yeovil people

John Tomkins

Attorney at Law

 

John Tomkins was the fifth of the eight children of the Reverend Thomas Tomkins (d1839, Yeovil) and Mary née Messiter (d1830, Yeovil). He was born on 22 August 1795 and baptised on 24 August 1795 in Piddlehinton, Dorset. Thomas and Mary’s children were – Elizabeth Mary (1789-1806), Edwin (1790-1861), Thomas (b1792), Moulton (1794-1812), John (1795-1858), William (b1799), Letitia (1800-1801) and Letitia Messiter (b1803). Elizabeth, Edwin, Thomas and Moulton were all born in Blackford, while William, Letitia and Letitia Messiter were all born in Yeovil.

Indeed, it appears that Rev Thomas Tomkins moved his family to Yeovil around 1798. He moved to Thornfalcon in 1836, where he was “... instituted by the Bishop of Bath and Wells (on the petition of John Batten Esq) to the rectory of Thorn Faulcon...”.

John Tomkins oldest brother Edwin, was a solicitor of Princes Street while his younger brother, William, was a doctor and surgeon, also of Princes Street.

On 21 January 1810, John Tomkins’ older brother, Moulton, took articles of clerkship with Edmund Batten and John Batten of Yeovil, to which John Tomkins attested as a witness. Sadly, Moulton Tomkins did not complete his clerkship as he died in 1812 at the age of 18. He was buried in Yeovil on 26 March 1812.

On 15 June 1812, John Tomkins himself took articles of clerkship with Edmund Batten and John Batten of Yeovil as “Clerk in the practice and profession of attorney solicitor and conveyancer”. It is assumed that he would have completed his 5 year clerkship in 1817.

John Tomkins was working as a solicitor in London by 1825, where he lived for the rest of his life. Around 1832, he married a woman called Harriette; they were to have two daughters - Emily Mansfield (b1835) and Harriette Letitia (b1838).

John was a member of the Somersetshire Society of "Gentlemen connected with the County of Somerset". The object of the society was noted as "... confined to the apprenticing of children of the deserving poor belonging to the county of Somerset, resident in London, and afterwards to assist them in beginning business".

John died, aged 62, on 5 February 1858 at King's College Hospital, London. He was buried in Hackney, Middlesex, on 8 February 1858.

 

gallery

 


Courtesy of Ryan Weller

The 19 February 1811 witness statement of John Tomkins attesting that he had witnessed the signing of his brother Moulton's Articles of Clerkship to the Battens. John signed this in the presence of Yeovil solicitor, William Lambert White.

 


Courtesy of Ryan Weller

John Tomkins' signature, enlarged from the previous image.

 


Courtesy of Ryan Weller

The 16 June 1812 witness statement of John Hilborne attesting that he had witnessed the signing of John Tomkins' Articles of Clerkship to the Battens, again signed in the presence of Yeovil solicitor, William Lambert White.