Cannon Southey (abt. 1701 - 1768)

Born about 1701 in Somerset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Betty (Periam) Southey — married 9 Mar 1725 in Milverton, Somerset, England

Died 15 Jul 1768 at about age 67 in Fitzhead, Somerset, England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: James Southey [send private message]

Biography

Cannon was born about 1701. His parents were John and Mary Southey.^[1]

An educated young man he enrolled at Oxford University. His entry in the book, Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford, 1715-1886 states:-

"Southey, Cannon, s. John, of Fitzhead, somerset, gent. St. JOHN'S COLL., matric. 26th March 1717, aged 16"^[2]

After leaving university Cannon married Betty Periam in Milverton, Somerset in 1724/5. The parish books record:-

"Cannon Southey Gent & Madam Betty Periam was married March 9th".^[3]

The newly married couple had a child in 1725/6. The Fitzhead parish records state:-

"Jenny the daughter of ? Cannon Southey and Elizabeth his wife was baptised the 19th day of March 1725". ^[4]

The Fitzhead parish records show the child lived less than one year: -

"Jenny ? Daughter of ? Cannon Southey was buried the 6 day of February 1726".^[5]

On the 20th June 1760 Cannon buried his wife Betty. The Fitzhead parish records state: -

"Betty the wife of Cannon Southey was buried June the 20th 1760"^[6]

At the time of his death in 1768 Cannon was living in the "Mansion-House of Fitzhead". A substantial property consisting of " a hall, two parlours, a drawing room, seven bed-chambers &c with stabling for fifteen Horfes, Coach-houfe, Fruit and Kitchen Gardens, orchards, Bowling-Green &C forty-one acres of rish, Arable Meadow and Pafture Land".^[7]

He was buried on the 15th July 1768 in the parish of Fitzhead, Somerset ^[8] and his will was proved on 12th August 1768.^[9]

The will starts, "I Cannon Southey of ffitzhead in the County of Somerset Esquire".

He requests that, "My body ? ? of ? might be privately buried without any pall bearers and that only twelve of my tenants to carry my corpse to the vault under my seat in the chancel of the parish church of ffitzhead and placed on the southside of my late wife"

It goes on, "...and as for my corporal estate which God hath blessed me with I give devise and bequeath in manner following":-

"I give to the poor of ffitzhead five pounds to be distributed the Sunday next after my ? as my executors shall think the most proper objects of charity"

"the Reverend George Atwood tow (two?) pounds and to his wife Sarah Atwood twenty pounds".

Next, two further churchmen receive ten pounds each, but their names are difficult to read.

Sarah Periam (again the surname is not clear) received "one hundred pounds" and "twenty pounds a year payable out of my lands at ? for and during the sum of twenty one years if she so long lives"

"Robert and Thomas Southey one hundred pounds each"

"unto William and Hannah Southey all that leasehold estate ? Woodford in the parish of Wellington for and during the term.....as joint tenants and to the survivor of them but if they if they shall both die before the expiration of the said term then I give the remaining part of the said term to Robert and Thomas Southey as joint tenants"

"I forgive Thomas Southey the elder the large debt he now owes me"

"I give unto my servants living with me at the time of my decease a suit of ? ?"

"by patent to the Office of Registrar of the Archdeaconry of Taunton and have named John Southey son of the said Thomas Southey in the said patent now I hereby give unto him all my right interest benefit and advantage with all ffees ? belonging also i give unto the said john Southey....west town house"

Next in the will comes Cannon's "great nephew John Southey Somerville son of the said John (Possible transcription error in the court records since this should be Hugh) Somerville by Elizabeth Cannon Somerville his late wife". As his nephew is only a young child he appoints as trustees "my worthy friends the Honourable Hugh Somerville and Henry ffownes Luttrell of Dunster Castle". The child receives the bulk of the estates owned by Cannon, but the will attempts to create a trust limiting future ownership to just the male heirs of the boy. This part of the will has been described as, "fantastically complex" and "ill advised", many years later it results in litigation and court cases. In "default of issue" by the child the will states the estates pass instead to "my kinsman John Southey" and his sons, "lawfully begotten". Next in line is John's "brother Robert southey" and then the final of the three brothers "Thomas Southey".

The will ends with "my sister Mary Lethbridge" being appointed executrix.

A codicil made on 13th May 1767 give Robert Southey and Thomas Southey "sons of Thomas Southey of Lydeard St Lawrence in the said county Yeoman" a further fifty pounds each. Then rather strangely gives them a further fifty pounds again. "Sarah Periam of ffitzhead" "Spinster" features once again in Cannon's wishes and is given "my late wifes clothes."

