Allpress: A Fenstanton family /  by Emily Randall

Fen Stanton: Watercolour (1941) by Edward Walker at The V&A

Fenstanton is a village in the historic county of Huntingdonshire (now in Cambridgeshire), to the south of St Ives. Its two most famous residents have been Lancelot “Capability” Brown, a renowned landscape architect and gardener, and John Howland, one of the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower.(1) Fenstanton was also the site of a Roman settlement circa 100-400 AD. Here, archaeologists recently unearthed the skeleton of a man with a nail through his heel, who had been crucified as a form of punishment and death. This article from the BBC shows a facial reconstruction of the crucifixion victim. Could this be one of my ancestors?(2)

Phillip Allpress: Fenstanton farmer

My 4th great-grandmother Mary Ann Allpress (1786-1830), who married Charles Randall in 1812, was born in Fenstanton. She was the daughter of Phillip Allpress (1753-1838), a farmer, and his wife Elizabeth Taylor (1764-1843). Phillip and Elizabeth were married in August 1786, and they baptised their first child Mary Ann in December. (3, 4) I think it’s safe to say they “knew” each other before their wedding. Phillip and Elizabeth went on to baptise 11 more children in Fenstanton: Elizabeth (born 1788), Sarah (born 1789), Thomas (born 1790), John (born 1792), Phillip (born 1794), John (born 1796), Robert (born 1797), Catherine (born 1799), Rivers (born 1802), William (born 1804), and George (born 1806).(5)

In 1803, Phillip Allpress had to sell his livestock due to an inclosure act passed by Parliament the previous year.(6) These acts converted common lands and open fields into private enclosures.(7) Phillip had to part with 220 sheep, 6 cows, 4 calves, 3 horses, 1 mare, 2 pigs, and 10 hogs. I’m not sure whether this was most of his livestock or just a portion of it, but the sale gives us some insights into his farming operation. His death notice, published in 1838, suggests that he was a well-liked and well-respected man.(8)

Livestock auction advertised in the Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, 8 October, 1803

Phillip’s death notice in the Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, 17 March, 1838

Tracing the Allpress surname

Phillip’s wife Elizabeth was originally from Ely, but Phillip’s family had been in Fenstanton since at least the early 1600s. I haven’t done a proper One-Name Study on his surname (I may in the future), but the Allpress name has been one of the easier names to research in my tree. All lines seem to go back to Huntingdonshire, with the earliest mentions of Allpress (sometimes spelled Alpress) recorded in Fenstanton in the early Jacobean era. According to the Bishop’s Transcripts (9), John Allpress married Joane Hutton on the 9th of February, 1605/6, in Fenstanton. I believe this couple are my 10th great-grandparents, but the further back I go the less confidence I have due to missing records. I have not been able to find a will for this John Allpress (died 1668), his first wife Joane (died 1619), or their presumed son John Allpress (died 1673). But I have found wills for various other Allpress men of Fenstanton. I believe the line leading to my ancestor Phillip Allpress (and beyond) is as follows:

My Allpress to Randall line (Note: birth years are approximate when baptism records could not be found)

Protestation Returns

The name Allpress appears in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642 for the parish of Fenstanton. These documents listed the adult males in England who took an oath "to live and die for the true Protestant religion" prior to the start of the English Civil War.(10) Only one-third of the lists survive. The images were previously hosted at the UK Parliamentary Archives, but those links are now dead as the collections are moving over to the UK National Archives at Kew.(11) Luckily, I downloaded the images previously and can show you some screenshots here.

Excerpt from the Protestation Return for Huntingdonshire, Toseland Hundred, Fen Stanton (1641-1642). I think the mark of John Allpress, overseer, looks like a pair of spectacles. What do you think?

The list for Fenstanton is in great condition. The majority of the men made a mark for their name rather than signing. The list includes two men named John Allpress. Based on available parish records and wills, I think the one named as an overseer of the parish is the man who died in 1668 (my 10th great-grandfather), while the other John is the man who died in 1673 (my 9th great-grandfather).

The list also includes Henry Allpress (probably the one who died in 1651), Myles Allpress (probably the one who died in 1673), William Allpress (probably the one who died in 1697), and two men named Thomas Allpress (one of these men died in 1664; I can’t find a burial for the other Thomas).

Excerpt from the Protestation Return for Huntingdonshire, Toseland Hundred, Fen Stanton (1641-1642) featuring the marks of Wylliam (William) and John Allpress

Allpress today

Nowadays, if you search on the name Allpress in Google most results will be for Allpress Espresso, a coffee company started in New Zealand by Michael Allpress. Michael is the son of the late actor Bruce Allpress, who starred in The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers.(12) I haven’t been able to link this Allpress line to my tree (yet), but surely we are distant cousins?

