William Sydenham 1640-1718

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Dorset, England
Surname/tag: Sydenham Michel Bromfield

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 The Sydenham Land Lottery 1.2 Research Notes To be retained in a free space page not added to Willliam Sydenham's profile 2 Sources

Biography

According to Hutchins, William Sydenham was aged 16 in 1656 and therefore born in 1640. He was the son of William Sydenham and his wife Grace Trenchard ^[1]

On 1 August, 1661, his father, Colonel William Sidenham died , followed by his mother who was buried on the 9th August . On November 13 of the same year, his grandfather also died leaving William as the heir to Winford Eagle, an estate in Toller Fratrum, Dorset. ^{[2] [3]}

By 1662, William had married Martha, the daughter of John Michel of Kingston Russel. ^[4] The couple had four known children.

1. William baptised Sept 24 1663 buried Jan 2 1692
2. John Sydenham, baptised July 4, 1665 (died before 1699)
3. Martha, baptised July 24, 1666 (died Dorchester prison before 1718)
4. Dorothy baptised baptised August 15 1668 (died Dorchester prison before 1718) ^[5][6]

William was at court becoming squire to the body of William III, this would have necessitated significant expenditure, certainly William appears to have spent more than his income. By 1684, he was in difficulties and began to mortgage his property with the amounts gradually spiraling.

Eventually, the mortgages covered most, perhaps all of his estate. The mortgaging of the central part of the estate demonstrates this.In 1684, He agreed to a loan from a member of the local Frampton family for £950. This was secured on the manor and house at Wynford Eagle . Five years later this mortgage was assigned to Joseph Damer for £1000 .Joseph Damer was also member of the Dorset gentry who became notorious for money lending in Ireland. He was by some considered to be a usurer. In evidence given in 1702, Damer claimed that the mortgage was further altered in 1690 with more money lent to extend the loan to £1500 with a further mortgage of £500 dated 29 Seot 1691 . He also claimed that he loaned an additional £1100 with deeds signed by William Sydenham, his two daughters and his surviving son. (who died before 1698.) These documents were said by Damer to be lost. Another mortgage or loan was taken out with Thomas Bromfield 'of the Inner Temple'. The Sydenham's appear to have defaulted on interest payments for this with Bromfield obtaining a judgement at the Court of the King's Bench 'in the Hillary Terme 8 William 1 for £2400 . Following the judgement, an Indenture dated 27 September 1698' between Bromfield, William and his two daughters Martha and Dorothy assigned £1200 of the debt to a third party an attorney,James Selby, 'being part of the sume of four thousand and five hundred money of certaine Indentures bearing the day of the date of these Indentures... made between the said William Sydenham and Martha his wife and the said Martha and Dorrothy Sydenham the daughters of the one part and the said James Selby of the other'. ^[7]

Signatures and Seals, Thomas Bromfield and the Sydenhams

The Sydenham Land Lottery

By 1699 with his two sons dead, two spinster daughters and owing many thousands of pounds, William came up with a plan to make money. He put the mortgaged estate into a land lottery with 200, 000 tickets at 5 shillings a piece raising if all the rickets were sold £50,000. There were to be 13584 prizes with a top prize of £600 per anuum (worth £1200) After expenses, if all tickets were sold, William calculated that he would have about £26,000 for himself and his daughters to support them for the rest of their lives but this calculation appears to ignore the outstanding loans and interest payments He was required to deposit the deeds of the property to Trustees before the draw but failed to do so. The draw was duly held in December 1699 at the Mercer's hall in London. It was apparently well conducted. It was overseen by supposedly independent trustees and the tickets were drawn by boys of the Blue Coat School. The draw took place over several days. Each evening street criers would shout out news of the prizes won that day, exhorting members of the public to buy unsold tickets. The largest prize was drawn on the final day, just two days before Christmas 1699. The winning ticket, ticket number 146,206 was won by a woman named in the documentation only as Anne . William apparently felt the affair had gone well, although not all tickets had been sold. He presented the Mercer's company with a silver monteith to thank them for the use of the hall. ^[8]

Anne, the winner was a young woman, a servant, living in the household of William's wife Martha since about October 1699 . Anne claimed that she had been given two tickets, one from her mistress and one from her master by Dorothy Sydenham, one of William's daughters. The story as told in the court documents is confused. William claimed that his daughters and wife had no authority to give away tickets but also said they might be given on condition that the recipient only received a small share of any prize . Dorothy said she gave the tickets on condition that if the main prize was won then Anne would be given £500 and the rest returned to the family. Anne however contested this, moreover she immediately married one D'oyly Michel. The couple went to court to sue for their prize.

