Rampton of Herriard Family Chart no. 1

	John RAMPTON		(1) Jane ?		(2) Elizabeth ?
	b. circa 1671				b. circa 1678
			m. circa 1692		m. circa 1697 Preston Candover ?
	d. circa 1730 (will dated 23 Dec 1730)		bur. 15 Jul 1695 at Herriard ?		bur. 17 Jun 1758 at Herriard aged Upward of 80
	Blacksmith

Their Children

Ann	* Elizabeth	John	* Thomas	* Mary	Jane	* Francis	* Sarah
bapt. 18 May 1693 at Herriard	bapt. 22 Mar 1698 at Herriard	bapt. 16 Jan 1700 at Herriard	bapt. 1702 at Herriard	bapt. 14 Apr 1704 at Herriard	born circa 1706 at Herriard	bapt. 3 May 1708 at Herriard	bapt. 31 May 1717 at Herriard
	m. John READING 22 Jul 1724 at St Thomas Winchester [IGI] (Marriage Licence Allegation)		m. Joan RUSSEL 20 Jun 1726 at Herriard	m. ? BARBERY [named in father's will]
		d. before 1730 (not mentioned in father's will)	bur. 22 Feb 1771 at Herriard		buried 17 Apr 1706 at Herriard	bur. 20 Oct 1741 at Herriard [residence given as South Warnborough]

Additional Information

John the Blacksmith does not appear to have originated in Herriard, but as yet I only have a suspicion that he may have come from Pamber. When studying the Pamber registers, I had found the marriage of Fraunce RAMPTONNE to Ann Omadey in 1667. No children of the marriage were recorded in Pamber, and Fraunce or Francis died in 1676. There is some evidence for Ann marrying George HANKINS or HAWKINS a widower of Herriard only 10 weeks after Francis' will inventory was taken. It is not impossible that the new Mrs Hankins was Francis' widow. On consulting the Herriard parish registers, I found that the (presumably first) wife of George Hankins was buried there on 16 May 1676, so they neither of them lost time in remarrying. Perhaps Ann took her children with her when she went to Herriard with George in 1676. If John had been born in 1671 (calculated from the date of birth of his first child) then this certainly qualifies him as a candidate as son of Francis. Moreover, John named his first daughter Ann (after his mother?) and his third son Francis (after his father?). A further piece of evidence is in George HAW/NKINS bural record of 12 Oct 1702 - he was a Blacksmith! See further discussion of Francis and Ann of Pamber in the introduction to the Pamber section of this One-Name Study.

We are lucky that, being a fairly prosperous man, John left a will in which he named his wife Elizabeth and five of his seven children (marked above with an asterisk*). The text of the will is as follows:

In the name of God amen I John Rampton of the Parish of Herriard in the County of Southton Blacksmith being in health of body and of sound and perfect mind and memory do make and ordaine this my last will & testament in manner following hereby making voide all former wills by me att any time heretofore made Ffirst I commend my soule to God gave it in hope of Salvation through the merrits of Jesus Christ my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried att the desersion of my Executive hereafter named And touching the disposition of my temporal estate I dispose theeof in manner following Ffirst I will that all my just debts and funerall charges shall be truly paid & discharged Also I give unto Elizabeth READING the wife of John READING & Mary BARBERY & Sarah RAMPTON my four daughters to each of them the sum of twelve pense Also I give to Thomas RAMPTON and Ffrancis RAMPTON my two sons to each of them the sum of twelve pense All the rest & residus of my reale and personal estate goods chattells of what kind soever I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth RAMPTON my dearly beloved wife who I make full & solo executrix of this my last will and testament In witness whereof I the said John Rampton to this my last will and testament have sett my hand & seale this 23rd day of December Anno Dom. 1730.

Signed sealed published declared and delivered in the presence of us Stephen HALL Mich. HAMLIN

Signed John RAMPTON

It would appear that the will was proved in 1734, although there is no record of a burial in 1734.