Jane BOCKETT was christened on 26 May 1735 in Breage, Cornwall. She was buried in Phillack, Cornwall.
daughter of . James BOCKETT was christened on 22 Apr 1705 in Breage, Cornwall. He married Elizabeth VYVYAN on 18 Aug 1732 in Breage, Cornwall.
Baptised as the son of John Bucket. His father may be another John baptised
1665 the son of Ralph
and Jane Bucket.
291. Elizabeth VYVYAN .
580. John BOCKETT was born about 1666. He married Judah ARCHER on 20 Apr 1697 in Breage, Cornwall.
No record for John Bocket's baptism has been found, but he is mentioned as
the son of William and
English Bucket in a lease to his father in 1670.
581. Judah ARCHER .
1160. William BOCKETT was christened on 13 Mar 1625/1626 in Breage, Cornwall. He was buried on 12 Feb 1682/1683 in Breage, Cornwall. He married English RIPPER about 1665.
The IGI shows three entries for the baptism of William, which are probably
two incorrect
transcriptions and one correct entry. The three baptism dates are shown as 18
Mar 1624, 13 Mar
1625 and 16 Mar 1626. Comparison of the original register and BT entries will
reveal whether this is
one, two or three entries.
William was assessed for 1/- Poll Tax in 1660 and was living at Trew. He was
recorded as being on his own and as there is only evidence of one William Bocket/Bucket
in the village, it is presumed that his first wife, Ann Ripper, probably died
before 1660 and then soon after this date he married
English Ripper who also lived in Trew. No record has been found for the burial
of Ann or the marriage of William and English but English is an unusual name
in Breage and the only other English who may have been in the village at the
time is an English Emett (bp 1629, father Francis). It is reasonable to assume
that the William and English Bucket found on the following lease written in
1670 is William and English Ripper, especially as the lease mentions Thomas
Ripper:
THIS INDENTURE made the fifth day of October in the two and twentieth year
of the reign of our sovereign Lord Charles the second by the grace of God of
England Scotland France and Ireland King defender of the faith BETWEEN Jonathan
Trelawny of Coldrenick in the county of Cornwall Esquire of the one part and
William Bukett of the parish of Breage in the said county tinner of the other
part WITNESSETH that the said Jonathan Trelawny for and in consideration that
the said William Buckett hath by these presents covenanted to erect and build
a dwelling house on the land hereby hereafter demised HATH granted demised leased
to farm sett lett and confirm and in and by these presents doth grant demise
lease to farm sett lett and confirm unto the said William Buckett his executors
administrators
and assigns ALL those three quillets parts or parcels of land conveying by estimation
one acre and half of land or thereabouts situate and being within said parish
of Breage near a pair of stamps there called the higher stamps otherwise Crohall
stamps and heretofore enclosed by Thomas Ripper at Crohall together with common
of pasture and common of fuel in and upon the commons and wastelands of the
manor of Treworlis commonly called Treworlis Downs to be spent and consumed
upon the premises and not otherwise together with all ways easements profits
commodities and appurtenances to the said premises belonging or in anywise appertaining
and excepting and always reserving unto the said Jonathan Trelawny his heirs
and assigns all tin toll tin and tin works now found on or wrought on hereafter
to be found or wrought in or upon the premises with liberty to dig delve and
search for tin in and upon the same and the said tin from them and to carry
and recarry
with all manner of carriages at his will and pleasures TO HATH AND TO HOLD all
and singular the said premises with all and singular the appurtenances
except before excepted unto the said William Buckett his executors administrators
and assigns from the day of the date of these present for and during the full
term and terms of four score and nineteen years to be fully complete and ended
if the said William Buckett English his wife and John their son or either of
them shall so long happen to live the said William Buckett his executors administrators
and assigns YIELDING & PAYING therefore yearly and every year during the
said term and unto the said Jonathan Trelawny his heirs and assigns the annual
or yearly rent of six shillings and eight pence of lawful money of England at
the four most usual feasts or days of payment of rent in the year that is to
say the birth of our Lord God the annunciation of our blessed Lady the Virgin
Mary the nativity of St John the Baptist and the day of St Michael by even and
equal portions to be divided and paid yielding and paying also yearly at the
feast of the birth of our Lord God one sovereign or twelve
pence for the same and one harvest journey yearly in the time of harvest or
six pence for the same and also yielding and paying thirteen shillings and four
pence for a best beast for and in the name of a herriott or farlieff by upon
and after the several deaths of them the said William Buckett English his wife
and John their son
AND the said William Buckett by these presents for himself his executors administrators
and for every and either of them covenant grant and promise to and with the
said Jonathan Trelawny his heirs executors and administrators and with evry
of them that the said William Buckett his executors administrators and assigns
shall and will from henceforth during the said term make and do suit and service
to all and every the source and source of the said Jonathan Trelawny his heirs
and assigns
of his and their manor of Treworlis when and as often as any shall be there
here and do and execute the office of a reeve tythingman all the other the offices
within the said manor as other the tenants of the said manor do or have been
accustomed or ought to do or perform and also shall and will erect and build
a dwelling house on the premises and the same and all other the demised premises
with the appurtenances during the said term shall and will well and sufficiently
repair sustain and maintain as well in houses hedges duties gates and fences
as in all other needful and necessary reparations and the same in the end of
the said term well and sufficiently repaired sustained and maintained shall
and will leave and yield up and if and when and as often as it shall happen
the said yearly rent of six shillings and eight pence to be behind or unpaid
in of to or in all by the space of six months next after any of the said feasts
or days of payment aforesaid on which the same ought to be paid and not paid
being lawfully demanded and not sufficient distress in or upon the premises
or any part thereof during all that time can or may be had or for or in hereby
to levy the said rent with arrearages thereof if any be that then it shall and
may be lawful to and for the said Jonathan Trelawny his heirs and assigns unto
the said premises with the apputenances forever and the same to have again retain
repossess and enjoy as in his or their former estate or right these premises
or any thing herein conveyed to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding AND
the said Jonathan Trelawny his heirs all and singular the said premises with
all and singular the appurtenances in manner and form aforesaid and during the
term aforesaid rents dutyes services exceptions and covenants aforesaid unto
the said William Buckett his executors, administrators and assigns against all
people and persons whatsoever shall and will warrant acquit and defend by these
presents IN WITNESS whereof the said parties to this present indenture their
hands and seals interchangeably have put proven the lives above written anno
domini 1670.
