Aston's link to village of Eyam
A MARRIAGE took place in Aston Church on 19th November 1689.
The entry reads 'Mr George Mompesson, clerk, son of Mr William Mompesson, clerk, rector of Eakring' and 'Miss Alice Broomhead, daughter of John Broomhead, schoolmaster of Laughton-en-le-Morthing'.
The name Mompesson is an unusual one and investigations proved that George was the son of William Mompesson of Eyam, the plague village.
William Mompesson was born at Collingham in West Yorkshire in 1639. He graduated from Cambridge University in 1662 and became Chaplain to Sir George Saville (later Lord Halifax) and then rector of Eyam in 1664.
In Sheffield, in 1662 he had married Catherine Carr, of Cocken, County Durham and they had two children, George and Elizabeth.
When the plague started in 1665, the two children, then aged about two and three, were sent to stay with Mompesson's uncle, J Beilby Esq in Sheffield. Catherine died on 25th August 1666, aged 28. Her tomb is in Eyam churchyard.
In 1670 William married Elizabeth Newby who was a relative of his patron, Sir George Saville and in 1671 he presented William to the village of Eakring.
It is a tradition in the village that Mompesson was excluded from the church and parsonage for fear of plague infection, that he lived in a hut in Rufford Forest and that he was made to preach in the open air.
He did not at first live in the parsonage, but this was more likely because the church and house were not fit for use.
William and Elizabeth had four children, two boys who died in infancy and two daughters, Eliza and Jane. He became Prebendary of Southwell. He died on 7th March 1708.
His son George Mompesson, who married Alice Broomhead at Aston, also attended Peterhouse at Cambridge and became Rector of Barnburgh near Doncaster.
I have found four children, George, baptised 8th November 1699; Margaret, baptised 28th October 1701; Ann, baptised 3rd August 1704 and Charles, baptised 30th July 1705.
They were all baptised in Mansfield. There were also two other sons, John, his eldest son was Rector of Hassingham and died in 1722, age 32 years and William, another son, was Vicar of Mansfield.
If anyone can throw any light on to why George and Alice were married in Aston, contact the history group on info@astonhistorygroup.co.uk or by letter to: History Group c/o William Layne Reading Room, Aughton Lane, Aston, Sheffield, S26 2AN.
by Ann Key, for Aston History Group
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Dinnington
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: 0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light snow
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
