Person:John Winters (14)

John Winters' origins have yet to be established. His first confirmed sighting is on 10th October 1764, when he was married to an Ann Rickard at Nettleden, which at that time was a chapelry belonging to the parish of Pitstone in Buckinghamshire, although it was for some purposes administered jointly with the neighbouring parish of Great Gaddesden in Hertfordshire. At the time of their marriage John was living in the neighbouring parish of Berkhamsted. He may not have lived in the town of Berkhamsted itself; Berkhamsted parish at that time extended very close to Nettleden, covering hamlets such as Potten End and parts of Frithsden. Ann was described as being of Nettleden at the time of their marriage.

After their marriage the couple initially stayed in Nettleden. They had a son named John baptised there in 1765, followed by a son named William in 1767. Their son John then died aged two, being buried at Nettleden in 1768.

The following year, 1769, they had a daughter named Harriet Rickard Winters (having Ann's maiden name as a middle name) baptised at neighbouring Great Gaddesden. By 1772 they had returned to Nettleden, having a daughter Martha baptised there.

They then moved to Berkhamsted, where their daughter Winifred Ann was born in 1776, although this may just indicate that they were staying in one Berkhamsted's hamlets near Nettleden, or simply using the church there for a time. They were back in Nettleden in 1778 for the baptism of their daughter Sarah.

The year 1780 was not a good one for the family. Their daughter Sarah died aged two in March, then their daughter Winifred Ann died aged four in October. Both were buried at Nettleden. Therefore by the end of 1780 John and Ann had had six children, but only three of them were still living.

In 1783 the couple had an "unbaptised daughter" buried at Nettleden in the March, but then a son John baptised in the May. Perhaps John was a surviving twin to the girl who had died, or perhaps he had been born some time between 1778 and 1783 but not baptised previously.

The couple's youngest child was a son called Guy, baptised at Nettleden in 1786, but he died in 1787 aged just seven months. Therefore in total John and Ann had nine children, only four of whom appear to have survived childhood.

In 1790, John's son William was married at Caddington, a few miles north-east of Nettleden, to an Elizabeth Emley. William and Elizabeth's first daughter (John's first known granddaughter) was baptised at Nettleden in 1791. William and Elizabeth then settled in Caddington, having another four children there between 1793 and 1801. William's wife Elizabeth (John's daughter in law) died in 1803.

In 1798 a survey called the Posse Comitatus was carried out of all men between the ages of 15 and 60. The Buckinghamshire returns survive, including a section for Nettleden. John is not listed at Nettleden, suggesting either that he had temporarily moved away (the Hertfordshire Posse Comitatus returns do not survive to the extent of the Buckinghamshire ones) or that John was over 60 in 1798, which is plausible; if he had been anything over about 26 when he married then he would be over 60 in 1798.

In 1808 John's eldest two granddaughters by her son William were married at Caddington. William by this time had moved to Great Gaddesden.

John died in 1809, being buried at Nettleden on 9th February 1809. He and Ann had been married for nearly 45 years, so presumably he was in his sixties or older. Ann appears to have outlived him by about eleven years.

1. ↑ Church of England. Great Gaddesden Parish Registers. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   1809 Burials
   Feb[ruar]y 9th John Winter Affidavit Sarah Ivory

   Nettleden's baptisms, marriages and burials were entered in the Great Gaddesden registers at this time.