The sign of William Buckett
Sealed and delivered in the presence of Archi. Paynter
Richard Ash
Cover:
The lease granted unto William Buckett of the quillets by hg stamps
3 lives: Wm & English his wife and John their son
Rent 6-8
Capon 1-0
Journey 0-6
Herriott 13-4
Expired
New
Treworlas
Breage
William died as the result of an accident in 1682. The burial register for Breage states: William Bocket by an accident at ancrack (Angarrack, near Phillack?) recei ... his death and was buried the 12th day of February 1683.
1161. English RIPPER was christened on 20 May 1633 in Breage, Cornwall. She
was buried on 13 Apr 1681 in Breage, Cornwall.
English is shown at her baptism as Anglicia the daughter of John and Anne.
She is shown in the 1660 poll tax in Trew as paying one shilling.
Twelfth Generation
2320. John BOCKETT .John married Honour about 1620.
2321. Honour .
2322. John RIPPER was born about 1602. He died before 1660. He married Anne about 1623.
No baptismal record for John has been found but John was a beneficiary under the will of Constance Adams in 1631."I do give and bequeath to John Ripper my son three pounds and also all my sheep not before given, where about eight or nine". Constance Ripper remarried to a John Adams following the death of her first husband, John Ripper. It is thought the family lived in Trew, where John's sister Phillippa Treweeke was living as were cousins Henry and Temperance Ripper. In February 1641/2 John signed the Protestation Roll which all men were required to sign.
By the 1660 Poll Tax Ann was a widow living in Trew with her youngest daughters Mary and English.
2323. Anne was born about 1600. She died after 1660. Ann is mentioned as the
wife of John at the baptism of their children. If John and Ann's first child
was named James after her father, Ann's surname could have been Pascowe (bp
3 Mar 1604) or Angove (bp 26 Aug 1599) - both baptised in Breage.
Anne is recorded in 1660 Poll Tax rolls at Trew as a widow paying one shilling. Also living at Trew were her daughters Mary and English who were also charged one shilling.
The Poll Tax existed to raise money for military purposes. It states that "every person above the age of fifteen years of either sex...under the degree or quality of a yeoman, or farmer yeoman, or farmer's wife or widdow shall pay twelve pence".
Thirteenth Generation
4644. John RIPPER or Crohall was born about 1565. He was buried on 4 Jan 1612 in Breage, Cornwall. He married Constance SQUIRE on 29 Jan 1586/1587 in Breage, Cornwall.
By means of a grant of reversion of a lease of mill dated 16 Jan 1577 (as worded
below)William and Pascoe Rypper (sons of William Rypper senior) and John Rypper
(son of John Rypper senior) undertook to take the tenancy of Ruthdower Mill
from John Arundell, Lord of Pengwedna Manor. The contents were described as
"a grain mill called Ruthdowre Mill, together with the multure [the responsibility
to grind corn] of John Arundell's tenements of Pengwedna manor, both free, customary
and conventionary; which mill is currently held by Thomas John for term of his
life for William and Pascoe Rypper (sons of William Rypper senior) and John
Rypper (son of John Rypper senior) to hold after the death of Thomas for term
of their lives successively". The rent was "26s 8d yearly at
four terms, plus all burdens (onera), rents, heriots, customs and services previously
due and
accustomed. Entry fine £13 6s 8d paid".
Reference: AR/4/1115_Creation dates: 1577, 16th Jan_Scope and Content:
(19 Eliz)
Grant of reversion of lease of mill, for term of lives, by copy of court roll
John Arundell, knight, lord of Pengwenna = (1)
William and Pascoe Rypper, sons of William Rypper senior, and John Rypper son
of John Rypper
senior = (2)-(4)
Manor of Pengwenna: (2)-(4) in court received from (1) himself the reversion
of a grain mill called
Ruthdowre Mill, together with the multure of (1)'s tenements of that manor,
both free, customary and
conventionary; which mill is currently held by Thomas John for term of his life;
for (2)-(4) to hold,
after the death of Thomas, for term of their lives successively. Rent 26s 8d
yearly at 4 terms, plus all
burdens (onera), rents, heriots, customs and services previously due and accustomed.
Entry fine
£13 6s 8d paid. Signature of (1).
[Pengwedna Manor]
In 1586 John and his future wife Constance were created tenants of Crawle under a lease drawn up
in the names of themselves and John's father, John.
Arundell Manorial Accounts (AR/2/980) - 1593:
"Pengwenna (John Ripper, reeve)". [This may apply to John's father].
He predeceased his father and was buried as John Ripper. No will has been recorded.
Crawle Connections:
1530 William 1 encloses land on Trenwheal Down, marries Joan 1, children William
2 and John 2
1543 William 1 assessed to pay subsidy tax
1560 William 2 marries Joan 2; children William 3 and Pascoe
1561 Joan is buried as wife of William Ripper of Crohall
bef 1577 William 1 dies
1577 John 1 and William 2 on lease at Crawle
1577 William 3 and and Pascoe and John 2 on lease at Ruthdower
1586 William 3 Pascoe and Andrew on Ruthdower lease
1586 John 1 John 2 and Constance on Crawle lease
1607 Stephen bp as son of John 2 of Crohall
1630 Margaret Crohall wife of Stephen remarries
1640 Thomas Ripper shown as Crawle resident - until 1657
1660 Edward shown as Crawle resident; Daniel shown as Crawle resident - Hearth
Tax
1664 Edward shown as Crawle resident; Daniel shown as Crawle resident - Poll
Tax
1665 Ann bp - dau of Henry and Jane Ripper of Crohall
1668 Mary bp - dau of Henry and Jane Ripper of Crohall
1693 Margaret bp - illeg dau of Anna Crohall and John James
1694 Maria Crohall bp - daughter of Mari Crohall or Repper.
1698 Edward Crohall buried
1701 Blanche Ripper mentioned in lease of Crawle to Tyacke
1702 Henry Crohall buried
1703 William Crohall marries Elizabeth Pengelly (PR=Repper, BT=Crohall)
1704 Edward Crohall bp - son of William Croyall
1712 William Ripper als Crohall buried
1712 Richard Crohall buried - son of Anna
1715 Jenifred Crohall, dau of Ann in will of John Thomas
4645. Constance SQUIRE was born about 1565 in St Keverne, Cornwall. She died
in Mar 1631/1632.
Constance was joined in the lease in 1586 for Crawle shortly before her marriage
to John. When he
died in 1612 and his father died in 1615, Constance became the final life on
the lease of Crawle.
