In earlier times, amongst ordinary folk, it was often the case that when one of the partners of a marriage passed away at a relatively young age, their spouse would remarry quickly if there were young children to be looked after. The widower would need a mother for his children. The widow would need a husband to provide income. Sometimes a person would need to remarry more than once. There can have been little of romance in these arrangements, but despite all the folktales of wicked stepmothers and stepfathers, it was often the case that genuine affection developed between the man and the woman, and also between step siblings.

This is the story of Joyce of Chorley, Stottesdon who married three times. It seems likely that Joyce was not necessarily forced to remarry for monetary reasons. Her first husband came of a wealthy family and her second was certainly not badly off. Joyce would have been entitled to a third of the disposable goods of her deceased husbands, and a house in which to live. Indeed we know that by 1632 she had acquired a copyhold estate in Chorley, as in that year she obtained a new grant for three lives on the property. Joyce may, therefore, have had an ‘eye for the main chance’ but she also needed a father for her children. She must have been a woman of great character but was also affectionate and motherly as there is much evidence of harmony in her extended household and affection between her children from three different fathers.

Joyce was born as Joyce Reynolds about 1575 and married Edward Crump in 1598. Edward came from a wealthy family of lawyers and landowners. They had one known child, John Crump, who was baptised in 1600. Edward, however, died only three years later, in 1603.

In the meantime James Watmore who was born before 1564 at Stottesdon (his baptism is not in the parish registers which are extant from that year onwards), reached manhood and married his first wife whose name is unknown. They had one child, Joan Watmore, who was baptised on 7 April 1588  at Stottesdon.

James Watmore was one of the many children of William Watmore the Elder and his wife Margaret Parkes, and was the  brother of the famous William Watmer who became Mayor of Canterbury.

James’s first wife died young and in 1603 he remarried to Joyce Crump, nee Reynolds.

The known children of James and Joyce Watmore were:

William Watmore born 1605 who married Marjory Baker in 1636.

Joyce Watmore born 1606 who married Richard Wyer in 1626.

Francis Watmore born 1608 – of whom more later.

Margaret Watmore born 1611 who married Thomas Watmore in 1635. (Margaret and Thomas were second cousins twice removed).

James Watmore died in 1614 and Joyce was left a widow for the second time. That same year she married again to a Thomas Nicholls by whom she had two further children – Ann Nicholls and Elizabeth Nicholls.

Thomas Nicholls died in 1640 and Joyce was left a widow for the third time. Joyce died in 1651 and was buried on 19 April 1651 at Stottesdon.

A further complication was added to this family tree by the marriage of Joan Watmore (daughter of James by his first wife) to John Crump (son of Joyce by her first marriage).

  Click to enlarge

The font at Stottesdon church where all of Joyce’s children were baptised      Copyright: Rhys Whatmore

In addition to this marriage, there is other  evidence of the affection between the step siblings in Joyce’s crowded house at Chorley. A major piece of evidence is the will of Francis Watmore who was the son of James Watmore and Joyce and who died in 1634. Francis’ will is a most remarkable document in that he made some provision for each of a total of twenty-four relatives. Geoffrey Whatmore, our family historian, has transcribed Francis’s will and has provided the following tabulation of the bequests made:

TO

Joyce Nicholls                          (amount not known)                 his mother

John Crump                              40s                               his brother in law married

                                                                                    to his half sister

John Crump’s four children      40s each                        his half nephew and nieces

Joan Crump                              20s                              his half sister

William Watmore                     £10                             his brother

Margaret Watmore                  £20                             his sister

Elizabeth Nicholls                     £8                              his half sister

Ann Nicholls                            £8                              his half sister

Richard Wyer                          40s                            his brother in law

Joyce Wyer                             40s                            his sister

Richard Wyer                           £3                            his nephew

Joyce Wyer                              £3                            his niece

Thomas Reynold’s children       12d each                 the children of his mother’s

                                                                               brother

Thomas Watmore’s children      12d each                 his father’s brother

John Reynold’s children            12d each                 the children of his mother’s

                                                                               brother

Anne Hammond’s children        12d each                 not identified

Thomas Watmore of Sidbury     12d                        his cousin

John, William and Thomas

Watmore and their sister

Joyce of Chorley                       12d each                 his second or third cousins

Thomas Nicholls                        40s                         his stepfather

I am most grateful to Geoffrey Whatmore for his permission to reproduce this table and indeed for the whole of this story which is taken from one of his publications.

 If you have enjoyed this story, you will probably enjoy the many other true  family stories which are to be found in Geoffrey Whatmore’s family publications. These are ‘Wat’s Brother in Law’ (CD ROM)  and ‘Whatmore Panorama’ (Book). Further details of these can be found at www.genfair.com  Look under ‘Suppliers’ for ‘Whatmore Family History’.