Merson Historical Lineage

Great Great Grandparents

Francis James Merson (1853-1926)

Thomas Fisher (1852-1885)

Thomas Foster (1842-1909)

Samuel John Eggar (1855-1921)

Born at Kytton Barton, Holcombe Rogus on the Devon/Somerset border
Fourth child of Thomas Merson & Ann Hewett
Lived at Kytton until the late 1870s when he moved to North Petherton

Born in St Andrew, Plymouth
Eighth child of Ponsford Fisher & Elizabeth Martha Maria Hole Tuckett
In 1871 was working in a wholesale drapery warehouse at 34 Old Change, Cheapside, London

Born in Green Lanes, Stoke Newington, Middlesex
Third child of Thomas Foster & Maria Watson
In 1851 was living at 1 St Thomas Square, South Hackney
By 1861 he had moved to Florey House, South Hackney

Born at Jenkyn Place, Bentley, Hampshire
3rd child of James Eggar & Emily Susan Eggar (first cousins)
In 1861 was living with his Aunt (Martha Eggar) on the High Street in Titchfield, Fareham
Was living at home again in 1871 at Jenkyn Place, Bentley

Sarah Ann Kidner (1854-1936)

Eliza Ann Murch (1852-1886)

Henrietta Waterhouse (1846-1920)

Emily Mary Hay Halley (1850-1927)

Born at Andersfield Farm, Goathurst and lived there until she married
Commonly known as "Sally Ann"
Fourth child of John Kidner & Mary Ann James

Born in Sutton Barton, Halberton, Devon
Eigth child of Clement Murch and Eliza Merson
She continued to live in Sutton Barton with her brothers & sisters after the death of her parents in the late 1850s
By 1871 she had moved with Clement and Jane to Coombe Farm near Bradninch

Born in Manchester
Seventh child of Henry Waterhouse & Mary Crewdson
In 1861 was living in Northern Lane, Didsbury, Manchester
By 1871 the family had moved to Highfield House, Barlow Moor, Didsbury in southern Manchester

Born at 14 Queen Anne Street, Marylebone
1st child of Alexander Hay Halley & Emily Jane Harland
Lived at 7 Harley St, Marylebone in 1861 and moving to number 16 by 1871
In 1881 she was living at 36 Elgin Crescent, Kensington

Married Life:

Married in the summer of 1879 and moved to Boomer Farm, North Petherton
Thomas Hewitt was born 27th April, 1882
In 1891 they were still living at Boomer Farm
Farringdon was built in 1892 and they moved in shortly afterwards

Tom met Eliza through her brother (Thomas Merson Murch) who he worked with in London in the 1870s
They married on the 16th May, 1878 at Pool’s Park St Anne in Islington, London
Christine Marie was born on 2nd June, 1879
In 1881 Tom was working as a Brewers agent and they were living at 3 Treville St, Plymouth, Devon
Dora May was born 22nd August, 1881
Anne Madge was born 15th February, 1883
Anne Madge died 21st June, 1884
Olive was born 2nd April 1884

Thomas was at Joseph Payne's Mansion Grammar School, Leatherhead with Henrietta’s Brother, Isaac Waterhouse (Source: TSF Letter, 1926)
Married in the winter of 1872 in Macclesfied, Cheshire
Lived at 9 Vanburgh Park Rd East, Greenwich until they died
Henrietta Maria born in 1874
Mary Crewdson born in 1875
Thomas Sutcliffe born 13th June, 1876
Muriel Waterhouse born in 1878
Robert Waterhouse born in 1881

William Halley born in 1880
Married in the winter of 1881 in Kensington, London
Hilda born in 1883
John Norman born in 1884
Winifred Martha born on 2nd October, 1890
In 1891, living at 35 Lansdowne Street, Kensington
By 1901 had moved to Westlands, Epsom with the family

Great Grandparents

Thomas Hewitt Merson (1882-1961)

Thomas Sutcliffe Foster (1876-1962)

Born at Boomer, North Petherton
Only son of Francis James Merson & Sarah Anne Kidner
Moved to Farringdon in 1892 with the family
Was living at 4 Richmond Road, Cambridge in 1915
Was a Captain in the Royal Army Service Corps and a forage officer.
When did he leave the army?
Owned the Pedigree Dorset Down Flock
Was also a County Councillor, on the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of England and a member of the Somerset Rivers Catchment Board and Chairman of the Bridgwater Agricultural Society
Shooting syndicate member of the south side of the Crown Estate at Staple Fitzpaine.
Died 2nd October, 1961

Third child of Thomas Foster and Henrietta Waterhouse
Born at 9 Vanburgh Park Rd East, Blackheath, Greenwich
Went to Merton College
Taught at Epson College
Posted to Egypt during WWI as a captain in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Director of Education at Bristol University
Naval officer in the RNVR???
Died 19th February, 1962

