The Cheesman Family of Brighton
New page December 2004
updated 27/2/2006
This page is dedicated to the extended Cheesman family
descended from John Cheesman, born in Brighton before 1767. It has grown from
my own research into my mother's family.
The Cheesman family who
settled in America have their own page - click here
Vicki Morrison's biography of her branch
of the Cheesman family in America and the UK- click here
My family, including my immediate Cheesman
line, can be found on my Family history page - Click here
Site map and useful family history links -
click here
To go to our family homepage
click here
I would be interested to hear more about any of these
entries or swap information - to
e-mail me click here
principal names -
Chandler,
Cheesman/Cheeseman, Childrens/Childens, Davies,
Dymock, Gilburd, Kitchener, Pocock
I am researching names connected with my family - so far the most interesting
group has been the CHEESMAN family in the Brighton area of Sussex- not all are
related of course, but they make up the vast majority of the three hundred-plus
names on file so far!
Until recently all references were to the United Kingdom and, indeed, virtually
all to Southern England, except for one member of the Cheesman family who emigrated
to Australia, although I know little of him. However, I have recently been contacted
by Vicki Morrison who turns out to be distantly related. she has added a large
and thriving American connection. This is covered in a new 'American
Cheesman line' page, and I now host her own family
biography.
As the information has built up I have found other interesting Cheesman families
in the Brighton area - these are covered very briefly in another page - The
Name Cheesman in Brighton, Sussex. There are also useful research links
on my links page, including the Guild of One-Name Studies
Out of respect for my family's privacy, all specific family references will
end at 1900. however, I will allow more recent general references to some of
the more illustrious people.
John Hoare December 2004
My CHEESMAN family line (from my mother) has proved the most interesting
so far. I have built up a 'database' of some four hundred names in the Brighton
area of Sussex, although many connections are still to be established. I am
happy to swap information with other researchers. the subject is covered in
an article published in the 'Sussex Family Historian',
the journal of the Sussex Family History Group.
The line I have traced so far starts with John. In the baptism records at
Brighton, Sussex,for September 1767 he was quoted as 'John Cheesman, baseborn
son of Barbara Children'. This wording probably indicates
a reference to someone called Cheesman, but I it would be no more than a guess
that this was the name of the father. However, Barbara seems to have come from
a desperately poor family, receiving support under the poor law. John could
not have succeeded in life as he did without a good education and at least some
money.
John, although base born, went on to father a dozen children, and died in
1823 making provision for his family in a will which includes several houses
and tracts of land. He was certainly 'in the right place at the right time'
as the patronage of George IV led to the expansion of Brighton, but it seems
likely that he started out at least with a good education and some money behind
him. Perhaps his father - Cheesman? - was from a good family - perhaps Barbara
was a servant? This would fit the facts, but is currently no more than supposition.
Perhaps he was one of the younger sons of the Shoreham Cheesman family, but
records are incomplete and I have found nothing to confirm this other than a
hunch. There was also an Edward Cheesman living in Brighton in 1799. John's
first son John died as an infant, but his next son, also John, prospered. This
John also made a will, having apparently invested his money. Some of the family
were to prosper, but sadly my direct line shows very limited signs of affluence!
From 1791 to 1799 the children of the family were Christened at 'North Street
Duchess of Huntingdon's or dissenting Protestants' Church in Brighton. Before
and after this flirtation the family church was St. Nicholas, Brighton.
The new workhouse built in 1822 was the work
of a John Cheeseman, presumed to be one of this family, and a John Cheeseman
was awarded the contract to 'scavenge' (clean the streets - a valuable source
of manure) in 1818. However, there were complaints, and he lost the contract!
