Devonshire Chard Traces James Chard's ancestry can be traced back to England's “West Country”, where his relatives lived as farmers in the Blackdown Hills of Devonshire, close to the border with Somersetshire. Dominating the meeting point of three counties — Devon, Somerset, and Dorset — and covering an area of 370 square kilometres (143 square miles), the Blackdown Hills showcases undulating farmland that lies peacefully, yet somewhat strangely, in the midst of the industrial centres of Chard, Wellington, Tiverton, and Honiton. |
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| The Blackdown Hills A British government area as one of natural beauty (AONB) [1]. Map courtesy of Blackdown Hills National Landscape. |
From the time of William the Conqueror and his oft referenced Domesday Book, all parishes in the Blackdown Hills had been located in Devon. James Chard was born in Devon, and both of his parents were also born there. His wife, Mary Atkins, was born in Devon, along with her parents. In 1896, county boundaries were redrawn, leading to the reassignment of many parish administrations [2]. |
Early settlement developed around the towns of Chard and Honiton. Both locations have a history that dates back to the early Middle Ages. Chard (or its more ancient name “Cerdre”), is documented even earlier, with indications that a settlement existed at the site prior to the establishment of a market town by the Bishop of Wells in 1235. Honiton is referenced in the Domesday Book and appears to have assumed its present form around the 1200's. Is it merely a coincidence that the surname Chard of James Chard matches the name of the township? Genealogists, particularly onomatologists, argue otherwise. It seems that the surname Chard mainly stems from a habitational name, indicating “individuals coming from” a location known as Chard (evolved from Cherdre to Cherde then Charde) [3] in Devon, England. |
The Earliest Family Records Records of any substance are scarce prior to the eighteenth century, particularly within scattered populations of farmers in isolated hinterland. From transcriptions of parish archives and records entered into the official England Select Births and Christenings (1538 - 1975) [4], it can be revealed with certainty that James Chard's ancestors were part of the Hemyock parish community (from about 1660) for several generations, having moved from the Honiton district towards the end of Tudor Queen Elizabeth's reign. |
THE CHARDE'S OF HONITON |
| Philipp / Phillype Charde (c1565 – ?) Philipp / Phillype is the earliest Chard/e ancestor whose existence can be legitimised using the online tools available. It can be assumed with a modicum of certainty that he was born in Honiton-on-Otter, the notarised baptismal location of his daughter Carteryne in 1584 and his son John in 1586. Nothing is known of his other family details or the location of his death. |
| John Charde (1586 – 1628) John was baptised in Honiton on October 3rd 1586 [4], his father, Philipp, being a young 21 year old at the time. John married Elizabeth CARSWYLL (c1586 – 1675) on the 4th July 1601, the event being registered in Sidmouth, Devon [5]. |
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| John Charde's marriage to Elizabeth Carswyll in 1601. Image courtesy of Devon Heritage Services and Parochial Church Council. |
The couple remained on the Devon seaside raising at least seven children, one of which was a son named Stephyn. John lived until his forty-second year, his burial being recorded in Bridport, Dorset. His wife Elizabeth lived until she was 88, her burial [6] being recorded in Lyme Regis, Dorset. |
| Stephyn Charde (1603 – 1682) There are no digital recording of Stephyn's birth or baptism but it's likely that this occurred in Sidmouth, Devon. At the age of 23 Stephyn married a 26-year-old German girl named Agnis VETTER (anglicized to Agnes VATER; 1600 - 1679) in Exeter, Devon. |
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| Stephyn Charde's marriage to Agnes Vater on the 20th November 1626 in Saint Mary Major, Exeter, Devon. Image courtesy of Devon Heritage Services and Parochial Church Council. |
Shortly after getting married, the couple relocated to Honiton, where they joined the lace-making community. In this town, they brought up eight children — five sons and three daughters — who were all expected to participate in lace making as well. Steven passed away at the age of 79 in Honiton on 8th August 1682. |
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| Stephen Charde's burial on the 8th August 1682 in Honiton, Devon. Image courtesy of Devon Heritage Services and Parochial Church Council. |
