The Sandivers

The purpose of this page is to set the medical Sandivers (William Sandiver 1 and William Sandiver 2) in their wider Sandiver context, especially since there were other Sandivers in 18th century Newmarket with whom they are easily confused (in particular there were five prominent William Sandivers!). This page also draws attention to the Sandivers familial links with other Newmarket medics (William Raby, and the Searanckes), which can easily cause confusion too.

The Sandiver tree, with medics in red, showing the medical William Sandivers' unclear relationship to the other William Sandivers, consequent relatively distant relationship to the medical Searanckes, and also their most likely relationship to William Raby the barber-surgeon, which is shown in more detail on the page about William Raby (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 1).

The Sandiver tree, with medics in red, showing the medical William Sandivers’ unclear relationship to the other William Sandivers, consequent relatively distant relationship to the medical Searanckes, and also their most likely relationship to William Raby the barber-surgeon, which is shown in more detail on the page about William Raby (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 1).

The earliest mention of Sandivers in Newmarket is John the son of John Sandiver baptised at St Mary’s church in 1664, followed by William the son of William Sandiver baptised the next year. To illustrate how things rapidly become confusing, William then had a son named John and a few years later John had a son named William, together with various other late 17th century apparent Sandiver baptisms (in the earlier records in particular the spelling of the surname varies, obviously written down phonetically as was often the case with surnames, even as late as the 19th century).

It seems likely that the initial William and John were perhaps brothers who came to Newmarket together in the mid 17th century. Although it seems impossible to clarify the family structure of the earliest Newmarket Sandivers, what seems clear is that from this late 17th century family two readily identifiable 18th century branches emerged.

From one branch William Sandiver 1 and his son William Sandiver 2 sprang. This is the branch of a John Sandiver who started having a family with his wife Dionysia from 1700 onwards. She died in 1710 and John remarried to Mary Disbuyrow in 1711, with whom he continued to have further children, including William Sandiver 1, baptised in 1713. This branch of the family is described in detail (and with more references) on the pages regarding William Sandiver 1 and William Sandiver 2, so will not be repeated here. Of significance however it is helpful to point out here that Dionysia was a close relative of William Raby, the 17th century barber-surgeon who was perhaps succeeded by Wotton Braham, to whom William Sandiver 1 was apprenticed – most likely William Raby was the step great uncle of William Sandiver 1, as shown in the tree above). This is perhaps how the medical branch of the Sandiver family began (see the pages on William Raby, and William Sandiver 1 for more on the complex rationale regarding the possible relationships between these three, and also the pages on Wotton Braham and The Rookery practice chain). It seems likely that John Sandiver was an Innholder, being the ‘John Sandiver Innholder and Mary his wife’ mentioned in the 1738 Newmarket manorial records. At the other end of this medical branch it’s also of interest to point out that William Sandiver 2’s wife, Mary Edmundson, had a medical relative referred to as George Edmundson surgeon in William Sandiver 2’s will of 1813. Nothing more is known about him or where he practised at this stage.

The other main 18th century branch of the family in Newmarket appears to derive from William Sandiver a Newmarket carpenter, who died in 1725. A William Sandiver is recorded having children with his wife Mary in the St Mary’s church register alongside the records for John and Dionysia’s family above. This appears to be the same William Sandiver, i.e. the carpenter. It’s likely John the Innkeeper and William the carpenter were either brothers or cousins, each being one of the Johns and Williams baptised in the 1660s / 1670s mentioned above. This carpenter William Sandiver’s family appears to have included a John baptised in 1696 and another John in 1698 (after the first died in 1697 – and the second died in 1699 also), Mary in 1700, Ann and Martin in 1706, and Frances in 1707. In his will of 1725 he mentions his occupation (carpenter), his wife Mary, two surviving sons William and Martin, his daughter Elizabeth Hockley (and in a list alongside these three Mary Searank, see later), and three grandsons Thomas Searanck, William Searanck and William Sandiver. He also mentions his daughter Dorothy Searank in a list with his grandsons, so he’s likely meaning his granddaughter (see next sentence for clarification). His wife Mary died in 1734 and in her will of 1730 she mentions her sons William and Martin Sandiver, daughters Mary the wife of Thomas Searancke, Elizabeth wife of John Hockley and granddaughter Dority/Dorothy Searancke.

The Searanckes above are interesting. It confirms that the Mary Sandiver who married Thomas Searancke in 1719 was the daughter of the carpenter William Sandiver and not very closely related to the medical William Sandivers (1&2). This was to Thomas Searancke 1, the first of the three generations of medical Thomas Searanckes who were the rival practice to the medical William Sandivers throughout a large part of the 18th century in Newmarket (the grandson mentioned here being Thomas Searancke 2.

