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William GOTHAM
1740 - 1778 (~ 37 years)
Has 13 ancestors and 22 descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name William GOTHAM Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Baptised 1 Sep 1740 St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England 
- From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 2014)
"September 1st C William son of William Gotham" - under heading for 1740
Gender Male Occupation Bef 10 Apr 1770 Mariner: on Siren - Under Captain John Souden. (Previous ship shown on the muster roll entry for him on Favourite, which also shows the Siren was under John Souden's captaincy).
(one of the Dartmouth muster rolls, TNA ref. BT 98/3)
Occupation 10 Apr 1770 Dartmouth, Devon, England Mariner: embarked on Favourite - Under Captain John Souden. Shown on the muster roll for the trip.
(one of the Dartmouth muster rolls, TNA ref. BT 98/3)
Occupation 10 Oct 1770 Newfoundland Mariner: discharged from Favourite - Under Captain John Souden. Shown on the muster roll.
Occupation From 8 Feb 1777 to 24 Jul 1778 Mariner: Voyage on the Ceres - The Ceres was one of several East Indiamen with this name.
William went on the 2nd voyage of the first such ship, which had been built in 1773. A map of the voyage can be seen here (based on information on this Discovery catalogue entry). Although I show the end date of the voyage, William did not live to arrive back in England.
The documents relating to this trip are in the British library (and I have photographed the relevant entries).
The East Indiamen Ceres are not to be confused with the Royal Navy sloops and other ships with this name (e.g. a sloop HMS Ceres was launched in 1777 so active at the same time as the first East Indiaman Ceres.)
Will 23 Jul 1778 Written - Clearly prompted by sickness, as this was the day before he died.
Died 24 Jul 1778 The East India Ship Ceres, At Sea - From Ceres journal and pay book
The cause is not given, but since William wrote his will the previous day his death must have at least seemed likely. Whether through illness or accident, he was clearly neither too feverish nor unconcious.
Probate 3 Sep 1778 Buried - The Journal for the Ceres gives the date some of those who died on board were 'committed to the deep', often but not always the day they died, but this was not recorded for William. (Another member of the crew died two days after William in an accident, on Sunday 26th, but was only committed to the deep on Tuesday 28th).
Siblings5 brothers and 4 sisters Patriarch & Matriarch 
GOTHAM, d. Bef 1613 (3 x Great Grandfather)
Martha BEERE, b. Est 1712, bur. 30 Aug 1765, St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England (Age ~ 53 years) (Mother) Person ID I8124 All Last Modified 26 Aug 2024
Father William GOTHAM, bap. 11 Jul 1710, St. John the Baptist Church, Paignton, Devon, England , bur. 7 Apr 1782, St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England (Age ~ 71 years) Mother Martha BEERE, b. Est 1712, bur. 30 Aug 1765, St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England (Age ~ 53 years) Married 25 Jan 1737/38 St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 2014)
"M 25 William Gotham & Martha Beere" - under heading for January 1737
Children - Although William exceeded his 'three score years and ten' and Martha lived at least well into middle age, their children did not do so well.
Of their ten children, tragically no less than six died either as babies (five) or young children (one). Not only that, but the other four all predeceased their father. All of these four had married - Susanna for seven years but apparently without children, John had just one son who died in infancy, but the other two did at least have children who outlived their grandfather so we may hope he took some comfort in that. James' only child was a daughter, Martha, who lived to a reasonably old age for the time, dying aged 67, but single and childless. William had a 'pigeon pair', his son, another William, probably has no living descendants, despite having had seven children. However, it seems that daughter Anne, who became a Southward on marriage and emigrated to the USA, does have descendants to this day (judging from various online trees - I have not verified the family so far forward from their 'Gotham' ancestors), so William and Martha's line has daughtered out, not died out.
Of course, the early deaths of William's adult children does not necessarily mean they had weak constitutions. The cause of Susann's death is completely unknown, but two of her brothers (William and John) seem to have died at sea, one in the Royal Navy,the other working for the East India Company. The fate of James is unclear. No burial has been found, which could suggest he too died at sea, but his will seems not to survive, suggesting it was proved in Exeter Diocese so he can't have died overseas.
Family ID F300076 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family Anne CUMMING, b. Abt 1749, Devon, England , bur. 13 Apr 1823, St. John the Baptist Church, Paignton, Devon, England (Age ~ 74 years)
Other Partners: Giles NARRAMORE m. 5 Jan 1779Banns of marriage From 12 Jan 1772 to 26 Jan 1772 St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 17 May 2017)
Married 30 Jan 1772 St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 17 May 2017)
"30 Married William Goth^eam & Anne Cumming" - under headings for 1772 and January. (see entry on Gotham' tree for reason why it seems clear the marriage was of this William)
Children2 children Last Modified 22 Jun 2020 Family ID F4227 Family Group Page | Family Chart
- From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 2014)
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Event Map Click to hide 
Baptised - 1 Sep 1740 - St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England 
Occupation - Mariner: embarked on Favourite - 10 Apr 1770 - Dartmouth, Devon, England 
Occupation - Mariner: discharged from Favourite - 10 Oct 1770 - Newfoundland Banns of marriage - From 12 Jan 1772 to 26 Jan 1772 - St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England Married - 30 Jan 1772 - St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England Child - Anne GOTHAM - 3 Dec 1773 - St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England Child - William GOTHAM - 9 Nov 1775 - St. Mary the Virgin Church, Wolborough, Devon, England 
Died - 24 Jul 1778 - The East India Ship Ceres, At Sea = Link to Google Earth (if installed; see link below to install) Pin Legend 