Research Notes

In the will " Thomas Southey the elder" is Cannon Southey's first cousin Thomas Southey. The brothers mentioned were Thomas' sons John Southey, Robert Southey and Thomas Southey.

Southey-403 21:01, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

Also in the will are William Southey and Hannah Southey. They are Thomas Southey the elder's siblings and are therefore also first cousins to Cannon Southey.

Southey-403 19:42, 14 May 2022 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ Review of high quality scan of the will of John Southey on www.ancestry.com by James Southey on 13th April 2022. The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 630 Source Information Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: Prerogative Court of Canterbury: Wills of Selected Famous Persons. Digitized images. Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 1. The National Archives, Kew, England.
2. ↑ Review of high quality scan of the following book on www.ancestry.com by James Southey on 13th April 2022.Ancestry.com. Oxford University Alumni, 1500-1886 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Foster, Joseph. Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford, 1715-1886 and Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford, 1500-1714. Oxford: Parker and Co., 1888-1892.
3. ↑ Review of scan of Milverton Parish records on www.ancestry.co.uk by James Southey on 16th April 2022. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/60856/images/englb030d_d-p-milv-2-1-5_m_00011?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=d7a45a79ad7effea165363b0d0555c72&usePUB=true&_phsrc=ZKT351&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=4009887
4. ↑ Review of scan of Fitzhead Parish records on www.ancestry.co.uk by James Southey on 16th April 2022. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60856/images/engl78030_d-p-fitz-2-1-3_m_00004?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=ef9374e2d7288cde67ce67c12b863d0e&usePUB=true&_phsrc=ZKT330&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_gl=1*1s8266b*_ga*Nzc5NzEzNzYxLjE2NDU0Nzk4Nzg.*_ga_4PXYE4RLH1*MTY1MDEzNjg4OC4yMS4xLjE2NTAxMzcwNjIuMA..&pId=1106384
5. ↑ Review of scan of Fitzhead Parish records on www.ancestry.co.uk by James Southey on 16th April 2022. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60856/images/engl78030_d-p-fitz-2-1-3_m_00027?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=ef9374e2d7288cde67ce67c12b863d0e&usePUB=true&_phsrc=ZKT330&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_gl=1*1s8266b*_ga*Nzc5NzEzNzYxLjE2NDU0Nzk4Nzg.*_ga_4PXYE4RLH1*MTY1MDEzNjg4OC4yMS4xLjE2NTAxMzcwNjIuMA..&pId=1106384
6. ↑ Review of scan of Fitzhead Parish records on www.ancestry.co.uk by James Southey on 16th April 2022. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60856/images/engl78030_d-p-fitz-2-1-3_m_00030?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=ef9374e2d7288cde67ce67c12b863d0e&usePUB=true&_phsrc=ZKT330&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_gl=1*1s8266b*_ga*Nzc5NzEzNzYxLjE2NDU0Nzk4Nzg.*_ga_4PXYE4RLH1*MTY1MDEzNjg4OC4yMS4xLjE2NTAxMzcwNjIuMA..&pId=1106384
7. ↑ Review of scan of Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette 8th September 1768 on www.findmypast.co.uk by James Southey on 18th April 2022. https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000195%2f17680908%2f014&stringtohighlight=cannon%20southey
8. ↑ Review of scan of Fitzhead Parish records on www.ancestry.co.uk by James Southey on 16th April 2022. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60856/images/engl78030_d-p-fitz-2-1-3_m_00031?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=ef9374e2d7288cde67ce67c12b863d0e&usePUB=true&_phsrc=ZKT330&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_gl=1*1s8266b*_ga*Nzc5NzEzNzYxLjE2NDU0Nzk4Nzg.*_ga_4PXYE4RLH1*MTY1MDEzNjg4OC4yMS4xLjE2NTAxMzcwNjIuMA..&pId=1106384
9. ↑ Review of high quality scan of the will of Cannon Southey (probate date 12th Aug 1768) on www.ancestry.co.uk by James Southey during the months of March and April 2022.https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/121446:5111?tid=&pid=&queryId=4b5a74d43e07cc56f0ff8d526b33358c&_phsrc=ZKT493&_phstart=successSource. Source Citation The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 941 Source Information Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: Prerogative Court of Canterbury: Wills of Selected Famous Persons. Digitized images. Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 1. The National Archives, Kew, England. Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers. Digitized images. Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11. The National Archives, Kew, England.

• Review of high quality scan of will on www.ancestry.co.uk website by James Southey on 13th April 2022.

Source Citation The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 941

Source Information Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

Original data:

Prerogative Court of Canterbury: Wills of Selected Famous Persons. Digitized images. Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 1. The National Archives, Kew, England. Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers. Digitized images. Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11. The National Archives, Kew, England