Malmesbury and Christian Malford

A  number of Yeos have lived in the Wiltshire parishes of Malmesbury and Christian Malford and appear to be descended from Daniel Yeo and Elizabeth Townsend, who married at Christian Malford in 1728. 

Other records include:
– The marriage of William Yeo of Christian Malford to Jane Andrews (Malmesbury, 1763)
– The marriage of William* Yeo to Sarah Selman (Christian Malford, 1787)
– The marriage of John Herring to Elizabeth Yeo (Christian Malford, 1791)
– The marriage of Daniel Yeo of Malmesbury to Nancy Whitehead (Wells, Somerset, 1797)

A correspondent has kindly sent copies of a number of letters from the mid 19th century about the estate of yeoman farmer Joseph Yeo of Malmesbury, who died in 1864. His estate was administered by his widow Elizabeth Yeo and by London solicitor William Henry Awdry.

Joseph apparently had no children but the correspondence shows that his administrators tried to contact various nieces and nephews, including:
– James, Jacob and Joseph Yeo, sons of Joseph’s brother William*
– Jane Heath, daughter of Joseph’s brother William*
– Joseph Yeo of Shoreditch, son of Joseph’s brother Thomas
– Elizabeth Strange of Belgrave Place, London, daughter of Joseph’s brother Thomas
– Daniel Yeo of Woolwich, son of Joseph’s brother Thomas
– Jane Legge, daughter of Joseph’s sister Jane Elliott
– Benjamin Herring†, son of Joseph’s sister Elizabeth Herring
– Elizabeth Brown, daughter of Joseph’s sister Elizabeth Herring
– Matilda Chesterman, daughter of Joseph’s brother Daniel, as mentioned above
– Ann and Fanny Barrett, daughters of Joseph’s sister Mary Barrett
– Jane Fry, daughter of Joseph’s brother James; Jane had emigrated to Australia

The administrators also searched for a will, which they thought might have been held in London or Salisbury, but it appears that they were unsuccessful and also that the estate turned out to be of very low value.

If you are related to this family, or to the Herring† family (one of whom appears to have kept the letters until the 1990s), please let us know via the Contact Us page.


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