This research is the result of a lot of time spent by many people to whom I am eternally grateful.
Not all the information is confirmed to be fact so, if anyone has any doubts, facts or questions, please let me know.
Jean (Fendick) Oliver

Often referred to as Robert Crocker the elder, who signed Wayford Parish minutes with his mark. I found his baptism in Crewkerne, where his father's name was given as George, but his mother's name is missing.
Regarding the vault holding all these people; they seemed to have run out of room to list all the names,
so there is an added marker at one end with the remaining names on it.

The first Crocker to occupy Ashcombe Farm in the parish of Wayford, Somerset. The lease was signed Oct. 13, 1760 for £ 110. I have a copy of the deed. I also have a copy of his will. We know the male line was carried on through Abraham and Benjamin.
The vault, stones and church are deteriorating; most of the writing has flaked off. You must realize that it has been there since the 1700's. The church is still being used, and there is a plaque on the wall with the Lord's Prayer and the Church Wardens' names on the bottom, George Crocker being one of them.

James died in the US. His two sons died on their way home to England; date unknown.

Benjamin had two sons and two daughters. Apparently they were all baptized in Wayford, but moved to California, where Benjamin died. I don't know what became of the rest of the family.

Abraham took over Ashcombe Farm when his father George died, and renewed the lease in 1802 for the sum of & 110. He was Churchwarden at St.Michael's Wayford in 1801. He signed Parish minutes up to 1839. His name is on a plaque in the vestry acknowledging a gift to the church. It is said that Mary's brother was a captain at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Besides taking over Ashcombe when Abraham died, Robert was also the lessee of 119 acres in the Parish of Crewkerne. On his death, January 1907 in Taunton, the Somerset Gazette wrote: ENGLAND'S OLDEST COUPLE .
You can see a condensation of the article here. I have a copy of the whole article, also a copy of the article written when Elizabeth passed away.

Wife of Robert Wm. Sr. Elizabeth died at Mount Neboterrace, Taunton. She was the daughter of Samuel and Sarah Denning of Bere Chapel Farm.

Willie ran away from home at 17 to dig for gold at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, but quickly saw selling supplies to miners was more profitable. He bought a horse and cart and went hawking, before buying a store 0n Jan 3, 1866. He married Drusilla Swailes June 4, 1866 in Victoria, Australia. They had eight children.
Children of William & Drusilla:
        Violet . . . . . . . . . . . b 1866 d 1956 m John Vaughan Australia
        Robert Denning . . .b 1868 d 1944 m Alys Hannah Australia
        Louise . . . . . . . . . . b 1869 d 1963
        Elizabeth Eleanor . b 1869 d 1981 m Arthur Perry Australia
        William Murley . . . b 1871 d 1952 m Ethel Vernon Australia
        Caroline . . . . . . . . .b 1873 d 1926 m John Begg Australia
        Harold Ubsdel . . . .b 1875 d 1888
        Frederick Talbot . .b 1876 d 1915 m Maud Wills

John followed his brother to Victoria Australia in Sept 1856, and worked for a storekeeper along with his brother William. He stayed in Australia about 7 years then moved back to England and married Emma on Sept. 8 1864 at St. Anne's Church, Wandsworth, England. In 1866 John was a farmer at Kingsdon. He was also a corn merchant at one time lived in Rowbarton a suburb of Taunton in 1881. On the 1901 census he is living at No 6 Kingston Rd Taunton, also known as St.James Within, living with his wife Emma, children Edith and Arthur, and a nephew Frederick age 19. I have a copy of his Will.

Emma's father Michael Fraser was a solicitor in London. The Frasers are decendants of Lord Lovat who, in 1747, was the last one to be beheaded in the Tower of London for High Treason. He was 80 years old. He gained his title of Lord by unscrupulous means.

Caroline was the only child of William and Elizabeth who did not live for some time outside of England. She lived well into her 90's. On the 1901 census her father Robert Wm. and mother Elizabeth are living with her. Caroline is a widow, living on her own means. They were living at Mount Nebo, Taunton. Considering the length of her life, this history of it is remarkably short. I can find no record of children born to Caroline and John Denning.

Mary married Alfred, brother of Emma Fraser, in l868. In 1877 they moved to the US. and established the firm of C.M.Lampson and Co., auctioneers. In 1890 they built a large home at Sands Point, just outside of New York. True to Crocker tradition, the house was named Ashcombe. After Alfred's death the house was sold to a railroad millionaire, and has since been subdivided into two-acre blocks of ranch style homes. Seven children; Alfred, Valentine, Kathleen, Gertrude, George, Ethel Dening and Lucy Mabel were born in England. Frances, Edward, Norman, Beatrice and Robert William were born in the U.S. Frances married a Canadian named Laurie, and they lived in Quebec.