After the death of her husband, John Ripper, Constance remarried on 18 Nov
1614 at Breage to
John Adams. [Louise Reynolds, whose primary interest is Breage believes that
the Adams family
lived at Chytodden, near Carleen, just north of Breage].
Constance's will:
In the name of God, Amen. The thirteenth day of March in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and thirty one, I Constance Adams of the parish of Breage in the county of Cornwall, widow, being sick of body but of perfect memory, praise be to my God, do make and ordain this my
last will and testament in manner following, viz:
Imprimis: I commit my soul to almighty God my maker and redeemer and my body to Christian burial.
Item: I give to the church of the parish of St Keverne whereof my birth one ewe.
Item: I give to Thomas Ripper my eldest son twelve pence.
Item: I give and bequeath to Edward Ripper the eldest son of my said son Thomas
my best panne
with my wishes that the said Edward at his death shall leave to his eldest son
if it please God that he
shall have any son.
Item: I do give and bequeath to John Ripper my son three pounds and also all
my sheep not before
given, where about eight or nine.
Item: I do give and bequeath to my daughter Philip Treweeke and my daughter
Alyce Cornish forty
shillings apiece.
Item: I give and bequeath to Ann Treweeke my granddaughter a red cow with a white head.
Item: I give and bequeath to Lowdie Treweeke (the surname Cornish was written
and crossed out,
being replaced by Treweeke) my granddaughter and goddaughter one heifer.
Item: all my goods and chattels not before given [whatosever] I give and bequeath
to Richard
Treweeke and William Cornish my sons-in-law, whom I [nominate to be] joint and
whole executors of
this my last will and testament, to pay my legacies and solemnize my funeral.
.... I give and bequeath to my sister Jane (Anstis?) my best waistcoat (written
as westcote) and my
second best petticoat and five shillings in money.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my sign the day and year above written.
The sign of Constance "X" Adams
Signed and acknowledged in the presence of
William Orchard
13 v 1631
The sign of John "X" Treweeke
-------------------------
An Inventory of all the goods and chattles of Constance Adams widow of Breage
Parish performed
by John Treweeke
The 6th day of April Anno Domini 1632
Imprimis - 3 kyne and 6 young bullocks .. £12
Item - a calf
Item - 8 sheep
Item - pigge and poultry
Item - (bees?)
Item - a feather bed a bolster and bedclothes
Item - her wearing apparell
Item - her purse and girdle
Item - cushions
Item - corn in the manhay and the shed
Item - corn in the ground
Item - pewter dishes and a candlestick
Item - .... vessels
Item - a basket and a flagon
Item - saddles and saddlery
Item - a panne
Item - a fleece and a cauldron
Item - a ..ocke and 2 brandises(?)
Item - iron ewers and ....
Item - ....
Item - forke and a ....
Sum total is £31 10s 8d
--------------
The will was probably written by William Orchard as was that of her father in law, John Ripper. The handwriting and form of the will is very similar.
St Keverne baptismal records on line go back to 1580 but there is no mention of Constance being baptised. Maybe she was a little older than that. I haven't yet found a mention of her sister Jane (mentioned towards the end of Constance's will) but her baptism may indicate her and Constance's father. A Phillipa Squire has been traced in that register with a father recorded as Richard - Phillipa is likely to be a sister to Constance and Jane.
Thomas Ripper was given twelve pence. This was a common contrivance at the time. It indicated that the person had not been forgotten in the will and had most likely been given everything they were going to get before the person died. In this instance, that is almost certainly the case as the bulk of the residue of the estate goes to Richard Treweeke and William Cornish.
The "panne" or pan so lovingly referred to in the will may be a metal panning pan so that the family industry of panning for tin on the moors would continue. It is accepted that the Rippers were primarily farmers but that they would pan for metals to supplement income, particularly at times of crop failure. Edward presumably passed this onto his son Daniel.
Constance gives £3 to her son John Ripper. Constance tells us in her will that Thomas is her eldest son and after making allowance for the reference to Edward, the next person mentioned is John who would need to have been born after 1600 but before 1607 in order to retain the usual hierarchical protocols in the will form. No baptismal record exists for John and he is not mentioned in the will of his grandfather in 1615.
The references to cash being given imply that there was cash available for distribution. The contents of her purse do not indicate that she had more than a few shillings. It may be that it was the responsibility of the executors to pay the cash from their inheritance, converting goods to cash where necessary.
Philip Treweeke and Philippa Treweeke are one and the same person. Philip is mentioned in her grandfather's will, along with a brother Stephen. Once we accept the fact that "my daughter Philip" is really a female it all begins to fit. Stephen, however, is not mentioned in his mother's will. This means it is likely he had died by 1631.
It looks like Ann Treweeke had a soft spot for the "redd cowe" with the white head. Her grandmother has made sure that she gets that one and no other. Ann was about 14 at the time of the estate being divided.
The item referring to Lowdie is poorly recorded but it looks like the word Cornish has been crossed out and Treweeke written above it, with very little ink left on the quill.
Not all the words and sums on the inventory are legible but the estate was
valued at £31 10s 8d.
This was not an insubstantial sum for a local farming family.
Fourteenth Generation
9288. John RIPPER was born about 1532. He was buried on 5 Nov 1615 in Breage, Cornwall. He married Janet on 30 Nov 1560 in Breage, Cornwall.
John's birth has been estimated at around 1532. He lived until 1615, as evidenced by his will, indicating an age of 83 years. John married in 1560 and the trend for marriages in this family at this time was about 30 years of age. His elder brother William was born around 1528.
At the muster of 1569 in Breage, John is recorded as being armed with a bill.
A bill is a billhook, or a long staff with a pointed end and a curved blade.
This indicates that John was an agricultural worker. The muster was a declaration
of support for the monarch, Elizabeth, indicating that they would be
available to fight as troops in the event of war.
In 1577 John and his elder brother William took the lease on Crawle and presumably
lived there with their respective families. This lease was probably renegoiated
as a result of the death of their father William who may have lived there for
quite a period of time.In 1577 William's two sons, William and Pascasius, had
taken the title to Ruthdower Mill along with John's son, John. (Ref - Arundell
Family Papers - Leases of Ruthdower Mill AR/4/1115). This was
for the lease of the property to pass into the family on the death of the current
holder - Thomas John.
In 1583 John's brother William died.
Arundell Manorial Accounts (AR/2/969) - 1583:
"Pengwenna (John Ripper, reeve)". This may be resultant from the death
of his brother William.
