Notable family members
Nathanael "Nate" Saint (b. 30 Aug 1923 d. 8 Jan 1956)
He was an evangelical Christian missionary pilot to Ecuador who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Waodani people through efforts known as Operation Auca. [Wikipedia, 11 Sep 2011]
Location
The Somerset villages of Misterton, Crewkerne, Merriott, Lopen and South Petherton (traveling from south to north) are all in a straight line with a total walking distance of about 7 miles.
Timeline
- John Saint (Sr) was born in Misterton in 1733. In 1757 he married Mary Satherley in Misterton. They may have then moved further north because around the year 1760 they had a son John Saint (Jr) in Crewkerne.
- In 1775 the Roundwell Street Independent Chapel was built in South Petherton and the Rev Richard Herdsman was unanimously invited to be the first pastor. On Sept 11 1776 the first service was held; at that time the chapel had 36 members.
- On Nov 20 1777 eleven men were appointed as the first trustees of Roundwell Chapel; one of these trustees was John Saint (Sr) who at that time lived in Merriott.
- In 1786 John Saint (Jr) married his first wife Ann Mead in Lopen. Seems they initially lived in Crewkerne but after their first child the family moved to Merriott, around the year 1788.
- In 1796 John&Ann had their third son Isaac Saint.
- In 1810 Ann Mead died and was buried in South Petherton
- In 1811 John Saint (Jr) married his second wife Ann Lawrence in South Petherton but they didn't have any children together.
- In 1812 John Saint (Sr) died.
- In 1815 John Saint (Jr) died at the age of 56 and was buried in South Petherton.
- In 1833 John&Ann's son Isaac Saint emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA and became the head of a large family there.
Family
The following is a partial family trees, showing only people of interest:
John Saint b.1703 d.1781
+ Edith Hosford
John Saint b.1733 d.1812 (born and married in Misterton, Somerset)
+ Mary Satherley m.6 Jun 1757 (her surname has variants Satterly, Satterley, Saturley)
John Saint b.1760 d.1815 (in 1787 lived in Crewkerne, Somerset)
+ Ann Mead m.1786 (after his first wife died John married Ann Lawrence)
Edward Saint b.24 Aug 1787 d.27 Dec 1838
+ Frances Terrell
Isaac T. Saint b.1818 (emigrated to Canada in 1854 and to USA in 1870 aboard the ship "Commerce")
+ Catherine Carter m.1855
Samuel Saint b.26 Aug 1791
+ Harriett Horsey
Isaac Saint b.27 Jun 1796 d.4 Nov 1863 (emigrated to USA in 1833)
+ Sarah Giles b.1802 d.9 Jan 1864
Jenny Saint b.1800
Charles Saint b.1803
Research - Edward Saint b.1787
From the "Diary of Benjamin Hebditch (1791-1861)"
1838 Dec 23rd .... Mr Edward Saint of Lopen died after 2 days illness he considered 240lb weight at least he married the 2nd time to Mr Thomas Roach's own Aunt of Wigborough. He left a wife and 4 children by her.
Research - Isaac Saint b.1796
Isaac Saint b.1796 emigrated to the USA in 1833. The reasons for his leaving England may be explained below:
Excerpt from "Chronicle of a Pittsburgh Family" (1999) by Evelyn Bitner Pearson:
Page 19: "Evelyn's parents were Katy Owens & Henry Thornton Hanna. Evelyn's father was born in Sharpsburg, a small town north of Pittsburgh, in June 1858, the son of Matilda Saint & John Jimison Hanna. Matilda had come to America as a young child from Yeovil, Somerset, England, with her parents, Sarah Giles & Isaac Saint. Sarah & Isaac had left Yeovil in some kind of disgrace which was still remembered"
Page 20: "Isaac farmed land in O'Hara Township, & later in Pine Township. John & Matilda were married in Oct 1854."
Excerpt from a report for the The House of Commons printed 13 April 1836 entitled "Commitments, Prosecutions, Convictions, and Sentences under the Games Laws":
Page 73 gives information on "House of Correction, Wilton" for the dates "1 November 1833 to 29 February 1836":
Number 21 Isaac Saint 2 calendar month's hard labour, or pay 2l. 10s.6d.
Number 22 Daniel Stoodley 2 calendar month's hard labour, or pay 2l.
Number 23 Simeon Stoodley 2 calendar month's hard labour, or pay 2l., which was paid.
So it appears Isaac Saint left England immediately after being prosecuted for violating the 1831 Games Laws. In 1836 there was some question before the British Parliament as to whether tenant farmers could shoot game on the farms they were renting or whether only the landlord could shoot the game - the House of Commons report was studying how many people the 1831 law was impacting. I suspect that Isaac was a tenant farmer who got in trouble for violating the new laws - then moved to the USA so that he could own his own farm and shoot all the game he wanted!
Another family researcher (Alan P. Coombs) has reported that Isaac Saint was a tenant farmer in the village of Hardington Mandeville in Somerset before emigrating to the USA. The village of Hardington Mandeville is about 5 miles east of Merriott.
Research - John Saint b.1760
Isaac Saint b.1796 father's name was John Saint but since there were many John Saint's it was a bit tricky identifying the correct one.
Based on the available records (below) it was found that there was a John Saint (Sr.) b.1733 and a John Saint (Jr.) b.1760 (father and son) who attended the Roundwell Street Chapel. Both of these individuals can be found on the main Dorset Saint family tree (WorldConnect database="dorsetsaints").
At one time it was thought that it was another John Saint b.1764 (son of William and Betty) whose son had moved to USA, but South Petherton records show that John Saint had died young and was buried 6 Oct 1765.
The following excerpt from the "History of Roundwell Chapel" available at http://www.southpethertoninformation.org.uk/ appears to refer to John Saint (Sr.) who at that time lived in Merriott and would have been 53 years old.
1st trustees appointed Nov 20 1777 as follows -
James Gifford, Lopen, the founder, Richard Herdsman, the pastor, John Griffen, Petherton, Wm Hebditch, Deacon, Robert Weare, Stratton, Joseph Vile, Stratton, Richard Gifford, Lopen, Benjamin Chaffey, Norton, Simon Pittard, Rodwell, John Saint, Merriott and John Horsey, Petherton being 11.
Parish Records
The baptism records from Roundwell Street Chapel contain the following entries of interest. Note that this John Saint's "junior" status is specified in the 1802 entry:
1787 24 AUG 30 AUG EDWARD JOHN & ANN SAINT of CREWKERNE
1791 26 AUG 1 NOV SAMUEL JOHN & ANN SAINT of MERRIOTT
1796 27 JUN 15 AUG ISAAC JOHN & ANN SAINT of MERRIOTT
1800 31 MAR APR 18 JENNY JOHN & ANN SAINT of MERRIOTT
1802 27 NOV 5 JAN 03 CHARLES JOHN jnr & ANN SAINT of MERRIOTT
I've also received the following Merriott parish records by email from Sue Osborne http://merriottfamiliesgenealogy.net/, these appear to be applicable to this family (maybe not the Jane Saint though). This suggests that John Saint (Jr)'s first wife Ann died in 1810, he re-married in 1811 but died himself in 1815.
Marriage 14 July 1811 John Saint Ann Lawrence wit: Thomas Elswood
Burial 22 November 1801 Jane Saint
Burial 4 January 1810 Ann Saint
Burial 0054 12 June 1815 John Saint 56 Merriott J. H. Price, Vicar