Birth

Joseph, the third child of John and Jane Haggett, was born at Hardington in about 1806. His father, John, was a sailor who died in November 1821, aged 53.

First marriage

On 18 September 1827, at Hardington, Joseph married Susan Garrett. As Garrett was a common name at East Chinnock, Susan may have come from there.

Occupation

Joseph lived on the cusp between labourer and farmer. The baptism record for his first child on 17 July 1828 describes Joseph as a farmer; the baptism records for his following three children describe Joseph as a labourer. The 1841 census describes him as a farmer.

In 1843, Joseph owned about 22 acres. He occupied a house in the High Street, later occupied by the village blacksmith, and about one acre; John Whebby and Nelson Leach occupied the rest. Joseph also occupied half an acre owned by Lord Ilchester.

Residences

In June 1841, Joseph and his wife lived in the High Street with their four children. Joseph’s mother, Jane, and her unmarried sister, Dorcas Apsey, were also in the house.

Susan’s death

Joseph’s first wife, Susan, died in May or June 1842, aged 39.

Inheritance

In 1846, Joseph was a beneficiary of the will of his maiden aunt, Dorcas Apsey. He inherited two orchards named Marsh Orchards at Hardington Marsh with his brother, Thomas, as tenants in common and one-third of the residue of her estate.[1]

Debt

A court case of 1849 hints at a family dispute regarding who was liable to pay a debt.

At Yeovil County Court on 18 January 1849, Joseph was summoned to explain why he had failed to comply with an order made twelve months earlier to pay a debt. Initially, his solicitor said that Joseph was due to receive some money from the sale of family property. However, another solicitor, Mr Batten, who knew of this sale, denied that Joseph would not have any money from that quarter. He said Joseph’s mother would receive some of the proceeds and that he (Batten) would ensure it was applied for her use. Joseph then argued that his mother and aunt had contracted the debt and that they should pay it. A solicitor named Vining sided with Joseph, saying the parties had been his tenants, and from what he knew of the circumstances, he thought the debt should be paid out of the property. Nonetheless, the judge ordered Joseph to pay a debt within a month or be imprisoned.[2]

Move to southeast Dorset

Following his wife’s death, Joseph moved to southeast Dorset. In March 1851, he was a cattle dealer staying at the Nelson Arms, North Street, Wareham.

Second marriage

On 21 November 1853, Joseph married Sarah Trent at St James’s Church, Poole.[3] Twenty-six years younger than Joseph, Sarah came from Corfe Castle, where her father worked as a clay cutter. Joseph and Sarah both recorded their address as Paradise Street (a street near the quay). Sarah signed the register with a mark.

Witness in the Isles Lane case

In March 1860, Joseph gave evidence at the court case concerning the legal status of Isles Lane, East Coker.  He said that he had driven carts through the three times weekly for ten years, and he could remember the East Coker hayward impounding animals of his that had strayed into the lane.[4]

Yeovil

By April 1861, Joseph and Sarah lived at Church Yard, Yeovil. Joseph was a porter. The following year, they had a daughter, whose birth was registered at Yeovil in the second quarter of 1862 with the name Adelaide and who was baptised at Hardington on 7 August 1862 with the name Adeline.

Sarah died in May 1862, probably as a result of childbirth, and Joseph placed his baby daughter in the care of his sister, Elizabeth Bartlett (the wife of John Bartlett). She and her family, including Adeline, emigrated to Australia in 1863. Sadly, Adeline died on the voyage.

By October 1861, Joseph was a County Court Bailiff. It was quite a hazardous occupation as he was assaulted while executing his duty in October 1861 and October 1866.[5]

By April 1871, Joseph lodged at an inn in Wine Street, Yeovil.

Death

Joseph died in May 1871, aged about 64.[6]

Children

Joseph and his first wife had three sons and one daughter:

Circa 1827-William John (a farm labourer at Bere Regis in March 1851).

Circa 1829-George Apsey (at home in June 1841),

Circa 1831-Thomas (at home in June 1841)

Circa 1834-Susanna Caroline (a house servant in the household of Henry Stickland of Hardington in March 1851).

 References

[1] The will of Dorcas Apsey, dated 19 May 1843, proved at Wells on 10 February 1846.

[2] Sherborne Mercury, 20 January 1849, p.3. The newspaper report does not give an address for the defendant, but the circumstances suggest he was the subject of this article. However, another man named Joseph Haggett also lived at Hardington. Born at Lillington, Dorset, in about 1800, he was a farm labourer and it is unlikely that his mother was a party to property sales conducted by Yeovil solicitors.   

[3] Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 26 November 1853, p.3.

[4] Bridgwater Mercury, 21 March 1860, p.3.

[5] Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 30 October 1861, p.5; Sherborne Mercury, 9 October 1866, p.8.

[6] The Civil Registration Death Index and Holy Trinty burial register record his age as 63, but he was at least 64.