Arundell Manorial Accounts (AR/2/971) - 1584:
"Pengwenna (John Ripper, deputy of William Ripper, reeve)". John is
possibly the uncle of William
Ripper, the reeve.
The family re-organised their homes in October 1586 which was as a result of William's death and the forthcoming marriage John's son John to Constance. New leases were drawn up. Crawle continued to be occupied by John and family. William (son of William Ripper dec'd) who had married Pascase Trenwheal, and his family took the lease of Ruthdower Mill - but whether his brother Pascasius continued to live there is not known.
The best evidence available to provide substance to our understanding of John's
life is his will. The
fact that he had a will prepared for him (he could not write and signed documents
with an X) does
not indicate great wealth. At the time, many people wrote wills even when the
value of the estate
was not great. In some ways this ensured a greater degree of harmony in the
family and that the
little that was owned was distributed as the deceased had prescribed. To have
been quoted in a will
indicated a degree of acceptance of the beneficiaries by the deceased during
their life. The last will
and testament of a person was most often written or dictated as they lay dying.
The will is transcribed here:
"Breage xxiij die octobris 1616
"Testamented Johanis Ripper ". (The outer wrapper of the will grants
probate and executorship to
Thomas Ripper and is signed by Richard Veale of Breage).
"In the name of God, Amen.
"The second day of November, Anno Domini 1615.
"I, John Ripper of the parish of Breage, fraile of body but perfect of
memory, praise be to my God,
do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following,
viz.
"Imprimis I commend my soul to God my maker and redeemer, and my body to
the earth,
"Imprimis I do give and bequeath to Stephen Ripper my grandchild my little
mare, one tableboard
that is in the higher chamber with a carpet, tablecloth and form belonging to
the said tableboard, in
lieu of such money, as I heretofore promised the said Stephen.
"Item - I give and bequeath to Alyse my grandchild one featherbed performed
and twelve plattens
(all which I have already delivered to the said Alyse) in lieu of such money,
as I heretofore promised
to give to the said Alyse.
"Item - I give and bequeath to Phillip my grandchild one latten candlestick,
three tubs and the half of
such little pans, in lieu of such money, as I heretofore have promised to the
said Phillip.
"Item - I will that Constance my daughter in law shall have the use of
one of my silver spoons,
during her life, and that after her death my grandchild Thomas Ripper shall
have the same.
"Item - I give to the aforesaid Phillip two rugs, three sheets and a hogshead
and one barrel.
"Item - I give and bequeath to Alyse my daughter one heifer.
"Item - all other my goods and chattels not before given and bequeathed
I give and bequeath to
Thomas Ripper my grandchild, whom I make my whole sole executor, to see this
my will performed,
my debts discharged, and my funeral solemnized, in witness whereof I the said
John Ripper have
hereunto put my hand, proven this day and here finish about written.
"The sign of "X" John Ripper
"Witnesses hereunto
"William Orchard
"the signe "X" of Richard Harrie att Pengwedna"
At the time of his death, John had few surviving descendants to whom to leave
his estate. John's
eldest surviving male descendant was his grandson Thomas, who despite being
only 15 years old
was nominated as being the sole executor to the estate and beneficiary after
distribution of the
goods cited in the will. Phillip was a granddaughter who married Richard Treweeke
- this was a
common usage at this time, rather than the use of Phillipa which was used later.
The residence of Crawle was subject to a lease. Upon John's death Crawle would
have remained in
the family as his daughter-in-law Constance was the third life on the lease.
[Her husband had died
three years previously]. At some point the lease must have been renegotiated
as Thomas, the son of
Constance, was later recorded as tenant of Crawle and reeve.
9289. Janet was buried on 23 Mar 1588/1589 in Breage, Cornwall.
At the time of her marriage she is shown as Jenet servant to Annes Veryan.
Janet is not mentioned in her husband's will as she predeceased her husband.
Janet was buried as the wife of John Rypper.
9290. Richard SQUIRE .
1569 Muster Roll - St Keverne:
Ryc Squire - Alm .. Rivet .. Bow .. SH .. Arrows
John Squire - Sling and bag
Fifteenth Generation
18576. William REPPER was born about 1500. He died about 1577. He married Joan about 1528.
William's birth has been estimated at about 1500. His life events indicate
a first born child about
1528 and a death around 1577, both of which are consistent with his birth around
this time.
William's birthplace has been lost to us over the passage of time but it is
likely to have been in or
around Breage in Cornwall. His later life events are centred upon the parish
of Breage and the
Manor of Pengwedna.
In England a parish is a subdivision the Roman Catholic Church or the Church
of England. At the
time of William Repper's birth England was a Roman Catholic country but by the
time of his death
the state religion had changed to Church of England. Each parish has the services
of a parish priest
or vicar and may have a fellow priest, called a curate working along with him.
Each parish usually
has a parish church where religious services take place. The incumbent for Breage
parish at the
time of William's baptism was one of Sir William Pearce, Master Thomas Godolphin
or Master John
Jakes.
The secular system of land holding and administration was known as 'the manorial
system'. The
word 'manor' derived originally from the term for a residence or mansion, but
was used to describe a
unit of local administration based on an area of land comprising several properties
owned by one
landlord. The 'lord of the manor' would, in the middle ages, have been a tenant
or a sub-tenant of
the King, who was regarded as the ultimate owner of all landed peroperty. The
lord retained some
property for his own use (the 'demesne') though he may not have lived there.
Specified areas were
determined as commons or waste, the remainder might be let to 'free' tenants
who paid an annual
money rent, and to 'villeins' who occupied lands in return for labour services.
Additional dues might
include payments 'in kind', the performance of manorial offices, payments upon
death or marriage,
attendance at the manor's court, and the requirement to grind corn at the manor's
own mill. The
Lords of the Manor of Pengwedna were members of the Arundell family. Sir John
Arundell was born
in 1495 and went by the nickname of Jack of Tilbury. He was invested as a Knight
in 1513 at the
Battle of the Spurs. He held the offices of Sheriff of Cornwall and Vice-Admiral
of the West, under
King Henry VII and King Henry VIII.
William Repper lived in the manor of Pengwedna which was within the parish
of Breage. As the
residents of the manor were the "subjects" of the manorial lord it
is likely that William was born there
too. Other manors which had land in the parish of Breage were Carminow, Colenso,
Connerton,
Godolphin, Helston In Kerrier, Helston Tony, Methleigh, Pengarwick, Pengersick,
Rinsey, Spernon &
Pengelly, Trewinnard and Treworlis.
