Pidgeons of Great Yarmouth

When the eighteen year old King Henry VIII came to the throne in April 1509, one of his first acts was to grant a pardon to most of the prisoners in the country’s gaols. But a few were specially excluded from the pardon, one of them being “Pygon of Yarmouth”. Rather than being a common sheep thief, it is likely that his crime was political, one theory being that he had started a riot. However, it is evidence that the Pidgeon family has been in Great Yarmouth for at least 500 years. Thanks to the late Trevor Pidgeon for this piece of research.

It is not certain that Simon Pigeon and John Pigeon, shown at the head of this family tree, were brothers. But as they both married in the village of Potter Heigham, about 10 miles NW of Great Yarmouth, in consecutive years, it is highly possible that they were.

This tree shows only the first four or five generations of the Pidgeons of Great Yarmouth.

Contributors: Anne Hall, Michael Alonzo Pidgeon, Angela Butler
Rachel Hill, Peter Anderson,
Dennis & Stuart Pidgeon, Alison Pidgeon, Alan Oliver, John Pidgeon, Trevor Pidgeon, Jill Maple, Ralph & Val Pidgeon, Geoffrey Pidgeon, Phylis Sims, Graham Pidgeon,

Notes: ab. = about, b. = born, bp. = baptised, bu. = buried, d. = died, m. = married, (+} = extramarital relationship.

G.Yar = Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

? PIGEON

m.() ? ?

|-? Simon PIGEON (bp – bu?17/10/1697, G.Yar)

| m.(31/3/1696, Potter Heigham, Norfolk) Barbary GEDGE (bp.- bu.14/8/1722, G.Yar)

| |

| └ Simon PIGEON (bp.21/11/1697, G.Yar – bu.8/3/1747/8, G.Yar)

| m.(16/5/1722, G.Yar) Martha MOOR (bp. – bu.1760, G.Yar)

| |

| |– Martha PIDGEON (bp.10/3/1722/3, G.Yar – bu.)

| |

| |– Simon PIDGEON (bp.1/1/1724/5, G.Yar – bu.)

| | m.(5/1/1761, G.Yar) Ann LEAK (b.ab.1730 – bu.1/12/1797, 67y, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Martha PIDGEON (bp.1761, G.Yar – bu.1761, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Ann PIDGEON (bp.1763, G.Yar – bu.)

| | |

| | |– Simon PIDGEON (bp.1766, G.Yar – bu.)

| | |

| | |– George PIDGEON (bp. – bu.1766, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– George PIDGEON (bp.1767, G.Yar – bu.) Shipwright (& sailor?)

| | | m1.(14/2/1793, G.Yar) Jane BALLS (b.ab.1773 – bu.27/7/1794, 21y, G.Yar)

| | | |–

| | | m2.(26/1/1796, G.Yar) Mary BURTON (bp.7/9/1774 – bu.8/3/1825, 50y, G.Yar)

| | | |

| | | → Anne HALL )

| | | → Michael Alonzo PIDGEON } Branch--1 [TOP]

| | | → Angela BUTLER )

| | |

| | |– Edward PIDGEON (bp.19/11/1769, G.Yar – bu.9/5/1774. G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Martha PIDGEON (bp.5/1/1772, G.Yar – bu.19/5/1773, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– William PIDGEON (bp. – bu.23/5/1773, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– William PIDGEON (bp. – bu.1774, G.Yar)

| | |

| | └ Edward PIDGEON (bp.11/11/1774, G.Yar – bu.)

| |

| |– Mary PIDGEON (bp.21/11/1726, G.Yar – bu?17/3/1772, G.Yar)

| |

| |– George PIDGEON (bp.27/7/1729, G.Yar – bu.27/9/1730, 14m, G.Yar)

| |

| |– William PIDGEON (bp.10/10/1731, G.Yar – bu.)

| |

| |– Susanna PIDGEON (bp.16/6/1734, G.Yar – bu.30/3/1737, 2y 9m, G.Yar)

| |

| |– George Moore PIDGEON (bp.5/9/1736, G.Yar – bu.)

