Hingstons at Diptford


This listing is an amalgam of information from WEH as listed in the Vine Tree and information from Gail Pullyblank, OPC for Diptford. WEH consistently uses Deptford but it is likely that he is conflating two places, Diptford in Devon, and Deptford in London. In Vine it is referred to as "near Brent", and indeed Diptford is only 3 miles from South Brent (frequently known just as Brent). Many of the entries in Vine are indeed in the PRs at Brent, so the assumption must be that he did intend this to refer to Diptford. However, in his letter to the Tasmanian Hingstons, he refers to his great-grandfather, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, being married in Deptford (that would have been in 1770). There is no suitable marriage in Diptford, or indeed Devon, and at this time WEH says his family were firmly based in Ireland; it is more likely that he was here referring to Deptford, next to Greenwich in London, which was the main London base of the Royal Navy.

WEH assumes that Jessie and his brother are incomers and founded the Hingston line in Diptford, but we know that the Devon Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1543/5 show that Thomas Hengston and Thomasina Hengston, a widow, were living here at that time.

Generation No. 1

JESSIE (JESSE) HINGSTON (757 in Vine) According to Vine he was one of two brothers who settled in Deptford (sic - Diptford?), near Brent, about 1650, but he doesn't name the other brother. Vine says that he married MARGARET 2413. The PRs show that on 3 Feb 1653 Margaret wife of ??? Hingston was buried, and on 8 Mar 1654 Jesse Hingston was buried (Vine says he died 28 Mar 1654). If the dates for his daughter make sense, Jessie would have been born about 1600, or earlier.

Jessie and Margaret had two children

HUGH HINGSTON is not mentioned explicitly in Vine, but it is likely that he was the unnamed brother. The PRs show that his wife WILMONT was buried 2 Dec 1653 and Hugh was buried 26 May 1665. These names and dates match the entries for Hugh and Wilmont at the head of Tree HC.

Generation No. 2

HENRY HINGSTON (Vine 759). Probably born c. 1630, son of Jessie and Margaret. Was married to JOAN (2505), and was buried 22 Jun 1676 (PR).

Henry and Joan had four children (probably born c. 1660-1676)

Generation No. 3

WILLIAM HINGSTON (Vine 760) was the son of Henry 759 and Joan 2505, probably born about 1660. He married ANN 2506, and was buried 31 Jan 1693 (PR). It seems likely that Ann remarried; the PRs show that on 18 Aug 1695 ANN HINGSTON married JOHN PURDONNE and she seems to be the only candidate.

William and Ann had issue

JOHN HINGSTON (Vine 762) was the son of Henry 759 and Joan 2505, probably born about 1765. He married to MARY 2369, of Deptford, who was buried 27 Aug 1701 (PR).

John and Mary had four children:


The following entries are in the Parish Registers for Diptford but are not mentioned by Vine and do not fit obviously into the trees above.

Baptism
1708 Mar 06 John the base born of Elizabeth HINGSTON
1725 May 03 William the base child of Elizabeth HINGSTON

Marriage
1665 Oct 19 James CHOWNE & Elizabeth daughter of John HINGSTON of Blackawton

Burial
1715 Feb 10 Elizabeth wife of John HINGSTON and servant of Anthony RIDOE??? (This could refer to a second wife for John (Vine 762) or a wife of John (Vine 766))


Chris Burgoyne 19 Sep 2009