Dennis Bocking

circa late 1660s - 1723

Dennis was probably born around the late 1660s in Abney, the son of Richard and Mary. He had a sister Joan and brother John ⁽¹⁾.

In 1691 his father, with Dennis and John named alongside him, was in arrears for the rent on the family farm ⁽²⁾. His father died in 1696 ⁽⁴⁾, and Dennis apparently took over responsibility for the rent, which he was succesfully maintaining payments on in 1702 ⁽⁵⁾.

He married Alice Timperley at St Peter's in Hope on 21st November 1703 ⁽⁶⁾. Their first child, Elizabeth, was born in 1705 ⁽⁷⁾. His mother died in the summer of 1707 ⁽⁸⁾, followed by his daughter Elizabeth just before Christmas ⁽⁹⁾. Their eldest son Thomas was born in the following year ⁽¹⁰⁾, and another son Robert in 1711 ⁽¹¹⁾ (but he only lived a few days ⁽¹²⁾). Three daughters then followed - Maria in 1712 ⁽¹³⁾, Anne in 1716 ⁽¹⁴⁾, and finally another Elizabeth in 1719 ⁽¹⁶⁾.

He was paying rent on the same farm in Abney Grange (but possibly with a little more land) in 1717 ⁽¹⁵⁾, and died there in 1723 ⁽¹⁷⁾. An inventory of his goods was taken immediately after his death ⁽¹⁸⁾, and while many of the items are unknown, he seems to have had a lot of cloth - perhaps he was also a tailor, or Alice a dressmaker?.

• Elizabeth was born in Abney Grange in 1705. She died when she was two years old.
• Thomas has his own page.
• Robert was born 1711, but only lived a few days.
• Mary was born in Abney Grange in 1712. Nothing more is known of her.
• Anne was born in Abney Grange in 1716. Nothing more is known of her.
• Elizabeth was born in Abney Grange in 1719. She may have been the same Elizabeth Bocking that married George Ashton in Hope in 1738.

1. No baptism record has been found for Dennis, but his father's and brother's names (Richard and John respectively) are shown in a document of 1691 ⁽²⁾. The only earlier Bocking baptisms in the Hope registers which specify a residence of Abney, are for Jane (1666) and John (1670) the children of Richard and Mary ⁽³⁾, so the John in the document of 1691 must be boy baptised in 1670. Dennis must therefore be another son of Richard. His birth is estimated as being in the late 1660s by virtue of the fact that he must have been an adult in 1691, and its likely that he was older than his brother because he was named first in the 1691 document, and he seems to have taken over the family farm after Richard's death. Thus a birthdate between Ann and John seems a good estimate
2. Sheffield Archive, Bagshaw Collection, Bag C/2779 reads:
   Be it known unto all men by these p^rsents the we Richard
   Bocking of Abney Grange in y^e County of Derby husband
   man: Dennis Bocking and John Bocking sons of the said
   Richard Bocking doe owe and are endebted unto Rowland
   Eyre of Hassope in ye said County Esqr in y^e sume of
   ten pounds of good and lawfull money of England to be
   paid to the said Rowland Eyre his Execut^s Administrat^s
   or assignes to w^ch payment well and faithfully to be
   made we [.....] ourselves and every of us ^{and every of our heyres Executors and Administrators} joyntly and
   severally firmly by these p^rsents sealed w^th our seale
   seales and dated the seventh day of march in the
   year of our Lord god one thousand six hundred and
   ninety.
   The Condition of this obligation is such that whereas the above
   Bounden Richard Bocking houldeth and desireth to hould a
   Tenement under y^e said Rowland Eyre, and whereas he is
   now in arrear of rent to y^e said Rowland Eyre the sume of
   three pounds and fourteen shillings if they the said Richard
   Bocking, Dennis Bocking and John Bocking or any of them
   or any of their heyres Execut^s or Administrat^s doe and
   shall pay or cause to be payed to y^e said Rowland Eyre or
   to his assignes the said three poundes and fourteen shillings
   and alsoe all growing rents for y^e said tenement in man=
   ner and form as is hereafter expressed that is to say -
   fourteen shillings part of y^e said arrear on or before the
   tenth day of May next ensuring the date of these p^rsents
   three shillings and ^foureight pence more in pat thereof on or
   before y^e four and twentyth of June next and then also
   one halfe years rent for y^e tenement w^ch: will be due at our
   Ladys day next: three shillings and ^foureight pence more in
   part of y^e said arrear on or before y^e twelvth day of novem
   ber next and then another halfe years rent for y^e s^d tenement
   w^ch will be due at michaelmas next and soe continue yearly to
   pay Lady day rent at midsummar and three shillings and
   ^foureight pence towards y^e arrear and michaelmas rent at martin=
   mas and three shillings and ^foureight pence ^{towards the arrear} till the said arrear shall
   be paid then this obligation to be void but if default be or shall
   be made in any of the payments in maner as is above
   axpressed and Intended then to remain and be in full
   force and virtue
   The Catalogue entry reads:
   Bond
   7 Mar 1691
   Richard Bocking of Abney Grange, husbandman, Dennis Bocking and John Bocking, Richard's sons, owe to Rowland Eyre of Hassop £10 as penal sum for payment of arrears of rent at specified dates.
   Endorsement: 'This bond Bockings would not seale but they are to hould no longer than they perform the condition of it'.
   This endorsement does not appear on the copy I have, but it may be on the back of the original.
3. See his father's page.
4. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
   [April 1696] Rich: Bocking de Abney Grange   18
5. Proceedings of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1903. "Accounts of John Bagshaw of Abney Grange", p218, contains a transcript from the accounts, which reads:
         JUNE, 1702 - GRANGE RENTS
   

