Individual Details
Dr William TOMKINS M.D. 🧬
(6 Feb 1799 - 8 Nov 1855)
FamilySearch.org has a William Tomkins christened on 10 Feb 1799 in Yeovil with father Rev Thomas Tomkins and mother Mary. (Probably him.)
1841 Census listed William Tomkins as a Surgeon. Living at Yeovil. Age as 40 years. Born in Somerset. William was Census Collector for Yeovil for the 1841 Census. Calculated year of birth as 1801. Wife is listed as Anna.
1851 Census listed William Tomkins as a Consulting Physician. William Fancourt Tomkins also a surgeon and living with William and Hannah (slight change of name). This census lists place of birth, not just county. All children born in Yeovil, Somerset. William also listed as being born at Yeovil, Somerset. Hannah listed as being born in London.
Listed on Henry Holland Tomkins death certificate as Thomas Fancourt Tomkins.
The name FANCOURT is also prominent in the TOMKINS family.
!The story goes that a Doctor TOMKINS married a Lady FANCOURT??? Yet to be proven.
!However I found the minister marrying William and Anna was a William Lowfield FANCOURT, and possibly the name FANCOURT was given as a second name to their first son in WLF's friendship or whatever. However their could have been a life long association of the two families.
Ancestral File Number: 1396-986 Apparently many Tomkins Graves in Yeoville Cemetary according to Beryl Jean Tomkins (Mclauglans ) Cousin who visited.
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Robyn wrote:
Dr Fancourt Tomkins (whom someone said may have been John Fancourt Tomkins) was a Doctor of Medicine and also local Coroner at Yeovil in Somersetshire.
He is also believed to have had a small farming property on the outskirts of the town. Our ancestor came from cider apple country and legend has it that the local brew was fairly potent drop - quite a trap for novice drinkers.
My mother once commented that he was a Coroner at a time when robbing graves was common. Fancourt, as coroner, would have had scant need of this practice to further his own study of anatomy.
He married ANNE HOLLAND and my grandfather, Ernest John, visited a distant relative, LADY FRANCES HOLLAND, whilst on leave in England during World War 1.
I have no years of reference for this ancestor, but grandparents of similar ancetry on the Miles side were born around 1815. Allowing that his son Henry was a qualified doctor by the early 1850's, Fancourt was probably born closer to 1800.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From: The A-to-Z of Yeovil's History by Bob Osborn
William Tomkins was one of the five children of Rev Thomas Tomkins (c1761-1839) and Mary née Messiter. He was born in Yeovil in 1799. William had three older brothers; John, Thomas and Edwin (1791-1861) and a younger sister Letitia (1808-1876).
William qualified as a Doctor of Medicine and was a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians and MRCS.
In 1822 he married Hannah Holland (1799-1871) of St Saviour, Southwark, Surrey. The 'obligation' to marry made between William and Hannah, dated 29 August 1822, is shown below. Two hundred pounds (equivalent to more than £170,000 at today's value) was to be paid to the Bishop of Winchester as part of this legal transaction between the parties. William and Hannah were to have seven children, all born in Yeovil; William Fancourt (1825-1899), Mariane (b1828), L Jane (b1830), Emily (1831-1902), Henry Holland (1831-1907), Fanny (b1833) and Lucy (b1838).
William's medical practice, and also his home, from the 1820s until his death was Magnolia House in Hendford (today's Princes Street). During the Yeovil Reform Riot of 1831 his house was attacked by the mob and the Royal Cornwall Gazette, in its edition of 5 November 1831 reported "Mr William Tomkins, surgeon, of this town, with the assistance of a workman, made an effort, in the early part of the attack, to clear the room first broken into by the rioters, and they had partially succeeded in driving them out, and would have maintained their ground, had not the attempt been made to set fire to the house." His testimony at the trial is reproduced in the Gallery below.
William was a member of the Freemason's Yeovil Lodge of Brotherly Love, being initiated in 1831 at the age of 29. He was Worshipful Master of the Lodge in 1837 and again in 1841.