The traditional account of the affair has been written in many places. Sir Frederick Treves account is fairly typical

It is generally reported that there was more trickery than chance in this speculation, and that the harassed William had so arranged matters that the winning ticket should fall to “a confidant of the family,” who should privately restore the estate to the Sydenhams for a small sum. When the lottery took place it was surely enough to the confidant of the family that the prize fell. This fortunate individual was a woman, who, when required by the deus ex machiná, William Sydenham, to fulfiì her part of the bargain, basely declined. Her heart, it appears had long been set upon matrimony. As the owner of Wynford Eagle, she was quite aware that a substantial step had been made towards the possessing of a husband. In fact, she at once married Doily Michel, who in due course sold the manor to George Richards. When she who was destined to become Mrs. Doily Michel refused to complete the role she had essayed to play, Mr. Sydenham and his two daughters declined in turn to surrender Wynford Eagle ^[9][10].

What actually occurred may have been far more complex. It is well known that Anne immediately married a man called D'oyley Michell. The earlier writers did not comment upon the obvious family relationship between William's wife; Martha, the daughter of John Michel and Joanna D'oyley and D'oyley Michell. Diana Trenchard poses the question ' If there was any fraud involved in the matter of the draw was it pre-planned by the Michel family, rather than William Sydenham? The Michel family appears to have been closely involved with both the lottery and also had interests in the land. John Michell, a trustee may have been Martha's elder brother Charles and Francis Michel were two of the cashiers. (Martha Sydenham also had brothers named Charles and Francis Michell ). Martha's sister, Mary was married to Henry Bromfield, one of the mortgage lenders on a smaller part of the estate. Thomas Bromfield, Henry's brother was the major lender of money on the manor and house at Wynford Eagle . Trenchard suggests that D'oyley Michell was yet another brother; this may not be correct, he seems more likely to have been a young nephew ,son of her deceased brother Bernard. Trenchard had not found the marriage entry which gives D'oyley's age or the probable earlier death of Martha's brother. (see notes on free space page)

The wedding must surely have been preplanned since It took place on the day after the draw on 24th December 1699. It was celebrated at St James, Dukes Place in the City of London. This was a church notorious for conducting clandestine marriages without requiring banns or licence. Anne gave her surname as Stoak, she was a spinster aged 22, D'oyley was a bachelor aged 23.They gave London addresses. ^{[11] [12]} D'oly Michel, who by Sydenham's account had charge of the sale of several books of tickets . Sydenham claimed that D'oyley owed him £500 for the sale of these tickets. On failing to receive their prize,the newly wed Mr and Mrs D'Oyley Michell sued William Sydenham his wife and daughters. They won initially in the court of Chancery but William Sydenham appealed to the House of Lords, and countersued for £500 he said was owing on two books of tickets sold by Doyley as an agent. A large number of people, trustees, mortgagees, cashiers, tenants and other prize winners became parties to the suits.

The litigation went on for years, with the mortgage lenders demanding the deeds to properties on which they had lent William Sydenham large sums. William , Martha his wife and his daughters Dorothy and Martha Sydenham were all sued (wife and daughters were signaturies to the Mortgages). Wife, Martha died in 1702. and was buried amongst her own Michel family at Longbredy. ^[13] The court eventually ruled that the estate was to be sold and the money paid into court for the payment firstly of the debts, then expenses and costs and eventually to the vaious prize winners. Although the court did not comment upon the probable fraudulent nature of the Lottery, the case led to the complete fall of the Sydenham family. William Sydenham refused to release and deeds He and his daughters were sent to prison for contempt (c.1709) .The continued to refuse and all the property was eventually sold. All three are said to have died Dorchester gaol. ^{[14] [15] [16] [17][18]}

William Sydenham died in February 1718/19. His burial on February 16th was recorded in the Toller Fratrum register ^[19]

Research Notes To be retained in a free space page not added to Willliam Sydenham's profile

Who was D'oyly Michel ? Hutchins and subsequent genealogists state that D'oyly was the son of John Michel and his wife Joanna D'oyly, a brother of Martha Sydenham and that D'oyly died in 1726.see image from Burke The 1677 Visitation of Dorset also places a D'oyly Michel as the second son of John and Joanna however the editor has added that D'oyly matriculated at Magdalen Hall Oxford in 1661 and was buried on 9 February 1699/1700. ^[20] Alumni Oxoniensis records a 'Michell, Doyley s. John, of Kingstone Russell, Dorset, arm. Magdalen Hall, matric. 12 Dec., 1661, aged 16' (so born c. 1645)^[21] The parish records for Longbredy records the burial of 'D'oyly Michel, gent' on Feb 9 1699/70.^[22] John Michel in his 1670 will only alludes to a 2nd son. He was not named, nor was be bequeathed anything, only forbidden from a share of the younger children's inheritance if one died. This may simply mean he had already received his full portion. D'oyly Michel buried in early 1700 cannot be the man involved in litigation in 1702 and subsequent years. Moreover, he was too old. When D'oyly married Anna Stoak he gave his age as 23 (born 1676) the D' oyly born 1645 would have been 54.There are also numerous records of a D'oyly Michel, armiger acting as a JP at the Middlesex sessions in the period 1616-1627 ^[23] Given the unusual name it seems that there were two related D'oyly Michels. It is possible that the younger man was a son of the first but he could also be a nephew.