William Sandiver the carpenter’s son William Sandiver also became a carpenter! He died in 1740 and his will is very useful as well. It mentions his occupation (carpenter), his son William aged less than 21 at the time of writing, and his sister Elizabeth wife of John Hockley of St Neot’s (obviously the same Elizabeth as mentioned in his mother and father’s wills above – the John is poorly visible on this will but can be discerned comparing it with Mary Sandiver’s will above). His son William mentioned here, the grandson in the 1725 will, was presumably the William son of William and Jane Sandiver baptised at St Mary’s church in 1721. Jane the wife of William Sandiver was buried at St Mary’s church in 1738, accounting for her not being mentioned in the 1740 will (interestingly she died in the 1738 Newmarket smallpox outbreak). This youngest William Sandiver went to Bury school in 1731, Caius College Cambridge in 1738 (aged 17), and was ordained in 1743; he was a curate in Burwell, finally ending up a rector in Crowland, Lincolnshire, where he was buried in 1762 (a fascinating church on the site of an old abbey).

There are also several entries relating to these carpenter / clerical Sandivers in the Newmarket manorial records. An entry in 1735 refers to William Sandiver and some property that used to belong to Mary Sandiver his mother (so referring to the younger carpenter, whose mother had died the year before), an entry in 1744 very usefully refers to ‘Reverend William Sandiver Clerk only Son and heir of William Sandiver late of Newmarket aforesaid carpenter deceased’ and another from 1746 refers to Martin Sandiver and William Sandiver his late father (so referring to the older carpenter).

So there were at least five prominent William Sandivers in 18th century Newmarket, two medics (father and son), and their carpenter likely cousins (father and son) with clerical grandson.

 

Image sources and acknowledgements:-

Image 1: Diagram drawn in 2019, by the author of talkingdust.net.

Note: see comments regarding images and copyright © etc. on the Usage &c. page as well. 

Relevant references in chronological order

1664, 4th September: John son of John Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1665, 27th January: William son of William Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm  of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: this is on the 1664 page – see New Year change.]

1670, 20th November: William son of John Sandfer baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1673, 26th January: John son of William Sandefor baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: this is on the 1672 page – see New Year change.]

1696, 16th July: John son of William and Mary Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: the word Sandiver is poorly legible on the microfilm but is attested to on the transcript J562/69 made in the 1940s, well before the microfilm was taken, when presumably the register was in better condition.]

1697, 8th September: John son of William Sandiver buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1698, 17th March: John son of William Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1699, 26th May: John son of William Sandiver buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1700, 3rd January: Dionisia daughter of Jno Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s Church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1700, 26th September: Mary daughter of William Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1706, 5th March: Ann daughter of William and Mary Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1706, 7th November: Martin son of William and Mary Sandiver baptised, Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: Ann and Martin were baptised 8 months apart in the same year; it’s important to bear in mind that these are their dates of baptism, not dates of birth.]

1707, 21st November: Frances, daughter of William and Mary Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J562/69, microfilm transcript, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: this is very poorly legible on the microfilm of the original register (J559/2) so I have relied on the transcript made when the register was in a better condition. I couldn’t find a bishops’ transcript.]

1710, 8th June: Dionysia wife of John Sandiver burried, St Mary’s Church, Newmarket. Reference: J562/69, microfilm transcript, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: the original register appears very damaged on the microfilm J552/9, which was taken after the J562/69 transcript was made, when it was apparently in better condition. The contemporary ‘bishop’s transcript’ is torn, but reads, ‘Dianisha ye wife of John Sa’. Reference: J520/41, microfilm of archdeacon’s transcripts, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).]

1711, 9th May: ‘John Sandifor of ye other parish widdower and Mary Disbuyrow of this parish single woman marid’. Reference: Microfiche of Newmarket All Saints’ parish register (fiche 1), Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1713, 9th January: William son of John and Mary Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s Church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: the microfilm of the original register (J552/9) is just about legible for this, on which William is abbreviated to ‘Wm’. The microfilm of the archdeacon’s transcript (J502/42) is legible and uses ‘Will’.]

1719, 19th May: Thomas Searancke married Mary Sandiver, both of this parish, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1721, 31st March: William son of William and Jane Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1725, 18th January: The will of William Sandiver of Newmarket in the County of Suffolk Carpenter (probate 11th August 1725). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/604/393. [Note: the original will is dated 1724 – see New Year Change.]

