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John Williams

 
This is apparently John Williams and Caroline Medkaff.

• These pictures were formerly posted on entries for John Williams and Caroline Medkaff in tree by "templebacon" at filae.com (pay to view).
• Pictures now gone (or are hidden). See current pages for John Williams and Caroline Medkaff on tree by "templebacon".
• Source for pictures and location of originals unknown.
• Identity of user "templebacon" unknown.
• The home person for their tree is Sophie Frederika Germaine Williams, so they must be from that branch (in France).

John Williams,
born 5 July 1753.
Natural child of Basil Bacon. Basil Bacon recognised him and left him a large inheritance.
See Wikitree.
See entry in massive tree by Grant McCulloch. (Unclear how or if connected.)
See entry in tree by Dan Rotman. (Unclear how or if connected.)
At mar he is listed as of St. Bride's parish, London.

John and Caroline lived after marriage at Dropmore Hill, near Burnham, Buckinghamshire.
They are living at Dropmore Hill in 1787.
The 1790 codicil of will of 10th Earl makes provision for her. He seems to call her "Carolina".
Their son was bapt at Burnham in May 1791, so they are clearly still at Dropmore Hill.
Dropmore Hill was sold 1791.
They moved to London.
In the 1793 codicil to his will, the 10th Earl explicitly says Mrs. Williams is his daughter. Though he calls her "Catherine".
From 1794 to 1806, their children are bapt at St Mary-at-Lambeth, London.
Herbert letters in [PP, vol.2] discuss John possibly taking Holy Orders. But it seems this never happened. Instead he entered the customs service.
John's will says he is "one of the Commissioners of His Majesty's Honourable Board of Customs in London".
They lived at Clapham, London.
In 1808-1809 their children are bapt at Holy Trinity Church, Clapham, London.
His will dated 22 [Nov or Dec] 1817. Codicil 19 Aug 1822. He is of Clapham. It mentions an annuity paid to his wife by the Earl of Pembroke.
Living Clapham at death [burial record].

John dies, 1827:
He was bur 1 Nov 1827 at Holy Trinity Church, Clapham, London. See burial record from here.
Will proved 12 Nov 1827.
Caroline's will dated 17 Mar 1841. She is of Stanmore, NW London.
Burial record lists her as of Stanmore.

Caroline dies, 1845:
(todo) See death of Caroline Williams, [GRO.UK] 1st qr 1845, Hendon, vol 3 p 177.
She was bur 24 Jan 1845 at Kensal Green Cemetery, London. See burial record from here.
Her will proved 31 Jan 1845.
They had issue:

1. George Henry Williams,
   born 9 July 1787.
   Caroline's half-brother George writes to his father the 10th Earl about her on 12 Feb 1787. See [PP, vol.2, p.335]. George tells his father that Caroline is pregnant (with his first grandchild).
   Letter of 12 Aug 1787 [PP, vol.2, p.355] says a boy was born.
   Clearly named after 11th Earl and 10th Earl.

   
   

2. Juliana Williams,
   born at Dropmore Hill [1851 census],
   bapt 14 Oct 1788, Burnham, Buckinghamshire (near Dropmore Hill). See index.
   Mentioned as "Julia" in the 1793 codicil of will of 10th Earl.
   She mar Richard Brown.

   
   

3. Charles Williams,
   born at Dropmore Hill [1851 census],
   bapt 25 Nov 1789, Burnham, Buckinghamshire.

   
   

4. William John Williams,
   born at Dropmore Hill [1851 census],
   bapt 21 May 1791, Burnham, Buckinghamshire.

   
   

5. Caroline Williams,
   born 1793.

   
   

6. Augusta Williams,
   bapt 21 July 1794, St Mary-at-Lambeth, London.
   She mar 1stly, 1816, to George Holdsworth Lowther Gretton and had issue.
   He died 1833.
   She mar 2ndly, 1834, to Louis Antoine Francois Beaubois.
   She died 1877 in France.

   
   

7. Montgomery Williams,
   bapt 23 Mar 1796, St Mary-at-Lambeth, London.
   He mar and had issue.

   
   

8. Lawrence Blount Williams,
   bapt 19 Apr 1797, St Mary-at-Lambeth, London. See entry from here.
   See entry in tree by Pip Sansom (born Pip Williams, direct descendant).
   He mar Charlotte Arthurina Cuthbert and had issue.