| John Charde (1640 – 1697) John, who was baptised in Honiton on April 5th, 1640, was the second youngest of eight children born to Stephen and Agnes Charde. Growing up in Honiton in a family of lace makers, John was more interested in becoming a primary producer of linen from flax rather than a spinner or weaver. The rich soil of the Blackdown Hills offered perfect conditions for this type of agriculture, and it was in the parish surroundings of Hemyock that John initiated a lineage of farming Chards. It was here that John married Elizabeth PHILLIP (1650 - 1691) and where the couple raised two sons, Thomas William and John, and a daughter, Dina. |
THE CHARD'S OF HEMYOCK |
The parish of Hemyock is situated on the Culm River, approximately 8 miles north-west of Honiton. The central township of Hemyock is the largest village in the Blackdown Hills. |
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| Hemyock Parish. Compiled [7] around 1850 this detailed land survey outlines the Hemyock parish (shown within the red lines) and the Culm River valley. The yellow/red line denotes the county border between Devon and Somerset. Map courtesy of Colchester, Essex: History Data Service. |
| Thomas William Chard (1667 – 1718) Thomas was John and Elizabeth Charde's eldest son. His baptism records the family name spelt Chard (without the last letter “e”), the ceremony held at Saint Mary's Church of England in Hemyock on February 27th 1667. Whilst he was baptised “Thomas”, he opted to be known as “William”. |
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| Hemyock Village Square. Postcard taken around 1920 depicting the village pump, Public Houses, and Saint Mary's Church in times before the War Memorial was erected. Image courtesy of Hemyock History [8]. |
Saint Mary's Church was also the venue of Williams marriage to local woman Elizabeth BUNCKOM (1658 – 1733) around 1690. The couple had seven children ; Elizabeth (1692 – 1700), William (1693 – ?), Oliver (1697 – 1701), Edward (1699 – ?), Elizabeth (1703 – ?), Oliver (1702 – ?) and Cornelius (1704 – 1766), all born in Hemyock. William died in 1718 and was buried in Awliscombe (Honiton). It's their eldest son William whose progeny carries our family heritage. |
| William Chard (1693 – ????) William was baptised on November 1st 1693 in Saint Mary's Church, Hemyock. Much of William's life details are unknown, but he did sire three sons and six daughters; William (1714 - 1773), Thomas (1717 - 1775), Philis (1720 - ????), Mary (1720 - ????), Thomasen (1723 - ????), Honor (1725 - ????), Joane (1728 - ????), Susannah (1730 - ????), and Abraham (1732 - ????), all baptisms being registered in Hemyock. Son Thomas is the one whose progeny carries our family heritage. |
| Thomas (1717 - 1775) Named after his grandfather, Thomas was William's second son and like his forebears was baptised at Saint Mary's Church of England in Hemyock on July 21st 1717. Devon Parish Records [9], dated September 15th 1740, describe Thomas Chard as “a gent , by order of [town] mayor and council”, suggesting that he was a landowner and man of independent means. The following years saw him marry Sarah and sire two sons and two daughters; William (1742 - 1808), Ann (1743 - ????), Thomas (1747 - ????) and Mary (1750 - 1750). Sarah died in childbirth with daughter Mary and Thomas subsequentially remarried Diana, with whom he sired five more children; Mary (1751 - ????), Edward (1754 - 1757), Edward (1758 - 1848), John (1760 - ????) and Robert (1766 - 1853), all born in Hemyock. In addition to his reputation within the community, an electoral roll for parliamentary candidates in the Honiton borough, which included Hemyock, featured the name of 46-year-old “husbandman” Thomas Chard. It is clear that he would have had to be a landowner to be included in this list. Thomas died [10] in Hemyock in 1775 at the age of 58, but his estate was still in the family's hands - managed by son Robert [11] in 1841. |
THE CHARD FAMILY TREE (1700 - 1800) |
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| James Chard's family lineage through Honiton, Hemyock and Churchstanton. James' direct bloodline is shown in red and has been constructed from data originally compiled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and more recently from the England Select Births and Christenings register (1538 - 1975). Some dates of death have been supplied by Roy Parkhouse who meticulously transcribed the Churchstanton Parish Burial records (1662 - 1902) [12]. Legend: † Died in Churchstanton; * Death was after this date. |
References
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