Cheesman page

My paternal line. My grandfather, Samuel Percy Cheesman (1895-1978) was born at Brighton, East Sussex but all his paternal ancestors so far discovered came from Coldwaltham, West Sussex. Coldwaltham is a small village in the middle of West Sussex, south of Pulborough. My ancestors mostly lived in its hamlet of Watersfield. The earlier generations lived at the extreme western edge of Watersfield and usually married in the church at Bury rather than at Coldwaltham.

Samuel Percy Cheesman (1895-1978) married Amy Louise DYBALL (1898-1971) of Norfolk at Brighton in 1924. They had four children who survived childhood.

Samuel Percy Cheesman was the second child of the four born to Samuel Cheesman (1867-1953) and Sarah Anne JARVIS (1863-1946) who married at Hove in 1891. Two of the four children died young and Samuel Percy was the only one who had children. Samuel was a policeman in the Brighton and Hove police force. He returned to live at Coldwaltham on retirement.

Samuel Cheesman (1867-1953) was the eighth of the 10 children of Hayward Cheesman (1830-99) and Elizabeth BARNES (1833-98) who married at Coldwaltham in 1852. Hayward was usually listed as an 'Ag Lab' but he is believed to have spent some time working as a shepherd. Three of Hayward's other children died young, the remaining six were: George, Mary, Maurice, Alban, James and Fanny Georgina.

Hayward's two brothers, Thomas (1826-93) and George (1832-92), also lived at Coldwaltham. In 1848 Thomas married Ann BARNES (1829-1907) who was an older sister of Hayward's wife. In 1860 George married Mary HENLEY (1831-1902) who was a first cousin of the Barnes sisters. These three Cheesman families produced 28 children between them, although cousins their relationship to each other was actually much closer than usual. See the article "Double Cousins?", Sussex Family Historian, Vol. 11, No. 7 September 1995, p264.

The fate of 10 of these Cheesman cousins is totally unknown and little is known about many of the others after they married. Connections sought for Alban, Ann, Esau, Fanny Georgina, Frank, Frederick, George, James, Jane, Mary, Maurice, Simeon, Thomas. All born at Coldwaltham, Watersfield or Bury between 1853 and 1871, all names unique except for two Marys (1856 and 1871). Alban married Mercy GALE (born 1858/9 Frome, Somerset) at Hove in 1886 where he was working as a Police Constable, he also let rooms later. Alban and Mercy had at least five children. Esau was visiting his married sister Frances (GOBLE, wife of John) at Hove in 1881. Frank married Mary STEDMAN (alias OSBORNE) in 1892 and had at least four children, he was a Railway Plate Layer at Warningcamp in 1891 & 1901. George was a Soldier in the barracks at Colchester, Essex in 1881. James was a Gardener at Goring in 1881. Maurice and his wife Charlotte had three children baptised at Coldwaltham in the late 1890s but had left there before 1901. Simeon married Emily HAMMOND in 1896 at Coldwaltham but they were not there in 1901.

Hayward Cheesman (1830-99) was the fifth child of the six born to John Cheesman (1792-1834) and Ann BUNGARD (1796-1835) who married at Bury in 1820. John was a farmer but he and his wife died in their early forties leaving the young orphaned Cheesmans to be brought up by their Bungard grandparents at Ridge Farm in Watersfield. Two of the orphans died in their teens. Ridge Farm had been owned by John's father, William; John was the youngest son so he had probably inherited the farm in the traditional way for Sussex where it was usually passed to the youngest rather than the eldest son. Hayward's sister Frances Cheesman (1824-?) married Richard LEGGETT in 1848, they had two children before Richard died at Storrington in 1850. These two children, Alfred and Elizabeth LEGGETT, then lived with Hayward and his family. Elizabeth's son Maurice Cox LEGGETT also later lived with Hayward. I haven't discovered what became of Frances.


	Bury church from the bank of the river Arun. Drawn by my aunt, Anne Cheesman.

John Cheesman (1792-1834) was the last of the nine known children of William Cheesman (1735-1813) and Jane WOODS (1749-1822) who married at Bury in 1773. William Cheesman was a yeoman and was able to afford a gravestone at his death. His burial entry in the parish register is confusing, it says he was 64 rather than his actual 78. His MI says he was in his 80th year which is only slightly out. This mystery was solved when I realised that his wife was 64 at the time her husband was buried, she must have given her age rather than his to the parish clerk/vicar! West Sussex Land Tax records for 1785 show that William Cheesman was the owner and occupier of Ridge Farm at Coldwaltham. This was on the western edge of Coldwaltham's hamlet of Watersfield.

