Nicholas Tollemach

It is unclear who the father of Nicholas was. One family tradition believes that he was the son of William Tollemache and his cousin Elizabeth Bacon. A letter was written in Wynberg, South Africa in 1909 by a descendant of his, Eliza (Parke) Ball aged 89, to her daughter Lizzie Arbuthnot where she tells the story [2] Eliza was the granddaughter of Elizabeth Tollemache

Another theory, currently being researched by Gill Walker, believes that Nicholas was the son of of John Talmash and Mary (Rodwell) Gilderflower of Hemingstone, Suffolk, England.

Nicholas married Mary Ralph 19 December 1707 in Sproughton, Suffolk.[3]

He and Mary had 4 children:
Elizabeth christened 1 June 1708 in Sproughton, Suffolk, England,
John b 1710 and christened in Wherstead, Suffolk, England,
Mary b 1713
Sarah christened St.Mary Stoke, Ipswich. 1716-1719.

Nicholas married for a second time and he and his wife Elizabeth had a son:
William christened 10 April 1721 at St Mary, Stoke, Ipswich

Nicholas died in *1737 and Sproughton Microfiche ( Ipswich Record Office) states that: " Nicholas Tolmach from the workhouse was buried on the 22 of December". He was buried at All Saints Church, Sproughton, where he had married his first wife, Mary, and where he was apparently an inmate of Sproughton Workhouse in his later years.

Research Notes
(A) Nicholas Talmash ( or "Talmach" ) was baptised on October 12th 1683 at St. Gregory's, Hemingstone, near Helmingham and Coddenham, (north of Ipswich, Suffolk). (As recorded on Hemingstone Microfiche at Ipswich Record Office.)

His parents had married on 11th October 1666 - and their first baby, Mary, baptised 15th October 1667, presumably died since a second "Mary" was baptised on 21st December 1668. His sister, Ann, was buried on April 12th 1676, and his brother, Robert, was baptised in 1677 and buried on 2nd January 1686. Nicholas was the second son of John Talmash and Mary Rodwell. The siblings were recorded in the baptism register (on microfiche) for Hemingstone. Also in the register for Hemingstone around that time were a Nicholas and Mary "Talmach" who had married in Witnesham in 1690 and produced daughters: Mary, 1690, Margaret, baptised in 1695 and buried 1696, and Hannah, born 17th February and baptised 25th February 1699 - but the parents of the Nicholas (in this profile) were clearly recorded in the register as John and Mary.

Microfiche records for Hemingstone also show that John Talmash, his father, was buried on 17th January 1688/9 (1689 by modern dates) and Mary Talmash, widow, re-married a Christopher Gilderflower on October 30th 1690. Nicholas would therefore have been a young child (about 5 years old) when his father died and may explain why he moved away from Hemingstone, marrying in nearby Sproughton, then moving to Stoke parish, Ipswich, when his children were young,

This is the only baptism record (I've) found for a Nicholas Talmash in the right time period, so I believe that my direct ancestor, Nicholas Talmash, was the son of John & Mary of Hemingstone. He named his first son, John, probably after his father and he, and first wife, Mary, moved with their three young children, from Sproughton to Stoke parish, Ipswich, in 1714, before Sarah was born. In 1721, Nicholas re-married a lady called Elizabeth and they had a son, William Talmash (1721-1804), christened on the 10th April 1721 at St Mary, Stoke, Ipswich, and who later became "the worthy parish clerk of Tattingstone" referred to by E.D.H.Tollemache in the East Anglian Daily Times article of 16th April 1946: "...." The blame may have been placed on William Tollemache since he must certainly have been considered the 'black sheep' of the family...….I am sorry to dispute the legend of the fugitive of Helmingham and to refute the probability of William being the grandfather of the worthy parish clerk of Tattingstone. But since the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk show that his family had held lands in the county for over 500 years before he was born, there are others of his race with more opportunity of creating this branch of the Tollemaches ....."

Sproughton Microfiche ( Ipswich Record Office) revealed that: " Nicholas Tolmach from the workhouse was buried on the 22 of December" at All Saints Church, Sproughton, where he had married his first wife, Mary, and where he was apparently an inmate of Sproughton Workhouse in his later years.

NO OTHER marriage record has been found for a Nicholas Talmash, around that time, so it would appear highly likely that this Nicholas Talmash was the baby baptised in 1683 in Hemingstone - near the main branches of the Talmash/ Tollemache family in Helmingham, Coddenham, (Ashbocking and Otley). The only other burial record found for a Nicholas Talmash, in Hemingstone in 1746, is presumed to be the husband of Mary (Man) whose daughters were baptised in that village in the 1690s.

