Person:Edward Dingley (1)

Edward Dingley was baptised on 1st May 1748 at Cropthorne in Worcestershire, son of Ann Dingley, formerly Loxley, and her husband Francis Dingley, who was described as a gentleman. Edward’s father owned land in the hamlet of Charlton in Cropthorne parish.

Edward’s mother died in 1761, when Edward was only thirteen years old.

In 1764, aged 16, Edward was apprenticed to a wheelwright called Richard Davis, who lived at Bishampton, about four miles north of Cropthorne.

Edward lived at Bishampton for some years. He was married there on 11th August 1770, aged 22, to Mary Lane. Their marriage record describes Edward as a wheelwright.

Edward and Mary appear to have had four children together. Their eldest child, Nancy, was both born and died in 1771. They then had a daughter Ann in 1772 and a son Robert in 1774. Sometime between 1774 and 1778 the family left Bishampton and returned to Edward’s native parish of Cropthorne. Their daughter Ann died at the age of six in 1778 and was buried at Cropthorne.

Edward’s father, Francis, died in 1786. Edward was mentioned in his father’s will, being left thirty pounds. This was less than some of his siblings were left, but the will makes clear that Francis believed he had already supported Edward during his lifetime, describing him as “…my son Edward Dingley for whom I have already well provided…”.

After a fifteen year gap, Edward and Mary had another daughter, Ann Maria (or Hannah Maria), baptised at Cropthorne in 1789. It is possible they may have lived elsewhere in this time, as a fifteen year gap between children is quite rare, albeit not impossible. However, Mary’s mother’s will, written in 1791, names Robert and Ann Maria as being “her [Mary’s] two children”, implying that they were Mary’s only children still alive in 1791.

Mary’s mother’s left five pounds in her will indirectly for Mary – it was left to Mary’s brothers Robert and Thomas as trustees, to be paid by them to a person of Mary’s choosing, and if Mary did not choose such a person then the money was to be split between Robert and Ann. This unusual mechanism appears to have been designed to prevent Edward (or perhaps his creditors if he was in debt) claiming control of the money.

Edward’s son Robert married in 1800 and Edward’s first grandchild was born later that year, although his daughter-in-law died either giving birth or shortly afterwards. Robert remarried in 1805 and had another five children with his second wife in Edward’s lifetime.

Edward died aged 66, and was buried at Cropthorne on 2nd February 1815. His burial notes that he had lived at Charlton, the same hamlet where he had grown up. Mary survived him by four years.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Registers of Cropthorne, 1557-1992. (Worcester: Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service).

   Bishop's Transcript
   1748 / May 1 Edward Son of Francis & Anne Dineley

   The parish register is deficient for this period, apparently recording no baptisms 1748-1752.

2.   UK, Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices' Indentures, 1710-1811
   Class IR1; Piece 55.

   Year: 1764
   Oct[obe]r 31 / [No] 63 / Rich[ar]d Davis of Bishampton Worc[este]r[shire] wheelw[righ]t / Edward Dingley

3. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Parish Registers of Cropthorne, 1557-1992. (Worcester: Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Cropthorne in the County of Worcester in the Year 1815
   No	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   28	Edward Dingley	Charlton	Feb[ruar]y 2d	66 [1748/9]	Tho[ma]s Davies, Minister