   
   

9. Frederick de Veil Williams,
   bapt 2 Aug 1798, St Mary-at-Lambeth, London. See entry from here.
   Middle name is after grandmother.

   
   

10. Frances Williams,
    Frances Anna Williams, born 18 Oct 1799,
    bapt 3 Jan 1800, St Mary-at-Lambeth, London. See index.
    She mar 1821 to John Walter Scrivenor and had issue.

    
    

11. Paulina Helena Williams,
    born 1801,
    bapt 24 Feb 1801, St Mary-at-Lambeth, London.
    She mar George Lewis [born 1797, son of Rev. Henry Lewis of Essex and Glamorgan].
    See entry for him in tree by Helen Favelle. She descends from his brother.
    He became Secretary to Master of the Horse and Clerk to the Stable for Queen Victoria.
    He died 1854.
    She died 1871.
    They had issue.

    
    

12. Robert Williams,
    bapt 21 July 1802, St Mary-at-Lambeth, London. See entry from here.

    
    

13. Jemima Cicely Helen Williams,
    born 28 Mar 1806,
    bapt 24 Apr 1806, St Mary-at-Lambeth, London. See entry from here.
    She died in infancy, 1808.
    She was bur 27 Apr 1808 at Holy Trinity Church, Clapham, London. See burial record from here.
    Burial record confirms mother is Caroline Medkaff.
    Burial record says she is their 7th daughter. She is actually their 6th, though they have 7 daughters alive at this point.

    
    

14. Harriet Octavia Williams,
    born 13 Feb 1808,
    bapt 28 Mar 1808, Holy Trinity Church, Clapham, London.
    She mar 1841 to William Walter Tireman and had issue.

    
    

15. Howley Williams,
    born 21 Dec 1809,
    bapt 30 Dec 1809, Holy Trinity Church, Clapham.

Marriage of John Williams and Caroline Medkaff, 22 May 1786.

There is a "J. Williams" listed among the Commissioners of the Customs in [Post Office Directory, 1808, p.368].
This is for the whole country so this is a very senior position.

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Dropmore Hill, Buckinghamshire

Dropmore Hill was a house to the NE of Cliveden, N of Burnham, Buckinghamshire.
It is named and shown on a map of 1770.
Dropmore Hill is the site that became Dropmore House.
John Williams and Caroline Medkaff are living at Dropmore Hill in 1787. They apparently lived there up to 1791.

William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville purchased Dropmore Hill in 1791. It was then a house on 30 acres. See [Wood, 2019, p.61].
Grenville wrote in Jan 1792 that it was tiny: "It is so literally a cottage (having originally been inhabited by a labourer, as such)". See [Wood, 2019, p.68]. But this probably says more about Grenville's privileged background than about the house, which does after all appear and is named on the map.
Grenville built the huge Dropmore House on the site in the 1790s.
See 1882 map.
See modern satellite view and wider map.

Dropmore Hill on map of 1770.
From T. Jeffreys's Map of Buckinghamshire 1770.
From [Wood, 2019].

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References

• Will of John Williams. Dated 22 [Nov or Dec] 1817. Codicil 19 Aug 1822. Proved 12 Nov 1827.
  • Online here.
  • (todo) See transcript by Bob Janes.

• Will of Caroline Williams. Dated 17 Mar 1841. Proved 31 Jan 1845.
  • Online here.
  • (todo) See transcript by Bob Janes.

• The Emancipation of William Wyndham Grenville (1759-1834): The Life of Lord Grenville in the English Landscape, William Guy Martin Wood, PhD thesis, University of Bath, 2019.

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Sources yet to be consulted

• The Diary of Joseph Farington, Vol.1 (1793-1794) of Yale edn.
  • See p.141 for when Farington met John Williams in 1794.

• 10th Earl's natural children discussed in [Gibson, 2018]. Pages 153-156 and 175-176.

• John Williams in [CSORP]
  • Letter from John Williams and others, Customs House, [London], 1823-24. CSO/RP/1824/826.
  • Letter from John Williams and others, commissioners of customs, Custom House, London, to the lords of the treasury, London, 21 April 1824. CSO/RP/1824/1650.