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(7) JOHN JESPER, eldest son of Samuel and Elizabeth Jesper.
Born 22-4-1797 at Dygood's Farm, Purleigh
Married 30-4-1823 at Great Dunmow, Sarah Levitt, daughter of William and Lucy Levitt, then described as late of Barking, Essex.
Died 1-1-1843 at Purleigh and was buried at Maldon.
Sarah Jesper died 19-4-1868 at the house of her son-in-law at Bradford.
John Jesper seems to have taken over the management
of Dygood's Farm as soon as he arrived at years of discretion. He farmed
it till his death which occurred with tragic suddenness (by the breaking
of a blood vessel) on New Year's Day--a Sunday--1843.
Sarah Levitt (born 8-5-1799) was not a Friend, though
she joined the Society on her marriage. We have failed to trace the relationship
(if there was any) between her and the Robert Levitt who married Hannah
Jesper (No. 3d). After her husband's death, she managed the farm until
her son John was old enough to undertake it. Latterly she lived with her
married daughter.
John and Sarah Jesper had seven children, here numbered 8 to
14:--
(8) JOHN JESPER, Born 13-8-1825 at Dygood's; was apprenticed (23-6-1843)
to his mother for three years as a farmer; took over the management of
the farm on coming of age; married, 1856, Isabella Clara Colender, and
soon after went to Australia. For some years he wrote to his mother and
sisters, but communications ultimately ceased, and nothing more is known
of him.
A search has been made through the Australian directories
without success, and we may assume with some degree of certainty that John
Jesper left no children,--no mention was, we believe, made of any in his
letters home.
(9) ALFRED JESPER, Born 16-4-1827 at Dygood's; married, 5-1-1860, Rebecca
West, daughter of Edward and Ann West of Hull; died 2-5-1907 at Kendal.
He was for a short time with the firm of Wilson, Jesper & Co., but
at the age of 23 commenced business for himself at Bradford where most
of his life was spent. He was a director of the F.P.I. for 20 years. His
widow still lives at Kendal--to which [rest is illegible].
Alfred Jesper had retired in 1880--with her eldest
son.
Alfred and Rebecca Jesper had four children.
(a) ALLAN JESPER, B. 11-4-1861 at Bradford, entered his father's business but had to abandon it, his health rendering outdoor occupation essential. He lives with his mother at Kendal, devoted to horticulture and allied arts.(10) SUSANNAH JESPER, B. 14-12-1828 at Dygood's. Married 17-6-1847 at Macclesfield, Charles Wilson, 3rd son of Richard and Deborah Wilson of Thornton-in-Craven. Charles Wilson died September 26, 1900 at Garstang, where his widow still resides. As previously mentioned, Chas. Wilson was one of the principals in the firm of Wilson, Jesper & Co.; he took much interest in the Temperance movement and other philanthropic work, and was an amateur geologist, astronomer, and photographer of considerable repute.
(b) WALTER JESPER, B. 9-5-1863 at Bradford; married 18-9-1889, Edith Elizabeth Dixon, daughter of James and Elizabeth Dixon, of Bradford. Entered his father's business and was afterwards with John Priestman & Co. of Bradford. In 1899 he took up a manager-partnership with the firm of Duncan, Barraclough & Co. of Otley. Now living in partial retirement at Menston-in-Wharfedale, taking part in many local affairs.
(c) EDWARD WEST JESPER, B. 24-2-1865. On leaving school went on the Continent to perfect himself in French and German, caught a series of chills the winter he was at Leipzig University; went out to Natal on a health voyage, but never recovered and died at Levens 21-4-1890.
(d) HELEN JESPER, B. and D. 1867.
Charles and Susannah Wilson had five children (Alfred, Emily, Frederick, Albert, and Sydney), and at least three grandchildren, but for particulars of these we must refer readers to the Book of the Chronicles of the House of Wilson; for reasons set out in our preface they are outside the scope of our purely Jesperian pages.
(11) SARAH ANN JESPER, B. 27-3-1831 at Dygood's. Married, 22-5-1850, Edward West, son of Edward and Ann West, of Hull (brother of Rebecca West who married Alfred Jesper--No. 9).
The Wests are an old Quaker family of good standing: Leonard West was one of the founders of the Boys' School now at Bootham, York. J. Walter West, the watercolour artist, is of this family, and so, too, we believe, was Benjamin West, the Royal Academician. Edward West was a successful businessman and at one time Mayor of Bradford. He had two children, both of whom died in infancy; his widow is now living with her nieces at Grange-over-Sands.
(12) LUCY JESPER, B. 17-5-1833 at Dygood's. Spent the earlier part of her life in educational work, and was for some time with her brother-in-law Edward West, and at Bran End. Married, 18-10-1876, at Bradford, John Satterthwaite, whose first wife was Deborah Jesper, No. 32). John Satterthwaite died 22-10-1903, and Lucy Satterthwaite is now living at Grange-over-Sands.
(13) EMILY JESPER, B. 21-3-1837 at Dygood's. Married, 1856, Robert Parkinson, eldest son of Thomas and Deborah* Parkinson. Died 19-9-1905. Robert Parkinson was a chemist, analyst, and one of the pioneers of photography; he died at Grange-over-Sands on 23-7-1913 in his 83rd year, They had three children, two of whom (Lucy Ann Parkinson and Isabel Parkinson) are still living at Grange.
(14) ANNA JESPER, B. 5-6-1839 at Dygood's; educated at Ackworth, where she remained for some years as an apprentice and mistress. Married, 1882, John Shipley, a North Lancashire farmer and landowner, as his third wife; by a previous marriage John Shipley was the father of Mary Elizabeth Shipley who married Sydney Wilson, the youngest son of Susannah Wilson (née Jesper--No. 10). John Shipley died 13-3-1915, aged 85; his widow is living at Garstang.
Unless the unexpected happens the Johannite Line will fail for lack of heirs male; the future of the family rests with the younger branches.
CHAPTER IV-THE CHILDREN OF JOHN
CHAPTER V-THE CHILDREN OF THOMAS
CHAPTER VI-THE CHILDREN OF SAMUEL
* Joshua Stansfield, of Booth Town, married 1766, Elizabeth Halstead, and had issue, inter alia,(1) John Stansfield who married Mary Slater and begat Deborah Stansfield who married Thomas Parkinson whose only son Robert married Emily Jesper (13).
(2) Deborah Stansfield who married Richard Wilson, and had issue, inter alia,
(a) Hannah Wilson married Samuel Jesper (25).
(b) Charles Wilson married Susan Jesper (10).
(3) Caleb Stansfield who married Margaret Hall and whose daughter, Elizabeth Stansfield married James Dixon, and became the mother of Edith Elizabeth Dixon who married Walter Jesper (9b).
The founder of the branch of the Stansfield family was James Stansfield of Shore in Stansfield who married 21st November, 1625, Lydia Crosley (who died a prisoner in York Caule, 1662)m and died at Shore, February 1663/4. He was the first Quaker Stansfield. (See the History of the Stansfield Family, by John Stansfield--Leeds, 1885).