Note: the references to the 1871 census relate to different pages, because the two eldest girls (then aged 12 and 10) were at boarding school in Baltonsborough, Somerset.
Clara went on to marry her cousin Charles Newman.

Joseph Jekyll was rector of Hawkridge and Withypool parishes in the wilds of Exmoor until his death c.1881, after which the living was passed to his nephew Rowland Newman.

It appears that Joseph was quite a sportsman, as related in the delightful story written by his great neice Evelyn Newman in a letter to her nephew Harold Newman. The full text of the letter is found on Evelyn's page however the text relating to Joseph Jekyll is copied below:

Grandmother's brother, Rev. Joe Jekyll, was Rector of Hawkridge, the famous Tar Steps of Exmoor are close to the Rectory over the lovely River Barle. And when Grt Uncle Jekyll died, Uncle Rowland had the living and moved on from "Lufton"; and when he died, his son Rowie got it. It included "Witherpool" some miles over Exmoor, and Rowie elected to rent Hawridge Rectory and to live in Witherpool. Hawkridge Rectory was in a very lovely spot, but right down in the valley wth the river just at the bottom of a field, and it was very damp there. Old Uncle Jekyll was a great friend of the famous sporting parson "Jack Russell" who used to marry couples in his "pink" coat and top boots, with a surplice over them & then was away …. after the stags!! Uncle Jekyll was a famous fisherman and there's a lovely story of him and an old friend who came to stay who was quite sure he could beat the rector at the fishing. So next day, Rector went "up" stream and friend went "down"; result Rector had a basketful and friend had 2 or 3. So after lunch Rector went "down" and friend "up" with the same sort of result. Next day they went out again different ways - the results the same & at lunch the friend said "Hell, I took the trouble to come down very early to see what flies were on your rod". "Did you?" said Uncle Jekyll. "You didn't think I was such a fool as to leave the flies I was using on the rod? I changed them all before I hung it up!" They used to hang up their fishing rods under the verandah which ran the length of the house.

Ian Caldwell tells me of a Jemima Stevens who married a George Goring Jekyll at St.James's Westminster on 9th July 1831, however this must be a different George Jekyll. Ian intends to investigate further.

Extract from Edwin Henry Armstrong Newman's obituary which hints at interesting connections on the Jekyll side of the family:

Mr.Newman, on his mother's side, was a descendent of Sir Joseph Jekyll, Lord Chief Justice of England, Great Master of the Rolls. Mr.Newman's mother (I think they must mean grandmother on his mother's side) was the daughter of Dr.Armstrong, son of the Rev.Armstrong, Rector of Stamford-le-Hope, a direct descendent of "Johnnie" Armstrong, the Laird of Gilnochie, chief of the Armstrong Clan. The deceased's great grandfather (on his mother's side) was Captain Jekyll R.N., an old shipmate of King William IV, and was always at court with the old King. Had the King lived a few months longer he would have had his suite of apartments at Hampton Court as a reward for the services he rendered his country. He was the inventor of the first lifeboat and ship's pumps, which were taken up by the Navy, also gun carriages that have only been superseded within the last 35 years. Captain Jekyll had to sell his estate at Roundhill, Somerset, to cover the expenses of his inventions and went to live in Paris where he died. His daughter married Henry King Armstrong MD. She was the late Edwin Henry Armstrong Newman's grandmother.

The above story is also to be found my father's papers, in which I have found three hand-written "histories" of the Newman and Jekyll families all of which are practically identical and parts of which are identical to parts of the obituary notice. I have copied one of these "histories" onto a separate page, however a much more detailed and certainly more accurate Jekyll family history can be found at http://www.archerfamily.org.uk/ (or if that is inaccessible the relevant page can be found at this link, which I have copied with the kind permission of its author, Jeremy Archer.

Page last updated 2nd Jan 2007: Link to Jekyll Family History added
Page created 11 Feb 2005