The power of the aristocracy began to be challenged by the common people around
the time of
William's birth. The Cornish organised a march on London to voice their dissatisfactions
in 1497.
Michael Joseph of the nearby village of Saint Keverne and Thomas Flamank led
the Cornish 'An
Gof' rebellion in 1497 arising from Henry VII's imposition of taxes to pay for
a war against the Scots.
Any additional taxes at this time were regarded as particularly unjust as the
bedrock of the Cornish
economy, tin production, was in decline, probably due to the more accessible
streams being worked
to exhaustion and new methods of extraction had not been introduced. In addition,
Prince Arthur,
Duke of Cornwall had sought to impose new regulations covering the recording
of tin bounds,
blowing houses and the sale of ingots and so angering the Cornishmen who resented
the
interference in the workings of their regulatory body, the Stannaries. These
regulations were ignored
and as a result the king, Henry VII, confiscated the Stannary charters and suspended
the Stannary
government, so inflaming the population even further against the English. This
was a popular
uprising in Cornwall and the Cornish marched on London. They were a loosely
organized band
consisting of men, women and children. They put forward the argument that the
responsibility for
paying for the defence of those counties that were under attack from the Scots
lay with those who
resided or owned lands there and not with the Cornish. After some defections
they reached
Blackheath on June 16th. Here they were confronted by Henry IV's army. The Cornish
were
defeated and approximately 200 were killed. The leaders were taken to Tyburn
where they were
hanged, drawn and quartered.
The earliest recorded mention of the name of Ripper/Repper was when the 1543/4
Subsidy Rolls for
Breage in Cornwall lists a William Repper being assessed in the value of 2 marks
(one mark was
one third of a pound - six shillings and eight pence). This indicates that he
was a resident and
owned or leased property.
William's burial record has not been found in the parish burial registers but
is after 1561 when his
wife was buried as Joan Ripper, uxor of William Ripper of Crawle, which indicates
that William was
still alive and living in Crawle. Had he predeceased her the parish clerk would
have recorded her as
'relict' or widow. It is possible his death was around 1577 because in 1577
the lease for Crawle was
vested in the names of his sons William Ripper and John Ripper who renegotiated
their rights to
settle on Crawle. It may also indicate that the family had lived there for at
least three generations
and the tenancy expired upon William's death. It also confirms that the family
were not of the poorest
classes.
No will has been traced.
18577. Joan was born about 1500. She was buried on 13 Nov 1561 in Breage, Cornwall.
Her burial is recorded as Joan Rypper of Cariurrall "uxor" or wife
of William Rypper. Uxor means
wife and implies that William was still alive. Had he predeceased her the parish
clerk would have
recorded her as 'relict' or widow.
Sixteenth Generation
37152. Ripper RIPPER .Ripper was married about 1500.
INTRODUCTION
This is a record of known details about our family originating from the village
of Breage in Cornwall.
It is the result of the hard work and generosity of many members of the family,
now scattered across
the world.
The Ripper or Repper family of Cornwall have a history that goes back about
500 years and
eighteen generations. The family has not produced any notable public figures
but this does little to
detract from its interest, at least to living members of the family. The members
of the family presently
number over 6,300 people across the ages and their lives reflect the social
conditions of the times.
There are farmers, miners, gardeners and paupers. There are scientists, teachers,
adventurers and
soldiers.
Some of the family left their native Cornwall to live in other parts of Britain,
in Australia, in New
Zealand, in Canada and in the United States of America. Ripper family members
are now to be
found in many parts of the English speaking world.
The earliest known migrant from Cornwall was in the late 18th century when
Alexander Repper
travelled to London as part of the Cornish militia and stayed there. Movement
around Cornwall was
common in the 16th to 18th centuries and there are branches in other Cornish
towns and villages
such as Redruth, St Stithians, St Austell and Gunwalloe.
There are still members of the Ripper family left in Cornwall. Some still bear
the names of Ripper
and Repper, but they are few in number.
Cornish archived records, like many across Britain, have significant gaps where
registers and papers
have failed to survive the rigours of time and history. The most frustrating
gaps occur at the time of
the English Civil War in the mid 17th century. There are enough surviving records,
however, to
enable a reasoned reconstruction of a family history.
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THE RIPPER SURNAME AND OTHER RIPPER FAMILIES
The surname is seen in various forms. Repper and Ripper are the most common
but other spelling
variants such as Riper, Rippere and Rypper have been noted. Throughout this
document I have
tried to use the variant recorded as being used by the person themselves, or
interpreted by the clerk
recording the name on their behalf. Often the same person has a variety of spellings
of the name
throughout their life.
There has been much speculation regarding the origin of the name. It is usual
for surnames to have
been derived from either the occupation or the place where folk lived. Many
people did not have
surnames before about 1500. This was not an essential attribute for farm workers
and general
labourers such as the progenitors of the Ripper family who did not need much
formal or legal
identification.
Some family members had an alternative surname as can be seen with John Ripper
or Crohall or
Cariohall (meaning "of Crawle"), merely demonstrating the as yet unrefined
rules for the growth and
use of surnames. Breage is recognised by historians knowledgeable in Cornish
history as being a
community in which the use of aliases was more prevalent than in most. The record
of an alternative
surname as a device to differentiate one branch of the family from another has
proved to be
extremely useful when tracing the family's roots.
The 16th-century tax returns and muster rolls for west Cornwall reveal a population
where a high
number bore surnames that were derived from places in the parishes where they
lived - for instance,
in the 1569 Muster Roll for Stithians, 37% of those listed bore a surname derived
from a place in the
parish - 19 names in all, but by the time of the Protestation Return of 1641/2,
only five are to be
found and only two by 1660. Some of the answer is of course population movement,
but it is clear
that surname changes were also of great importance. Most farms at the period
were held on leases -
the commonest form being a three-life lease, where the lease ran for three nominated
lives, or 99
years, whichever was the shortest period. Commonly the lives were those of the
farmer, his wife and
one of their children. A 16th-century farmer might therefore be born and grow
up on one farm, and
then move to another when he grew up, possibly moving again to a larger one
if he was a successful
farmer; at each stage it is possible he was known by a different surname. However
the other part of
his surname would always remain the same, as it was taken from his father's
Christian name. So a
hypothetical John Thomas Tretheage, would turn into John Thomas Treskewes and
then into John
Thomas Tregonning, or he might just simply call himself John Thomas.
