Snippets etc

I will add snippets to this page from time to time.

By Rosemary Jewers

'Mrs Hurst Dancing and Other Scenes From Regency Life 1812-1823'

This book based on delightful paintings by Diana Sperling. The paintings were produced from her sketchbook. Henry Grace Sperling, who married Mary, the daughter of Joseph Wilson is shown in one of the paintings. Diana and her family lived at Dynes Hall, near Halstead in Essex. Although the book was printed in 1981, I managed to buy a second-hand copy.

The Sperlings and Wilsons were related to the Breretons by marriage. Joseph Wilson and Mary Maitland of Highbury Hill, Middlesex had two daughters, Mary and Frances. Mary married Henry Grace Sperling and Frances married Rev. Charles David Brereton of Little Massingham, Norfolk.

Henry Grace Sperling and Mary Wilson had a son, Henry Grace Wilson Sperling who married his cousin, Anna Margaretta Brereton, daughter of Charles and Frances Brereton.

Notes: Charles David Brereton was born at Brinton, Norfolk. He was the son of John Brereton and Anna Margaretta Lloyd

Emma Wilson nee Welford

Joseph Wilson, my gt-gt-gt grandfather, married first Mary Maitland, I am descended from this marriage. After Mary died, he married Emma Welford, there were no children from this marriage. Whilst researching another subject, I came across an article ‘The life of William Hayley’, in The London Magazine, Volume 10 July to December 1824. Wikipedia describes Hayley as English writer, best know as the friend and biographer of William Cowper.

Hayley  first married Elisa Ball in 1769, she was the daughter of Dr Ball, Dean of Chichester. After Elisa's death he met his second wife, Mary Welford, daughter of a retired merchant of Blackheath. On 23rd March 1809, they married but they separated three years later. Mary’s sister Harriet is also mentioned in the same article.
Having read that Mary and Harriet's father was a retired merchant of Blackheath, (this rang a few bells) I decided I would look to see if Mary and Harriet were the sisters of Emma Welford who married my gt-gt-gt grandfather, Joseph Wilson in 1800.

The spelling of Welford varied over the years. I found in documents that Emma Welford (wife of Joseph Wilson) was baptised on 9th June 1775 - record Dr Williams’ Library. Her sister Elizabeth was baptised on the same day. John Welford/Wellford, was their father and Mary Ryland was their mother. The records for all the girls confirm they were all sisters.

There is a lovely portrait of Mary Welford on Wikipedia. See link below.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hayley#

If you have enjoyed reading this article you might consider donating to www.fosalm.org which will help restore St Andrew's Church Little Massingham. This church has been very important to the Brereton family.

Brereton Family - was it in the genes?

By Rosemary Jewers nee Brereton

This first family tree charts the Brereton family from early times. In the tree below it splits into three separate parts. These lines descend to three present-day celebrity descendants of the Brereton family of Brinton, Norfolk.

Some of the information and research has been taken from John Lancelot Brereton's family tree, Robert Maitland Brereton's book - 'The Breretons of Cheshire'. Other information has come from research undertaken by my grandfather, Philip Brereton and from Charles Brereton's work. Research is also taken from my own investigations into the Sharpe, Roger and Paul families. I was able to make all the connections to the three talented celebrities. On the tree that follows, I mention that Charles David Brereton was the brother of William John; this is where the Little Massingham line splits from this tree.

Please scroll down to the end of this first pdf, this will reveal just where this family tree ends. After you have done this, you can go on to view the other information and family trees on this page. These  highlight other family connections in more detail. The Sharpe family had a connection to Thomas Hardy.

The Sharpe family tree (which features Jeremy Irons) gives more detail of the family and the connection to Thomas Hardy. A few years ago I was alerted to the Thomas Hardy connection and the Sharpe family by my cousin, Michael Sandford. After more research I found that John Brereton Sharpe and his family were to settle in Ontario, Canada - as had other members of the Norfolk, Brereton family.

The Simplified 'Brereton Canadian Connection Tree' shows the connections to the Norfolk, Brereton family who were living in Ontario, Canada. This tree also shows the Paul family. Henry Paul, distant cousin of the Canadian/Norfolk Breretons was also living in Ontario, Canada. The connection to Ann Copland nee Brereton and Cloudesly Brereton and Randle Brereton and Sarah Barwick are shown on this simplified tree. Not shown, is that John Brereton Sharpe settled in Ontario, Canada.

                                                                                                                                                           

Now you have arrived at the end of this page, you will already know who the three celebrities are and how musicians, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac and actor, Jeremy Irons are connected to the Norfolk Brereton line. It would be interesting to know how many more could be descended from the Brereton family of Brinton, Norfolk, and the family line which links back to Cheshire and beyond!
© Rosemary Jewers 2017

If you have enjoyed reading this article you might consider donating to www.fosalm.org which will help restore St Andrew's Church Little Massingham. This church has been very important to the Brereton family.