The will of the eldest son of Nicholas, John (1710-1777), revealed a wealthy Ipswich farmer with (" hereditaments") inherited lands and property in Suffolk's: Wetheringsett, Stoke next Nayland, Stonham Aspal and Ipswich - including the imposing red brick building (occupied by John) which was then called "New Place" and is now Gippeswyk Hall, Ipswich. John was unlikely to have married so well and inherited so much land and property if his father was of questionable parentage.

In the above mentioned will, John made provision for his poorer, younger, half-brother, William: "...I give and devise unto my Brother William Talmash all that my messuage or Tenement and premises situate and being in the parish of Saint Peter in Ipswich aforesaid now in the occupation of Thomas Calver to hold to him my said Brother for and during the term of his natural life and from and after his Decease I give and devise the same Messuage or Tenement and premises unto my Grand Daughter, Margaret Parke and her heirs for ever."... (Will viewed at Ipswich Record Office.)

The rumour that naval Captain, William Tollemache of Helmingham, was the father of Nicholas has been contradicted by E.D.H.Tollemache (who wrote a book about his ancestors) and by the author and genealogist, Ernest Achey Loftus, (whose wife was a descendent of the Suffolk Talmash). Another genealogist, descended from the Talmash family of Suffolk, has continued the research of E.A.Loftus and has stated that: " My researches concluded that the Captain William Talmash R.N. was not the father of Nicholas Talmash, it was a "red herring" mainly due to the newspaper article." (Letter of November 2018.)

With reference to Captain William Talmash , 1661-1694, I found a Licence for Marriage document ( dated 25th March 1686) at Ipswich Record Office - this is the date of the rumoured secret marriage referred to in Amy Lloyd's Family History - although it is clear that William "Tallmash", "Yeoman" of Coddenham, is not the naval officer, William, (of Helmingham). His relative, John Tallmash, "Yeoman of Coddenham", stood surety for this marriage,- and John and Suz. named their children : Susannah (1686), William (1688) and John (1690). Their first child, Susannah, was baptised about a month before the date of the marriage permit - and it should be noted that the wording on this permit (doc FAA/23/2/7) is: "....and that they proceed not to solemnization thereof without the consent and assent of their parents and governours."

The name "Talmash" has been enthusiastically added as a middle name for very many descendants in the family tree (including the son of Ernest Loftus: Peter Allen Talmash Loftus, and the sister of Jean's mother: Mabel Talmash Dove ! The main ancestral line over the years adopted the spelling of Tollemache instead.

Gwyn and I have been equally keen to establish the parentage of Nicholas Talmash, but I have had the advantage of being able to visit the sites where the Talmash families lived - as well as having access to the very useful research centre in Ipswich (where I have found information which is not available on-line).

The transcript for "Findmypast" gives 1st November 1737 as the burial date for Nicholas "Tolmach" but the only record found for this (correct) year states 22 of December - and it is a photograph of the record, so likely to be more accurate. (Sproughton 1737 is agreed, however, for his death and burial.
( Research Notes written by Gill Walker, following visits to Suffolk with Jean.)

Sources
↑ Source: Sharon Oddie Brown The Silver Bowl : Rootsweb Seen and added by Gwyn (Lloyd) Johnson December 11, 2016
↑ Source: Sharon Oddie Brown. The Silver Bowl. The MURRAY- TOLLEMAGHE-PARKE-DARE family tree William Tollemache Seen and added by Gwynyth(Lloyd) Johnson August 21,2018
↑ Source: Sharon Oddie Brown. The Silver Bowl. The MURRAY- TOLLEMAGHE-PARKE-DARE family tree Nicholas Tollemache Seen and added by Gwyn (Lloyd) Johnson December 12,,2016
Microfiche at Ipswich Record Office - and on-line records, including Boyd's Marriage Index, 1538-1850 for "Nicholas Talmach" and "Mary Raff" (aka Nicholas Talmash and Mary (?) Ralph) - Marriage year 1707 at Sproughton, Suffolk.
Burial record for "Nicholas Tolmach" - 1st November 1737 at All Saints, Sproughton, (Anglican). National Burial Index for England & Wales Transcription (findmypast.co.uk). HOWEVER the only burial record found on the actual microfiche showed a written burial date of 22nd December 1737 !
Wellnough collection of local notes and records, volume 79, regarding the family's move from Wherstead (parish) to Stoke in the summer of 1714.
Ipswich Record Office, Ipswich, Suffolk, UK.