There has grown, independently from the Cornish Ripper family another family
of the same name in
East Anglia. Debra Ripper is researching that family and she has traced the
family back to Elvedon
in the mid-1500s. One of the descendants of that line, Richard Stirley Ripper,
has shown that the
name may derive from an association with the word 'wood'. In various European
languages, he
informs me, the root 'rip' or 'hrip' means wood or plank or has connections
to carpentry.
The standard text in the Oxford Dictionary of Surnames shows an Adam le Ripiere
in Berkshire in
the mid 1400s. It also gives the origin of Ripper as being either a basket maker
or fish carrier but no
reasoning for this.
There may be a German connection with the name Ripper. The abilities of the
German miners were
well known and as early as 1299 King Edward I of England had brought over the
first of many
Germans to use their skills. By the 16th Century Britain was growing fast and
the need for metal,
especially tin and copper to make bronze increased the need for better technology
to mine these
metals. By the 1580s attention was turning to Cornwall. Records exist to show
experts from
Germany opening up copper and tin mines. One of the largest mining operations
at this time was
Wheal Vor 'Great Work' near Breage. It was owned by the Godolphin family and
they commissioned
a German called Frosse to build a stamp mill there.
Although I have received a letter which suggested that there were seven brothers
who came from
Germany and settled in Cornwall and records exist of the surname Ripper in Germany
back to the
16th century, there is no evidence to show a German connection with the Ripper
family of Breage.
In Cornwall there are places called Barripper (near Camborne), Bareppa (near
Falmouth) and
Berepper (near Gunwalloe). The standard text on the history of place names suggests
that this could
be old French for 'beautiful place'. I have no evidence to indicate that they
lived at any of these
places. It is as easy to suggest that the early Cornish Ripper family seems
to be a farming family
and as reaping by reapers is an activity practised as a part of that occupation,
that this is the
derivation. This is an issue which will not from this distance in time ever
be satisfactorily resolved.
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BREAGE
Breage is named after St Breaca, to whom the parish church is dedicated. She
was an Irish
missionary from Ulster or Leinster who arrived in the area around 500 A.D. and
settled on
Tregonning Hill, overlooking the village of Breage, at a site near Trew. The
nearby farm of Penbroc
means "settlement of Breaca".
Following the Norman conquest of the 11th century the area was held by the
Earls of Cornwall who
gave Breage and its manorial chapels of Germoe, Gunwalloe and Cury to Hailes
Abbey in
Gloucestershire. At that time the church is identified as "Eglos-broc".
The modern French equivalent
for 'eglos' is 'eglise' or 'church'. 'Broc' is a corruption of Breaca. During
this period the previous
church was replaced with a more substantial building in the Norman style.
The present church was built over a six year period being dedicated to St Breaca in 1456.
By the time of the Reformation under Henry VIII in the mid 16th century, when
the church and its
chapels were absorbed into the established church, the Ripper family were already
resident here.
The earliest family members lived at Crawle, Ruthdower, Treworlis Downs and
Trenwheal Downs.
Later, many lived in other parts of Breage parish and ventured further afield
into the neighbouring
parishes of Crowan, Germoe, Wendron, Helston and beyond.
Breage parish church was a few miles walk from the family homes at Crawle,
Ruthdower, Treworlis
Downs and Trenwheal Downs, but is where many of the early Ripper baptisms, marriages
and
burials took place. The parish records are difficult to read and scant on information
in the 1500's. It is
probable that there may well be earlier generations than those shown here but
I have no evidence of
this to date. The church will have altered much over the years but the wall
paintings are medieval
and are contemporary with Ripper family usage.
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BREAGE'S ECONOMY
Breage was in the hundred of Kerrier, now the name of the local authority.
Kerrier LA is in the South
West region, with a 2001 population of 92,536. Two hundred years ago in 1801
it contained 35,253
people which rose to 70,731 in 1851 and 63,968 in 1911. Today, 19.10% of the
population is over
65 and 23.35% under 20, but in 1851 these percentages were 4.57% and 50.11%.
Today, the service industry is the largest sector of the local economy, employing
71.81% workers,
while in 1841 25.39% worked in the service industry. In 1931 Male unemployment
was 18.3%, 16.
2% in 1991 and 6.7% in 2001.
Today, 49.9% of women work outside the home, or want to, but in 1931 only 21.8% did.
In 1931, 24% of male workers had middle class jobs -- now 35.4% do.
In 1951, 33.82% of households lacked their own toilet. By 2001 this had dropped
to under 0.76%. 82.
39% of households had central heating, a bath/shower and a toilet.
Roughly 38.5% of children aged 5 to 14 went to school in 1851 (52.6% nationally).
Today, 82.3% of
16 and 17 year olds stay on at school (76.9% nationally).
Today, 17.4% of people claim no religion, 73.64% describe themselves as Christian.
In 1851, the
census asked how many of each kind of Christian went to church: 57.96% were
Wesleyan
Methodists.
The two primary occupations found in church registers over the years are miner
and farmer. Mining
in Cornwall goes back into the mists of time and was a source of supply for
the ancient Phoenicians.
The provision of food from farming must, of necessity, have developed even before
mining for tin,
copper, zinc and other metals.
The moors and hills of Cornwall are remnants of huge pools of granite which
cooled and solidified
below the Earth's surface and over many years natural forces have exposed them
to stand above
the surrounding landscape. Granite contains many minerals and in its molten
state spreads out into
surrounding rocks creating seams of metal ore. It is these seams which the Cornish
miners exploited
and gave Cornwall its distinctive character.
The largest mine in the district was Wheal Vor, which was active from the early
1600s into the 20th
century. This was the first Cornish mine to have a steam pumping engine and
in the 1841 census
employed almost 1,200 people with many others dependent upon its success.
The price of metals in the world markets has always had a major influence on
the Cornish, and
Breage's, economy and the last major downturn was in the period leading up to
1877. This caused
many Cornishmen to follow many of their earlier cousins to emigrate from Cornwall
to find work.
Many travelled the vast distances to the English speaking world where mining
was still thriving. The
two primary destinations for the Ripper family descendants were the goldfields
of South Australia
and the mines around Lake Michigan in the USA.
Breage's proximity to the sea and the actions of its earlier residents earned
it a fearsome reputation
with seamen as can be evidenced from the following:
"God keep us from rocks and shelving sands,
From Germoe men and Breage hands"
I have no evidence that any of the Ripper family members were ever involved
in anything underhand
in the manner of smuggling, wrecking or even imaginative beachcombing. This
however, does not
mean that they weren't. In 1749 it was recorded at Gulval that "We have
had the greatest floods of
rain ... in any man's remembrance ... many thousand tynners by this means deprived
of employ and
starving". In these circumstances who would not resist any means to keep
oneself and one's family
alive and well?