In June 1837 William was appointed Registrar of Births and Deaths for Yeovil District comprising the parishes of Yeovil, Preston Plucknett, Lufton, Mudford, Brimpton and Thorne Coffin. He held the post until retiring in May 1855. His successor was Joseph Whitby. He was a member of the committee convened to establish a railway station in Yeovil and at a public meeting held at the Three Choughs Inn he proposed "That in the opinion of this meeting, it is indispensable for the interests and convenience of the Inhabitants of Yeovil that the main Line of any Railway proposed as the direct Route from London to Exeter and Falmouth, should pass and leave its Station as near as possible to the Town and that any Company neglecting to accommodate us in this respect does not merit our countenance and support."
William was also a Police Commissioner and in 1838 gave evidence in the manslaughter trial against James Beare, watch-man of Yeovil.
He published many medical papers and letters - an interesting example is shown in the Gallery below. Rising in eminence throughout his career, he was Chairman of the Crewkerne & Yeovil Medical Association in the early 1850s and served as the Coroner for Yeovil.
In the 1841 census he was listed there as a Surgeon, together with Hannah and their seven children. In the 1851 census William and Hannah were still at Magnolia House with four of their children, a medical pupil and three servants. William gave his occupation as "M.D. London College Consulting Physician" and his eldest son, 26-year old William Fancourt, gave his occupation as a practising Surgeon.
William Tomkins Snr died at Magnolia House on 8 November 1855, aged 56.
________________________________________________________________________________
A BRIEF HISTORY OF YEOVIL
By Tim Lambert
YEOVIL IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Yeovil was founded in the 8th century after the Saxons conquered this part of Somerset. The name Yeovil is believed to be a corruption of the Celtic word Gifl, meaning forked river.
In time the Saxon village grew into a little town. By the time of the Domesday Book (1086) it was a flourishing community though it would seem tiny to us with a population of not more than 1,000. Givle, as it was then known, had a weekly market. In those days there were very few shops so if you wished to buy or sell anything you had to go to a market.
From the early 15th century there were also 2 annual fairs in Yeovil. In the Middle Ages fairs were like markets but were held only once a year for a few days. The Yeovil fairs would attract buyers and sellers from all over Somerset and Dorset.
In 1205 Yeovil was given a charter (a document granting the townspeople certain rights). By the early 14th century the merchants of Yeovil had gained the right to elect a portreeve (a man who ran the town day to day).
Like all other towns Yeovil suffered from the Black Death in 1348-49. It may have killed half the population. Then in 1349 a riot ocurred in St Johns church when the Bishop of Wells was visiting. For some time there had been arguments between the townspeople and the clergy over the markets and these boiled over into violence. When the bishop was in the church some people attacked the priests who were with him. (In those days spilling blood in a church was a scandalous thing to do!).
However Yeovil recovered from these problems. In the early 14th century the first glove makers were mentioned. In the following centuries the glove making industry grew to be Yeovil's most important industry.
A church has existed on the site of St Johns since at least the 10th century. It was rebuilt in the years 1380-1400. Its windows let in so much light it was later called the Lantern of the West.
In 1477 an almshouse was built with money left by John Woburn in his will.
In 1499 Yeovil suffered a severe fire. In those days most buildings were made of wood with thatched roofs and they burned easily so fire was a constant hazard. On the other hand if houses burned they could be easily rebuilt.
YEOVIL IN THE 16th AND 17th CENTURIES
In the mid-16th century a writer called Yeovil ‘fairly well built’. It stood ‘pleasantly on its rocky hill’. He described the church as ‘fair and well lit’. In 1539 Henry VIII dissolved the priory.
In the 17th century Yeovil suffered two more severe fires. One was in 1620 and one in 1643. Like all towns Yeovil also suffered from outbreaks of plague. There was a serious outbreak in 1646-47.
In the 17th century glove making continued to flourish. There was also a parchment making industry. Yeovil was also an important market town for the surrounding area. The market was especially noted for cheese, hemp and linen thread. In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth led a rebellion against the king in SouthWest England. He was defeated at the battle of Sedgemoor. Afterwards 8 of his supporters were hanged, drawn and quartered in Yeovil.
