John Chapman was born about 1786, (this date is derived from his burial record which gives his age as 51 in 1837) possibly in Romsey, Hampshire but this cannot be established for certain as no baptism record has been found.. John was a cordwainer (shoemaker) by profession and the records show there were Chapmans in Romsey who were also shoemakers in the latter half of the 18th century. The absence of any apprentiship records for John suggests that his trade was a family one and he was possibly trained by his father or an uncle. There was a Joseph Chapman who was a cordwainer in Romsey in 1784. The earliest known record for John is that of his marriage to Lydia Dawes on 27 January 1807 in St Marys, Portsea, Hampshire. Lydia was born in 1787 in Henfield, Sussex, the daughter of Francis Dawes and his wife Anna. She was baptised on 29 April 1787 in St Peters Church, Henfield. Henfield lies 12 miles north west of Brighton. John and Lydia had at least 5 children, John b. 1815, Maria b. 1, Caroline b. 1820, George b. 1823 and Henry b. 1831. All of these children were born in Romsey, although there is no record of their son John's birth and the first recorded baptism is that of Maria in 1816, so there may well have been other children given that they married in 1807. John Chapman was buried on 5 March 1837 in Romsey. Lydia lived for many years in Cherville Street, Romsey and by 1861 she had moved to the Alms Houses in Middlebridge Street where she remained until her death in 1872 aged 85, she was buried on 27 April 1872 in Romsey.

Children

John Chapman b. 1815 Romsey, Hampshire, married Elizabeth East (direct ancestor see separate profile)

Maria Chapman was born about 1817 0r 1818 in Romsey and baptised on 4 January 1818. She married George Macklin on 22 July 1843. George was baptised on 12 September 1813 in Romsey, the son of William and Ann Macklin. George and Maria had 4 known children, Lydia b. 1840, d. 1847, Elizabeth Ann, b 1843 married William Gosling on 7 April 1861 in Southampton, George, b. 1845 and Ann, b. 1851.

Caroline Chapman was baptised on 3 December 1820 in Romsey. She married George Lawrence on 14 November 1841 in Romsey.

George b. 1823 in Romsey

Henry