Isaac Counsell 1746-1831

Another of the Weston Worthies

From Weston was still a village there is a series of portraits of Weston characters which has survived – each of which has a story to tell.

Isaac COUNSELL was christened in the Parish Church in Weston on the 24th March 1746, the son of Richard COUNSELL and Mary LOVELACE who had been married in the same church on the 9th March 1735.  

According to the Banns Book of Banwell Church, in April 1768 on 3 consecutive Sundays, banns were called for William COUNSELL of Weston and Ann PRESSEY.   However I can find no trace of that marriage actually taking place.  The Banwell register is unsigned, neither the bride, groom, clergy nor witnesses signed it. So did they get married but forget to fill in the Register?

Isaac COUNSELL (and his surname is subject to many variants) was an interesting character.  From his painting you can see that he was a fisherman. When some residents of Weston were interviewed in the late 1880s by Ernest Baker several remembered anecdotes about him - and he had been dead for about 50 years by then!

He lived in a cottage with a large garden near the bottom of what is now Grove Park.  In 1787 he served as Tythingman for the parish and it was stated that he occupied land called “Blackes Hay” [today known as Blakeshay] probably owned by the Squire.

His five documented marriages were:
•    7th June 1770 at Uphill Church to Elizabeth (Betty) GRIFFITHS – they had five children all christened in Weston-super-Mare. Betty was buried in Weston 25th July 1785.
•    23rd April 1786 at Weston, St John’s he married a widow, Grace SHEPPARD – it is possible that her maiden name was BONE.
•    30th Oct 1789 also at Weston, he married Abigail GILL, who died in 1793 – she’s buried at Uphill.
•    17th March 1794 again at St John’s Church he married Ann TAPLIN of Kewstoke and the parish registers carries this comment – “whose husband has been absent from her abroad more than 7 years” .  However there is some doubt as to whether she was actually married before.  In the parish registers of  Kewstoke there is a christening in 1788 of a Mary illegitimate daughter of Ann TAPLIN by Thomas WINTER.  So presumably if she was married to a TAPLIN he had disappeared by 1887.  Isaac & Ann had 5 children before Ann died in February 1815
•    8th Nov 1815 – Isaac married for the final time, another widow, Martha Woodman, whose maiden name may have been BELL.  

At one of his marriages it was reported that the following dialogue took place:-

RECTOR:    Now, Isaac, you must say this after me.
ISAAC:       Now, Isaac , you must say this after me. 
RECTOR:    No, no, Isaac you mustn’t say that: you must say this after me. ISAAC:       No, no, Isaac you mustn’t say that: you must say this after me.

The Rev Stivert Jenkins who was the minister at that time was always very kind to poor people; when he married a couple he was would take the marriage fee from the bridegroom and after the ceremony give it to the bride as a wedding present and Isaac himself is quoted as saying that it amounted to three half crowns (7/6).

From the Overseers’ Accounts you can see that by 1821 Isaac was receiving 3/- per week from the poor rate.   By 1831 he and his last wife, Martha were receiving 6/- per week from the parish for their support and then the parish paid another 6/- for costs of his interment and a further 10/- for attendance and beer at his funeral.  When Martha died in 1835 her funeral expenses are also listed including the gin she was given just before she died!  Her shroud cost 6/8d.

Isaac’s legacy to Weston was 10 children and a lot of memories for the older inhabitants in the 19th century.  It is also interesting what additional information can be gleaned from Overseers’ Accounts.

My thanks to Brian Austin and Netty Rice from Banwell for help with this look at Isaac COUNSELL - original portrait in North Somerset Museum.

Journal Article: 

isaac-counsell-71.pdf