Joseph Underdown (1764-1799)

Baptism
Joseph Underdown was born in 1764 and baptised on 7th May 1764 in Northleigh to parents Thomas and Joan Underdown (nee Cox).

He was their 10th child and 8th son. His elder siblings were Sarah, Jane, Robert, Abraham, Thomas, James, Philip, Samuel and Benjamin.

Apprentice
Joseph may have initially been taught the baking trade, as the Register of Duties for Apprentice Indentures lists a Joseph Underdown with a Richard Minifies of Honiton, Baker. This was in the year 1781, when Joseph would have been 16 or 17 years old.

Death of Sister
Joseph’s sister Sarah died and was buried in Northleigh on the 15th August 1783, aged only 33 years. Her cause of death is currently unknown, but it is possible that it was a result of the after effects of a volcanic eruption in Iceland, which caused wide-spread disease across England.

The eruption also had a major impact on agriculture, particularly on crops. A clergyman, the Rev Sir John Cullum, wrote to the Royal Society that barley crops "became brown and withered … as did the leaves of the oats; the rye had the appearance of being mildewed”. The effect of this eruption on crops may have been the imputes for Abraham and some of his brothers to leave Devon to seek work elsewhere, rather than stay in the agricultural industry like the rest of the family. It appears that Joseph and his brothers made this move during 1783, the very year this eruption occurred.

Another impetus for the move could have been the rules of primogeniture, the right (by law or custom) of the firstborn son to inherit his parent’s estate. Although not from a gentry family where these rules were often applied strictly, it could have been a custom amongst the Underdowns, where eldest son Robert would inherit on the death of his parents. If the family did follow this custom, younger brother Joseph and his other brothers were expected to make their own way in the world. It is not certain at this stage whether this custom was followed with the Underdown’s, as Joseph’s own father appears to have inherited despite being a younger brother, and Joseph’s brother Samuel also appears to have inherited from his parents. Either way, it needs to be considered amongst the reasons why Joseph and some of his brothers decided to leave Devon.

Move to London
Unlike his brothers Abraham and James, I have not located Joseph in the Westminster Rates Books, so it is hard to determine exactly when he was in London. He is first record in London Land Tax Records for the year 1790, at St Luke, Old Street, Islington.

Marriage
Joseph Underdown married Sarah Howes on 23/2/1791 in St Luke Old Street, Finsbury, London, according to the Faculty Office Marriage Licence Allegations 1701-1850 and England Marriages 1538-1973. Her origins are currently unknown.

Child
Joseph and Sarah had a child Joseph born on 05/10/1791 and baptized in St Luke Old Street, Finsbury, London on 30/10/1791. The child Joseph died of convulsions just over a year later, and was buried at Finsbury on the 19/12/1792.

No record of another child to this couple has been found.

Location in London
The Land Tax Records for London record Joseph at St Luke, Old Street, Islington, for the years 1792 and 1798.

Death
Joseph Underdown died between 04/04/1799 and 23/05/1799. He was buried in 1799 at St James, Piccadilly, Middlesex. He was aged approximately 35 years. His cause of death is currently unknown.

Will
Joseph left a will that is archived in the Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. The date of the will is 23/05/1799. It is believed that his wife may have predeceased him as she is not mentioned in the will. It also states that his last place of residence was the parish of St David’s in London.

Joseph left the whole of his estate to two of his brothers – Abraham and James – both who he states were also living in London at the time. Joseph signed the will and it was witnessed by John Barton and John Wallis. It is interesting that brother Philip, also living in London at the time, is not mentioned.

Children

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