John SPACKMAN = Charlotte HAINES

Baptised 18 October 1789, Ramsbury, Wilts.
Married 13 April 1840, Sparsholt, Berks.
Died 23 August 1863, Goosey, Berks

The White Horse of Uffington, the most ancient chalk antiquity in the British Isles, is now considered to be in Oxfordshire, but before the boundary changes it was in Berkshire.

In the Vale of the White Horse was a farm of approximately 360 acres, belonging to William, Earl of Craven. This farm known Bridgecomb Farm, was in 1812 leased to John Spackman for £400 per annum. A great deal of money at the time. But was this father or son? The elder John Spackman would have been then aged about 50 years old while the younger was 22.

Until at least 1851, John Spackman had his sister Ann living in the farmhouse. She was a few years younger than him, and presumably kept house for him before he married, she was a long term invalid. Married life started late for John (50+) and to a spinster 20 years his junior. She came with one infant and was already well pregnant with a second at the marriage. John may or may not have been the father of either of these children.

In 1841 there were two family servants and five labourers living on the farm, as well as a family. In 1851 it was noticed that John Spackman employed 15 labourers on his farm, and had one house servant and 6 farmers servants living at the farm.

In 1861 John was 71 and had perhaps slowed down somewhat, because he now employed only 4 men and 3 boys on the farm and had a carter of 19, a shepherd of 17 and another man of 21 living on the farm.

His son John, who had appeared on both the 1841 and 1851 census had disappeared by 1861, it appears that he died in 1853. He would have been 23. There is, however, a grand-daughter - Louisa Spackman, who had recently been born. It is probable that this was the daughter of one of his 4 daughters, (none of whom was married), as his son Thomas was only 17 at the time, and had no wife listed at the farm.

John the died on 23rd August 1863. He had, before his death, been living in the village of Goosey, a few miles from Uffington, so presumably he had given up the farm sometime before. His will had specified that he would like his son Thomas to carry on the business of the farm for the benefit of his wife and family, but if this was not possible because of adverse times or family differences, then his effects should be sold and after all debts were paid the remainder to be divided, a quarter to Thomas, a quarter to Charlotte, provided she was still a widow, and the other half to be shared between his 4 daughters. In the event, his effects realized only £450, so no one received very much. Whatever happened to the wealth evident half a century prior to his death remains a mystery.

John Spackman had been one of the Yeoman of England, he was so designated in the title deeds leasing him the farm in 1812.

Father: John Beacon SPACKMAN
Mother: Sarah TOMBS

Family:

• 1838 John (died 1853)
• 1840 Elizabeth
• 1842 Sarah
• 1844 Thomas
• 1846 Ann
• 1848 Charlotte

                           _Thomas SPACKMAN_
 _John Beacon SPACKMAN ___|
|                         |_Margaret BEACON_
|
|--John SPACKMAN 
|
|                   __ John TOMBS
|_Sarah TOMBS______|
                   |__ Martha KERSILL

Sources

1. 1812 : Title Deed - Bridgecomb Farm, Uffington, held at Berkshire Record Office
2. Parish Church, Sparsholt, Berks, 13 Apr 1840, John Spackman, of age, Bach, Farmer, Uffington, Charlotte Haines, of age, Spin, Labourer, Westcott, John Packer, Anne? Packer, John Spackman, Farmer, Richard Hains, Labourer.
3. 1841 : HO 107/27, Uffington, John Spackman, 40, Farmer, Charlotte Spackman, 25, John Spackman, 3, Elizabeth Spackman, 1, Ann Spackman, 35, Joseph Green, 35, Labourer, Mary Ballard, 20, Family servt, Rachel Ballard, 18, Family servt, Edmond Late, 18, Labourer, John Ischood, 14, Labourer, John Dury, 12, Labourer, George Packford, 12, Labourer.
4. 1851 : HO 107/1687, f386v, Uffington : Britchcomb Farm, John Spackman, Head, 61, Farmer of 300 Acres, Ramsey Wilts, Charlotte Spackman, Wife, 40, Farmers Wife, Sparsholt Berks, John Spackman, Son, 13, Farmers Son, Sparsholt Berks, Elizabeth Spackman, Daughter, 11, Farmers Daughter, Sparsholt Berks, Sarah Spackman, Daughter, 9, Farmers Daughter, Uffington, Thomas Spackman, Son, 7, Farmers Son, Uffington, Ann Spackman, Daughter, 5, Farmers Daughter, Uffington, Charlotte Spackman, Daughter, 3, Farmers Daughter, Uffington, Ann Spackman, Sister, 53, Farmers Daughter, Lambourn Berks, William Vary, Servant, 25, Farmers Servant, Knighton Berks, Mary Beckett, Servant, 22, House Servant, Sparsholt Berks, John Titcombe, Servant, 21, Farmers Servant, Uffington, Thomas Thatcher, Servant, 17, Farmers servant, Uffington, Henry Townsend, Servant, 16, Farmers Servant, Uffington, Joseph Whiteman, servant, 12, Farmers Servant, London, Thomas Ralph, Servant, 12, Farmers servant, Uffington.
5. 1857 : Scouring of the White Horse.
6. 1861 : RG 9/729, 28v, Uffington, John Spackman, Head, 71, Farmer 360 acres, Ramsbury Wilts, Charlotte Spackman, Wife, 50, , Sparsholt Berks, Elizabeth Spackman, Daughter, 20, , Sparsholt Berks, Sarah Spackman, Daughter, 19, , Uffington, Thomas Spackman, Son, 17, , Uffington, Ann Spackman, daughter, 16, Scholar, Uffington, Charlotte Spackman, daughter, 14, Scholar, Uffington, Louisa Spackman, Granddaughter,0, , Uffington, William Lovelock, Serv, 21, ?, Sparsholt, Henry Bale, Serv, 19, Carter, Berks, John Taylor, Serv, 17, Shepherd, Wilts, John Lovesey, , 16, ?, ?
7. Wantage, Berks, Mary Bint of Goosey X, Softening of Brain, 26 Aug 1863.
8. 21 Sep 1863. Will.