A Doyley Mitchel son of Bernard and Mary was baptised 10 July 1676. ^[24] A Bernard Michel was the third son of John and Joannna, he was married to a Mary Slaney in December 1675 (Hutchins, Burke) ^[25] A Bernard was buried 11 March 1678/9 at Long Bredy, (location of the family home Kingston Russell) ^[26] Could be Bernard brother of Martha and is identified as such by editor of 1677 Visitation. But there was also a Bernard Michell in the previous generation at Kingston Russell. Bernard married to Mary, merchant of London continues to have children after this date.

There are baptism records which seem to link Doylie and Anne to this area of the City

Barnard son of Doylie and Anne Mitchel October 24 1700 at St Katherine Coleman. ^[27]

Dorothie daughter of Doylie and Ann Mitchel in February 1702/3 at St Katherine Coleman^[28]

Sources

1. ↑ John Hutchins The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset Third edition, corrected, augmented, and improved by William Shipp and James Whitworth Hodson 1861-73 Volume 2, p 703, Pedigree, Sydenhams of Winford Eagle, (1656 is the date of a pedigree used by Hutchins' drawn up by William Norrey ' )
2. ↑ Dorset History Centre; Dorchester, England; Toller Fratrum Parish Register; Reference: PE/TRF: RE1/1

   Mrs Grace Sidenham wife unto Colonell Willia Sidenh'm deceased the 9th day of August Anno Domini 1661

   Colonell William Sidenham, son unto William Sidenham Esq. died the first day of August Anno domini 1661

   William Sidenham Esq'r the Eldest of that name dyed November the thirteenth Anno Domin 1661. The twenty one year old William inherited his grandfather's estate (note order as in register which is a page of Sydenham deaths.

   According to Hutchins, the burials of William the elder and Grace appeared in the Wynford Eagle chapelry register which is the place of their burial. This register no longer exists)

3. ↑ National Archives, Kew, England, Prob 11/306/529 Will of William Sydenham, Prob date 19 December 1661 .Will dated 18 October, 1661

   'unto my grandson William Sydenham the younger Esquire and nowe heire apparent'

4. ↑ Dorset History CentreD-616/T/1 Manor of Wynford Eagle

   Marriage Settlement William Sydenham and Martha Mitchell, 1662

5. ↑ Dorset History Centre; Dorchester, England; Toller Fratrum Parish Registers; Reference: PE/TRF: RE1/1

   1663, William son of Will' Sydenham Esq & Martha his wife baptised Sept 24

   Johannes fil Will Sydenham Armige Martha uxor' fut Baptiz July 4th 1665

   1666, Martha fil Guilie' et Mathe uxori' Sydenham Armig Bapt July 24

   1668, Dorothia filia Will' Sydenham Armig & Martha was Bapt Aug 15th

6. ↑ J Hutchins History and Antiquities of Dorset Volume 2 pp 703, 706
7. ↑ Dorset History Centre, D-616/L/T/1

   Solicitors precis and Mr Howe's opinion (barrister) regarding the legal title of Winford Eagle (February 1709/10)

   Tripartite Indendure, 1) Thomas Bromfield, 2) William Sydenham, Martha Sydenham, Dorothy Sydenham, 3) Thomas Selby

8. ↑ Sworders Auctioneers, Lot 152, 20 May 2014; a small size replica of the Sydenham Monteith presented to the Mercers Company in return for the use of the hall for the draw of his land lottery
9. ↑ Sir Frederick Treves, Highways and Byways in Dorset, 1906, pp 291-292 Archive books
10. ↑ see also George Roberts. The Social History of the Southern Counties of England,London 1856 p 384 google books
11. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: P69/JS1/A/002/MS07894/002, St James, Dukes Place, City of London parish register

    December 24, Doyly Mitchel B.23 Merchant St Katherine Coleman Anna Stoaks sp 22 St Martin's fields ancestry sharing link

12. ↑ Family Search wiki St James,Dukes Place, Clandestine Marriages Link
13. ↑ Dorset History Centre Dorset History Centre; Dorchester, England; Long Bredy Parish Register; Reference: PE/LBY: RE1/

    1702, December 15th Mrs Martha Sydenham of Winford Eagle was buried

14. ↑ Hutchins 'History and Antiquities of Dorset', Vol 2 p 706
15. ↑ Diana Trenchard, 'Women of Dorset', Dorset Books,1994, pp 33-38
16. ↑ Parliamentary Archives catalogue Manuscripts of the house of Lords

    Reference HL/PO/JO/10/3/191/3

    Title Sydenham v Michel

    Description Petition and Appeal of William Sydenham.

