Rossiters of Combe St. Nicholas, Somerset, England

The Rossiter’s and their Birth sites: Father to son: William Guillaume Carolingian de Rossa de Roffa de Roucestre de Rovecestria de Rovencestria d: 1249 William Guillaume de Roffa de Roucestre 1385 William Guillaume de Roucestre 1402 William Guillaume de Roucestre Roucestre Rossiter 1438 Chard, Somersetshire, England 2 May 1513 Wadeford Manor, Combe St Nicholas, Chard, Somerset, England The Parish of Combe St Nicholas lies about 2 miles from Chard and 10 miles from Taunton; it is almost 4800 acres in area and the boundary length is just under 14 miles. This “hollow in the hills” (or ‘cwym’, from the Gaelic, spoken by the Celts of Cornwall and Wales) is set in lovely countryside on the edge of the Blackdown’s, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Combe St Nicholas, is a village and a parish in Somerset near Chard, the parish is divided into the tithings of Betham, Clayhanger, Ham, and Wade-ford, and includes the hamlets of Sticklepath and Weston. Previously known as Combe Episcopi, the village took its present name when the church was dedicated to St Nicholas in 1239. Sheep, wool and wool trades were important, and the wealth of springs allowed 4 mills (two grist and two box cloth) to operate at one time, as well as a brush factory at Nimmer. The Green Dragon pub has been in existence since 1611. Following the invasion of 1066 the area was probably controlled by the Normans from a castle built at what is now known as Castle Neroche, about 5 miles from Combe on the Taunton road. Recent excavations indicate that the site was firstly an Iron Age fort and later used by the Saxons. The Normans took the fort in 1067 and built a motte and bailey castle. The fort was taken by William the Conqueror’s half brother, Count Robert of Mortain but he abandoned it in 1087 and moved to Montacute fifteen miles to the east. The Doomsday Survey (1086) says of Combe: ‘The same Bishop (Giso) holds Combe. Azor, son of Torold, held it in the time of King Edward and paid geld for 20 hides. There is land for 16 ploughs. Of this (land) there are in demesne 8 hides where are 3 ploughs and 12 serfs and (there are) 15 villeins and 13 Borders with 12 ploughs and 12 hides. There are 12 beasts and 18 swine and 315 sheep and 1 riding horse. There are 12 acres of meadow and half a league of pasture reckoning (inter) length and breadth, and 1 league of woodland reckoning length and breadth. It was worth 10 pounds. Now 18 pounds.’ Sir Richard de Roucestre Rosseter Rowcetter Rossiter of Shaftsbury & Wadeford Hall 1463 Shaftesbury, Dorset, England 3 Sept 1529 Wadeford Hall, Combe Saint-Nicholas, Chard, Somersetshire, England Philip Perry [i] Rocetr Rocytor Rossiter c. 1499 Collies Combe, Combe St. Nicholas, Somersetshire, England 1589 Combe Saint Nicholas, Chard, South Somerset, Somerset, England Parish records of Combe St. Nicholas before 1678 are lost & Edward Rossiter left no will. Married: Katherine Lyte [daughter of William ‘Black Will’ Lyte]: Reference to marriage of Katherine to Philip Roycetor of Collie Combes recorded on Page 97 of : " The Lytes of LytesCary' by H C Maxwell Lyte C.B. published late 1800's. Sir William "Black William, the Elder" Lyte of Lillesdon [B: 1502- D: July 28 1566]: The parish embraces the manor of Tillesdon, residence of William Lyte (called Black William) whose identity as father of Katherine, the wife of Philip Rossiter, appears in the extensive Lyte pedigree in the 1623 “Visitation of Wiltshire” (The Publication of the Harleian Society, v. 105/6:230-234, especially 232, 1954). Philip Rossiter is described in the visitation as of St. Collies Combe uxta Chard. Collies in early days was the colloquial name for Nicholas. Chard was the market town 2-1/2 miles southeast of Combe St. Nicholas. William Lyte married Dorothea, daughter of Edward Kellway of Rockborne, co. Wilts, knight. Among William’s other children was Gertrude who married Thomas Howard, Viscount Howard of Bindon, Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin (see Cokayne, The Complete Peerage, 6:583, 584). William was a member of the distinguished Lyte family of Lyte’s Cary, parish of Charlton Mackerell being the second son of Thomas, Lord of the manor. The story of Lytes Cary Manor House was written by William George in 1879. The impressive manor house has survived. It is now a property of the National Trust and partly opened to the public. At that time Richard Rossiter's son Philip Rossiter (Edward’s grandfather) inherited 4 messuages, 31 acres of meadow, 312 acres of pasture & 200 acres of woodland. In the 1583 Survey of the parish (SAS/SE86), “Philipus ROSSITER, gent. (farmer or husbandman) owned a dwelling and a new tucking mill. Philip Rossiter paid 17 pounds a year to the Lord of the Manor (Wells Deanery). The other freemen of Combe were William BONNER, gent.