Farming still continues in Cornwall - with such a temperate climate, plant growth is prolific.
Traditionally the Cornishman is also associated with fishing for his living,
particularly seine fishing for
pilchards. Although not far from the coast, fishing has not been a significant
occupation in the Ripper
family.
Tourism has now become the primary industry and many of the work placements
are seasonal. It is
also seen by many as an idyllic place to retire or have holiday homes.
-o0o-
FARMING IN CORNWALL IN THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES
John Leland's view of Cornwall in the early sixteenth century was of an uneven
landscape of rich
cultivated land and barren wasteland. The amount of corn grown, for instance,
was inadequate to
meet the needs of the county and much was imported from other counties. Carew,
in his survey,
thought that the Cornish had neglected husbandry in favour of tin mining, but
when the mines began
to fail and the population continued to increase they were constrained to return
to agriculture and
had since become very proficient in it. Techniques to improve the land were
developed and Cornwall
became well known for such ideas. They used sand from beaches to help lighten
the consistency of
the soil in the fields. Carew reports the use of 'ore-weed' to improve land
for barley production.
In the early seventeenth century Cornwall was principally a pastoral county,
particularly in the
Eastern parishes around Bodmin moor. Quantities of wool were produced but the
economy was
more mixed with arable and dairy farming constituting the major contribution.
The quality of the soil
and shelter from the Atlantic weather lessened further east in the county and
farming changed
accordingly.
Few farmers in the western counties could afford to specialize in a single
form of husbandry and a
range of livestock would be kept including sheep, pigs and poultry. Cows were
less common in
Western Cornwall as providers of milk because of the sparse pasture and goats
would have been
kept for dairy produce. By the 1600s much of the land had been enclosed and
there was an
increasing cultivation of what had previously been waste land. Wheat was grown
where conditions
allowed. Two types of wheat were planted, a bearded variety on the better soils
and 'knotweed' with
a lower yield on the poorer land. Hardier corn crops such as oats and barley
and rye were also
cultivated.
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CRAWLE (otherwise recorded as Crohall, Cariohall etc)
The name of Crawle has existed since before being recorded in Domesday in 1086
(as Cariorgal).
The name is derived from 'caer' meaning "camp" and 'iorchell' meaning
"roebuck". In the Royal
Institution of Cornwall is a ledger which has a handwritten account of the activity
at manorial courts
in Cornwall and includes references to Crawle. This ledger shows earlier references
to Crawle as "
Kyaryhoghall" and "Kariahoil". (see attached images). Although
Crawle is mentioned in 1086, its
connection with the Ripper family has not been traced to a time earlier than
the mid-1500s when it
was the home of William Repper and his wife Joan. William lived at Crawle, in
the manor of
Pengwedna which was within the parish of Breage. When Joan was buried in 1561
she was
recorded as Joan Rypper of Cariohall.
It has not been shown on maps since the late 1800s when it was shown as Crawle.
This was the
final spelling of the name. It amounted to about ten fields and a small area
of settlement. Today the
settlement site can still be identified by field boundaries and small remains
of low walls amidst
nettles and bramble and is now regarded as a "lost" settlement,
Part of Crawle now constitutes a part of Trenear Farm. Trenear Farm has passed
through the hands
of the Duke of Leeds, the Trevaskis and the Adams families and is now owned
by Willie
Goldsworthy and his mother-in-law (27th October 1995). There are transfer documents
and leases
in the County Record Office showing the various tenants of the land from the
1500s.
Today, just to the north of what was the settlement part of Crawle, stands
a windpump which draws
water which is pumped uphill to a feeder tank which supplies clean fresh water
to Trenear. The
windpump is marked on Ordnance Survey maps at location SW617313. The extent
of the settlement
known as Crawle can be seen on the tithe map of Breage (dated 1786), an extract
of which is
attached.
The settlement part of Crawle is best approached from Godolphin Cross, taking
the eastbound road
from the crossroads in the centre of the village. The road drops down to Ruthdower
Cottage and
then rises up the hill past Trenear farm entrance on the left. A few hundred
yards further on, again
on the left, is the entrance to Treleggo farm. Immediately past this on the
opposite side of the road is
the northern end of a lane leading towards Polladras, called Crohall Lane in
1647. Travelling south
along Crohall Lane, the second gate on the right provides access to what was
the settlement part of
Crawle. The plot is triangular, roughly equilateral, the 30 yard stretch on
Crohall Lane forming its
eastern boundary. The western point of the triangle looks towards Tregonning
Hill on the skyline.
Just a couple of fields just beyond the western edge of Crawle can be seen the
remains of the
engine house of a mine.
The existence of Crawle was recalled by the farmer Willie Goldsworthy, but
the buildings have
disappeared following a fire at some time in the late 1930's. He recalled them
as being of cob
construction (mud & dung & straw etc) and the roof level of the single
floor building as being very
low. There were two additional outhouses - a cow shed and a barn. It seems there
are no current
plans to farm or develop this piece of land.
In "Cornwall and Its People" by A K Hamilton Jenkin there is a description
of a typical Cornish home
of the sixteenth century and includes earlier contributions from Richard Carew.
It reads as follows ..
"Both in outward appearance and in the scantiness of their furnishings
such houses can hardly have
differed much from the hovels described by Richard Carew as long ago as the
middle of the
sixteenth century. At that date, however, 'walls of earth, low-thatched roofs,
few partitions, no
planchings (wooden foors) or glasse windows, and scarcely any chimnies other
than a hole in the
wall to let out the smoke: their bed, straw, and a blanket', and their furniture
a 'mazer and a panne or
two', comprised the substance of even the better class of Cornish husbandman."
A K Hamilton Jenkin also records the content of " ...one of Mr Bottrell's
folk tales. Herein a certain
Aunt Betty describes to a visitor the way in which her family contrived to find
sleeping accomodation
at night. 'The babies' she remarks, 'I do put in the costan (straw basket),
the smaller ones get up on
the talfat and stretch themselves in the bed, around the bed and under the bed
as they like.' The
talfat, to which Aunt Betty referred, consisted of a stage of boards placed
immediately under the roof,
and extending over one half of the living room. Sometimes the former was screened
off by planks
nailed from its flooring to the key beam above; but more often it simply had
a railing, placed so as to
prevent anyone from falling into the room below. 'Then look' continued Aunt
Betty, 'at that little bunk
in the top of the wood corner. That was the one which Tom (her husband) made
out of some wreck
timber the other day so the boys might have a place to themselves. As you see,
he put in two strong
beams to reach from the wall-plat to the other side of the chimney, and then
put some planks upon
them. To be sure the place isn't so deep as it ought to be for the boys to stretch
out full length; but
what matter? They like it well enough, and their legs hanging down over when
they have a mind to
stretch will make them grow all the longer!"
