William Yeo and Sarah Heathman

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According to research by Humphrey Toms and Reg Walter, William Yeo, the second son of John Yeo and Rebecca Rolle of Hatherleigh, married Sarah Heathman at West Buckland in 1637. They had three sons:
– John Yeo (see below)
– William Yeo (see below)
– Thomas Yeo (see below).
After Sarah’s death, William married Elizabeth Griffin at East Buckland in 1671. There were two sons from this second marriage:
– Samuel Yeo (see below)
– Leonard Yeo (baptised 1679 at East Buckland, married Ann Berry and Rebecca Main).

John Yeo (c1638–1685, son of William Yeo and Sarah Heathman) married Mary Ley at Monkleigh in 1664. They had two children:
– Rebecca Yeo (1667–1690)
– John Yeo (1668–1690).

William Yeo (c1639–1687, son of William Yeo and Sarah Heathman) married Frances Cliffe. They baptised five children at Merton:
– Robert Yeo (see below)
– William Yeo (see below)
– Francis Yeo (baptised 1674)
– Elizabeth Yeo (baptised 1768)
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1769, married Charles Yeo at North Petherwin in 1715, three children) [note 1].

Thomas Yeo (baptised c1645, son of William Yeo and Sarah Heathman) was rector of three successive parishes: Swimbridge, Chittlehampton and Mortehoe. His six children were baptised at Swimbridge, but no record of his marriage has been found:
– Thomas Yeo (baptised 1675)
– Elizabeth Yeo (baptised 1677)
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1680)
– Katherine Yeo (baptised 1683)
– William Yeo (1686–1687)
– John Yeo (baptised 1686).

Samuel Yeo (1674–1726, son of William Yeo and Elizabeth Griffin) married Susanna Laney at Swimbridge in 1730. They had two children:
– John Yeo [note 2]
– Charity Yeo (baptised 1714 at Swimbridge, married William Pugsley at Goodleigh in 1745).

Robert Yeo (1667–1733), son of William Yeo and Frances Cliffe, married Margaret Brown. They baptised eight children in the north Devon parish of Merton:
– Susanna Yeo (baptised 1689)
– William Yeo (baptised 1691)
– Robert Yeo (see below)
– Francis Yeo (1695–1699)
– John Yeo (1697–1711) [note 2a]
– Francis Yeo (see below)
– Roger Yeo (baptised 1703)
– Thomas Yeo (baptised 1709).

William Yeo (1691–1770, son of Robert Yeo and Margaret Brown) married Mary Dunford at Merton 1729. They baptised four children at Merton:
– Margaret Yeo (baptised 1731, married Thomas Willcocks at Great Torrington in 1770)
– Robert Yeo (see below)
– Francis Yeo (1736–1812, buried at Eggbuckland)
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1738, married John Diment at Little Torrington in 1756).

Robert Yeo (1692–1772, son of Robert Yeo and Margaret Brown) moved to South Tawton, and married twice. He first married Johan Arscott in 1718; they baptised six children at South Tawton before Johan’s death in 1741:
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1719)
– Elizabeth Yeo (1720–1736)
– William Yeo (baptised 1723, married Mary Piller)
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1726)
– Robert Yeo (baptised 1728, died as a child)
– Robert Yeo (see below).
Robert married his second wife Elizabeth Jordain at South Tawton in 1744. They had a son:
– Joseph Yeo (see below).

Francis Yeo (1700–1773, son of Robert Yeo and Margaret Brown) married Lucy Young in London in 1737. They had a son in Buckinghamshire:
John Yeo
before moving to Cornwall and having a daughter:
– Lucy Yeo (baptised 1746 at St Stephen, near Launceston).

Robert Yeo (1732–1798, son of Robert Yeo and Johan Arscott) remained in South Tawton, marrying Jane Hurchill there in 1754 and baptising six children there:
– Robert Yeo (baptised 1755, died as an infant)
– Joan Yeo (baptised 1756, married William Piller)
Robert Yeo
William Yeo
– Joseph Yeo (see below)
– Richard Yeo (see below).

Robert Yeo (1734–1808, son of William Yeo and Mary Dunford) married Susanna Down at Merton in 1765. They had seven children:
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1765)
– Margaret Yeo (1767–1783)
– Elizabeth Yeo (1769–1772)
– Robert Yeo (see below)
– William Yeo (see below)
– Francis Yeo (see below)
Richard Yeo.

