Joseph Bocking

1771 - 1838

Joseph was born in Abney Grange in 1771, the son of Matthew & Mary, and baptised in Hope on 14th February ⁽¹⁾. He had three older sisters, Ann, Deborah & Mary, and an older brother Thomas ⁽²⁾. A younger sister Martha was born in 1773 ⁽³⁾, but she died the following year ⁽⁴⁾. A brother Matthew followed in late 1775 or early 1776 ⁽⁵⁾, then two sisters - Betty in 1778 ⁽⁶⁾ and Sarah in 1780 ⁽⁷⁾. His mother died in 1784 ⁽⁸⁾.

On 21st August 1796, at St Peter's in Hope, he married Ann Redfearn ⁽⁹⁾. They stayed in Abney and their first child was born soon afterwards, but it died an infant ⁽¹⁰⁾. Their luck didn't improve the following year when another son, Joseph, survived for only a few days ^(11)(12). Things got a little better after this though. Their daughter Mary was born in 1799 ⁽¹³⁾, followed by Hannah in 1801 ⁽¹⁴⁾. A second Joseph was born about 1803 ⁽¹⁵⁾, followed by another daughter, Elizabeth, in 1806 ⁽¹⁹⁾.

His father died in 1807 ⁽²⁰⁾, then another child died in infancy in 1810 ⁽²¹⁾, before his youngest daughter Sarah was born in 1811 ⁽²²⁾, and finally youngest son Thomas in 1814 ⁽²³⁾ (His son Thomas's baptism is the first time Joseph was said to be a farmer. He later confirmed this in his will ⁽²⁶⁾

His wife Ann died in 1828 ⁽²⁴⁾, his youngest son Thomas in 1832 ⁽²⁵⁾, and then his only remaining son Joseph in 1835 ⁽¹⁷⁾. Although no record has yet come to light, his daughters Hannah and Elizabeth almost certainly died before 1838 too, as they weren't mentioned in his will, written in May that year ⁽²⁶⁾. He left small bequests to his daughters Mary and Sarah, but the bulk of his estate went to Grace, the widow of his dead son and heir Joseph. He died the following month ⁽²⁷⁾.

• A child whose name is not known died in infancy in 1797.
• Joseph was born in 1798 and survived just a few days.
• Mary was born in Abney in 1799. She married Robert Townsend in 1818, and they settled in Abney and had children : Ann, Francis, William, Robert, Sarah, Joseph, John, Thomas, George, Henry, James & Grace Eliza. Robert died in 1848 amd Mary in 1851.
• Hannah was born in Abney in 1801. Nothing more is known of her.
• Joseph was born in 1803. He married Grace Barker from Hathersage in 1829, and they had had sons William and John Barker, and daughter Elizabeth. Joseph died in 1835. Grace inherited the bulk of her father in law's estate in 1838, before promptly remarrying Thomas Bagshaw.
• Elizabeth was born in Abney in 1806. Nothing more is known of her.
• Another child whose name is not known died in infancy in 1810
• Sarah has her own page.
• Thomas was born in 1814. He died shortly after his eighteenth birthday.

1. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
   [February 1771] Joseph Son of Matthew & Mary Bocking Abney Grange   14
2. See his father's page.
3. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
   [October 1773] Martha Dau: of Matthew & Mary Bocking Abney Grange   24
4. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
   [November 1774] Martha Dau: of Matthew Bocking Abney Grange   3
5. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
   [January 1776] Matthew Son of Matthew & Mary Bocking Abney Grange   6
6. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
   [March 1778] Betty Dau: of Matthew & Mary Bocking Abney Grange   26
7. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
   [July 1780] Sarah Dau: of Katthew & Mary Bocking Abney Grange   11
8. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
   [June 1784] Mary Wife of Matthew Bocking Abney Grange   19
9. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the marriage entry:
   Joseph Bocking of this Parish Bachelor
   and Ann Refearn of this Parish Spinster were
   Married in this Church by Banns
   this twenty first Day of August in the Year One Thousand seven Hundred
   and ninety six By me John Ibotson Curate
   

