Robert Littlepage 3 was born in 1676 in Aston Rowant, the son of Robert Littlepage (1650-1679) and Ann Gravet (d 1683).
Robert was baptised at the parish church of St Peter and St Paul in Aston Rowant on 8 September 1676. The parish register is written in latin.
The family appear to be fairly well off, and his father Robert senior is always described as a gentleman in the records.
At the age of 27 Robert junior married Martha Smith on 8 April 1703 at the parish church in Emmington, Oxfordshire.
The couple married by license (Calendar of Marriage Licenses issued by the Faculty Offices 1632-1714), and on that document stated that Robert was of Kingston Under the Hills, a widower and Martha Smith was of Emmington, a spinster. Her mother gave her consent as her father had died.
Given that Robert describes himself as a widower, he must have been married before, but I’ve been unable to find another marriage for him yet in either the parish registers or the Marriage Licenses issued by the Faculty Office indexes.
St Andrews Chinnor Oxfordshire
Martha Smith was born in Chinnor and baptised there on 26 June 1697.
Martha was the daughter of William Smith (Guilielmi in latin).
Robert and Martha had five children which were all baptised at Aston Rowant –
- Martha b 1703
- Robert b 1705 d 1705
- Anna b 1706
- Elizabeth b 1708 & d 1708
- Elizabeth b 1709
Robert’s wife Martha Littlepage, nee Smith, died (probably in childbirth) with her last child Elizabeth, and was buried at Aston Rowant in 1709, aged 31 years.
Robert Littlepage married again on 26 May 1713 to widow Martha Allnut, the widow of John Whitefield who died in 1708 in Maidenhead Berkshire. John left an extensive will.
Martha Allnut was born in 1672, the daughter of George Allnut 1646-1705 and Martha Tipping 1650-1706.
Robert Littlepage and Martha (nee Allnut) had four children baptised at Aston Rowant –
- Catherine b 1715
- Mary b 1716 & d 1782 Aston Rowant, marr Henry Rixon 6 children.
- Frances b 1719 & d 1719
- Susannah b 1721 marr Michael House 1748 & William Dodsworth 1787
Aston Rowant churchyard
Robert Littlepage, a gentleman, died on 12 August 1725 in Aston Rowant and was buried in the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul, Aston Rowant on 14 August 1725.
Martha Littlepage (nee Allnut) died in 1742 and is buried at Aston Rowant.
She wrote a will on 1 March 1742, describing herself as a widow in Aston Rowant, weak in body, etc.
Her bequests were as follows –
- a gold ring worth 10s to my daughter Mary, now wife of Harry Rixon
- my estate in Ipsden to my daughter Catherine
- my estate in Nettlebed to my daughter Susan
- residue of my goods, chattels, real and personal estate to my two daughters Catherine and Susan
Catherine and Susan Littlepage were made joint executrices. Witnesses to the will were Anne Clerke, Samuel Wheeler and Matthew Harves.
The will of Martha Littlepage was proved on 26 April 1745 and is available online at the Oxfordshire Family History Society. Martha made her mark and seal at the bottom of the will.
