George Oldfield

died 1678

Nothing is known about George's early life, although he may have originated around Tideswell/Litton ⁽¹⁾. He was a lead miner ^(14)(16), and he married a woman called Margaret^{(2-10)(12)(14)}, probably sometime around 1640. Their first two children were probably a son Adam ⁽¹⁴⁾, and a daughter Ellin ⁽¹⁴⁾. The earliest mention of the family in the parish registers of Taddington, is for the baptism of their next son, Michael, in 1645 ⁽²⁾. A daughter Dorothy followed in 1647 ⁽³⁾, then another son Richard in 1649 ⁽⁴⁾, before four more daughters - Margaret in 1651 ⁽⁵⁾, Maria in 1654 ⁽⁶⁾, Jane in 1656 ⁽⁷⁾ and finally Anne in 1657 ⁽⁸⁾. Son Richard died in 1661 ⁽⁹⁾, daughter Maria in 1670 ⁽¹⁰⁾, son Michael in 1672 ⁽¹¹⁾, and son John (whose age or date of birth is unknown) in 1674 ⁽¹²⁾.

George wrote his will in August 1678 ⁽¹⁴⁾. In it he stated that he was in good health, but that may have been more optimism than fact. He owned a number of properties in Taddington, all of which shared a central croft. He left the house in which he lived, to his wife, for the duration of her life, then to his eldest son, and main beneficiary, Adam. He left a barn to his grandson John, the eldest son of his deceased son Michael, and a house which was rented out was left to his grandson Richard, another of Michael's children. The house which his daughter Ellin already lived in, with her husband Robert Jackson, was left to her, and after her death, to her son (from her first marriage) Richard Robinson. George also owned a number of pieces of land, and interest in lead mines. His daughter Jane was left £60, and there were smaller bequests to three sons in law - John Dickens, William Wylde and Richard Foxlowe. There was also a bequest to Thomas Jackson, but I have been unable to ascertain any family connection to him.

• Adam was probably born around the early 1640s. He married Ann Bradbury in Taddington in 1668, and they had at least four children - George, John, Mary and Jane. He was still alive when his wife died in 1700, but its not known how much longer he lived.
• Ellin was probably born around the early 1640s. In 1667, she married Thomas Robinson, and they had a son Richard. Thomas died in 1675, and she remarried Robert Jackson in 1677. She was alive, and living in Taddington, at the time of her father's will in 1678, but nothing more is known of her. She may have been the Ellen Jackson who died in 1727.
• Michael has his own page.
• Dorothy was born in Taddington in 1647. In 1667 she married Richard Foxlowe, and they had six sons - Richard, William, Thomas, Samuel, Anthony, and an unknown one. Nothing is known of her after 1679.
• Richard was born in Taddington in 1649, and died there in 1661.
• Margaret was born in Taddington in 1651. In 1676 she married John Dickens, and they had a daughter Mary and a son John. She was probably the Margaret Dicken buried in Taddington in 1699.
• Maria was born in Taddington in 1654, and died there in 1670.
• Jane was born in Taddington in 1656. In 1679 she married William Statham of Sheldon, but nothing more is known of her.
• Ann was born in Taddington in 1657. In 1676 she married William Wylde, and they had four children - John, Jane, William and Margaret. Anne died aged just 37.
• John was buried in 1674, but its not known how old he was.

