This page is dedicated to my Jopson / Jobson Family. My Grandmother Florence Lily Jopson (Dot) was born in  Market Street Soham on 22 October 1903, she was Baptised in St Andrews Church Soham on 13 July 1906 along with her younger Sister May who had been born that year. Florence  was the Daughter of George Jopson, who was born in 1881 in Soham and Mary Hills who was also born in 1881 on Qua Fen Common Soham. Florence Lily Married a Norfolk Man, William Charles Webb, who was born 27 April 1899 in Reedham Norfolk, they Married in Ely Register Office 10 December 1925, shortly after this they moved to London, and William Charles ( Bill ) worked on the Silver Town Docks. Whilst in London, 3 of their 4 Children were born, Donald William 1926, Beryl Joyce 1929 West Ham, Peter John, 1935 Plaistow, the Family moved back to Soham to Florence's Parents home on Qua Fen Common when after a night of bombing in London their home was completely destroyed, when they returned to Soham they were treated as refugees, and Beryl attended the School set up in the Church Hall especially for the refugees, after a spell with Florence's Parents the Family rented a small Cottage on Angle Common Soham, and this is were their 4th Child was born, Alan Richard born 1942, they lived here for 2 years then on the night in 1944 when the great Soham rail disaster took place, their Cottage was severely damaged and the Family again had to move, this time they relocated to Cowell Terrace in White Hart Lane Soham, they lived here for a while then moved again to Eastern Avenue Soham. Florence was then working as a Cook at Soham Village College and William Charles was working at Clark and Butchers Mill in Soham, when they retired they moved to the old Folks estate at West Drive Crescent Soham, they lived here until William Charles died in 1970, then Florence Lily moved to a bungalow in Queensway Soham to be near her Children, Florence lived in Queensway until her death in 1981. Both Florence Lily and William Charles are buried in Soham Cemetery.  George and Mary  Jopson had 8 Children, Annie Maria, born 1900 and unfortunately died in 1900 at Green Hills Soham, it appears that Annie Maria was born prior to George and Mary's Marriage as they Married in St Andrews Church Soham 1901, their 2nd Child was my Grandmother Florence Lily, then came May in 1906, she died aged 17 in 1923, the cause is thought to be T.B. as she had been unwell for sometime. Their 4th Child was their 1st Son Charles Butcher Jopson, he was born 9th January 1908 most probably on Qua Fen Common Soham, he had been named after his Grandfather, Georges Father Charles Butcher Jopson, who was born 1844 in Newmarket, more about him later. Charles Butcher Jopson Wife was called May, he died in 1980 and is buried in Soham Cemetery. Their 5th Child another Daughter Evelyn, born 1909 Soham, died I think in 2002, then came their 6th Child another Daughter Maggie, born 1911, then the 7th a Son Leslie, born 15 April 1914, Les married Doris May Palmer a Soham Girl born 23 June 1916, the Daughter of William Palmer and Alice. Their last Child another Daughter Gladys Olive was born in 1917.

The Jopsons seem to have arrived in Soham in the 1850's. when my  2nd Gt Grand Aunt Amy Butcher Jopson, Married a Soham Man, Thomas Beckwith, they Married in St Andrews Church Soham in March 1849. Amy was the 5th Child of my 3rd Gt Grandparents, John Jopson and Margaret Butcher, Amy was born in Wicken in 1827. Thomas and Amy had 1 Child that I know of, John Beckwith born in Soham in 1850. Amy was left Widowed when Thomas died in 1857, and I have been unable to find any trace of Amy after this although her Son John does appear in subsequent Census's. Another Daughter of John and Margaret to arrive in Soham was, another 2nd Gt Grandaunt, and a Sister to Amy, Eliza Jopson. Eliza Married Josiah Johnson from Soham in July 1849, again in St Andrews Church, so far I have 1 Son listed for Eliza and Josiah, Alfred Johnson born 1850 in Soham.