YEOVIL IN THE 18th AND 19th CENTURIES
A grammar school opened in Yeovil in 1744. Otherwise there was little change in the town during the 18th century. It continued to be famous for glove making and was a quiet and small market town.
In 1801, at the time of the first census, Yeovil had a population of about 2,800. It would seem very small to us but by the standards of the time it was a fair size. Yeovil grew rapidly in the 19th century and by 1900 it had a population of 11,000.
In 1830 a body of men called the Town Commissioners was formed. They were responsible for paving, cleaning and lighting the streets. In the 18th century the streets of Yeovil were lit by oil lamps but after 1834 they were lit by gas.
In 1831 there was a riot in Yeovil when parliament refused to pass the Great Reform Act, which would have reformed elections. The riot only ended when troops were called out.
Meanwhile the glove industry prospered. In the 1830s it was said that 3 million pairs were made each year in Yeovil.
In 1848 the Town Commissioners demolished the old Market House (where indoor markets were held) and the Shambles (where butchers had their shops or stalls). In 1849 they built a new town hall.
The railway reached Yeovil in 1853.
In 1856 Yeovil was made a borough and gained a mayor. Several new churches were built in the 19th century. Holy Trinity was built in 1846. A Roman Catholic Church was built in 1899. A hospital was built in Yeovil in 1872. A piped water supply was installed in Yeovil in the 1870s. Also during the late 19th century sewers were built.
In 1888 a cheese and butter marketing company came to the town. In 1901 it adopted the name St Ivel. The St Ivel factory closed in 1976. In 1882 Petters oil engines began production in Yeovil. During World War I they began to manufacture planes on the Westlands site.
YEOVIL IN THE 20th CENTURY
By 1901 the population of Yeovil was about 11,000. New municipal buildings were built in 1926. The town hall burned down in 1935.
During World War II Yeovil was a target for German bombing because of its aircraft industry. As a result of bombing 49 people were killed. Many of the town’s houses were damaged or destroyed.
Reckleford fire station was built in 1962. Yeovil College opened in 1963. The Museum of South Somerset opened in 1965. Maltravers House was built in 1969 (the Maltravers family were lords of the manor of Yeovil in the Middle Ages). Summerland hospital opened in 1973.
Yeovil borough was replaced by Yeovil District Council in 1974. The Octagon theatre opened in 1974. The Quedam Centre was built in 1988.
Today the traditional industry of glove making has disappeared but it has been replaced by new industries like light engineering.
Today the population of Yeovil is 41,000. Yeovil is a rapidly growing town.
BIRTH RITE: Also shown as Christening 6 Feb 1799
1841 Census listed William Tomkins as a Surgeon. Living at Yeovil. Age as 40 years. Born in Somerset. William was Census Collector for Yeovil for the 1841 Census. Calculated year of birth as 1801. Wife is listed as Anna.
1851 Census listed William Tomkins as a Consulting Physician. William Fancourt Tomkins also a surgeon and living with William and Hannah (slight change of name). This census lists place of birth, not just county. All children born in Yeovil, Somerset. William also listed as being born at Yeovil, Somerset. Hannah listed as being born in London.
Listed on Henry Holland Tomkins death certificate as Thomas Fancourt Tomkins.
The name FANCOURT is also prominent in the TOMKINS family.
!The story goes that a Doctor TOMKINS married a Lady FANCOURT??? Yet to be proven.
!However I found the minister marrying William and Anna was a William Lowfield FANCOURT, and possibly the name FANCOURT was given as a second name to their first son in WLF's friendship or whatever. However their could have been a life long association of the two families.
Ancestral File Number: 1396-986 Apparently many Tomkins Graves in Yeoville Cemetary according to Beryl Jean Tomkins (Mclauglans ) Cousin who visited.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Robyn wrote:
Dr Fancourt Tomkins (whom someone said may have been John Fancourt Tomkins) was a Doctor of Medicine and also local Coroner at Yeovil in Somersetshire.
