Introduction
Watson ~ First Generation

    Thomas WATSON

Married Elizabeth, surname unknown. It has not been possible to identify their marriage.

There were two couples (Thomas & Elizabeth Watson) living and having a family in Royston District in period 1770 - 1800. One was an inn holder and the other a bricklayer. The writer of the parish record very often distinguished between the two at the baptisms of their children, in a way which was not done for any other baptism in the parish.

Of the 14 children identified, 6 were by the bricklayer, 4 by the inn holder and 4 not specified. One child not specified, Elizabeth, must have been by the inn holder, as the bricklayer had a daughter baptised in the same month.

The reasons for selecting the inn holder as my ancestor are as follows:
(1) the family descendants were in the social class of school teachers and became very prosperous, making it more likely to have started in a social group with more education;
(2) the two sons John and Joseph were linked by comments by Percival Serle regarding a relationship with the Rev Charles Watson of Clifton College. Only the inn holder appears to have had both a John and a Joseph.

For clarity, the children NOT included were baptised on the following dates at Royston, Hertfordshire (ref findmypast):
Elizabeth 28 Jan 1774 (no further information), John 2 Nov 1775 (bricklayer), Thomas 14 Feb 1777 (bricklayer), William 20 Nov 1778 (bricklayer), Samuel 23 Jun 1780 (bricklayer), Henry 18 Jul 1781 (bricklayer), Charles 6 Apr 1782 (no further information), Sarah 2 May 1783 (bricklayer), Mary 11 Mar 1785 (no further information).

Burial of Thomas Watson 14 Mar 1808 at Royston, Hertfordshire; the burial record states that he was an Innholder (ref findmypast). No age is given. It is not known when his wife Elizabeth died.

FROM WHOM ELIZABETH SHADE NEE GRIERSON IS DESCENDED. 		 
    Children:  
  1. Thomas WATSON bap 1775 at Royston, Hertfordshire  
  2. John WATSON bap 1776 at Royston, Hertfordshire  
  3. Richard WATSON bap 1779 at Royston, Hertfordshire  
  4. Joseph WATSON bap 1781 at Royston, Hertfordshire  
  5. Elizabeth WATSON bap 1783 at Royston, Hertfordshire  

Fully revised 26 Jun 2019