Do you have the surname Allpress in your family tree? I’d love to hear from you! I have a small collection of digitized and downloaded Allpress wills that may be useful for your research.

Sources

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenstanton

  2. Prickett, K. (2024). Face of Fenstanton Roman crucifixion victim revealed. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-67943596

  3. Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 on Ancestry

  4. Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1950 on Ancestry

  5. See Emily Randall’s Family Tree on Ancestry

  6. Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, October 8, 1803

  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclosure_act

  8. Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, March 17, 1838

  9. Bishop’s Transcripts for Fenstanton, 1604-1854. FamilySearch Film #007562846, Item 2

  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestation_Returns_of_1641%E2%80%931642

  11. HL/PO/JO/10/1/91/127 Protestation Return - Huntingdon - Toseland Hundred - Fen Stanton. As of February 2026 this document is awaiting a new home at the UK National Archives. See https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/accessing-parliaments-archive-collections/

  12. Stuff digital. (2020). https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/121275446/kiwi-actor-bruce-allpress-dies-aged-89

Charles Randall: Scrivener, Surveyor, and Solicitor's Clerk /  by Emily Randall

Charles Randall (1784-1849) of Huntingdon, England, was an only child, rare for the Georgian era. His father Charles Randall (1757-1795) and mother Catherine Ross (1759-1809) were both born in Huntingdon to large families. The couple married on 14 Jul 1783 at St James Piccadilly church in London by banns.(1) I don’t know how long they had been in London or in what capacity. They returned to Huntingdon to have their first and only child. In 1795 Charles the elder was appointed keeper of the Huntingdon County gaol in the office vacated by the death of his older brother, but a few months later he died suddenly at the age of 38.(2) His wife Catherine never remarried and neither of them left a will.

Charles Randall was baptised at All Saints Church in Huntingdon on 31 August, 1784 (photo taken in September, 2022)

Career

Charles and his widowed mother had several family members close by to rely on, but nevertheless Charles went to work at a young age, first as a scrivener, or someone who wrote and copied legal documents. This excerpt from an indenture (contract) of apprenticeship shows his penmanship and work as a scrivener in 1800, when he was just 16 years old.(3)

An excerpt of Charles’s work as scrivener, from Huntingdon Borough records

Charles is later recorded as being a surveyor of taxes (a tax assessor) and a solicitor’s clerk (a law clerk). Recently, I discovered that he also sold lottery tickets and shares for Richardson, Goodluck, & Co. His name appears in multiple newspaper advertisements from 1812 to 1816 as the Huntingdon point-person for the London company.(4) I assume he earned a commission for each ticket or share sold.

For these lines of work, Charles must have been skilled in reading, writing, and arithmetic. I imagine he was detail-oriented, thorough, and very knowledgeable about the people and places around town.

Ad in the Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, and Huntingdonshire Gazette, 10 March, 1815

Family

Charles was married and widowed twice, first to Mary Pattison and then to Mary Ann Allpress. I wrote previously about these marriages and about the confusion between his two wives. I also covered his children in depth, as follows:

  1. Henry Randall (1807-1876, died in Huntingdon)

  2. Charles Randall (1814-?, joined the Royal Marines, death date and location unknown)

  3. John H Randall (1817-1869, died in London)

  4. Mary Ann Randall (1819-?, moved to Missouri then Illinois, USA, death date unknown)

  5. Edward Randall (1821-?, moved to Australia, death date unknown)

  6. Frederick Randall (1822-1885, died in Australia)

  7. Alfred Randall (1823-1882, moved to another part of England then returned to Huntingdon, died in Huntingdon)

  8. William Randall (1825-1843, died in Huntingdon)

  9. Philip A Randall (1827-1895, died in Illinois, USA)

It seems that Huntingdon was a good place to raise a family in the early 19th century. In his book Rural Rides, published in 1830, William Cobbett wrote “Huntingdon is a very clean and nice place, contains many elegant houses, and the environs are beautiful. Above and below the bridge, under which the Ouse passes, are the most beautiful, and by far the most beautiful, meadows that I ever saw in my life. … All that I have yet seen of Huntingdon I like exceedingly. It is one of those pretty, clean, unstenched, unconfined places that tend to lengthen life and make it happy.”(5) This glowing review was based on observations made by Cobbett in 1822. By the middle of the century, many of the Randalls had left Huntingdon and moved elsewhere.

