Noah Underdown (1770-1837)

Baptism
Noah Underdown was born in 1770 and baptised on 26th December 1770 in Northleigh to parents Thomas and Joan Underdown (Nee Cox).

He was their 14th child and 9th son. His elder siblings were Sarah, Jane (Jenny), Robert, Abraham, Thomas, James, Philip, Samuel, Benjamin, Joseph, Elizabeth, Mary (Molly) and Agnes.

Marriage
Noah married a woman called Grace in approximately 1793 or 1794. An official marriage record is yet to be located. Grace’s surname and origins are currently unknown.

Children
Noah and Grace would have 9 children in total – Sarah in 1794 (likely named after Noah’s eldest sister who had died in 1783), Florence in 1795, Noah in 1797, Richard in 1799, Abraham in 1800, Charlotte in 1802, James in 1803, Mary in 1805 and Jonas in 1818.

The first 6 children were baptised in Northleigh, James and Mary were baptised in Musbury, and youngest child Jonas was also baptised in Northleigh.

Tenant Farming
According to Land Tax Redemption Records for 1798, Noah was an occupier of land owned by the Prideaux family in the parish of Southleigh, Offwell and Northleigh.

Parish Clerk
As well as working in husbandry, Noah is also known to have been a parish clerk for Northleigh, just as his grandfather had been. When Noah took on this role is unknown, but it is known that he was still working as a parish clerk right up to his death.

Death of Child
Eldest son Noah died and was buried in Musbury in 1803, aged only 4 years. His cause of death is currently unknown.

Grandchild born out of wedlock?
It is uncertain at this stage whether Jonas is the child of the Noah and Grace or one of their elder children having a child out of wedlock. The reason for this suggestion is the 13 year age gap between second youngest child Mary and Jonas. Although not impossible that he is their son, it is more likely that Jonas is a child of one of the elder siblings raised as Noah and Grace’s child to hide the fact that he was born out of wedlock.

Query over occupied land
There is an interesting reference to Noah Underdown in Northleigh in The Report of the Commissioners Concerning Charities, Volumes 1-2, by T. Besley, 1826. 4 fields had been given over to the local parish by an unknown donor for use by the poor not receiving parish relief. The fields were approximately 8 acres in total and on Lady Day (the 6th April) 1819, were let by tender (after a notice had been affixed to the church door) to a Noah Underdown. The rent was 141 per annum, subject to a deduction for tithe, at the rate of 3s. in the pound. This was a substantially reduced amount on the rent that had been charged to previous tenants, but had been through a gradual process of reduction over the three years.

One of the former tenants was an Emanuel Underdown. It is assumed at this time that this is Noah’s younger brother. Emanuel made a complaint that the letting took place without his knowledge and that the rent Noah had to pay was inadequate. The reference indicates that Emanuel’s complaint was dismissed readily as the letting had been generally known around the district, as had the decline in the rent. Emanuel then suggested that the rector (who was trustee of the properties) was not the trustee of this land, but no trust deeds were available to ascertain this. The rent was collected half-yearly and distributed by the rector and distributed among the ‘industrious poor’.

Noah Underdown was apparently still a tenant of this property in 1826, at the time of the reference’s writing.

Brother’s will
Noah is mentioned in brother Thomas’s will which was written in 1835, indicating that he was still alive at this time.

Death
Noah died on 21st October 1837 at Northleigh, aged 67 years. His cause of death was a diseased bladder. His wife Grace was the witness to his death and his occupation was recorded as parish clerk.

He was buried on the 26th October 1837 in Northleigh.

Communication of Tithes Meeting
A meeting regarding the commutation of tithes was held at widow Grace’s farm house, known as the Mitchells in Northleigh, on the 21st Day of September 1838. An earlier newspaper article indicates that in 1819, the property known as the Mitchells was tenanted by William White – Noah’s brother-in-law (husband of Jane Underdown) or nephew (by the same).

Death of Wife
Noah’s wife Grace died tragically of drowning in December 1840. A newspaper article from The Western Times, dated 26/12/1840, explains the circumstances, her having a mental illness prior to her death.

Grace was buried on the 26th December 1840 in Northleigh.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Noah and Grace Underdown
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Noah and Grace Underdown