He is also believed to have had a small farming property on the outskirts of the town. Our ancestor came from cider apple country and legend has it that the local brew was fairly potent drop - quite a trap for novice drinkers.
My mother once commented that he was a Coroner at a time when robbing graves was common. Fancourt, as coroner, would have had scant need of this practice to further his own study of anatomy.
He married ANNE HOLLAND and my grandfather, Ernest John, visited a distant relative, LADY FRANCES HOLLAND, whilst on leave in England during World War 1.
I have no years of reference for this ancestor, but grandparents of similar ancetry on the Miles side were born around 1815. Allowing that his son Henry was a qualified doctor by the early 1850's, Fancourt was probably born closer to 1800.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From: The A-to-Z of Yeovil's History by Bob Osborn
William Tomkins was one of the five children of Rev Thomas Tomkins (c1761-1839) and Mary née Messiter. He was born in Yeovil in 1799. William had three older brothers; John, Thomas and Edwin (1791-1861) and a younger sister Letitia (1808-1876).
William qualified as a Doctor of Medicine and was a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians and MRCS.
In 1822 he married Hannah Holland (1799-1871) of St Saviour, Southwark, Surrey. The 'obligation' to marry made between William and Hannah, dated 29 August 1822, is shown below. Two hundred pounds (equivalent to more than £170,000 at today's value) was to be paid to the Bishop of Winchester as part of this legal transaction between the parties. William and Hannah were to have seven children, all born in Yeovil; William Fancourt (1825-1899), Mariane (b1828), L Jane (b1830), Emily (1831-1902), Henry Holland (1831-1907), Fanny (b1833) and Lucy (b1838).
William's medical practice, and also his home, from the 1820s until his death was Magnolia House in Hendford (today's Princes Street). During the Yeovil Reform Riot of 1831 his house was attacked by the mob and the Royal Cornwall Gazette, in its edition of 5 November 1831 reported "Mr William Tomkins, surgeon, of this town, with the assistance of a workman, made an effort, in the early part of the attack, to clear the room first broken into by the rioters, and they had partially succeeded in driving them out, and would have maintained their ground, had not the attempt been made to set fire to the house." His testimony at the trial is reproduced in the Gallery below.
William was a member of the Freemason's Yeovil Lodge of Brotherly Love, being initiated in 1831 at the age of 29. He was Worshipful Master of the Lodge in 1837 and again in 1841.
In June 1837 William was appointed Registrar of Births and Deaths for Yeovil District comprising the parishes of Yeovil, Preston Plucknett, Lufton, Mudford, Brimpton and Thorne Coffin. He held the post until retiring in May 1855. His successor was Joseph Whitby. He was a member of the committee convened to establish a railway station in Yeovil and at a public meeting held at the Three Choughs Inn he proposed "That in the opinion of this meeting, it is indispensable for the interests and convenience of the Inhabitants of Yeovil that the main Line of any Railway proposed as the direct Route from London to Exeter and Falmouth, should pass and leave its Station as near as possible to the Town and that any Company neglecting to accommodate us in this respect does not merit our countenance and support."
William was also a Police Commissioner and in 1838 gave evidence in the manslaughter trial against James Beare, watch-man of Yeovil.
He published many medical papers and letters - an interesting example is shown in the Gallery below. Rising in eminence throughout his career, he was Chairman of the Crewkerne & Yeovil Medical Association in the early 1850s and served as the Coroner for Yeovil.
In the 1841 census he was listed there as a Surgeon, together with Hannah and their seven children. In the 1851 census William and Hannah were still at Magnolia House with four of their children, a medical pupil and three servants. William gave his occupation as "M.D. London College Consulting Physician" and his eldest son, 26-year old William Fancourt, gave his occupation as a practising Surgeon.
William Tomkins Snr died at Magnolia House on 8 November 1855, aged 56.
________________________________________________________________________________
A BRIEF HISTORY OF YEOVIL
By Tim Lambert
YEOVIL IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Yeovil was founded in the 8th century after the Saxons conquered this part of Somerset. The name Yeovil is believed to be a corruption of the Celtic word Gifl, meaning forked river.
