MANN genealogy	26 January 2017
MANN family tree MANN family summary MANN ancestor chart		Dr Geoffrey Mann geoff.mann@btinternet.com home page
7. William MAN	8. Robert MAN c1680-c1720	.
	m Elizabeth?

Robert was born probably between 1670 and 1690 in or near Colchester. He became a weaver in Colchester probably by an apprenticeship in St James parish, and had at least one son, William, born about 1712. No direct records of his life have been confirmed.

PRINCIPAL RECORDS

b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened    B=Buried

BIRTH

Robert’s only known son William was born around 1712, based on his apprenticeship in 1726, so Robert was born before 1694 and probably after 1660.

 According to William’s son Harvey, William had legal settlement in St James, Colchester. But William was not apprenticed there, so his settlement in St James is probably based on his father Robert who was a weaver of Colchester according to William’s Indenture. To gain settlement, Robert may have been apprenticed as a weaver in St James or (rather unlikely) held parish office there.

Concluded that Robert was born in or near Colchester and probably apprenticed as a weaver in Colchester St James. No suitable baptism has been found in the Essex parish register index. There is a possible baptism at Kersey in Suffolk, 4Jan1685 son of Ambose and Hester Man.  Kersey is 12 miles from Colchester, but no evidence to link this baptism.

 I have a distant genetic match with an Ancestry member who's ancestor, James Mann, was born in 1748 in Bildeston, Suffolk, 4 miles from Kersey. There are no Robert or William Mann at Bildeston hwoever.  A possible marriage of Robert took place at Brent Eleigh, 5 miles from Kersey and 3 miles from Bildeston.

MARRIAGE

There is no suitable marriage of Robert Mann in the Essex index 1538-1812, but at least three marriages in Suffolk at a suitable time and near enough to Colchester, although none of them have a baptismal record of a son William:

m 30 May 1697 Robert Man & Sarah Cofield at Kersey        (12 miles to Colchester)
m        1709 Robert Man & Alice Clitters at Brent Eleigh (14 miles to Colchester, 5 miles from Kersey)
m        1712 Robert Man & Elz Deacon at Brent Eleigh

In 1756, Robert's grandsons William and Harvey were in the care of Elizabeth Mann, widow, said to be her children, though they were baptised as sons of Mary. Possibly Elizabeth was a  grandmother of the boys so Robert's wife may have been Elizabeth. 

DESCENDANTS

Only William , born c1712 is known

DEATH

In 1731, William referred to his father as “late of Colchester” implying that he was already dead. This fits with Elizabeth Mann, possibly his mother, being a widow in 1745. So Robert died between 1712 and 1731. The only suitable burial in the Essex index is on 29Sep1723 at Wix 10 miles from Colchester. The only other relevant Mann record at Wix is the burial of Ann the same year. No other evidence to connect these with Robert-8

A Robert Mann was buried in Brent Eleigh 25 Oct 1729.  He was a labourer not a weaver

OTHER

Indenture of William MANN April 1731

This Indenture witnesseth that Wm Mann son of Robert Mann late of Colchester in the County of Essex weaver - - - -
April in the fourth year of the reign of our Sovereign --[George the]--- Second by the grace of God of Great Britain France and [Ireland] King Defender of the Faith etc. anno dom 1731

Settlement certificate

from churchwardens of Brightlingsea to church wardens of St James Colchester- - -
Elizabeth MANN, widow, and William and Harvey MANN, her children, are legally settled in the parish of Brightlingsea- - -
signed 27Jan1745/6, Thomas LIST, Thomas WHITING, John TODD

Settlement examination

The examination of Harvey MANN now residing in the parish of St Leonard, Colchester, labourer 14mar1799
Who on oath hath said that he was born in Colchester but doth not know in what parish; at about the age of 15 he was bound apprentice by the parish officers of Brightlingsea to Thomas HILLS of St James Colchester, woollen manufacturer, for seven years; he served the whole of the said term in St James but he hath heard that before he was born, his father came from Brightlingsea into St James by virtue of a certificate and had left St James and enlisted as a soldier before he [Harvey MANN] was born. And he hath now a wife named Ann and three children named Elizabeth about 6, Harvey about 3, and Sarah about 8 weeks.
Signed Harvey x MANN orders of reml to Brightlingsea