11. CULMER-AUSTEN

Baker Tree

 GEORGE CULMER and MARGARET AUSTEN (11)

 

GEORGE CULMER. We have found two possible baptisms for George, both in St Peter’s in Thanet, 7 m NE of Stourmouth where he married.

Baptisms. St Peter in Thanet.
1610 Aug 9  George Culmer sonne of Valentine Culmer
1615 Aug 13  George Culmer sonne of John Culmer.

There is a marriage in St Peter’s for one of them in 1631, but the other could be the George Culmer who married in Stourmouth. George does not use the distinctive name Valentine for any of his children, but he does use the more common name John.

His gravestone in 1692 gives his age as 77. This would fit well with the 1615 baptism.

If so, his mother was probably Margaret Samson

 

MARGARET AUSTEN. There are online family trees that make her the daughter of Willam Austen and Nycholl/Michell Vincet, born in 1616 in Cranbrook. But this is more than 40 m from Stourmouth where she married, and seems very unlikely unless there is supporting evidence.
There are other possibilities within a 5-mile radius of Stourmouth.

In Ickham in 1613 Nov 1, daughter of Robert Austen.
In Littlebourne on 1616 Jan 1, daughter of Richard Austen.
In Wickhambreaux on 1618 Feb 7, again, daughter of Richard Austen.
In Ickham, 1616 Jan 5, daughter of Richard Austen

For a wedding in 1638 we should expect a birth around 1613. The first Ickham baptism fits best, but we have found other marriages for both the girls born in there. She could be either of the other two.

 

Marriage. All Saints, Stourmouth.
1638 Jun 5  George Culmer & Margaret Auston.

Their first child was baptised at St Nicholas at Wade, 3 north of Stourmouth.

Baptism. St Nicholas at Wade.
1639 Mar 8  Mary

From then on, the baptisms are at Stourmouth.

Baptisms. All Saints, Stourmouth.
1645 born Apr 14,  bapt Apr 19  John.
Two online family trees give another two sons,
1645  Stephen
1648  Daniel
The parish register at this point is very badly faded, so this cannot be verified from the online image. But both Stephen and Daniel are mentioned in George’s will.
1649 Jun 29  Jane
1652 born Jan 1, bapt Jan 1 Hannah
1658 Jan 6  George
There are other trees that add:
David 1659. Again, we have not been able to confirm this. David does not appear in George’s will.

They were raising their family during the Civil War and the Republican Commonweath that followed it. Curiously, we have not found George’ s name in the 1642 Protestation Return for Stourmouth, though there are other Culmers on the list. Nor have we found him in Preston juxta Wingham, where he lived in the latter part of his life.

In the 1670s, a farmhouse in Preston became an alehouse, later known as the Half Moon and Seven Stars.

In 1660, the Stuart king Charles II was given the throne in a return to the monarchy, He was still ruling when Margaret and George Culmer died.

Burials. All Saints, Stourmouth.
1680 Dec 7  Margret the wife of Gorge Culmer of Preston.
Preston next Wingham is just south of Stourmouth.

Three years later, George remarried, to the widow Elizabeth Andrews. Although both were of Preston by Wingham, they married in Canterbury.

Marriage. Canterbury.
1684 May 24  George Culmer Yeoman Widower of Preston by Wingham and Elizabeth Andrews Widow of Preston by Wingham.

This is the first record that tells us George Culmer was a yeoman. He was farming on a considerable scale,

 Burial. All Saints, Stourmouth.
1692 Dec 26  George Culmer of Preston.

His gravestone says he was 77 when he died on 22 Dec 1692. This fits with the baptism in 1615.

We have the will of George Culmer of Preston next Wingham, Kent, yeoman;
He makes his eldest son John his sole Executor.
He gives “Elizabeth ‘my now wife’ over and above what I am bound by bond upon our marriage that my Executor shall pay her if she overlives me all such household goods as she brought me in marriage”.
To the poor widowes of Preston he gives forty shillings;
There are legacies to George Minter, son in law, and Jane (his wife my daughter);
Five grandchildren (the children of Richard Saffery and Susannah his wife my late daughter); Sons Stephen Culmer and Daniell Culmer;
Grandson George Culmer son of John Culmer;
Grandson George Culmer son of Daniell Culmer;He
bequeatha property in Preston occupied by Michael Huffham.
Witnessed 3 July 1690 by Robert Howgill? and Thos? Howell”.