The manor court of Pengwedna was sometimes held at Cariohall but more often
at Prospidneck in
neighbouring Sithney, probably for convenience.
The lease of Cariohall was granted to William Ripper's sons,William and John
Ripper on 16 January
1577.
On 24 October 1586 the Court Rolls show that John & William Ripper surrendered
the lease on the
tenement in Cariohall and a new lease was granted to John Ripper, his son John
Ripper and
Constance Squire, the daughter of Richard Squire, deceased. In January 1587
John's son, John,
married Constance Squire.
William and his family occupied the nearby Ruthdower Mill.
A list of tenants in 1640 shows the name of Thomas Ripper, son of John and
Constance, and his
tenancy of Crawle is well documented in his biographical notes.
After Thomas' death Crawle was occupied by his sons Edward & Daniel.
In 1701, the freehold ownership of Crawle was transferred to Nicholas Tyacke
from the Godolphin
family with the proviso that Blanche, the widow of Edward Ripper should live
there until her death.
Upon her death in 1703, it appears that the only other Ripper occupants were
the descendants of
Henry and Jane Ripper who seemed to be only conventionary tenants with small
holdings. Therefore
they had no control over what happened to the land. The last Ripper occupant
was likely to have
been William Ripper and his wife Elizabeth (nee Pengelly) who married in 1703,
had a son Edward
in 1704 and at some point moved to a piece of land on Trenwheal Down which William
enclosed. It
is possible that William's sisters Ann and Mary along with their illegitimate
children Margaret,
Jennifer, Richard and Maria remained in residence at Crawl but these families
had no security of
tenure there.
The parish records of the 19th century and the early censuses give an insight
into the development
at Crawle and the families who lived there. From 1827 the occupations given
for all the families who
lived at Crawle were recorded as miners with one exception - John Adams was
recorded at his
marriage to Elizabeth Richards in 1845 as a farmer. In the mid 1800s the families
recorded as living
at Crawle were: Adams, Bassett, Blee, Carlyon, Champion, Coles, Gidley, Moyle,
Peters, Paull,
Thomas, Tonkin, West and Williams.
-o0o-
THE DEERPARK AND WARREN__Probably created by Sir Alexander Godolghan around
1300,
the deerpark and warren were symbols of wealth and affluence. The deerpark encompassed
most of
the hill and the fields that ran down to the manor, as well as a large tract
of land on the northern side
of the hill reaching as far as the River Hayle. The entire area was surrounded
by a deep ditch and a
high hedge known as a deer pale, constructed to allow deer on the outside to
jump in, but made it
difficult for deer on the inside to jump out. A large part of the deer pale
is still intact today.
__Remnants of the deer herd lingered on until the mid-19th century. Hounds chased
one almost to
Camborne, where it dropped dead from exhaustion. A second was shot at nearby
Crawle. The third
and last deer was trapped at Carsluick, where the farmer had become so incensed
by the animal
ravaging his crops that he set a trap made from an upturned harrow in a pit.
When the animal
jumped over the hedge, it became impaled and the farmer then secretly butchered
the deer.__In
mediaeval times, rabbits were imported from the Mediterranean and accommodation
was provided
for them in the form of pillow mounds. These were earth mounds with small stone
chambers inside
where the rabbits could shelter from the wet and cold. Rabbit meat was considered
a great delicacy
and to possess a colony was another sign of affluence.
THE EARLIEST RIPPER FAMILY IN CORNWALL
Studies by Stoate have shown that Cornish households in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries
predominantly provided homes for families of about eight people. It is reasonable
to expect that
these would frequently be extended families of three generations.
The records in Breage which will identify firm relationships in this family
during the 1500s are scant
and many issues are unlikley to be resolved from this distance in time.
From 1560 onwards there are many entries of baptisms, marriages and burials
of Ripper/Repper
family members, indicating the presence of the family in Breage from 1540 onwards,
and potentially
even earlier.
Establishing relationships has been supported in some instances by the use
of aliases. Some
incumbents of the parish of Breage, when recording baptisms, marriages and burials
of their flock
have helpfully identified them by using place names or other family names as
aliases. There are
records which show the use of the surname Ripper and an alias, but some which
just show the alias
as the surname. For instance Edward Ripper or Crohall is a reasonable indication
that Edward
Ripper lived at Crawle. In the Poll Tax returns of 1660 we find two entries
which read "Edward
Ripper and wife". One Edward is recorded as living at Crawle, the other
at Trescawe. This use of
aliases has been critical to the construction of this family tree. The Crohall/Crawle
alias has been
used over 6 generations of the descendants of John and Janet.
There are also naming patterns for children to which many of the families conform.
A first son is
frequently named after the father of the child, a second son after the paternal
grandfather, a first
daughter after the mother etcetera. This has also been useful in reasoning the
correct lineage of
family members.
The relationships for the first generation have been reasoned in the following manner:
There appear to be eight Rippers who were born in the mid 1500s with proven
marriages from
whom the current families descend. It has been assumed that these are all of
the same generation
as the marriage dates identified are in a narrow range from about 1560 to 1578.
The naming
patterns, particularly of the first born, provide an indication of relationships.
It may not be reasonable
to link them all as siblings (bearing the levels of infant mortality at the
time), but their surnames are
all variants of Ripper with life events in Breage. Dividing the family group
into parts would be
reasonable based upon the family size. Whilst large families are not uncommon,
family sizes of two
or three surviving children are more the norm than eight surviving breeding
children at this time. If
they are not siblings then their relationships are close.
In order to ensure this notional grouping the "head" of the line
has been named as Ripper Ripper.
His sons are William Ripper and Ripper Two and Ripper Three.
William and his family (William and John) tend towards farming and then mining
as their primary
form of income. Their early interest was as farmers at Crawle. As the family
developed John's
branch stayed at their homestead at Crawle whilst William's branch became millers
at Ruthdower.
Both families are mentioned in land leases as well as wills which record the
passing of estate from
one generation to another. As well as the content of these documents and the
aliases, the relative
prosperity of the families has been useful in establishing relationships.