- 15 pounds, William JEANES- 12 pounds, John BUETT- 2 pounds, John WALROD- 4 pounds, John DEWNELL- 20 pounds and _____ MALLETT- 12 pounds. Philip Rossiter owned Wadeford House [now listed as a Grade II Listed Building] and the fulling mill (woollen mill) [previously owned by his father Richard] in Wadeford, Chard, Combe St-Nicholas, Somersetshire England, which has been carefully restored, stand today in a hamlet about 3/4 miles SE of Combe St. Nicholas. This is one of seven mills within a few miles of each other on the River Isle, the others all being grist mills for corn. Philip probably died in 1583 or shortly thereafter. He is last named in the 1583 Survey of the Prebendaries of Welles Manor, Combe St. Nicholas, the record being in the Somerset Archeology Society, Taunton (Records No. SF 86; photocopy of record retained). Philip married twice, the first marriage having taken place about 1538. The identity of this wife is unknown. Philip married secondly at North Curry, co. Somerset, on 30 April 1564 KATHERINE LYTE. The marriage is published in W. P. W. Phillimore’s Somerset Parish Registers: Marriages, 15 v. ([London, 1898-1915], 2:79): “Philip Rosseter gen and Katherine Lyte laste of Apr. 1564,” the abbreviation “gen” standing for generosus (i.e., gentleman). Katherine was the sister of Gertrude, both were daughters of William Lyte. Gertrude married Earl Howard the cousin of Queen Elizabeth I. Three Combe St. Nicholas lay subsidies in the Public Record Office show payment of taxes: Ca 1557 Philip Rosy gent assessed £16 for relief, paid 16 shillings. The four others taxed in the parish were husbandmen (3-6 Edward VI, No. E 179/170/254). 1570/1 Phillipus Rocetor gen in terris assessed £4 paid 10 s. 4 d. He was the only inhabitant that year who was taxed on land (13 Elizabeth No. E 179/171/284). 1580/1 Phus Rosseter in terris £4 paid 10 s. 8 d. Of 19 taxable inhabitants, Philip was the only one taxed on land. (23 Elizabeth No. E 179/256/2 photocopy of document retained.) Hugh Hugues Lyte Rossiter 1572 Combe St. Nicholas, Somerset, England d. c. 22 June 1623 Whitefriars, London, England William Cosbie Rossiter 1605 Somerset, England 1685 Foxcote, Somerset, England James Rossiter Circa 1630 Somerset, England Circa 1685 - Somerset, England William Rossiter Feb 14 1653 Boldre, Hampshire, England Before 1730 - Brockenhurst, Hampshire, England Richard Rossiter Circa 1684 Paignton, Devon, England Circa 1742 Paignton, Devon, England Richard Rossiter Circa 1715 Blagdon, Paignton, Devon, England d. Mar 29 1779 - Blagdon, Paignton, Devon, England Head Butler at Blagdon Barton Hall Manor, Blagdon, Paignton for Edward Blount Recorded in 1767 as having two son’s: a ten year old son John [therefore b. 1757] and a fifteen year-old son: William Rossiter [b.1725] who was a servant in the household of George Cary. William Rossiter June 2 1754 Blagdon, Paignton, Devon,England Jan 23 1823 (Collaton) Paignton, Devon, England William Henry Rossiter May 16 1787 Blagdon, Paignton, Devonshire, England July 27 1852 - Blagdon, Paignton, Devonshire, England Peter Pillar Rossiter June 21 1825: St Andrews, Stokeinteignhead, Devon, England Mar 8 1899 - Dannevirke, Hawkes Bay, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand ROSSITER, Peter Pillar was baptised 21 June 1825 St. Andrews, Stokeinteignhead, Devon. He was the second son of William ROSSITER and Elizabeth PILLAR. He married Mary Ann WHITE 18 July 1847 at Devonport Devon. Their first born was Elizabeth Ann Pillar Shapland ROSSITER was born 20 July 1848 at 27 Portland Place, Plymouth, Devon. Peter, Mary and Elizabeth were listed in "Uncertain Embarkation Orders", issued by Mr J.W. Fitzgerald and were transferred by Mr Bourke to the ship "Sir George Seymour"., Embarkation Order No.75., application number 153. In another list they are listed as steerage passengers and Peter is incorrectly shown as Phillip ROSSITER. On the 4th Sep 1850, the "Sir George Seymour" departed from Gravesend calling in at Plymouth to take on late embarkations which included Peter, Mary and Elizabeth and several other passengers. The family eventually settled in Oxford where they were timber millers. Later they moved to Dannevirke in Hawkes Bay. Elizabeth A.P.S. ROSSITER married Matthew HENDERSON 09 Mar. 1876. On the 30th Jan 1851 Peter and Mary's second child William Henry ROSSITER was born., "the first European boy to be born in Canterbury after the arrival of the Pilgrims." Peter Pillar ROSSITER died 08 Mar 1899 and was buried at the George Street Cemetery Dannevirke. His wife Mary Ann died 26 July 1904 and was also buried at George Street. The first four ships were sent to Lyttelton by the Canterbury Association which was sponsored by the Church of England. Free passage was offered. Edward ROSSITER a brother of Peter ROSSITER arrived NZ a few years later and settled in Rangiora. Rossiter Road in Rangiora is named after Edward.