Priscilla Vilett

You know you’ve got a bad case of this family history research malarkey when you spend hours trying to trace someone who died more than 280 years ago and who isn’t even a member of your family.

I have recently set myself the task of researching all the women from the Goddard family called Priscilla (l know, it seemed a good idea at the time!)

I began with Priscilla D’Oyley who brought the name into the family. Next, I traced her daughter Priscilla Sedgwick. All reasonably straightforward and very interesting.

Then I came across a will written by Priscilla Vilett and proved in 1834. This will be nice and easy, I thought, coming across a whole bunch of names I recognised.

‘Priscilla daughter of Thos Vilett Esq & Mary [formerly Goddard] was baptised on March 18, 1754’ at Holy Rood Church, Swindon, according to the parish registers. Priscilla was one of quite a small family for the time and when her father made his will, he mentions just three children - a son Thomas and two daughters Elizabeth and Priscilla).

Priscilla’s brother helpfully received his mother’s maiden name and later became vicar at Holy Rood, so it’s easy to trace the Rev Thomas Goddard Vilett. The family also had a very detailed and informative memorial erected in the church and if you join me for our guided walk at Holy Rood on Sunday July 28, I’ll be talking more about this family.

But Priscilla Vilett wasn’t buried in the churchyard at Holy Rood. In fact, she wasn’t even living in Swindon at the time of her death, but was resident in Cadogan Place in posh Belgravia.

Priscilla was buried on January 11, 1834 in Vault No 2 at St Luke’s. Chelsea and in her will she identifies herself as ‘I Priscilla Vilett Spinster of Knightsbridge in the Parish of St Georges Hanover Square.’ Priscilla leaves several bequests to her brother’s family; to her nephew the Revd John Vilett she leaves one thousand pounds and to Mrs Grooby,her niece, she leaves five hundred pounds. Another niece, Miss Mary Vilett receives fifteen hundred pounds. She concludes her Will with ‘the Rest of my property I die possessed of after paying all my just debts & funeral expenses I give to my Nephew Col Vilett who I appoint as my Executor.’

Now that was the easy bit. Next comes a whole raft of Goddard relatives including Mrs Lucy & Mrs Ann Goddard and the Rev R Goddard and a Miss Goddard who I have tried to identify. Priscilla’s mother, Mary, was the daughter of Ambrose Goddard and his wife Elizabeth Awdry and one of a large family, most of whom appeared to have died young or unmarried or both. I’ve found a Rev Richard, (son of her brother Ambrose) so I can tick him off the list, but there is a Lucy and an Ann in both generations and scant information to go on.

But then it grew even more complicated.

On March 13, 1835 Ann Goddard who died aged 95 (of decay) also of Cadogan Place is buried with Priscilla in Vault 2 at St Luke’s, Chelsea. It’s obvious that Ann and Priscilla must be related, but how? Who is Ann and why am I looking for her when I should be concentrating on the Priscilla Goddard’s of this world (and there are a lot of them).

I think I need to put Ann Goddard on the back burner for a while, you never know, she may turn up in another Priscilla’s will somewhere.