Joseph Yeo (1744–1830, son of Robert Yeo and Elizabeth Jordain) married Elizabeth Gillard at South Tawton in 1768. Their 13 children were baptised there:
– William Yeo (see below)
– Betty Yeo (baptised 1769)
– Joseph Yeo (baptised 1771)
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1773) [note 2b]
– Jane Yeo (1775–1814) [note 3]
– John Yeo (buried 1777) [note 4]
– Robert Yeo (buried 1777) [note 4]
– Ann Yeo (baptised 1779)
Robert Yeo
– Joanna Yeo (1784–1863, married William Lethbridge) [note 5]
– Agnes Yeo (1786–1793)
– John Yeo (1789–1790)
– John Yeo (1791–1798).

Joseph Yeo (1761–1818, son of Robert Yeo and Jane Hurchill) married Ann Mallet at South Tawton in 1786; their four children were baptised there:
– Robert Yeo (see below)
– James Yeo (see below)
– Joseph Yeo (see below)
– Ann Yeo (baptised 1807, married John Heywood) [note 6].

Richard Yeo (1764–1823, son of Robert Yeo and Jane Hurchill) married Jane Rowe at South Tawton in 1787. They baptised four children there:
– Jane Yeo (1788–1855, married John Gay)
William Yeo
– Ann Yeo (baptised 1793)
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1794, married James Coombes)
before moving to Kingsteignton and having another daughter [note 7]:
Elizabeth Yeo.

William Yeo (1768–1814, son of Joseph Yeo and Elizabeth Gillard) married Ann Redstone. They baptised two sons at Spreyton:
– John Yeo (see below)
– William Yeo (see below)
before moving to South Tawton, where they baptised three daughters:
– Ann Yeo (baptised 1808)
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1811)
– Grace Yeo (baptised 1813).

William Yeo (baptised 1780 at Merton, son of Robert Yeo and Susanna Down) married Ann Mills at Little Torrington in 1796 [note 8]. William and Ann had three children:
– Mary Yeo (baptised 1797 at Little Torrington, daughter Charlotte Yeo – see below)
– Elizabeth Yeo (baptised 1799 at Little Torrington)
James Yeo.

Francis Yeo (baptised 1782 at Merton, son of Robert Yeo and Suaanna Down) married Mary Piper at Huish in 1811. Francis lived at Smithycott, Merton and worked as a shoemaker; he and Mary baptised three children at Merton [note 8a]:
– Robert Yeo (1812–1813)
– Mary Ann Yeo (1815–1817)
– Francis Yeo (baptised 1819).

Robert Yeo (1787–1828, son of Joseph Yeo and Ann Mallet) married Sarah Harvey at South Tawton in 1811 and baptised eight children there:
– William Yeo (baptised 1811)
Mary Yeo
– John Yeo (baptised 1820)
– Sarah Yeo (baptised 1822, died as an infant)
– Robert Yeo (baptised 1823) [note 9]
Joseph Yeo
James Yeo
Richard Yeo.

Robert Yeo (1779–1848, son of Robert Yeo and Susanna Down) married Agnes Bews at Merton in 1817. They baptised eight children at Merton before emigrating to Ontario:
– Mary Anne Yeo (baptised 1818)
– Robert Yeo (see below)
– Susanna Yeo (1822–1910, married John Diment, emigrated to Ontario)
– Jane Yeo (1824–1849, son John Yeo 1847–1949)
– Rebecca Yeo (1827–1827)
– Rebecca Yeo (1828–1916, emigrated to Ontario, married James Hooper)
William Yeo
– George Yeo (see below).

James Yeo (1794–1859, son of Joseph Yeo and Ann Mallet) married twice. He first married Ann Counter at South Tawton in 1825; they baptised four children at South Tawton:
– James Pearce Yeo (see below)
– Ann Counter Yeo (1829–1881, married Thomas Jones 1860 at South Tawton)
– William Counter Yeo (1832–1832)
George Josse Yeo.
Ann died in 1832. James married his second wife Ann Jope at Exeter Cathedral in 1838; they lived at South Zeal [note 10] , where James died. They had two children:
– Sarah Anne Yeo (1842–1900, married Charles Knowles)
– George William Jope Yeo (born 1844, married Elizabeth Esther Curson, son William Curson Yeo).

Joseph Yeo (1802–1834, son of Joseph Yeo and Ann Mallet) married Elizabeth Finch. They baptised two daughters at South Tawton:
– Eliza Yeo (1829–1905, married Henry Marks in 1858) [note 10a]
– Harriet Yeo (baptised 1831, married John Powlesland) [note 10b].

John Yeo (baptised 1803 at Spreyton, son of William Yeo and Ann Redstone) married Sally Harris at Wembworthy in 1841. They had five sons:
– William Yeo (1842–1878, married Ann Harvey)
– John Yeo (1846–1918, married Elizabeth Cooper, eight children)
– George Yeo (born 1849, married Annie Newell, four children)
– James Yeo (born 1851, married Ellen Bryant in London in 1883, son Alfred James Yeo)
– Edwin Yeo (born 1855).

