Introduction
James Eastment was a farm labourer at Hardington for most of his life. In the late 1880s, he lived at Pendomer and East Coker before returning to Hardington after the death of his wife. In 1886, he supported his niece’s paternity claim in court. His son, James, died on the Western Front in 1918.
Childhood
James, was born at Hardington in about 1839, the tenth of ten children born to Robert and Amy Eastment. He was the brother of Esau and Reuben. Their father was a weaver and later a higgler, shopkeeper and fish seller.
Occupation
By the age of 12, James was working as a farm labourer, a job he maintained throughout his life. The 1881 census lists him specifically as a carter.
Married
On 17 June 1865, James married Thirza Jane Chester of Hardington. Thirza was the daughter of Jane Chester, whose husband, Levi, was transported to Australia in 1839. After his departure, Jane had two daughters: Thirza Jane in 1846 and Emily Jane in 1848. James’s older brother, Esau, married Thirza’s half-sister, Elizabeth, in 1856.
Married life at Hardington
James and Thirza lived in the High Street for over fifteen years, during which time, they had nine children.
Pendomer
Between January 1886 and April 1891, James and his family moved to Pendomer.
The 1891 census recorded five sons living at home while the other three children lived elsewhere. George was probably boarding on a farm (he was a farm labourer at Leigh in 1901), Bessie was a servant at the New Inn, Hardington, and Mary Jane was a servant in a private house in Lambeth.
Witness in a paternity case
On 29 September 1886, James testified at Yeovil County Petty Sessions to support his niece, Harriet Eastment, in claiming an affiliation order against William Park, a thatcher of Hardington. The Bench ordered William to pay 2s 6d per week plus costs.[1]
Harriet’s father, William Eastment, was unable to support her because he was in the Somerset Lunatic Asylum.
Thirza’s death
By 1894, the family had moved to East Coker, where Thirza died on 3 May 1894 from a heart condition at the age of 50.
James’s later life
In about 1897, James returned to Hardington, living initially at Hardington Marsh before moving to a three-room house at the top of the High Street.[2] The 1901 census shows James living with his fifteen-year-old son, Arthur.
Death
James died in 1902 at the age of 63.
Children
James and Thirza had six sons and three daughters. Their first child, Bessie, died in infancy. Their son, James, was killed on the Western Front on 29 April 1918 while serving with the 1st battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. His name is recorded on the Preston Plucknett War Memorial.
References
[1] Pulman’s Weekly News and Advertiser, 5 October 1886, p.6.
[2] Hardington voters’ lists; 1901 census.