In time the Saxon village grew into a little town. By the time of the Domesday Book (1086) it was a flourishing community though it would seem tiny to us with a population of not more than 1,000. Givle, as it was then known, had a weekly market. In those days there were very few shops so if you wished to buy or sell anything you had to go to a market.
From the early 15th century there were also 2 annual fairs in Yeovil. In the Middle Ages fairs were like markets but were held only once a year for a few days. The Yeovil fairs would attract buyers and sellers from all over Somerset and Dorset.
In 1205 Yeovil was given a charter (a document granting the townspeople certain rights). By the early 14th century the merchants of Yeovil had gained the right to elect a portreeve (a man who ran the town day to day).
Like all other towns Yeovil suffered from the Black Death in 1348-49. It may have killed half the population. Then in 1349 a riot ocurred in St Johns church when the Bishop of Wells was visiting. For some time there had been arguments between the townspeople and the clergy over the markets and these boiled over into violence. When the bishop was in the church some people attacked the priests who were with him. (In those days spilling blood in a church was a scandalous thing to do!).
However Yeovil recovered from these problems. In the early 14th century the first glove makers were mentioned. In the following centuries the glove making industry grew to be Yeovil's most important industry.
A church has existed on the site of St Johns since at least the 10th century. It was rebuilt in the years 1380-1400. Its windows let in so much light it was later called the Lantern of the West.
In 1477 an almshouse was built with money left by John Woburn in his will.
In 1499 Yeovil suffered a severe fire. In those days most buildings were made of wood with thatched roofs and they burned easily so fire was a constant hazard. On the other hand if houses burned they could be easily rebuilt.
YEOVIL IN THE 16th AND 17th CENTURIES
In the mid-16th century a writer called Yeovil ‘fairly well built’. It stood ‘pleasantly on its rocky hill’. He described the church as ‘fair and well lit’. In 1539 Henry VIII dissolved the priory.
In the 17th century Yeovil suffered two more severe fires. One was in 1620 and one in 1643. Like all towns Yeovil also suffered from outbreaks of plague. There was a serious outbreak in 1646-47.
In the 17th century glove making continued to flourish. There was also a parchment making industry. Yeovil was also an important market town for the surrounding area. The market was especially noted for cheese, hemp and linen thread. In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth led a rebellion against the king in SouthWest England. He was defeated at the battle of Sedgemoor. Afterwards 8 of his supporters were hanged, drawn and quartered in Yeovil.
YEOVIL IN THE 18th AND 19th CENTURIES
A grammar school opened in Yeovil in 1744. Otherwise there was little change in the town during the 18th century. It continued to be famous for glove making and was a quiet and small market town.
In 1801, at the time of the first census, Yeovil had a population of about 2,800. It would seem very small to us but by the standards of the time it was a fair size. Yeovil grew rapidly in the 19th century and by 1900 it had a population of 11,000.
In 1830 a body of men called the Town Commissioners was formed. They were responsible for paving, cleaning and lighting the streets. In the 18th century the streets of Yeovil were lit by oil lamps but after 1834 they were lit by gas.
In 1831 there was a riot in Yeovil when parliament refused to pass the Great Reform Act, which would have reformed elections. The riot only ended when troops were called out.
Meanwhile the glove industry prospered. In the 1830s it was said that 3 million pairs were made each year in Yeovil.
In 1848 the Town Commissioners demolished the old Market House (where indoor markets were held) and the Shambles (where butchers had their shops or stalls). In 1849 they built a new town hall.
The railway reached Yeovil in 1853.
In 1856 Yeovil was made a borough and gained a mayor. Several new churches were built in the 19th century. Holy Trinity was built in 1846. A Roman Catholic Church was built in 1899. A hospital was built in Yeovil in 1872. A piped water supply was installed in Yeovil in the 1870s. Also during the late 19th century sewers were built.
In 1888 a cheese and butter marketing company came to the town. In 1901 it adopted the name St Ivel. The St Ivel factory closed in 1976. In 1882 Petters oil engines began production in Yeovil. During World War I they began to manufacture planes on the Westlands site.