Civic Engagement

Throughout his life, Charles was active in town affairs, serving on juries and attending local government meetings. In 1805, at the age of 21, he was admitted as a burgess of Huntingdon.(6) A burgess was considered one of the freemen of the borough, and was one of a limited number of men allowed to vote in municipal and parliamentary elections. Other privileges included access to common lands (aka commons) for the grazing of livestock.

For centuries, Huntingdon was under the control of the Montagu family, who held the title Earl of Sandwich. By the late 1820s many freemen had become “disaffected” over town debts, misuse of funds, management of the commons, and the sale of freedoms (i.e., freemen status) to nonresidents.(7) The following newspaper report on a Borough meeting in 1827, at which Charles served as Chairman, highlights the concerns of the burgesses.(8)

From the Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, 29 Sep, 1827 (This is a truncated version of the full article)

These tensions continued into 1829, when Charles chaired another meeting of the burgesses, in which committee members voiced their opposition to the non-resident burgesses newly admitted by the Lady Sandwich. The committee bemoaned the "corruption of the elective franchise" and "the misapplication of charity funds."(9) Charles took a leading role in addressing these perceived injustices, but I was not able to find much evidence of his involvement after this point. This may be due to the death of his wife in 1830 or to various national reforms passed in the 1830s.

From the Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, 29 Aug, 1829

In 1835, Charles sought the appointment of Relieving Officer for the newly formed Huntingdon Poor Law Union.(10) The duties of such an officer were to receive applications from paupers seeking relief and to “examine the merits and circumstances of each case.” In cases of urgent need, the officer could grant temporary relief by giving the pauper “articles of absolute necessity” or by placing the pauper in the workhouse. The Relieving Officer reported weekly to the Board of Guardians. Charles was not selected; the role went to another gentleman.(11) But I enjoyed reading his “campaign ad” in the newspaper:

From the Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, 21 Nov, 1835

A series of UnfortunAte Events

Although Charles was blessed with many children and seemed to be in good social standing, he undoubtedly suffered after the death of his wife Mary Ann (née Allpress) in 1830. The newspaper report of her death describes Charles as “disconsolate.”(12) He was left with 9 children to care for, ranging in age from 3 to 23. He did not remarry.

From Drakard's Stamford News, 14 May, 1830

The next year, Charles’s house was broken into. The thieves stole coins, a silk-lined coat, shawls, silver spoons, tea, and sugar.(13) Then, in 1843, Charles lost his teenage son William to suicide.(14)

Charles died in 1849 from a “diseased liver.”(15) This cause of death suggests (but does not confirm) that Charles was an alcoholic. He was buried in the parish of All Saints with St John. It does not seem that a headstone survives for him or for either of his wives.

His will, written in 1842 and proved soon after his death at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury in London, was very short and anticlimactic.(16) He named his son John Randall as executor, but his son Henry ended up handling the sale of his estate. Henry posted a notice in the newspaper announcing the sale of one lot with two dwelling houses in Huntingdon, and two lots (well-planted with fruit trees) in the neighboring village of Brampton.(17) The properties sound lovely, but unfortunately I have not been able to figure out exactly where they were located. 

From Cambridge Weekly News, 21 Apr, 1849

I am very lucky to have an ancestor who made it into the local paper on so many occasions, offering valuable insights into his life. I also appreciate the work of the Huntingdonshire Archives in preserving and making available the historic documents that mention my ancestors. I hope you have enjoyed this “deep dive” into my 4th great-grandfather Charles Randall and this peek into early 19th century Huntingdon.

Sources

  1. Westminster, London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935

  2. Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, 21 Nov, 1795, pg 3

  3. Records of Huntingdon Borough, 1350-1866 (Apprenticeship Indentures). FamilySearch.org Film #008869032 Item 23.

  4. Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, and Huntingdonshire Gazette, 10 Mar, 1815, pg 1

  5. Corbett, William. (1830). Rural rides (Project Gutenberg ebook).

  6. Huntingdon Court Records, 1797–1835 (Freemans Rolls). FamilySearch.org Film #008482829 Item 1.

  7. The History of Parliament: Huntingdon (1820-1832) at https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/huntingdon

  8. Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, 29 Sep, 1827, pg 3

  9. Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, 29 Aug, 1829, pg 3

  10. Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, 21 Nov, 1835, pg 3

  11. Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, and Huntingdonshire Gazette, 8 July, 1836, pg 3

  12. Drakard's Stamford News, 14 May, 1830, pg 3

  13. Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, 22 Jan, 1831, pg 3

  14. General Record Office. Death certificate for William Randall, 10 July, 1843

  15. General Record Office. Death certificate for Charles Randall, 1 April, 1849

  16. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858: Charles Randall, probate 14 April 1849.

  17. Cambridge Weekly News, 21 Apr, 1849, pg 1