Five of William and Jane's other children are known to have married and had children of their own:
(1) Their first child, Fanny WOODS (1771-aft.1851), was illegitimate but married Jesse HUMPHREY (1770-?) as Frances CHEESMAN in 1792. Jesse (Jasper) and Fanny had eight children and most of the HUMPHREYs at Coldwaltham were descended from them.
(2) Their second, William Cheesman (1774-1834), married Frances STEYNING (c1776-1811) in 1800 and had four children. After Frances's death William was removed to the poorhouse at Sutton but later moved to Sidlesham. His son William (1810-aft.1881) married Catherine BROADBRIDGE in 1838 and they moved to Selsey, then to Havant, Hampshire.
(3) Their third, George Cheesman (1776-1850), married Charlotte BRISTOW (1784?-1870) at Hardham in 1803, they had ten children there before moving back to Coldwaltham for two more. Only two of these children are known to have left descendants: Elizabeth (1822-88) married James EDE (born 1823 at Bury, died 1884) at Brighton in 1858, they had two children at Coldwaltham where James was the Blacksmith (I have a contact for this line). One of James and Elizabeth's children was Clara EDE (1861-?) who married her second cousin Albert Luke FOARD in 1888. Albert is mentioned below, he was the grandson of George's sister Hannah. Elizabeth's brother Charles Cheesman (1824-aft.1891) married Emma BACON/BEACON at Tangmere in 1848, they had six children at Brighton from 1851, at least three of Charles and Emma's sons started families at Brighton in the late 1800s.
(4) Their fifth, Charlotte Cheesman (1779-1839), married John DEARLING (c1776-aft.1861) in 1799 and had five children at Coldwaltham. These children produced many descendants at Coldwaltham and the rest of Sussex, other surnames involved here include BANYARD, BURTON, CARN, SCUTT, SHEPPARD and SMITH.
(5) Their eighth, Hannah Cheesman (1790-1860), married Luke LEE (c1789-1849) at Greatham in 1812 and had six children at Coldwaltham. Luke LEE was a farmer (possibly at Waltham Park) and he may also have had a second farm at nearby Sutton. Hannah left a will and named four of her children, the other two had died young:
(5a) Her youngest son, George LEE (1823-aft.1901), became a farmer at Coldwaltham and had another farm at Lurgashall. George LEE married Emma SCOTCHFORD and had one son, George (1865-aft.1901) who had at least seven children with Mary Ann SMART.
(5b) Hannah's oldest son William LEE (1813-aft.1891) was only an Ag Lab and may have worked for his younger brother George. William LEE married Sarah STEVENS (born Hayling Island, Hampshire) and they had ten children at Coldwaltham. These ten children produced at least 40 grandchildren for William and Sarah and were born at Amberley, Bepton, Birmingham (Warwickshire), Bury, Cocking, Coldwaltham, Fernhurst, Greatham, Lurgashall and Thakeham. Surnames of William and Sarah's married daughters were BLACKMAN, CATON, PADDOCK and SEARLE.
(5c) One of Hannah's daughters, Hannah Latitia LEE (1826-?), married William FOARD (born 1824/5 at Chichester) in 1850 at Pulborough and had eight children at Pulborough and Coldwaltham. William FOARD was a cattle dealer, at least five of their children married: Anna Amelia FOARD (1850-aft.1901) married James BARNETT in 1872 at Coldwaltham; William Henry FOARD (1854-?) married Alice STEWART in 1879 at Forest Row; Fanny FOARD (1857-?) married David JOINER (1853-?) in 1878 at Coldwaltham; Charlotte Cheesman FOARD (1860-?) married Walter WHITE (born 1861/2 Duncton) in 1881; James Clement FOARD (1862-?) may have married Anne HARWOOD in 1886 and Albert Luke FOARD (1864-?) married Clara EDE in 1888 at Stone next Dartford, Kent. David JOINER's mother was Eliza HENLEY (1816-aft.1881) who was the half-sister of the mother of Elizabeth BARNES (1833-98), wife of Hayward Cheesman (1830-99). Clara EDE's mother was Elizabeth CHEESMAN, daughter of Hannah Cheesman's older brother George, Clara Ede and Albert Foard were therefore second cousins. Albert and Clara Foard were at Coldwaltham in 1891 and 1901, they are not known to have had any children.

