buy coals for the poor of Bourne on the following Christmas Eve until such time as a new organist was appointed or the organ repaired.
• One pound to each of the twelve inmates of the Bede Almshouses to be paid to them on the first Sunday following her funeral.
• To the Stamford & Rutland Infirmary, the sum of £100 for general benefit.
• William the son of her late servant Mary Harrison £100; George the son of her Coachman George Gilby £50; to the two female servants who may be living with her at the time of her death (except Mary Priestman mentioned later), John Gilby Coachman, John Ashby Footman, John Ward Wallis second Footman, Thomas Whittaker under gardener £50 each and a suit of mourning.
• Bodykeeper Ann Merryman Widow and Housekeeper Mary Priestman an annuity of £15 (provided they were in her service at the time of her death) and to Ann Bellamy, Widow an annuity of £5 for maintaining Katherine’s dog “Flora” if then living.

The legacies to her servants was not unusual for the wealthy, but the size of them may have been and legacies to servant family members even more unusual.

The legacy to William the son of her late servant Mary Harrison was of particular interest. There had to be a connection with my Harrison family and Susanna Sharman. 

John Harrison – tragedy averted.

Next to Susanna's grave at Bourne Abbey I noted that the next stone was that of John Harrison. 

In the Memory of John Harrison who died November 9th 1811 aged 37 years

Farewell my Wife and Children dear

The Lord your tender hearts will chear

Farewell I take a long remove

To dwell, with the my God above

John Harrison was a nephew of Susanna Sharman through her sister Mary who married Thomas Harrison at New Sleaford on 15 March 1763. They had six children all born in Bourne. Susanna (bapt. 23 June 1764 who went on to marry John Willoughby. William (bapt. 15 June 1766), Mary my 3x Great Grandmother (bapt. 7 February 1868), Thomas (bapt. 28 Oct 1770) who is recorded as a shoemaker in Bourne, John Harrison (bapt. 31 October 1774) and Ann (bapt. 16 August 1778) and went onto marry John Towns Gatcliffe by licence at Bourne on 23 September 1823.  

John Harrison married Mary Walker at Bourne on 9 June 1807. They had two children, William Walker Harrison (bapt. 10 April 1808) and John (bapt. 10 Jul 1809). William’s death would therefore have caused great hardship for Mary with no one to support her – even with the possibility that the children could have been cared for by members of the extended family, the likelihood was that Mary would either have had to found a man willing to take her and the children on, or worse could have ended up in the Workhouse. However, as can be seen from the legacy left to William Walker Harrison  by Catherine Digby, it would seem that Catherine came to the rescue by offering Mary a job which may well have come with accommodation, and a few years later Mary was to receive a share of the estate of Susanna Sharman. Her legacies to members of her extended family that would only have been possible as a result of the legacies from the Hydes, would have made the lives of Susanna’s extended family more comfortable, and would have made it easier for them to support Mary and her children. Both sons went on to have trades.

William Walker Harrison married Sarah Davies of Presteigne, Radnorshire Wales and was a draper in Market Deeping for many years. The couple had no children, and whilst William’s estate was minimal (£14 8s. 9d.) when he died in 1886 the fact that he was able to run a business for over 40 years is an indication that he received a decent education that gave him the ability to do this.

John Harrison married Ann Ball at Peterborough on 19 October 1835. This couple has no less than 10 children!  Six of these children were born in London. John was a Plumber & Glazier by trade and after starting out in Peterborough, he appears to have taken his family to Peterborough and then to Cheltenham. He remained in London for 12 years before returning to Bourne during the 1850’s where he established a plumbing, painting a glazing business on North Street, Bourne. He died in 1857, but the business continued in his wife’s name. His eldest son John who was born in Cheltenham took on the business and was still trading from North Street as late as the 1891 census. A sibling Robert also carried on the trade at Market Deeping, whilst various other male descendants also took on the trade of plumbing or as a painter.

There may well be descendents living in the Bourne area today. Some may even have inherited plumbing or painting skills. Whilst my Harrison tree is by no means complete, if any descendents can add to my discoveries I would be happy to hear from you.