Greetings,

I was verrry excited to review the latest updates to the FOD database this morning and would like to try to confirm two of the new entries:

John/Abigail are our earliest, currently documented via the baptisms of their children in Newland.

Does it really say Residence LONDON?! This would be a very new/exciting clue as to their origins.
1686 Sep 21 Martha TOMPSON d/o John/Abigail, residence London, bap (ID 322100; RegRef: P227 IN 1/2; P 59; Parish: Newland; Notes: Compiled from Latin PRs and BTs)

I suspect the mother is really Abig/Abigail?
1687 Dec 17 John TOMPSON s/o John/Alice, Residence illeg, bap (ID 322164; RegRef: P227 IN 1/2; P 63; Parish: Newland; Notes: Compiled from Latin PRs and BTs

A group of cousins has been researching our THOMPSONs and we know/think we know:
John/Abigail had two sons: 1687 John and 1695 William. Both sons worked for (more likely formen for) the COSTER family copper mills. William can be traced to Bitton,GLS and the Swinford, GLS mills. We're fairly certain that John m. Anne COSTER, 1709 (GLS allegation, but no marriage found)and that he ended up at the mills in Bye Mill/Publow/Pensford, Somerset.

We have several hints of connections between the families, but still lack some key confirmations/details. A few items:

1709, June 15. Gloucestershire Marriage Licence allegations. John THOMPSON aged 22, of Newland, Glos & Anne COSTER aged 22, spinster of Newland, Glos, with consent of friends. Signed 'John TOMPSON'. Cannot place/identify Anne within the COSTER family.

1709 Lease, in Wales Library. From GLS RO reference: 'Industrial History of the Forest of Dean' by Cyril Hart. Pages 104-113: Copper works [Redbrook] 1690-1730 - Upper Redbook cooper works begun before 1691 - "In 1709 John COSTER surrendered his lease for a new one made by Benedict HALL to him and Edward COLSTON merchant of Mortlake, Surrey. The new lease* was for 99 years on the survivorship of either of two of COSTER's sons, Thomas and John, or of John THOMPSON of Redbook." - "Thomas COSTER died that year, 1739, and soon afterwards THOMPSON (the last of the three lives in the lease) also died."
* in the National Library of Wales - Myndd MSS 1923

Worded: " . . .and John Tompson Junr son of John Tompson of Redbrook aforesaid . . ."
[No further explanation. No death for John THOMPSON aft 1739 yet found.]

1739. Per Thomas COSTER will "I give unto John THOMPSON of By Mill forty pounds and to his son John twenty pounds and to William THOMPSON of Swineford twenty pounds to go to them within twelve months next after my decease.

[Pretty sure it's 1787 John in Bye Mill; son 1710 John, bap Newland; 1695 William in Swinford].

Any help/comments/suggestions as to ways to proceed most welcome.

Regards,

Marsha Stringer

Marsha

welcome, we'll see what we can do to help

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

The Coster family appears in my family history as follows:

"THOMAS MORGAN (baptised before 1644 since his youngest recorded child MARY MORGAN was baptised on 5th February 1664/65 ; buried on April 3rd 1711 in St Mary’s Church, Lydney ; last Will and Testament (GDR 159/1711) written on 18th March 1710/11 and proved in Gloucester Diocesan Court on 25th June 1711) left a bequest of property in Whitecleeve in his Will: “First I leave and bequest unto my dear and loving wife PRUDENCE MORGAN all and singular my land tenements and hereditaments whatsoever in the Tything of Whitecleeve”. PRUDENCE MORGAN subsequently disposes of some of these assets in Whitecleeve. This disposal is contained in the Will of JOHN COSTER of Redbrook, Newland (Will 1716) “I give and bequeath unto my said sonne JOHN COSTER …..two Tenements at Whitecleeve……………. lately bought of PRUDENCE MORGAN”.

Chris Morgan

Hello Marsha

I can confirm that it definately states London as abode for first baptism.
your second query baptism for John there wasn't any Bt's available for Dec 1687 to check against entry, the register is very faint and could possibly state Abig as you suggest the abode was illegible.

Hope this helps....Gill

Hi Chris,

Thanks for responding.

I too have the John COSTER II will (proved 1718)and found your Priscilla MORGAN reference. One of the witnesses is John THOMPSON, but I don't know which one.

I found some other MORGAN / COSTER connections. Do they fit in your family?
1) 1661 - 1720 James COSTER (brother of John II) had a son, 1701 Ralph. Ralph's daughter, 1726 Sarah m. John DEW, 1754 Newland. In turn, their daughter, 1756 Elizabeth DEW m. a Henry MORGAN, "of Bristol St. Nicholas" 1779, Newland.