   The Marriage was solemnized between Us	Joseph Bocking
   	Ann herXmark Redfearn

   In the Presence of	Francis Eyre
   	Nathan Woodroofe

10. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
    [April 1797] Infant of Joseph Bocking Abney   23
11. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [May 1798] Joseph Son of Joseph & Nanny Bocking Abney Grange   11
12. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
    [May 1798] Joseph Son of Joseph Bocking Abney grange   20
13. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [July 1799] Mary Dau: of Joseph & Ann Bocking Abney-grange   21
14. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [November 1801] Hannah Dau: of Joseph & Ann Bocking Grange   29
15. Joseph and Ann must have had another son called Joseph because Joseph (senior) names a daughter in law Grace in his will ⁽²⁶⁾, the implication being that she was the widow of his son, and lived with him on the farm in Abney. This Grace must then be the wife in the marriage of Joseph Bocking and Grace Barker in 1829 ⁽¹⁶⁾, the husband of whom died in 1835 ⁽¹⁷⁾. The age of this Joseph given as 31, points to a birth in 1803/04, which in turn makes it very likely that the Joseph baptised in November 1803 as the son of Joseph and Ann of Bradwell ⁽¹⁸⁾, must surely be the son of Joseph and Ann of Abney Grange
16. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the marriage entry:
    Joseph Bocking of this Parish
    Bachelor
    and Grace Barker of the Parish
    of Hathersage Spinster
    were married in this church by Banns with Consent of
          this twenty third Day of
    February in the Year One thousand eight hundred and twenty nine
    By me Charles Cecil Bates
    

    This Marriage was solemnized between us	Joseph Bocking
    	Grace Barker

    In the Presence of	Joseph Walker
    	N Woodroofe

17. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
    

    Name	Abode	When buried	Age
    Joseph Bocking	Abney	Oct 19th [1835]	yrs 31

18. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [November 1803] Joseph Son of Joseph & Ann Bocking Bradwell   20
19. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [December 1806] Elizabeth Dau: of Joseph & Ann Bocking Abney grange   28
20. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
    [August 1807] Matthew Bocking Abney   22
21. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
    [January 1810] Infant of Joseph Bocking Abney   19
22. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [March 1811] Sarah Dau: of Joseph & Ann Bocking Abney   28
23. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    

    When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents Name		Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
    		Christian	Surname
    27th February [1814]	Thomas Son of	Joseph & Ann	Bocking	Abney	Farmer

24. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
    

    Name	Abode	When buried	Age
    Ann Bocking	Abney	2d Augi=ust [1828]	50

25. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
    

    Name	Abode	When buried	Age
    Thomas Bocking	Abney	Mar 31st [1832]	18yrs

26. Will of Joseph Bocking (ref: B/C/11/Joseph Bocking, Abney, 1838 @ LRO) reads:
    In the name of God Amen, I Joseph Bocking of Abney In the
    Parish of Hope and County of Derby farmer Being of sound memory
    and understanding bles God for The same doth make and ordain
    This my last Will and Testament in manner and Form Following
    That Is To say first and Principaly I Bequeath my soul in to The
    Hands that gave it and my body I comit to the Earth To be deasentely
    Intered at the discretion of my Executors Hereafter named as To my
    Worldly Goods my Will is That all my just debts and Funeral
    Expenses be First Paid and discharged out of the same by my Executors
    Hereafter named First I Give and Bequeath To my daughter Marey
    Townend The sum of £ 8 Pounds Also I Give and Bequeath
    to My Daughter Sarah Gackson the sum of £ 8 Pounds Also all
    The rest and residue of my money Goods and Cattles Household
    Furniture and Farming Implements and Effects of what nature
    or kind soever I Give and Bequeath unto my daughter in Law
    Grace Bocking and also my desire is this that my daughter
    In Law Grace Bocking should Continue upon the Farm And lastly
    I do Make and appoint John Needham and Joseph
    Barker joint Executors of this my last will and Testament
    And I do Here by revoke and make void all and Every other
    aill and willa Testament and Testaments by me at aney other
    Time made In witness where of I Have Hereunto set my Hand and
    seal This seventeenth day of May In The year of our Lord 1838
            Signed sealed and Published
            In the Presence of
                                            Joseph Bocking
            Thomas Bagshaw
            RobertBagshaw
27. Add details of death cert when it arrives. Burial in Hope 18/6/1838

Confirm transcript entries in original parish register.