CHAPTER V
THE CHILDREN OF THOMAS

(15) THOMAS JESPER, second son of Samuel and Elizabeth Jesper.

Born 21-4-1800 at Dygood's Farm, Purleigh, Essex.
Married 7-9-1830 at Stebbing, Martha Emma Monk, youngest daughter of Robert William and Martha Monk, of Stebbing. Martha Jesper died 8-7-1857 at Birmingham and Thomas Jesper married secondly Elizabeth Fisher, who died 19-9-1891 at Leicester.
Died 31-12-1869 at Warwick.


    Thomas Jesper was for some years a Miller at the Bran End Mill, Stebbing; subsequently he removed to Birmingham, where he carried on the business of Corn Dealer and Merchant. He was an old Ackworth Scholar and for years a well-known figure on the School Committee.

    Thomas and Martha Emma Jesper had nine children, hereafter numbered 16 to 24:--

(16) ROBERT WILLIAM JESPER. Born 30-6-1831, at Bran End Mill. He was for a short time with Wilson Jesper & Co.; in 1852 he left England for Australia, went to the gold diggings and in 1860 sold his share of a claim and stamp mill for £4,000. Came to England 1861, and again settled down for a short time with Wilson, Jesper & Co. In 1866 (Aug. 23) married Catherine Neville of Northampton. In 1869 he sailed again for Melbourne, where he commenced a dry goods  business,  which  ended  disastrously--his  partner hypothecating the funds. R.W. Jesper thereupon went to San Francisco, commenced burning charcoal at Healdsburg, thence to San Jose, and later to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he was a partner in a firm of Tanners and Shoe Manufacturers. In 1878 we find him farming at Maryville, East Tennessee. In 1887 he sold out and went on to Tacoma, Washington, thence to Seattle, and finally to Lopez Island, where he acquired a 120 acre farm which he farmed with success until his death.
 
    Robert William Jesper died at Anacortes, Washington, his city home, in 1904, his wife at Fort Steilacoom, Washington, in 1913. They had an only son.
 

    (a) HUGH NEVILLE JESPER. Born Feb. 18, 1871, who at the age of 17 took charge of a ranch in Lopez Island, though continuing to assist his father until his death. Subsequently, after a tour through Alaska prospecting, he sold the Lopez farm for $10,000, buying a developed 10 acre farm on Bainbridge Island and a 2-1/2 acre tract with two of the best waterfront lots on Manitou Beach. Here he owns his own wharf and warehouse, three houses, and a steamer, the "Myra E," with which daily trips are run, freight and passengers, to Seattle. Hugh Jesper married Jennie Amanda Troxell, daughter of Franklin C. and Keturah Troxell, of Port Stanley, San Juan County, Washington, and has six children.
    (i) HOWARD JESPER, an expert gas engineer, and in charge of the engine room of the "Myra E."
    (ii) VICTOR ROBERT JESPER, in charge of the express and transfer business.
    (iii) HAZEL, (iv) JULIA, (v) HUGH, and (vi) ANITA--still children.


(17) ELEANOR JESPER, B. 13-3-1833 at Bran End Mill. Married, 1873, at Preston, John Mill Fisher, son of William and Jean Fisher, of Montrose, who was in business at Preston. Eleanor Fisher died 3-4-1899 at Preston, leaving a daughter, Elsie Fisher, who married David Watt of Preston, and has children. John M. Fisher is still alive and lives with his daughter at New Longton.

(18) CAROLINE JESPER, B. 30-6-1835 in London; married January, 1859, at Birmingham, Richard Tangye--afterwards Sir Richard. We wish that space permitted us to narrate the life story of Sir Richard Tangye--"if it were engraven upon the understanding it would be a bright ensample unto him that would be admonished." The son of a small farmer in the parish of Ilogan, Cornwall, one of five brothers, educated at the village school at Redruth, and for a short time at Sidcot (to Sidcot's lasting gain), he came to Birmingham at an early age and started business with two of his brothers in a small workshop for which they paid 4/- a week; long before Sir Richard's death the "Cornwall Works" covered over 20 acres and employed 2,000 men. Sir Richard died in 1906 at Kingston-on-Thames, where (and at "Glendorgal") Lady Tangye still resides. They had six children, of whom the eldest son is now Sir Harold Lincoln Tangye, Bart. A younger son, Wilfrid, is a lieutenant on active service.