As mentioned above my 3rd Gt Grandparents were John Jopson, born 1789 in Burwell Cambridgeshire, and Margaret Butcher born about 1790 in Wicken. John and Margaret Married in Wicken in St Lawrence's Church on 21st  May 1816, they had 10 Children all born in Wicken, Mary born 1817, Baptised 15th June 1817 in St Lawrence's Church. Mary Married Henry Nixon a Wicken Man on 9th October 1835 again in Wicken Church, as far as I know Mary stayed in Wicken. Then came their 1st Son John born 1820, Baptised 17th March 1822 in Wicken. John was followed by another Son, James born 1821 in Wicken, Baptised 24th February 1822, Died 30th August 1823. James was followed by a 2nd Daughter Ann, born 1824 in Wicken, who was followed by Amy , then Eliza who I have spoken about above, Their 7th Child a Son James was born in Wicken in 1832, he was Baptised in Wicken on 11th March 1832, he Married a Wicken Girl Sophia Bacon, in St Lawrence's Church Wicken on 24th November 1855. Their 8th Child William was Born in 1834, Baptised in Wicken 3rd August 1834. William Married a Girl from Dullingham near Newmarket called Maria. William and Maria appear on the 1891 Census living in Soham, his Occupation at this time was an Inn Keeper of The Cold Brewery, in Paddock Street Soham, he is listed with 5 Children. William and Maria's first Child was a Son William born 1866 in Hampstead London, he Married a Girl from Ashton-under-Lynn Lancashire in 1899 in Newmarket, her name was Amelia Ann Oldham, they had 5 Children, Mary J born 1890 in Soham, James born 1892 in Soham, Florrie Arnold born 1894 in Ashton-under-Lynn, Amelia Arnold born 1896 in Soham and Charles born 1898 in Soham. We then come to the 2nd Child of William and Maria a Son Edward born 1869 in Soham, their 3rd Child was another Son John, born 1871 in Soham, their next Child was a Daughter, Mary J, born 1874 in Soham, she Married Thomas Reeve from Soham, who was 12 years her Senior. At this point William and Maria appear to have moved as their next Child James was born in 1877 in Duckenfield, Cheshire. I don't know when William and Maria came back to Soham other than it was prior to the 1891 Census. At this point we go back to my 3rd Gt Grandparents John and Margaret, and the birth of their 9th Child, another Daughter Harriet, born 1837 in Wicken, baptised 9th July 1837 in St Lawrence's Church Wicken. Harriet followed in the footsteps of her Sisters Amy and Eliza and Married in Soham to George Steadman another Soham Man, I know that Harriet and George lived in Clay Street at the time of the 1891 Census, and my Gt Grandfather George Jopson was resident with them at this time, why this is I don't know as his Parents, Charles Butcher Jopson and Jane Hudson were resident  in St Johns Square Soham, Charles Butcher Jopson being the Final and 10th Child of John and Margaret. This brings me to my 2nd Gt Grandparents, Charles Butcher Jopson mentioned previous and Jane Hudson. Charles and Jane were Married in Newmarket in 1863, Jane was born in Bishop Stortford Hertfordshire in 1846, they had 8 Children. Their 1st Child was William born 1864 in Soham he married an Eliza who was born in Wicken in 1860, I have 1 Child listed for them John born 1892 in Soham, he was Killed in WW1, 24 May 1917 in France. Charles and Janes next Child was Margaretta born 8th August 1870 in Soham, she was Baptised 20th November 1874 in St Andrews Church Soham, then came John born 1871 Soham, he died in 1939 in Soham and is Buried in Soham Cemetery, their 4th Child was a Daughter Jane born 1872 in Soham, then came James born 1875 in Bull Lane Soham ( now Clay Street ), followed by Edward who was born 27th February 1877 in Clay Street. Their 7th Child was my Gt Grandfather George who I have already spoken about, followed by Annie born 1887 in Soham.

A lot more research is needed on my Jopsons as I have yet to discover their origins, if you are related to this Family I would like to hear from you. I would like to add that my Gt Grandfather George Jopson married Mary Hills, the Hills are a long established Soham Family who's Ancestry goes back in Soham to the beginning of the Soham Registers and beyond and who's Descendants span Worldwide.

Submitted by Julie Webb
sohamgen@hotmail.com