William Cheesman (1735-1813) was the second child of the three born to John Cheesman (1698-1761) and his first wife Elizabeth RUDDELL/RIDDELL (died 1739) who married at Bury in 1733. John then married Susannah HATTON (died 1780) at Bury in 1745 and they had at least four children. John and Elizabeth's other children were John (1734-1806) and Mercy (1739-?). Mercy had two illegitimate children before marrying Jacob SLAUTER in 1766 at Fittleworth. Later that year they were removed by court order from Coldwaltham to West Chiltington where they had five children, they then moved to Arundel where they had four more. There is no further trace of any of them on the IGI.

John (1734-1806) married Hester PAINE (1743-1812) at South Bersted in 1764. They had nine children at Coldwaltham but only two are known to have left descendants; another two probably married but are not known to have had any children. John left a will and named four of his children plus one granddaughter, I have also found several mentions for children of John and Hester in various other records at West Sussex Record Office:
(a) Sarah (1766-aft.1851), wife of John TUESLEY, was mentioned in John's will, they married in 1789. They were then removed from Coldwaltham because John Tuesley was deemed to have settlement rights at Burpham. They had nine children there, at least six of whom married, one died, the other two probably married but I have found no further trace of them. Several of the married daughters moved back north to Petworth or Pulborough, surnames involved are DALMON, HOLDER and PARKER. One of Sarah's grandchildren created an odd puzzle, she was Jane PARKER who was born at Pulborough in 1851. This turned out to be quite confusing as another Jane Parker born in the same year also at Pulborough married John DOWNER (1845-1906) who appears in my maternal tree. The two Janes were almost certainly cousins.
(b) Elizabeth (1770-aft.1851), wife of John WEST, was mentioned in her father's will. The WESTs are not known to have had any children. The widowed Elizabeth West was running a grocer's shop at Coldwaltham in 1841 and 51.
(c) Joseph (1773-1811) was mentioned in his father's will, he probably married Mary MOOREY in 1805 at Middleton by Bognor but he and his wife (unnamed in the court order) were removed from Climping in 1807 to Coldwaltham (actually to the poorhouse at Sutton where he was very ill). He is not known to have had any children.
(d) Clement (1776-1800) had a daughter Charlotte baptised at Coldwaltham in 1798 with his wife Mary. At about the same time Mary applied for parish relief at Washington for herself, and the two month old Charlotte, because Clement was in the Militia. Washington cross-charged Coldwaltham the sum of 3/- (three shillings) per week. Clement was serving in place of William PARKHURST of Washington, it seems probable that something to do with Clement's militia service caused his early death. Charlotte is mentioned in her grandfather's will.
(e & f) Job (1779-?) and Luke (1783-?) were also mentioned in their father's will, Luke was left his father's hens. I have found no further trace of Job or Luke.

John Cheesman (1698-1761) was the fifth child of the six born to Thomas Cheesman (1655-1702) and Ann MILLS (died 1743) who married at Coldwaltham in 1691. Only one of Thomas and Ann's other children is known to have had children: Anne (1693-?) married Thomas BLABER (1684-?) in 1720 at Coldwaltham and had at least three children in Thomas's home parish of Yapton.

Thomas 1655-1702) was the son of Thomas and Bridget Cheesman but the line prior to this couple has not been established. Thomas and Bridget only seem to have had one other child baptised at Coldwaltham. This was Elizabeth (1666-?) who married Edward NOISE in 1687, they may then have had children, including a Bridget, at South Bersted. Bridget was a fairly popular name at that time and several suitable ones were born at Coldwaltham but no marriage and no suitable baptism for Thomas Cheesman senior have been found.

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Although they are not related to me I am also interested in the Cheesmans who ran a china shop at 169 North Street, Brighton from at least 1851 to 1930. The business may have been started by in the 1790s, possibly by a William Cheesman.

Many of the other Cheesmans at Brighton in the census returns are related to my other contacts so I would like to hear from anyone with Chees(e)mans at Brighton in the 1800s.

Hopefully the following photographs may suggest familial links.

Myself (top left), siblings, father and grandparents. Paternal grandparents Samuel Percy Cheesman and Amy Louise (née DYBALL) in centre, maternal grandparents Julia Ethel (née VALDER) and Edward George OLLIVER on right.

Myself (seated), parents, siblings and their spouses and children.

My father and his siblings, plus their spouses and all their descendants.


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