Introduction

William Eastment spent most of his life in Hardington Marsh. Aside from a brief period as a railway labourer, he primarily worked as a farm labourer. After the early death of his daughter-in-law, he and his wife took care of two granddaughters. One of his sons joined the Royal Marines, while another joined the Royal Navy. His two daughters broke social conventions by having a total of eight illegitimate children. Unfortunately, William’s mental health deteriorated, and he spent the last seven years of his life in the County Lunatic Asylum.

Birth

William was born at Hardington around 1824, the second of ten children born to Robert and Amy Eastment. He was baptised at Hardington Church on December 12, 1824, when his father’s occupation was recorded as a farmer. However, his father’s main occupation until the 1850s was as a sailcloth weaver.

Occupations

William worked predominantly as a farm labourer throughout his life, although the 1861 census listed him as a railway labourer.

Marriage

On 4 February 1844, William married Elizabeth Gillingham at North Perrott. They were both around 20 years old at the time, making them legally minors. Their early marriage was necessary because Elizabeth was pregnant with their first child.[1] They both signed the marriage register with a mark.

Elizabeth was the daughter of James and Martha Gillingham. Three years prior to the marriage, she had worked as a servant at White Vine Farm.

Married life

William and Elizabeth settled at Hardington Marsh, where they had six children. By April 1861, their oldest son, James, had left home to work as a dairy boy at Hyde Dairy House, Sutton Bingham.

During the 1860s, their other three sons left home for distant locations. Job enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 18 April 1867, while a few years later, Esau joined the Royal Navy.[2] Robert moved to Bedminster, where he worked as a baker.

In 1870, James suffered a severe blow when his wife, Emma, died, leaving him to care for their two daughters, Mary Ann and Emily Kate.[3] He placed them in the care of his parents. Mary Ann lived with her aunt, Harriet Eastment, by the age of twelve, while Emily Kate stayed with her grandparents longer, and eventually entered domestic service in the 1880s.

James remarried in 1874 but died the following year at Bradford Abbas at the age of 29.[4]

William and Elizabeth’s two daughters, Elizabeth and Harriet, deviated from societal norms by having multiple illegitimate children. Elizabeth had three, while Harriet had five.

Somerset Lunatic Asylum

On 17 July 1884, William was admitted to the Somerset Lunatic Asylum, where he died on 15 October 1891, from chronic heart disease and chronic bronchitis at the age of 64.

Elizabeth’s later life

Elizabeth’s daughter, Elizabeth, married Jonah Delamont in 1887. She and her three children then joined him at Hardington Moor.

Elizabeth was then left by herself. In April 1891, she lived alone in a two-room house at Cobb Hill Lane, Hardington Marsh. Ten years later, she was still there.

Elizabeth probably died in 1902 at the age of about 78.[5]

Children

William and Elizabeth had four sons and two daughters.

References

[1] The child’s birth was registered in Q2 1844.

[2] ADM159/1/192; Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services, 1848-1939.

[3] Death certificate of Emma Eastment.

[4] Western Gazette, 2 April 1875, p.5.

[5] The Civil Registration Death Index includes an entry for Elizabeth Eastment, Yeovil Q2 1902, aged 85. It should be noted that Elizabeth exaggerated her age after her husband’s death.