William Yeo (1805–1840, son of William Yeo and Ann Redstone) married Elizabeth Brooke at South Tawton in 1820. They had two children:
– Elizabeth Yeo (1825–1877, married John Bennett in 1853)
– William Yeo (1830–1842).

Charlotte Yeo (1817–1898) was baptised at St Giles in the Wood to single mother Mary Yeo. She married John Isaac at St Giles in the Wood in 1842.

Robert Yeo (1820–1910, son of Robert Yeo and Agnes Bews) married Elizabeth Risdon at Dolton in 1850. They emigrated to Ontario, where they had at least 12 children [note 11]:
– William Yeo (1851–1851)
– Mary Jane Yeo (born 1853)
– Susan Amelia Yeo (1853–1918, married Henry Atfield, died in Michigan)
– Eliza Yeo (1859–1943, married John Pocock and Andrew Holmes)
– Robert Yeo (1860–1931, married Iley Gibbons, three daughters)
– William R. Yeo (born 1861)
– Maude Yeo (born c1862)
– Joseph Yeo (c1864–1929)
– George Yeo (born 1864, married Susanna Reynard, two sons)
– Frances Anne Yeo (born c1865)
– Lindy Anne Yeo (born 1871)
– Mary Bell Yeo (born c1878).

James Pearce Yeo (1826–1901, son of James Yeo and Ann Counter) married Jane Parker [note 12]. They had three children:
– Alice Parker Yeo (1860–1935, married Louis John Aitken, died in Canada)
– James Yeo (1861–1861)
– Hilary James Yeo (1864–1892).

George Yeo (baptised in 1834 at Merton, son of Robert Yeo and Agnes Bews) emigrated to Ontario, where he married Charlotte Atfield in 1870. They had five children:
– Alice Yeo (1871–1943, married John Morrison)
– Sarah Ann Yeo (1873–1918, married William Joseph Schumaker)
– Charlotte Emily Yeo (born 1875)
– Emma Yeo (1878–1949)
– George Robert Yeo (see below).

George Robert Yeo (1882–1955, son of George Yeo and Charlotte Atfield) moved to Michigan, where he married Elizabeth Schneider in 1908. They had four children:
– Louis George Yeo (1909–1961, married Elizabeth Clifford)
– Frances Marie Yeo (1911–1995, married Alfred Lozon)
– Bertha Mae Yeo (1915–1996, married Wilbur Leddy)
– Robert John Yeo (1921–1986, married Margaret Decator, two children).

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Notes
1. Charles was the third son of Leonard Yeo and Margaret Kestell née Grylls.
2. See note to the pedigree for Bartholomew Yeo and Margaret Ackland.
2a. Some researchers show John marrying Mary Short at Shebbear in 1720, but his burial at Merton in 1711 is clearly documented. The John Yeo who married in 1720 has not been identified.
2b. Did Mary marry Patrick William Butler in 1838? See Patrick William Butler and Mary Ann Yeo.
3. Some researchers have confused Jane with the Jane Yeo who married James Redstone at South Tawton in 1814.
4. John and Robert are recorded as twins. No matching baptism record has been found.
5. The year of Agnes’s death requires confirmation.
6. Son John Yeo Heywood (1841–1888, married Selina Perryman).
7. Did William and Ann have other children between 1795 and 1807?
8. Ann’s death (about 1803) has not been confirmed from a burial record. Did William later marry Grace Marden at Ideford in 1806?
8a. Robert Yeo and Agnes Bews (see above) were baptising children at Merton around the same time; the two families have been confused by researchers.
9. Some researchers incorrectly show Robert marrying Adelaide Davies. She married a different Robert Yeo, son of Philip Yeo and Frances Peat, and is listed with him in the 1881 census.
10. The 1841 census for South Zeal records James Yeo (a schoolmaster), with his wife Ann Yeo (a milliner), his son James Yeo and daughter Ann Yeo. Also in the household is James’s second cousin Ann Yeo, daughter of William Yeo and Jane Lee.
10a. Married in Exeter, at the parish church of St Mary Steps.
10b. Married at Exeter Cathedral. No record of Harriet’s death has been found; some researchers incorrectly show a second marriage in 1873, to William Curtis – the bride in that marriage was a previously unmarried Harriett Powlesland (1849–1929).
11. Based on research by Sheila Yeo.
12. James’s second forename was recorded as Pierce when his birth was registered. James and Jane married by licence at the parish church in Bury, Lancashire in 1859. See also The Clergy.

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