2) Joshua MORGAN, "of Tewsksbury" m. a Mary COSTER, 1756, Newland. I can't identify further either Joshua or Mary.

There are more COSTER and THOMPSON details posted on a collective website: bitton families dot com

Regards,

Marsha Stringer

Hi Gill,

Thank You very much! Your confirmation is a great help and will hopefully lead us somewhere :). We've made a lot of progress, but have been stuck now for a couple of years.

We were told that the records were in very poor condition, so we're especially grateful that the FOD FHS is able to proceed with this project.

Regards,

Marsha Stringer

Hi Slowhands,

Thanks for the greeting. I welcome any help in this quest. Some additional information, including a "COSTER and THOMPSON Puzzles" page are on a collective website: bitton families dot com

Let me know if there's anything of particular interest to the FOD Family History Society.

Regards,

Marsha Stringer

Hi Marsha,

Sorry - I cannot find a connection with your Morgans from Bristol or Tewksbury. Thanks for your reference to the bitton web site which I shall certainly consult.

Chris Morgan

Just came across this when researching my putative DAWE ancestors:

Wooton under Edge, Monuments in the Church: "Near this place lyes interred Jane eldest daughter of Mr Thomas Rous of this town, and Wife of Mr Thomas Coster of Redbrooke in this County, who left this life for a better the 7th Day of June 1721, Aged 23 years.
She was an obedient daughter, a true friend, and an excellent Wife. She lived in the exact practise of Piety and Virtue, and dyed with a perfect Resination of herself to the Will of her Maker".

Chris Morgan

Hi Chris,

I may have stumbled upon an explanation re your Thomas MORGAN and the 1718 John COSTER will.

In a 1925 paper by Rhys Jenkins:
P53. "Before the war [1643?] WINTER [Sir John] had leased his iron mills, forges, and furnaces to Thomas MORGAN and others in part payment for his debts . .. ."

Sir John WINTER's sister was married to Benedict HALL (of High Meadow). John COSTER's first lease was with Henry Benedict HALL (Upper Redbrook Copper Works; abt 1692).

Regards,

Marsha Stringer

Hi Marsha,

Thanks for sharing this with me. The Thomas MORGAN about whom you write is likely “1.1. Thomas MORGAN of Hurst b between 1596 and 1620; d 2nd May 1664 and buried in Lydney Church”.
see my Hurst_Lydney_Pedigree.pdf

Hurst is near Lydney and the Morgans of Hurst were buried in Lydney Church at the time. My Thomas MORGAN also lived in Lydney at that time and was buried there.
see my Thomas_Morgan_born_circa_1645_Pedigree.pdf

However, I have no evidence to show my putative ancestor “Thomas MORGAN born circa 1645” is related to the Morgans of Hurst. There are many unrelated MORGAN families in the Forest of Dean.

Do you have a reference for the 1925 paper you describe?

Chris Morgan.

Hi Chris,

I'm trying to go through various resources to extract names, places, companies and try to put them in some sort of order to be a glossary/reference.

The Thomas MORGAN reference was the only MORGAN mention in a paper:

"Iron-making in the Forest of Dean" by Rhys Jenkins (Read at the Iron and Steel Institute, November 18th 1925).

I thought that the MORGAN reference in the 1718 John COSTER will might have some connection to the leased Thomas MORGAN lands. Perhaps there's more documentation of these land documents somewhere?

The FOD site now has copies of all the COSTER family wills and the 1709 Upper Redbrook Lease (which is a revision of the original from abt 1692).

COSTER Wills (and 1709 Lease)
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/resources/documents-and-articles

I noticed in the earliest John COSTER I will (1679), he names a William MORGAN of Morke (don't know where it is) as an overseer of his will.

After posting yesterday I checked on the WINTER and HALL families.

Sir John WINTER is the s/o Edward WINTER; Edward s/o William WINTER. Ann was the sister who m. Benedict HALL.

Here is a transcription of the Benedict HALL MI.
Benedict HALL
Late of Highmeadow in the city
Of Gloucester(shire?), Esq. Who lieth here
Interred.

He departed this life April 10, 1668
Aged 78 years

Also to the like Memory of Ann Hall
Wife of the said Benedict and the
Daughter of SR Edward WINTER of Lidnie K+
And the Lady Anne Somerset 3rd daughter of Edward
Earl of Worcester Wife to the said Benedict who
Dyed at Cambray in Artors (?)
She died the 10th march 1675

This monument is erected by Henry Benedict Hall Eldest sonn
Of the Said Benedict and the Said Ann Ao Do

Regards,
Marsha Stringer
stringer@mstringer.net