YEOVIL IN THE 20th CENTURY
By 1901 the population of Yeovil was about 11,000. New municipal buildings were built in 1926. The town hall burned down in 1935.
During World War II Yeovil was a target for German bombing because of its aircraft industry. As a result of bombing 49 people were killed. Many of the town’s houses were damaged or destroyed.
Reckleford fire station was built in 1962. Yeovil College opened in 1963. The Museum of South Somerset opened in 1965. Maltravers House was built in 1969 (the Maltravers family were lords of the manor of Yeovil in the Middle Ages). Summerland hospital opened in 1973.
Yeovil borough was replaced by Yeovil District Council in 1974. The Octagon theatre opened in 1974. The Quedam Centre was built in 1988.
Today the traditional industry of glove making has disappeared but it has been replaced by new industries like light engineering.
Today the population of Yeovil is 41,000. Yeovil is a rapidly growing town.
BIRTH RITE: Also shown as Christening 6 Feb 1799
Events
| Birth | 6 Feb 1799 | Yeovil, Somerset, England, Great Britain | |||
| Baptism | 10 Feb 1799 | St John the Baptist Church, Yeovil, Somerset, England, Great Britain | |||
| Marriage | 27 Aug 1822 | St Saviour, Southwark, Surrey, England - Hannah "Anna" HOLLAND |  | ||
| Residence | 1841 | Surgeon - Hendford, Yeovil, Somerset, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Residence (family) | 1851 | Census - Hendford, Yeovil, Somerset, England, United Kingdom - Hannah "Anna" HOLLAND | | ||
| Death | 8 Nov 1855 | Magnolia House, Princess Street, Yeovil, Somerset, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Burial | 13 Nov 1855 | The Churchyard of St John The Baptist, Yeovil, Somerset, England, United Kingdom | | ||
| Alt name | Thomas Fancourt William TOMKINS | ||||
| Alt name | Dr William TOMKYNS M.D. | ||||
| Ancestral File Number | 1396-986 |
Families
| Spouse | Hannah "Anna" HOLLAND (1793 - 1871) |
| Child | Dr William "Fancourt" TOMKINS J.P. (1824 - 1899) |
| Child | Marianna TOMKINS (1826 - 1909) |
| Child | Latitia "Jane" TOMKINS (1827 - 1887) |
| Child | Dr Henry Holland TOMKINS ⛵🧬 (1829 - 1907) |
| Child | Susan "Emily" TOMKINS (1831 - 1865) |
| Child | Fanny TOMKINS (1833 - 1900) |
| Child | Lucy Jane TOMKINS (1837 - 1909) |
| Father | Rev Thomas TOMKINS 🧬 (1761 - 1839) |
| Mother | Mary MESSITER 🧬 (1756 - 1830) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth Mary TOMKINS (1789 - 1806) |
| Sibling | Edwin TOMKINS (1791 - 1861) |
| Sibling | Thomas TOMKINS (1792 - 1872) |
| Sibling | Moulton TOMKINS (1794 - 1812) |
| Sibling | John TOMKINS 🧬 (1795 - 1858) |
| Sibling | Letitia TOMKINS (1800 - 1801) |
| Sibling | Letitia Messiter TOMKINS (1803 - 1876) |
Notes
Marriage
London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938Name Hannah Holland
Gender Female
Record Type Marriage
Marriage Date 27 Aug. 1822
Marriage Place Saint Saviour, Southwark: Borough High Street, Southwark, England
Spouse William Tomkins
Register Type Parish Register
London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1597-1921
Name Hannah Holland
Event Date 26 Aug. 1822
Parish Southwark, St Saviour
Spouse's Name William Tomkins
Spouse's Parish Saint John the Baptist, Yeovil, Somerset
Event Type Marriage bond and allegation
Reference Number DW/MP/221/033
Residence (family)
OccupationsWilliam: MD Lond Coll
Hannah: Wife
W.F.: Surgeon practicing Mx CSx Axx
M.A.
L. J.
Fanny