Introduction

Joseph Bishop was born at North Perrott in 1800. After his marriage in 1826, he worked as a dairyman at North Perrott and Closworth before moving to Hardington in about 1844. From the early 1850s until 1875, he and his family lived at Lyatts Farm, East Coker. Afterwards, he lived with his married daughter at Naish Abbey, East Coker. One of his daughters emigrated to Texas.

Birth

Joseph, the son of John and Susannah Bishop, was born at North Perrott on 26 April 1800.[1] His father, John, died when he was thirteen.

Marriage

 Joseph married Charlotte Hodge on 13 September 1826 at North Perrott.

Dairyman

Joseph was a dairyman at North Perrott until about 1828, then at Closworth until about 1841, before returning to North Perrott by 1843.[2]

Hardington

In about 1844, Joseph and his family moved to Hardington.

In March 1847, William White and Joseph were appointed Hardington’s Surveyors of the Highways.

The 1851 census recorded Joseph, Charlotte and five of their children living in or near the High Street. At that time, Joseph farmed 70 acres and employed two labourers.

Lyatts Farm, East Coker

By August 1853, Joseph had become the tenant of Lyatts Farm, East Coker.[3]

The 1861 census recorded him as farming 104 acres while employing two labourers and one boy. The 1871 census recorded him as farming 124 acres with two men and two boys working for him.

His son, Charles, and brother-in-law, Charles Hodges, also lived at the farm.

On Sunday, 24 March 1861, Joseph, his son Charles, and employee Louis Delamont were attacked by three drunken louts from East Coker while they were milking.[4]

Tragically, Joseph’s son, Charles, died on 18 December 1866 from tuberculosis, at the age of 25.[5]

Joseph’s wife, Charlotte, died from paralysis on 23 December 1869 at the age of 67.[6]

By April 1871, Joseph’s daughter, Charlotte, and her husband, Lionel Harrison, lived with him at Lyatts Farm, and Lionel farmed his own holding of 80 acres.

On 5 January 1875, Cross and Son held an auction sale at the farm as Joseph was preparing to leave. The sale included fourteen dairy cows, two cart horses and about twelve hogheads of cider.[7]

Retirement

By April 1881, Joseph was living at Naish Abbey, East Coker, with Lionel and Charlotte Harrison.

Death

Joseph died in 1883 at the age of 83.[8]

Children

Joseph and Charlotte had seven sons and three daughters, though three sons died in infancy. Their daughter, Mary, emigrated to Texas with her husband Philip Brice in the 1870s.

References

[1] North Perrott baptism register.

[2] The North Perrott baptism and burial registers record Joseph’s abode as North Perrott when his son, Edward, was baptised and buried on the same day (4 January 1843).

[3] Sherborne Mercury, 30 August 1853, p.3.

[4] Sherborne Mercury, 26 March 1861, p.5.

[5] Langport & Somerton Herald, 29 December 1866, p.5 (gives age as 26); Hardington burial register (gives age as 25). The death certificate recorded it as 25.

[6] Death certificate of Charlotte Bishop.

[7] Western Gazette, 1 January 1875, p.4.

[8] Death registered Yeovil Q2 1883.