| | m?(1770, G.Yar) Alice BOULT (bp. – bu.) ––– see below (which George married Alice Boult?)

| |

| └ John PIDGEON (bp.19/2/171738/9, G.Yar – bu?17/11/1772, G.Yar)

└ John PIGEON (bp. – bu?28/4/1747, G.Yar)

m1.(5/8/1697, Potter Heigham, Norfolk) Sarah STEPHENS (bp. – bu.27/3/1728, G.Yar)

|– William PIGEON (bp.12/9/1697, G.Yar – bu? 31/5/1698, G.Yar)

|– Mary PIGEON (bp.25/3/1699, G.Yar – bu.)

|– Sarah PIGEON (bp.1701 – bu.)

|– William PIDGEON (bp.1704 – bu.)

| m.(31/3/1730, G.Yar) Elizabeth (Sarah) MANNING (bp. – bu.24/7/1788, G.Yar)

| |

| |– Eliza PIDGEON (bp.29/3/1731, G.Yar – bu.3/4/1731, G.Yar)

| |

| |– William PIDGEON (bp.20/8/1732, G.Yar – bu.13/11/1733, 15m, G.Yar)

| |

| |– William PIDGEON (bp.13/8/1735, G.Yar – bu.21/2/1735/6, 6m, G.Yar)

| |

| |– Sarah PIDGEON (bp.6/2/1736/7, G.Yar – bu.)

| | m.(7/2/1765, G.Yar) George PLOWMAN (bp. – bu.) (which Sarah married which man?)*

| |

| |– Francis PIDGEON (bp.22/3/1738/9, G.Yar – bu.8/12/1740, 22m, G.Yar)

| |

| └ Elizabeth PIDGEON (bp.6/9/171741, G.Yar – bu.23/3/1742/3, 18m, G.Yar)

|– John PIGEON (bp.1706, G.Yar – bu.)

| m.(21/10/1731, Lowestoft) Grace SHAW (bp – bu.)

| |

| |– John PIDGEON (bp.7/3/1733, Lowestoft – bu.)

| | m.(24/4/1753, G.Yar) Knots Margaret BELL (bp – bu.)

| | |

| | |– John PIDGEON (bp.14/1/1754, G.Yar – bu.17/6/1756, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Nicholas Bell PIGEON (bp.13/4/1755, G.Yar – bu.) Shipwright.

| | | m.(25.12.1778, G.Yar) Ann HILLSON (b.ab.1759 – bu.25/6/1805, 46y, G.Yar)

| | | |

| | | → Rachel HILL ) Branch--2 [TOP]

| | | → Peter ANDERSON )

| | |

| | |– Margaret PIDGEON (bp.20/6/1765, G.Yar – bu.)

| | |

| | |– William PIDGEON (bp.1757, G.Yar – bu.21/12/1806, 48y, G.Yar)

| | | m1.(18/1/1778, G.Yar) Ann WEBSTER (b.ab.1756 – bu.1799, 43y, G.Yar)

| | | |

| | | → Denis Joseph )

| | | → Stuart PIDGEON )

| | | → Alison PIDGEON )

| | | → Alan OLIVER )

| | | → John PIDGEON )

| | | → Trevor PIDGEON ) Branch--3 [TOP]

| | | → Jill MAPLE )

| | | → Valerie STARLING )

| | | → Geoffrey PIDGEON )

| | | → Phylis SIMS )

| | | → Ralph PIDGEON )

| | | → Graham PIDGEON )

| | |

| | |– Sarah PIDGEON (bp.1758, G.Yar – bu.)

| | | m.(21/11/1782, G.Yar) James SHAWL (bp. – bu.)

| | | |

| | | |– James SHAWL (b.ab.1784, G.Yar – bu.22/2/1808, 23y, G.Yar)

| | | |

| | | └ Sarah Bell SHAWL (bp.1785, G.Yar – bu.)