1. This is pure speculation. The baptism of his son Michael is the first Oldfield entry in the Taddington parish registers. They are only extant from the early 1640s so this in itself doesn't mean anything, but there are no burials which could be his parents (although three more Oldfield men had children baptised there starting fairly soon afterwards - Raphe in the 1650s, and Nicholas and Leonard in the 1660s). George was taxed for a hearth in 1670 ⁽¹³⁾, and his will shows him to own a number of properties, yet a list of landowners from 1633 shows no Oldfields in Taddington. Other Oldfields paying Hearth Tax in 1670 were mainly centered in Tideswell (under which residents a lot of small nearby hamlets were also recorded) and Litton, with an odd one each in Hartington and Bradbourne. Listed amongst donors to "the free and voluntary present" in 1661, is also an Oldfield in Hazelbadge. There were also some a little further away in Chesterfield, but I believe they may have been related to the Tideswell/Litton line. Going back to the 1633 list of landowners again, the only Oldfield in any of these places was in Litton.
2. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the baptism of Michael, son of Thomas Outfield and Margaret his wife, on 2nd August 1645.
3. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the baptism of Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Outfield and Margaret his wife, on 22nd July 1647.
4. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the baptism of Richard, son of Thomas Outfield and Margaret his wife, on 11th November 1649.
5. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the baptism of Margaret, daughter of Thomas Outfield and Margaret his wife, on 3rd November 1651.
6. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the baptism of Maria, daughter of Thomas Outfield and Margaret his wife, on 7th May 1654.
7. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the baptism of Jane, daughter of Thomas Oldfield and Margaret his wife, on 2nd April 1656.
8. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the baptism of Ann, daughter of Thomas Outfield and Margaret his wife, on 3rd September 1657.
9. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the burial of Richard, son of Thomas Outfield and Margaret his wife, on 22nd February 1661.
10. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the burial of Mary, daughter of Thomas Outfield and Margaret his wife, on 28nd February 1670.
11. The Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the burial of Michael Outfield, on 24th November 1672.
12. Bishop's transcript of the Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington includes the entry:
    [1674] John the son of George Oldfield & Margaret his wife was buried January last day
13. Derbyshire Hearth Tax Assessments 1662-1670 published by Derbyshire Record Society, lists George Outfield of Taddington as assessed for 1 hearth in 1670.
14. Will of George Oldfield (ref: B/C/11/George Oldfield, Taddington, 1678 @ LRO) reads:
    In the name of God Amen I George Ouldfield of Tadington in theCounty of Derby Myner being in good health ^{& body}
    & of sound & perfect minde & memory praise be therefore given to Almighty God do make publish & declare this my last will and
    Testament in manner & forme following That is to say First & principally [.....] and my soule unto the hands of Almighty God my
    maker hopeing to be saved through the merrits death & passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ & my body I comitt to the earth to be buryed
    according to the discretion of my Executors hereafter named And as for & concerning all my houses ands Groves & other worldly
    estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give devise & bequeath the same as followeth And first I give devise & bequeath
    All that messuage or dwelling house wherein I now dwell & all that Croft lying & adjoyning to the said house (except such
    parts thereof as are herein hereafter devised) to my loving wife for & during the terme of her naturall life And after her decease
    Then to the use & behoofe of my Son Adam Ouldfield his heires & Assignes for ever Item I give devise & bequeath all that
    Barne of building standing & being in Tadington aforesaid adjoyning to the said Croft before mentioned together with twelve
    yards of the said Croft within the wall next adjacent to the said Barne to my wife for & during the terme of her naturall
    life & after her decease then to the use & behoofe on my Grandchilde John Ouldfield & to the heires males of his body lawfully
    to be begotten And for default of such issue then to the use & behoofe of my said son Adam Ouldfield his heires & Assignes
    forever Item I give devise & bequeath all that dwelling house standing & adjoyning to the said Croft in the possession of one
    John Sellers now being & also four yards of the said Croft within the wall next adjacent tothe said dwelling house to my
    loving wife for & during her naturall life, & after her decease then to the use & behoofe of my Grandchilde Richard Oldfield
    & to the heires males of his body lawfully to be begotten. And for default of such issue then to the use & behoofe of the
    said Adam Ouldfield his heires & Assignes for ever Item I give devise & bequeath all that dwelling house standing & adjoyning
    near the said Croft now in the possession of Robert Jackson together with six yards of the said Croft wihin the walls next adjacent
    to the said dwelling house to my said loving wife for & during the terme of her naturall life and after her deease to the use
    and behoofe of Ellin the wife of the said Robert Jackson for & during the terme of her naturall life (if she happen to survive
    the said Margaret my wife) And from and after the decease of the said Margaret & Ellen & the survivor of them then to the
    use & behoofe of my Grandchilde Richard Robinson & to the heires males of his body lawfully to be begotten & for
    default of such issue then to the use & behoofe of the said Adam Ouldfield his heires & Assignes forever Item I give
    devise & bequeath a third parte (being devided into three equall parts) of all my Groves mears of ground or [portion]
    for groves or mears of ground & minerall possessions whatsoever lying & being in the County of Derby or elsewhere
    unto my said loving wife for & during the terme of her naturall life and after her decease then I give & bequeath
    the said third parte as followeth (to witt) two parts of the said third parte to my said son Adam Ouldfield his heires &
    assignes for ever Item I give devise & bequeath the other two partes & the remaining third parte of the said Groves before
    devised unto the said John Ouldfield his heires & assignes for ever Item I give devise & bequeath the other two
    parts of all the said groves above mentioned (not herein before devised) in manner following (That is to say) Two
    parts thereof to my said son Adam Ouldfield & his heirs & Assignes for ever & the remaining third parte of the said
    two parts to my said Grandchilde John Ouldfield his heires & Assignes for ever And my minde will & minde is that all
    the parts of groves devised to the said John Ouldfield as aforesaid shall be managed & wrought according to the
    discretion of my Executors hereafter named until he shall attaine the age of one & Twenty years to & for his best proffit &
    advantage Item I give & bequeath unto my daughter Jane Ouldfield the sum of Threescore pounds of lawful money
    of England to be paid to her by my Executors hereafter named within two years next after my decease Item I give &
    bequeath one Cofer & the little brass pot unto the said John Ouldfield my Grandchilde Item I give & bequeath unto the
    said Adam Ouldfield the great brass pot one Cupboard & the longest table (to remaine in the said house as Eyre Loomes)
    Item I give & bequeath to John Dickens my Son in Law the sum of twoshillings & sixpence Item I give & bequeath
    unto William Wylde my Son in Law the sum of two shillings & Sixpence Item I give & bequeath unto Richard
    Foxlowe the sum of four pounds to be paid to him within twelve months next after my decease Item I give & bequeath
    unto Thomas Jackson of Townend the sum of three pounds within one twelve month next after my decease And
    lastly I give & bequeath unto Executors hereafter named all the rest & residue of ^all my estate reall & personall not herein
    before devised they paying my debts Legacies & funerall expenses And I appoint my said wife & my said son Adam
    Oldfield Executors of this my last will & Testament hopeing they will perform the same according to the trust I [reposs]
    in them And do revoke & disannull all former wills by me made In witness whereof I the said George Ouldfield
    the Testator nave hereunto put my hand & seal the Tenth day of August in the Thyrtieth year of the Raign of our
    soveraign Lord Charles the second over England & Anno Dni 1678.
                                                                                                                                             George Outfeild
                                                                                                                                                his marke
    
15. Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington includes the entry:
    [1678] S George Oldfield pater familias was buried October 14th day
16. Inventory of George Oldfield (ref: B/C/11/George Oldfield, Taddington, 1678 @ LRO) reads:
    A True & Perfect Inventory Of all the goods Cattles
    & Chattells with George Oldfield of Taddington In the
    County of Derby Myner lately Deceased Dyed Seized of Prized
    & valued the 22^th day of October Anno Domini: 1678 By
    Stephen Sheldon of Priestcliffe & Robert Bagshawe of
    Taddington Prizers nominated for that Purpose vizt -
    

    		li     s     d
    Imprimis	His Purse & Apparell	3 -   6 - 8
    Item	One mare & Saddle & other furniture for her worke	2 - 10 - 0
    Item	One Cofer & a little Brasse Pot given to his Grandchild John Ouldfield	1 -   6 - 8
    Item	One great Brasse Pott one Cupboard & the longest Table given to his son Adam Ouldfield	2 -   6 - 8
    Item	All other Brasse of all sorts	1 -   5 - 0
    Item	Pewter of all sorts	1 -   5 - 0
    Item	Bedstockes Cofers Chayres a seate Stooles Formes & all other wooden ware & some loose boords	2 - 10 - 0
    Item	Two Featherbeds, Bolsters Chaffebedds Coverletts & Blanketts & Sheetes	2 - 10 - 0
    Item	Old Curtaines & Cushions Tablecloths Napkins & all other Linnens	0 -   5 - 0
    Item	All Iron ware of all sorts	0 - 10 - 0
    Item	Meale & Oates & Cheese	0 - 10 - 0
    Item	Hay	0 - 10 - 0
    Item	In Ware at the Smiltinge house & at the groves	13 - 6 - 8
    Item	All things else unprized	0 -   5 - 0
    	The summe is	32 - 8 - 8

    Stephen Sheldon
    Robert Bagshaw
    
17. Parish Register of St Michael's, Taddington includes the entry:
    [1699] Margaret Oldfield widdow buryed September y^e 24

The Taddington PR entries above, from the transcript, are very hard to read/confirm on the microfilm of the registers, and the Bishop's Transcripts aren't extant early enough, so these entries will have to be confirmed with the original.
Are there any earlier Oldfield wills that might point to his origins?