James Jefferies, the first son of Henry and Ann, was baptised in Fyfield on 14 Jul 1799. At that time the church at Kingston Bagpuize was being rebuilt and Fyfield was used instead. The abode is recorded as Kingston Bagpuize. The baptism was also recorded in the register at Kingston Bagpuize.
James married Matilda Williams presumably some short time prior to the birth of their first known child Sarah Ann. The place is unknown, as is the date, although it was not in Faringdon or Kingston Bagpuize. However, Matilda Williams is the name of the mother recorded on the birth certificates of daughters Sarah Ann and Clara Eliza. Matilda was baptised at Faringdon, All Saints, as were all her eight siblings, the children of John and Sarah Williams. The following are the baptismal dates:-
| John | 15 Jun 1782 | |
| Mary | 29 Feb 1784 | |
| Richard | 19 Jul 1786 | |
| Sarah | 1 Dec 1789 | |
| William Grainger | 28 Sep 1791 | |
| Frederick | 18 Aug 1794 | |
| Sarah | 26 Feb 1797 | |
| Matilda | 22 Jun 1800 | |
| Henry | 29 May 1804 |
Although little is known about Matilda’s siblings, it is likely that Frederick was a hawker of earthenware who settled in Coleorton, Leicestershire and Henry was a grocer who lived in Faringdon.
With only a few exceptions, James always used the spelling Jefferies, those being the parish baptism records for his first three children, which are shown, in order of birth, as Jeffries, Jeffery and Jeffery.
James and Matilda had seven children, all of whom survived into adulthood -
In the census records for Matilda there is no reference for her having paid employment. It is assumed that she did run the fishmongers/poulterers shop in James’s absence on bailiff and parish constable duties.
James Jefferies had several occupations; some were concurrent. The following is derived from various baptismal records, newspapers and trade directories.
In 1827 he is recorded, aged about 28, as a shopkeeper in Kingston Bagpuize. Only a year later he is a baker in Faringdon and retains this occupation for 12 years until 1840.
For the period 1841 to at least 1872, he is recorded as a poulterer and/or fishmonger. Did he sell fresh or salt-water fish or both? There certainly is evidence of commercial trout fishing in the area but one wonders whether fish from the coast were transported in ice by road before the arrival of the railway in Faringdon in 1864.
For a roughly similar period, James is Bailiff (1846 to 1862) and subsequently High Bailiff (1862 to at least 1881) to the County Court in Faringdon.
Additionally, during the late 1860s and early 1870s he was one of the Overseers of the Poor for the parish of Denchworth in the Wantage Division.
To add some confusion, his son James was also a constable, bailiff and overseer frequently alongside his father. Father and son are often but not always referred to as James Senior and James Junior.
In 1848 and 1855-6 and possibly during the intervening period he was a parish constable in Faringdon. Kelly's Directory for 1848 listed under Faringdon has :-
Paid constable – Mr James Jefferies with 12 others unpaid.
The younger James would have only been 17 years of age, so it is likely that the above is the elder James, particularly as being a paid position, it strongly suggests a position of seniority.
James and Matilda lived together in Faringdon from about 1828 until their deaths, almost always in London St. In 1861, 1871 and 1881 James and family are enumerated next to the Bull Inn with the Marlborough Arms only a few properties away on the opposite side to the Bull. Thus, by tracking the route taken by the enumerators, it has been possible, with reasonable certainty, to identify James’ house as the property at or on the site of the property at 25 London Street in modern day Faringdon.
The current number 25 London Street is the building with the pale roof in the middle of the picture, on the north side.
Move east and you will see that the next house number 27 has a sign saying "The Old Bull". Move three buildings west and you will see the Viceroy Tandoori, which used to be the Marlborough Arms and before that the George Inn. The street view can be increased to full screen by clicking in the top right corner. Click in top right corner or press Esc to return to this page.
The change in occupation from baker to fishmonger around 1840-41 may have coincided with new duties as either bailiff and/or parish constable. It may have been impractical to rise early to carry out the baking as well as carry out the new daytime roles. A fishmonger’s shop was probably easier for his wife and family to manage in his absence than a bakery.