Dora May Fisher (1881-1971)

Winifred Martha Eggar (1890-1977)

Born at 3 Treville St, Plymouth, Devon
2nd Oldest of Thomas Fisher and & Eliza Ann Murch
Father died in 1885 and mother died in 1886
Went to live with her Aunt & Uncle (George Henry Skinner & Elizabeth Fisher) at 26 Wonford Rd, Exeter
By 1891 she was living with her Aunt & Uncle (John Bruford & Fanny Hunt Fisher) at 41 Torrington Place, Plymouth
After school, she trained as a masseuse by Madam Osterberg
In 1901 was living in Dartford, Kent as a gymnastics student
Set up as a masseuse in Mutley Plain, Plymouth where she met a patient, Helen Brown (who built Wardway in 1925 and was John Philip Merson’s godmother)
She was living at Huntington Court, Hereford at the time of her marriage
She bought Wardway from Helen Brown around 1948
Died 24th August, 1971 playing a winning hand of bridge!

Fourth child of Emily Mary Hay Halley & Samuel John Eggar
Born in Clapham and was living 35 Lansdowne Street, Kensington in 1891
By 1901 she was living with her family at Westlands, Epsom
Died 21st April, 1977

Married Life:

Married Life:

Met through being 2nd cousins
Married at Huntington, Hereford on 30th April 1915
Around 1916 Tom took over Farringdon Farm to be in partnership with his father
John Phillip born on 5th March, 1917
Moved into Wardway in 1949

Met on a skiing holiday (possibly through John Norman Eggar)
Married at Epsom in the summer of 1912
Shortly lived at Royal York Crescent, Bristol until moving to 14 Westbury Park, Bristol
Barbara Maud born on 13th June, 1913
Isabel Martha born on 1915
Thomas Eggar born on 25th May, 1916
Edward Waterhouse born on 8th December, 1917
William Peter born on 4th October, 1920
Robert Hugh born on 11th Oct, 1922
Arnold John born on 24th Jan, 1925
In 1949 were living at “Southwell” in Trull, Taunton
Moved to Little Kibbear, Kibbear near Trull

Grandparents

John Philip Merson (1917-2003)

Only child of Thomas Hewitt Merson & Dora May Fisher
Born & brought up on Farringdon Farm, North Petherton
Taught by Dora May and a governess until the age of 7
Went to St Dunstan’s School in 1924
Went to Blundell’s School in 1930 with Tony Stubbs
In 1933, worked for Harold Bedale, Town Clerk of Bridgwater
Lived at the YMCA in Hornsey, London in 1939 and attended the School of Oriental Languages, Christ’s College Cambridge. Taught by Sir Richard Winstedt
Sailed to Malaya in January 1940 and lived at Sydenham, Keppel Road
Worked at the Customs Station on Beach Road and at Special Division in Custom House
In 1941 joined the Malayan R.N.V.R. (MRNVR)
Returned home to Somerset in June 1944 as a Lieutenant
Met Isabel Martha Foster and proposed on the 16th July 1944
Involved in the Atlantic and Arctic convoys until V.E. Day on May 5th 1945
In 1945, retired from the navy
August 1945, called up by the army as a captain in General Service. The units’ name was Huntley and Palmers
Sailed for Singapore on September 3rd 1945 and worked at Beach Road Customs Station again
Became a civilian on 1st April 1946, after the Military Administrations ended
Twice chairman of the Bridgwater Agricultural Society
Died 20th February, 2003

Isabel Martha Merson (1915-2010)

The 2nd oldest of 7 children of Thomas Sutcliffe Foster & Winifred Martha Eggar
Born and brought up at 14 Westbury Park in Bristol
Attended Badminton Girls School, Bristol
Studied Sociology at Bristol University
Trained as an almoner at St. Thomas’ Hospital, London
In 1944 completing her almoners course at Taunton Eastreach Hospital, and living at Monkton House with Aunt Jane (Mrs. Foster) the widow of a cousin of hers, and Aunt Bess (Mrs. Calvert) a cousin of Aunt Jane’s
Sailed out to Singapore to join Phil in June 1946
Died 21st April, 2010

Married Life:

Married on Saturday the 21st July 1944 at West Monkton Church
In 1946, lived at Mount Pleasant, just outside of Singapore
Also lived at Custom House, Maxwell Road, Singapore
Mary born on Easter Sunday, 1947
Tom born a week before Easter, 1948
Tom died from congenital defects Easter Sunday, 1948
Mary died from polio in 1949 and buried at Biddidari Christian Cemetery
Moved back into Farringdon in 1949 and farmed
Tom born on 30th August, 1949
Tom died from a defective heart valve in December 1949
Peter born in December 1950
Ann born in 1952
Betty Bayzand came to live at Farringdon about 1953
Edward Francis (Tod) born in 1954
Moved to Wardway in 1978