    Date: 30 March 1702

    Petition and Appeal of William Sydenham. Petitioner was seised of an estate, called Winford Eagle, in Dorset, and put it into a lottery for which there were to be 200,000 tickets at 5s. each. As the lottery was not filled, Petitioner made the estate over to trustees to see that the lottery was fairly carried out and arranged that any land which might remain was to be given back to him and his heirs. The Defendant, D'oyly Michel, was his agent and disposed of tickets, though he has never paid up all the money he received. Dorothy, Petitioner's daughter, gave to Anne, his servant, 2 tickets on the condition that, if either of them proved to be the lucky one, the Appellant was to give her £500 for it. She gave them to Defendant. At the drawing of the lottery, one of them proved to have won the highest prize of £600 a year or £12,000. Anne then left Petitioner's service and married the Defendant.

    Annexed:

    a) 8 April -- Answer of D'oyly Michel and Anne, his wife. They state that the decree complained of was made on just grounds since Respondent Anne had received the tickets as a gift in return for extraordinary attendance and trouble. They, therefore, pray that the decree may be affirmed and that costs may be given them. Signed by the Respondents. Countersigned J. Crawford. Endorsed as brought in this day.

    b) 10 April -- Petition of the Respondents for a day for the Hearing of the Cause and that all parties concerned may be summoned to attend and the writings produced. Endorsed as read this day. Ordered to be heard 17 April and affidavits and witnesses to be produced. Lords Journals, XVII. 93.

    c) 14 April -- Petition of the Appellant asking for postponement of the Hearing and that his witnesses may be summoned. Endorsed as read this day. The Hearing was postponed till 28 April. Lords Journals, XVII. 98.

17. ↑ Dorset History Centre, D-616/L/T/1, Corbould, Rigby and Co, Solicitors

    Papers in case Doyly Michell v William and Martha Sydenham et al concerning lottery of Sydenham's estate at Wynford Eagle and subsequent events, date 1698/1709

    These documents are extensive and include copies of the court documents, copies of mortgages bearing the signatures and seals of the Sydenhams and a summary of the legal proceedings together with a timeline of events drawn up by counsell for the eventual purchaser of Wynford Eagle.

18. ↑ Dorset History Centre, Dorset Quarter Sessions Plea Book 1706 QSM2/2 ancestry sharing link
19. ↑ Dorset History Centre Dorset History Centre; Dorchester, England; Toller Fratrum Parish Register; Reference: PE/TRF: RE1/1

    William Sidenham Esq was buried Feb 16th 1718/19

20. ↑ Edward Bysshe transcribed and edited GD Squibb, 'Visitation of Dorset 1677', 1977 London, p45
21. ↑ "Michaelson-Morcombe," in Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714, ed. Joseph Foster (Oxford: University of Oxford, 1891), 1007-1026. British History Online, accessed May 31, 2022, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/alumni-oxon/1500-1714/pp1007-1026
22. ↑ Dorset History centre, Longbredy Parish register PE/LBY/RE 1/1 ancestry sharing link
23. ↑ London Lives Data base search result
24. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: P69/BEN2/A/001/MS05671 St Benet Gracechurch

    1676 The 10th of July was baptised Doyley the son of Bernard Mitchel and Mary his wife, of this P'ish, marchant

    ancestry sharing link
25. ↑ London,Metropolitan Archives, Marriage Bonds and Allegations Ms 10091/28

    29 Decemb'r 1675

    Which day ap'red p'sonally John Miller of the p'ish of St Gregories London gent & alledged that there is shortly to bee held and soleminized between Bernard Mitchell of Fenchurch Street London Merchant aged 26 or thereabout and a Bachelor And M'sts Mary Slaney of the p'ish of St Stephen Coleman Street London aged 21 yeares or thereabout and a Spinster with the consent of her father not knoweing or beleiveing any imped'mt to hinder the said marriage of ye oath of the promised he made and grants a licence for them to be married in the parish church of St Stephen Coleman Streete

    Jo Millerancestry sharing image
26. ↑ Dorset History Centre PE/LBY: RE1/1

    1678 Mr Bernard Michell of Kingston buried 11th March ancestry sharing link

27. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: P69/KAT1/A/002/MS017833 St Katherine Coleman City of London

    1700 Oct 21 Barnard son of Doylie & Anne Mitchel Octobr 24 ancestry sharing link

28. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: P69/KAT1/A/002/MS017833 St Katherine Coleman City of London

    1702 Dorothy daught'r of Doylie and Ann Mitchell Feb 26 Ancestry sharing link