As a result of the number and nature of his roles there is a surprising wealth of documentation relating to James. It is tabulated below.
| Year | Place | Event | Source |
| 1799 | Fyfield and recorded at Kingston Bagpuize | Baptism | Baptism of James Jefferies 14 Jul 1799 |
| 1827 | Kingston Bagpuize | Shopkeeper | Baptism of Sarah Ann, 8 Feb 1827 |
| 1828 | Faringdon, All Saints | Baker | Baptism of John, 19 Mar 1828 |
| 1831 | Faringdon, All Saints | Baker | Baptism of James, 5 Jan 1831 |
| 1832 | Faringdon, All Saints | Baker | Baptism of Ellen, 14 Oct 1832 |
| 1836 | Faringdon, All Saints | Baker | Baptism of Matilda, 2 Nov 1836 |
| 1840 | Faringdon, All Saints | Fishmonger | Baptism of Clara Eliza, 9 May 1840 |
| 1841 | Faringdon | Fishmonger | 1841 Census |
| 1844 | Faringdon, London Street | Mr James Jefferies acted as judge in the poultry section at the Faringdon Agricultural Society show | Reading Mercury - Saturday 7 December 1844 |
| 1844 | Faringdon | Poulterer & Fishmonger | Pigot & Co.'s Directory of Berks, Bucks ... , 1844. |
| 1846 | Faringdon, All Saints | Fishmonger | Baptism of Mary Louisa, 4 Mar 1846 |
| 1846 | Faringdon | Bailiff to the County Court | Derived from 1862 entry below and the fact that County Courts were only created in 1846 |
| 1848 | Faringdon | Fishmonger | Kelly's Berkshire Directory, 1848 |
| 1848 | Faringdon, London Street | Poulterer, renting a house and shop next to the White Horse. Both properties for sale at this time. This may have necessitated the move to Back Street | Reading Mercury - Saturday 24 June 1848 |
| 1851 | Faringdon, Back Street | Poulterer and County Court Bailiff | 1851 Census |
| 1852 | Faringdon, London Street | Poulterer and Fishmonger | Slater's Directory of Berkshire, 1852 |
| 1854 | Faringdon, London Street | Poulterer | Post Office Directory of Berks, Northants ... , 1854 |
| 1855 & 1856 | Faringdon | Constable | Reading Mercury Saturday 29 December 1855 & Saturday 5 January 1856 |
| 1861 | Faringdon, London Street | Bailiff, Faringdon County Court | 1861 Census |
| 1862 | Faringdon County Court | The judge has appointed Mr James Jefferies, of this town, to be high bailiff of this court in the room of Mr Edward Staniland, deceased. Mr Jefferies has filled the post of bailiff to the court ever since its establishment. | Reading Mercury - Saturday 4 October 1862 |
| 1871 | Faringdon, 36 London Street, | High Bailiff Faringdon County Court | 1871 Census |
| 1871 | Faringdon Christmas Meat Market | “........Mr James Jeffries' display of Geese, turkeys, etc. was also of a very superior description” | Reading Mercury - Saturday 23 December 1871 |
| 1872 | Faringdon Christmas Meat Show | “..Mr James Jeffries display of geese, turkeys, etc., was as good as usual.” | Reading Mercury - Saturday 21 December 1872 |
| 1872 | Denchworth | OVERSEERS - The following were last week appointed overseers for the parishes in the Wantage Division .... ................Denchworth: Mr Benjamin Booker and Mr James Jefferies. jun; Goosey: Mr James Jefferies, Snr and Mr Moses Belcher............. | Reading Mercury - Saturday 6 April 1872 |
| 1876 | Faringdon | High Bailiff, Faringdon County Court | Harrod & Co.'s Directory of Beds, Bucks ..., 1876 |
| 1881 | Faringdon | High Bailiff, Faringdon County Court | 1881 Census |
| 1884 | Faringdon | Died 20th May | Death Certificate |
| 1884 | Faringdon, All Saints | Buried 30th May | Faringdon Parish Burial Record |
Newspaper cuttings are reproduced by kind permission of British Newspaper Archives.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Al Jeffries for all his efforts in both researching and recording our Jeffries/Jefferies clan.
Stephen Cook, February 2012.