George, the third son, known as George the elder, was a master builder, trading
with his son Charles as George Cheesman and sons, and they were both very involved
in the business life of Brighton. George's son George the younger also worked
as a builder, often designing buildings for his father's company, but was not
the son in 'George & son'. The first George also had a son Stephen, who
became a ship owner. In fact, the whole family were very active in Sussex as
builders and ship owners and operators. This line of research has uncovered
a large amount of fascinating information and is covered in four separate pages
-
THE CHEESMAN FAMILY BUILDERS,
THE CHEESMAN FAMILY SHIP OWNERS,
GEORGE
CHEESMAN SENIOR
GEORGE CHEESMAN THE YOUNGER
George the younger was a remarkable character. Whilst in his early twenties
he eloped to Gretna Green just over the border in Scotland, and married Emma
Chandler. Emma was from Brighton like George, aged about seventeen, and her
father was dead. They returned to Brighton and were married under English law
three weeks later. They had three children, all girls. The second of these,
Isabella Maria, born 1841, never married and stayed closely connected with her
father and his second family all her life. I have recently been sent a copy
of a family photograph of George. My guess is that it was taken about 1870.
Emma died in 1855 aged only 37.
Because of problems with the index of the English civil records, George's
second marriage details proved elusive for many years, but now thanks to the
help of a chance note from a contact on the internet, all is revealed! George
re-married in 1859 to Amelia Caroline DAVIES (left),
twenty one years his junior. The marriage took place in Hastings with the mayor
of Brighton as one of the witnesses. George and Amelia had two sons and two
daughters - Edmund George, Alfred Addison, Jessie Amelia, and Edith May. At
some stage George retired from building and moved to Tunbridge Wells. The American
line is covered in its own page.
Alfred Addison
(pictured at an early age on the right) fought in the Boer War. It would seem
from newspaper reports in the US 'Tonganoxie Mirror', based on letters to his
brother Edmund George, that he was in the Cavalry: one report mentions that
he had his horse shot from under him. Alfred seems to have had a lifelong love
of horses - he apparently spent many years travelling between England and America
in connection with the horse breeding trade. My American relatives believe that
he was involved in the introduction of Arab horses to America, with his English
base in Cheltenham. He eventually married at the age of 50, and seems to have
settled back in that city. I understand that his son was Major George (known
as 'Cheese') Cheesman, who was a very distinguished airman in the Second World
War. He rose to the rank of Major in the Royal Marines and was awarded the DSO,
MBE and DSC for his bravery. Although I am proud to be distantly related to
this man, I don't think it would be correct to go into more detail here. His
achievements are however recorded in the Fleet Air Arm archive.
(The Distinguished Service Order medal is a British award for gallantry,
almost always in action. It was first awarded in 1886 and rates second only
to the Victoria Cross.)
There was another George, the nephew of George the younger (b. about 1849,
died after 1885), who was a solicitor in Brighton
The seventh child of John, Cornelius
CHEESMAN, my great-great-great grandfather, was born in 1801, and referred
to himself as 'CHEESMAN CHILDENS': this incorporation of the name CHILDENS or
CHILDRENS in various forms continued into living memory, although nobody in
the family knew of its origins. He married Mary Maria DYMOCK by licence.
The earliest ancestors I have traced with any certainty are George and Arabella
CHILDRENS. They lived in the Hartfield area (East of Gatwick, in Sussex), and
would have been born at the beginning of the 18th century, having seven children
between 1729 and 1747. Barbara was the fourth, born in 1736. In 1742 the family
are recorded as living in Hartfield, but supported by East Grinstead Parish
under the Poorlaw. Barbara was 31 when her son John was baptised in 1767. So
far I can only conjecture on the identity of the father, and the source of the
given name CHEESMAN.
Barbara's son John, despite his very lowly birth, was the centre of a large
and successful family. Apparently well educated, and quite wealthy, he tended
to record his children's surname as 'CHEESMAN CHILDENS'. In later generations
the name CHEESMAN dominated, with or without a central 'E', but with the last
forename recorded as Childrens.
Frederick John Gilburd was recorded as 'brother in law' in the will of Charles
Cheesman written in 1880. That makes him a relative, although I don't have enough
information to know who he married. I know that he was born about 1818, son
of William and Mary Gilburd, and married Mary Ann Chandler. The Cheesman and
Gilburd families seem to have a close connection over many years, but it is
possible that they fell out around 1882.
I would love to know more about Mary KITCHENER, who apparently was born in
1766, and died in 1822 in Brighton, having the married the 'baseborn' John CHEESMAN,
mothered twelve children, and seen him rise to a position of considerable wealth.
I have no family connection with the Pocock family, but they are an old Brighton
family, and appear in various situations in connection with my family. Henry
co-owned ships with George the elder.
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