Theodore moved to Australia in 1863, returning to England in 1894, and married Elizabeth Edwards. They lived near Taunton, in a house called Thornham Grove. When he died he left an estate of 7500 pounds to some nieces - a good sum of money in 1921. I have a copy of his will.

George moved to Melbourne in 1862. He married Clara Fisherwood Walsh (b 1852, in England) in Austrailia in 1872. Two sons were killed in World War 1. They had 8 other children; Elizabeth, Caroline, Hilda, George Edwin, Harold, Alice Mary, Doris and Esther. Clara died Feb 17 1930.

Twin brother to Albert Eustace. He moved to Victoria, Australia with his twin when they were 16. In 1877 Frederick moved to South Australia, where he lived out his life. He was in partnership with W.H. Moyle as Moyle and Crocker, aerated water and cordial manufacturers. He was made Justice of the Peace in 1883. He died of cirrhosis of the liver. He never married

Albert went to Australia with in 1866. He returned to England, and married Alice Symonds Eaton Nov. 21, 1881. They lived at Ashcombe until Oct l882. His work frequently took him away from home for 2 or 3 days at a time. It has been suggested that he may have been a traveller for liquor wholesalers. They had five children; Frederick Eustace, Alice Elizabeth, Albert William Eaton, Elizabeth Ellen and Theodore.

Photo is of Robert William, George, and John Murley. The young boy is Francis, son of George. Francis was a 2nd Lieutenant, and killed in World War I at the age of 19.

George was the oldest living son, and executor of his father's Will. His son, Francis George, was killed in the 1st World War, in the battle of Somme, France. He was one of 72000 officers and men killed in the Battle. They also had a daughter, Phyllis, bap. 1900 Wandsworth.

Ernest was a Watchmaker, and single.

Arthur completed his Cabinet Maker apprenticeship in 1902. He moved to Dundas Ontario, Canada around 1904. He met Maude at Anne Crang's Boarding house. He worked as a civilian carpenter for the R.C.A.F., during WW II, in Brandon, Manitoba. After the war they moved to B.C.; first to Nanaimo, then to Langley, just outside of Vancouver, where they lived on a small farm with their son, Arthur (Bill), and his family. Maude and Arthur are buried in the Churchyard of St. Oswald's; a Heritage Church in Port Kells, B.C. Canada. Their two sons; Robert and Arthur (Bill), also Bill's wife, Millicent, are all buried there.

Muriel married Frederick (Fred) Fendick, a baker from Dauphin, Manitoba, on Jan. 6, 1931, in Brandon, Manitoba.
They moved around between B.C. and Manitoba often, before settling in Nanaimo,B.C. in 1943.
In about 1928 Muriel (my mother) drove her mother; Maude, and her brothers; Bob and Bill, and sisters; Betty and Margaret, from Ironwood, Michigan to Brandon, Manitoba. What a trip that must have been. Just imagine what the cars and roads were like in those days. One of my regrets is that I never asked about that trip.
I, Jean Louise, am their only child. At right is a picture of my family.

Bob married Peggy Lacy from Brandon, and had 4 children; Lorraine, Art, Harry and Patty. They all live in B.C. (2005)

The family all called him "Bill". He married his second cousin, Millicent Evans, whom he met during World War II, in England. They had 3 children; Thomas, Edward (Ted) and Wendy. Millicent is my Great Grandmother Husband's (Crang) niece. They were married in Nanaimo after the War.

Betty married Albert Bartlett, of Brandon, October 1941, in Brandon. They have two children; Edward and Joan.

Violet (Vi) married David Montgomery of Brandon on April 3, 1948. They have one daughter; Margaret Ann. Vi still lives in Brandon with her daughter. Dave passed away April 1994.

Margaret married Donald Bayne of Brandon, in Brandon. They later moved to Williams Lake, B.C. They have 5 daughters; Penny, Patricia, Beverly, Donna and Pam, who all live in B.C.

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St. Oswalds, Pt. Kells

25th-1956   50th-1981

Crocker Girls

Family Picnic

       
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Church and Cemetary

4 Generations

Thornham Grove 1915

      
  1929     1960s

Oliver Family 1998

Bob and Peggy 1938

Bill and Millicent 1948

Betty and Abe 1941

Vi and Dave 1948

Marg Don1946

Last updated: June 25, 2005.