(19) MARTHA EMMA JESPER, B. 16-6-1837. Married Robert Hill Kirton, who holds (or held--he is now over 80 years of age), we believe, a position of trust with Messrs. Boulton & Watt, of Birmingham.  Martha Emma Kirton died 1-9-1895 at  Newquay, Cornwall, leaving children, with one of whom (Eleanor) R.H. Kirton is now living at Handsworth. Another daughter is engaged in Red Cross work in France.

(20) THOMAS JESPER. Born October 1839; married 1870, Susanna Barritt, daughter of Earn and Elizabeth Barritt of Latchington, Essex. Thomas Jesper was apprenticed to his uncle, Joseph Jesper, and later commenced business in partnership with his brother, Robert William Jesper, at Carlisle; afterwards at Warrington. On Robert William Jesper's departure for Australia, Thomas Jesper took charge of the business. In 1875 he joined Wilson, Jesper & Co., at Preston, where he remained until the death of his uncle in 1890, when failing eyesight compelled him to relinquish business. He died 11-8-1910 at the residence of his son, Percy N. Jesper. His widow survives him and lives with one of her children. They had issue:--

 
    (a) HERBERT VINCENT JESPER. B. 11-11-1871 at Warrington; married at Leeds 20-3-1901, Emily Ogden, daughter of Jonas and Margaret Ogden, of Leeds: an engineer,--District Manager for Yorkshire for the National Gas Engine Co., Ltd.; now living at Whitkirk near Leeds. They have issue:--
        (i) MARGARET OGDEN JESPER. B. 14-11-1903.
        (ii) RONALD BARRITT JESPER. B. 16-10-1905.  (iii) ENID MARY JESPER, B. 6-11-1908.

    (b) PERCY NOEL JESPER. B. 29-5-1873 at Warrington; married 30-3-1904 at Birmingham, Mabel Ethel Smart, daughter of Arthur Leighton  and  Lydia Smart; now in a  position  of  some responsibility with the Muntz Metal Co., of Birmingham.

    (c) ADA LOUISE JESPER. B. 15-7-1874 at Warrington; married 14-10-1903 at Southport, Andrew Todd, son of John and Elizabeth Todd, of Knutsford. They live at Hendon and have one son--Colin Jesper Todd, born 28-8-1907.

    (d) JOSEPH STANLEY JESPER. B. 13-8-1876 at Preston, died 23-12-1879.

    (e) LAURENCE BARRITT JESPER, B. and D. 1878.

    (f) FOSTER BARRITT JESPER. B. 2-4-1881 at Preston, married 25-12-1905, at Harrogate, Hilda Constance Mellor, only daughter of William and Mary Elizabeth Mellor, of Southport. An engraver at Harrogate. They have one son,
        (i) DENIS MELLOR JESPER, born February 22, 1911.

 
(21) ELIZABETH JESPER, B. 22-1-1842 at Birmingham, Died 17-12-1863 at Warrington.

(22) RACHEL JESPER, B. 3-5-1844 at Birmingham, Married, 1871, at Freckleton, near Preston, Joseph Barritt, son of Earn and Elizabeth Barritt of Latchington, Essex. (Joseph Barritt was brother to Susannah Barritt who married Thomas Jesper (No. 20), and his mother was sister to Joseph Whitehead who married Rebecca Jesper (6g)). Rachel Jesper was a scholar and pupil teacher at Ackworth, and before her marriage lived with Joseph and Sarah Jesper, ministering to the latter who was an invalid. She and her husband lived for twenty years in the house adjoining the watermill at Bran End, near Stebbing, removing in 1891 to Saffron Walden where, 11-7-1911, Rachel Barritt died. They had seven children, the eldest of whom, Emily, married John Frederick Jeffrey, a descendant of the Marriage-Gospill union referred to under (4b). Joseph Barritt lives with his two youngest children, Cornelius and Caroline, at Pinner.