| | |

| | |– Christopher PIDGEON (bp. – bu.1758,G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– George PIDGEON (bp., G.Yar – bu.1759, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– George PIDGEON (bp.1764, G.Yar – bu.1765, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Rebecca Bell PIDGEON (bp.16/8/1766, G.Yar – bu.)

| | | m1.(18/5/1794, G.Yar) Robert SEWELL (bp. – bu.)

| | | |

| | | |– Thomas SEWELL (bp.1795, G.Yar – bu.1795, G.Yar)

| | | :

| | | m2.(1801, G.Yar) William ROOKE (bp. – bu.)

| | | |

| | | └ James ROOKE (bp.27/12/1804, G.Yar – bu.)

| | |

| | |– Elizabeth PIDGEON (bp.1768, G.Yar – bu.1769, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Elizabeth PIDGEON (bp.23/9/1770, G.Yar – bu.)

| | | m.() John GOOCH (bp. – bur.)

| | | |

| | | └ John GOOCH (bp. – bu.9/5/1791, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– John PIDGEON (bp.11/3/1773, G.Yar – bu.1773, G.Yar)

| | |

| | └ Alice Goddard PIDGEON (bp.7/7/1775, G.Yar – bu.)

| |

| |– Grace PIDGEON (bp.28/9/1735, G.Yar – bu.)

| | m.(30/8/1757, G.Yar) Henry DYE (bp. – bu.)

| |

| |– George PIDGEON (bp.5/2/1737/8, G.Yar – bu.)

| |

| |– William Shaw PIDGEON (bp.26/101740, G.Yar – bu.)

| |

| |– Edmund Shaw PIDGEON (bp.19/7/1743, G.Yar – bu.30/9/1743, G.Yar)

| |

| |– Sarah PIDGEON (bp.3/3/1744/5, G.Yar – bu.)

| | m.(23/6/1765, G.Yar) John COWLING (bp. – bu.) (which Sarah married which man?)*

| |

| |– George Shaw PIDGEON (bp.11/2/1747/8, G.Yar – bu.17/9/1792, 48y, G.Yar)

| | m?(1770, G.Yar) Alice BOULT (bp. – bu.) ––– see above (which George married Alice Boult?)

| | | These are the children of George & Alice Pidgeon

| | |– Edward Boult PIDGEON (bp.1/10/1770, G.Ya – bu.1770, <3m, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Edward PIDGEON (bp.6/10/1771, G.Ya – bu?9/5/1774, 2y, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– John PIDGEON (bp.19/12/1773, G.Ya – bu.)

| | |

| | |– George PIDGEON (b.7/6/1776, G.Ya – bu.23/9/1777, 1y, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Edward Boult PIDGEON (bp.16/8/1778, G.Ya – bu.18/10/1778, 2m, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– George PIDGEON (bp.16/12/1779, G.Ya – bu.1782, 2y, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Frances PIDGEON (bp.17/6/1782, G.Ya – bu.31/8/1782, 2m, G.Yar)

| | |[Twins]

| | |– Alice PIDGEON (bp.17/6/1782, G.Ya – bu.27/8/1782, 2m, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– George PIDGEON (bp.3/3/1784, G.Ya – bu.)

| | |

| | |– William Boult PIDGEON (b.10/1/1786, G.Ya – bu.16/1/1786, 6d, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– James Boult PIDGEON (bp.14/4/1787, G.Ya – bu.5/9/1787, 5m, G.Yar)

| | |

| | |– Edward PIDGEON (b.18/11/1788, G.Ya – bu., G.Yar)

| | |[Twins]

| | |– Thomas PIDGEON (b.18/11/1788, G.Ya – bu., G.Yar)

| | |

| | └ Alice PIDGEON (b.30/10/1790, G.Ya – bu.12/11/1790, 13d, G.Yar)

| |

| └ Ann PIDGEON (bp.1751, G.Yar – bu.20/8/1751, G.Yar)

└ Sarah PIGEON (bp.1707 – bu?4/3/1772)

m2.(7/2/1729/30, G.Yar) Elizabeth STANTON (bp. – bu.)

Ian C Pidgeon

Pidgeons of Great Yarmouth