   	£
   John Bagshaw ould farm	12
   Elias acker Edmund Hall	4
   Elias Marshall farme	3
   Harkhome farme is	3
   Widdow Bagshaw farme	5
   Barsila Barbar farme is	8
   Widdow Hall farme is	7
   Robart Drable farme is	4
   Denis Bockin farme is	3

6. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the marriage entry:
   [November 1703] Dennis Bocking de Abney Grange et Alicia Timperley de Grat Hucklow   21
7. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
   [] Elizabetha fil Dennis et Aliciae Bocking de Abney Grange   1
8. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
   [July 1707] Maria Bocking de Abney vidua   4
9. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
   [December 1707] Elizabetha fil: Dionysis Bocking de Abney   23
10. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [February 1708] Thomas fil: Dionysii et Alicia Bocking de Abney grange   1
11. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [April 1711] Robertus fil: Dyonisyi et Aliciae Bocking de Abney: Grange   3
12. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
    [April 1711] Robertus fil: Dyonisyi Bocking de Abney grange   8
13. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [May 1712] Maria fil: Den: at Alicia Bocking de Abney grange   11
14. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [May 1716] Anna fil: Den: et Alicia Bocking de Abney grange   13
15. Proceedings of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1903. "Accounts of John Bagshaw of Abney Grange", p220, contains a transcript from the accounts, which reads:
                GRANGE RENTS 1717
    

    	£	s	d
    John Bagshaw	12	0	0
    Edmund Hall part	2	0	0
    William How part	2	0	0
    Nether acker	0	13	4
    White Leese	1	13	4
    Marshall farme	3	0	0
    Harkholme	3	5	0
    Bars Barber	6	7	4
    Widdow Bagshaw	5	10	0
    Robert Drable	4	7	4
    Thomas Hall	7	3	4
    Denis Bockin	3	14	0
    And wee have alowed from Mr         Ayears	0	10	0

16. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the baptism entry:
    [April 1719] Elizabetha fil Diony: et Alicia Bocking de Abney grange   26
17. Parish Register of St Peter's, Hope includes the burial entry:
    [May 1723] Dennis Bocking de Abney Grange   10
18. Inventory of Dennis Bocking (ref: B/C/11/Dennis Bocking, Hope, 1723 @ LRO) reads :
    May the 11 1723
    An inventory of the Goods Dennis Bockin deced
    

    Imprimis his purse and Apparell	01	10	00
    A heffer	02	00	00
    Mare and Sadles and grears	02	00	00
    Parlour two Beds & bedding	01	00	00
    12 pecks of Meale	00	07	00
    2 Old Cheeses	00	03	00
    1 Bro[.]es with 20 pound [Cob]	01	00	00
    3 Bo[.]ess	00	01	00
    One Low iii port and quartan	00	01	06
    30 pound of Blose	00	05	00
    A Remble & of [...ettey]	00	05	00
    2 Od Remband of Tamy	00	05	00
    A Remband of Drukratt	00	10	00
    A Rambland of Whitethut Cloth	00	10	00
    Two Romblands of Serg	00	00	00
    house
    Land Iron and Tongs	00	05	00
    2 Iron potts brasse kettles	00	07	00
    13 pewter Dishes & plates	01	06	08
    One Cliftone Dresser	00	05	00
    One table and foure Chears	00	05	00
    On Little Brandlet of Brandy	00	10	00
    Barne
    One Carte and harren & old Gears and all other odd hustlements	00	10	00
    Good Debts	05	00	00
    Desperate Debts	05	00	00
    	__________
    	24	11	02
    	__________

    Appraisers Rob^{t his}+_mark Barker
            Tho ^his+_mark Hall
     
    Administration for the estate granted to his widow Alice on 16 May 1723