(23) FRANCIS JESPER, B. 11-3-1846 at Birmingham, married 10-6-1875 at Bocking, Essex, Jane Elizabeth Larman, daughter of William and Louisa Larman of Leytonstone. Francis Jesper was apprenticed to his uncle, Samuel Jesper, and was afterwards for some years with Joseph Jesper at Preston. Latterly he was at Warrington managing the branch business there, and there he remained until 1890. He now lives with his unmarried children in Handsworth.
 Francis and Jane Jesper had 10 children:--
 

    (a) FRANK HARRISSON JESPER, B. 20-3-1876 at  Preston, married at Sydenham, Sericlon Maud Packman; now living at South Croydon; they have two daughters
        (i) PHYLLIS IRENE MAUD JESPER
        (ii) EILEEN JESPER

    (b) ARTHUR JESPER, B. 19-5-1877 at Preston, married at Dundrum, Katherine Mcdonnell; now living at Bray, co. Wicklow.

    (c) ERNEST JESPER, B. 7-1-1879 at Preston, married at Handsworth, 29-9-1906, Margaret Smith, daughter of George and Mary Smith of Handsworth, who died 29-9-1907. In 1915 living at Handsworth. He has one son,
        (i) FRANCIS LARMAN JESPER, B. 13-9-1907.

    (d) CAROLINE JESPER, B. 14-3-1880 at Preston; now living at home unmarried.

    (e) OSWALD LEONARD JESPER, B. 23-7-1881 at Preston; now in Melbourne, Australia.

    (f) HAROLD GLADSTONE JESPER, B. 13-1-1883 at Preston, died 13-11-1884 at Warrington.

    (g) ELEANOR RACHEL JESPER, B. 11-6-1885 at Warrington, married 11-4-1914 at Birmingham, Thomas Arthur Eades, son of William Joseph and Sarah Ellen Eades, a chartered accountant. They have one daughter--Josephine Elaine, born 27-3-1915.

    (h) EDITH JESPER, B. 15-3-1887 at Warrington, married 28-6-1911 at Birmingham, John Charlewood Shingler, son of Thomas and Ann Shingler of Whitacre. Now living at Handsworth. They have two children, John Jesper Shingler and Edith Beryl Shingler.

    (i) ROWLAND JESPER, B. 12-5-1890 at Handsworth, married at Melbourne, Florence Mary Simpson, now living in Tasmania.

    (j) ARNOLD JESPER, B. 9-7-1892 at Handsworth, unmarried.


(24) JOSEPH  MARRIAGE JESPER, B. 20-5-1848  at  Birmingham. Apprenticed to Wilson, Jesper & Co. at Preston for a short time but in 1866 went to Birmingham where he entered his brother-in-law's works (Tangyes). He retired on account of ill health after 47 years service. On 25-9-1899 he married Margaret Alice Carter, daughter of Thomas and Mary Carter of Yealand, who died 31-1-1914. They had three children,
 

    (a) CONSTANCE JESPER, B. 28-8-1890,
 
    (b) WILFRID JESPER, B. 13-1-1892,

    (c) ELSIE JESPER, B. 16-10-1893,

    all  of whom live with their father  at  Handsworth, Birmingham.


HOME

FOREWORD

CHAPTER I-BEGINNINGS

CHAPTER II-THE JASPERS

CHAPTER III-THE FIRST JESPERS

CHAPTER IV-THE CHILDREN OF JOHN

CHAPTER V-THE CHILDREN OF THOMAS

CHAPTER VI-THE CHILDREN OF SAMUEL

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