1725, 17th May: William Sandiver buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1730, 10th November: The will of Mary Sandiver widow of William Sandiver (probate 5th June 1734). Reference: microfilm J545/54, Claggett IV pg 113-114, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1731: ‘SANDIVER William. Son of William Sandiver of Newmarket, carpenter. Adm. to Bury school June 1731. Foreigner. Eight years there under Kinsman. Adm. to Caius Coll. July 1738 aged 17. Ordained 1743. Curate of Burwell. Rector of Crowland. Lincolnshire, 1761. N.B. – Dr Venn sets him down as a clergyman, otherwise I should have taken him to be the surgeon who is the father of No. 33.’ (entry 32.). Reference: S.H.A.H. Biographical List of Boys Educated at King Edward VI Free Grammar School, Bury St. Edmunds. From 1550 to 1900. Bury St Edmunds: Paul & Matthew; 1908. [Note: foreigner refers to the fact he was not from Bury, and also it’s interesting that this entry admits that these Sandivers are easily confused with the medics – see the Venn references below as well.]

1734, 31st May: Mary Sandiver widow buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1735, 28th May: William Sandiver and Mary Sandiver his mother. Newmarket manorial records. Reference: 359/12, pg 14, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1738, 24th May: John Sandiver Innholder and Mary his wife. Newmarket manorial records. Reference: 359/12, pg 34-35, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: interestingly this record is about the surrender of some property in Newmarket on 31st June 1737 to ‘John Benwell of the Town of Cambridge in the County of Cambridge Apothecary’. William Sandiver 1, John’s likely son, would have been a Newmarket medic in his mid 20s at this point. It’s interesting to consider whether there was any family or professional connection. John Benwell’s will, written in 1739, defined him still as of Cambridge. Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/731 – probate 1744; our 1743 – see New Year change. The only beneficiary mentioned in it is his wife Ann. Newmarket is not mentioned. Perhaps their Newmarket property was an investment, place to stay when at the Races, or both.]

1738, 15th July: Jane the wife of William Sandiver buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: marked as one of the smallpox deaths by the symbol +.]

1740, 4th June: The will of William Sandiver of Newmarket in the County of Suffolk Carpenter (probate 21st July 1740). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/704/105.

1744, 16th May: ‘Reverend William Sandiver Clerk only Son and heir of William Sandiver late of Newmarket aforesaid Carpenter deceased’. Newmarket manorial records. Reference: 359/2, pg 74, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1746, 21st May: Martin Sandiver and William Sandiver his later father. Newmarket manorial records. Reference: 359/2, pg 79, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1767, 14th August: William Sandiver married Mary Edmundson (both of this parish – Diana Sandiver was one of the witnesses), St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1813, 4th March: The will of William Sandiver of Newmarket in the County of Suffolk Surgeon (probate 16th March 1814). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/1554/155.

Some other sources consulted include:-

Crowland Abbey. http://www.crowlandabbey.org.uk/ (accessed 19th May 2015).

May P. The changing face of Newmarket 1600 – 1760. Peter May Publications; 1984. [Note: this book makes occasional reference to the Sandivers, prefering the spelling Sandever, reflecting some of the spellings in the earlier records. It also mentions on pg 71 that there were two brothers at the start of the 18th century, John a carpenter and his medical brother William (it’s odd William Sandiver the carpenter cousin is not mentioned). I have found no reference to a carpenter called John Sandiver, although William Sandiver 1 did have a brother John baptised in 1714; perhaps he became a carpenter and I have not found the reference yet? This book also expresses uncertainly regarding the number of medical William Sandivers and their precise relationship to each other, so clearly was not working with all of the evidence uncovered here.], [Note also, see comments regarding this and other Peter May material on The Greenes page.]

Microfilm transcripts of St Mary’s and All Saints’ parish records, Newmarket: Reference: J562/69, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

Venn J. Biographical history of Gonville and Gaius College 1349-1897. Cambridge: At the University Press; 1898; vol II, pg 44: ‘Sandiver, William: son of William Sandiver, carpenter, of Newmarket. Born there. School, Bury, eight years, under Mr Kynnesman. Aged 17. Admitted sizar, July 3, 1738. Tutor, Mr Burrough. B.A. 1742. Scholar, Michs 1738 to Michs 1743. Ordained deacon (Norw.) June 26, 1743; as curate of Burwell. Rector of Crowland, Lincs., 1761.’

Venn J, Venn JA. Alumni Cantabrigienses. Cambridge: At the University Press; 1927; pt 1 (vol IV), pg 18: ‘SANDIVER, WILLIAM. Adm. sizar (age 17) at CAIUS, July 3, 1738. S. of William, carpenter, of Newmarket. B. there. School, Bury (Mr Kynnesman). Scholar, 1738-43; Matric. 1740; B.A. 1742. Ord. deacon (Norwich) June 26, 1743; priest (Ely, Litt. dim. from Rochester) Feb. 23, 1752. C. of Thorney. R. of Croyland, Lincs., 1761. Buried there June 1, 1762. (Venn, II 44.)’

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