Wesbrooms disappear from the record until late in the 17th century, to reappear in the eastern corner of Essex.
- Mary Wesbroom, b.1664 in Kirby le Soken, married Robert Dansy in 1688
- John Wesbroom, b. 1680 in Little Clacton, married Sarah Bains in 1705, died 1741
- John Wesbroom, b. 1685 in Thorpe le Soken, married Elizabeth Baker in 1710.
The parentage of these three is unknown, but it would seem that there were at least two families in the area.
In 1761 Elizabeth Westbroom, widow of Kirby, made a will.
Another Elizabeth Westbroom became the housekeeper of Nathaniel Cook of St Osyth. That she was more than his housekeeper was acknowledged in his will of 1808, when he left all his property to their daughter, Susannah Cook Westbroom. Susannah married Benjamin Jaggard, and died in 1817.
One line can be traced through the 18th century, beginning with the John Wesbroom born in 1680. He appears to have married, first, Mary Audlem. Their children were Hannah and Mary, both baptised in 1703. John then married Sarah Bains in 1705. Their surviving children, all born in Little Clacton, were: Peter, who married Susannah; Sarah, 1713; Elizabeth, 1718; William, 1723; Susannah, 1724 (she married Edward Martham in 1749); John, 1730 (he married Susannah Cole in 1755, and their two known children are Mary, 1758, and John, 1768); Joseph, 1729. John's will, to which a codicil was added in 1741, shows that he was a farmer. His widow, Sarah, occupied a farm in Little Clacton in the 1740's which was owned by Elizabeth Turner. Sarah died in 1757. Her will shows that her son Peter was dead by this time. A will of 1769 is that of another John Wesbroom whose widow was named as Susan.
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CENSUSES
UK censuses show how few Wes(t)brooms there were throughout the 19th century.
1841 - 8 (this census is incomplete): 1851 - 22: 1861 - 12: 1871 - 11: 1881 - 18: 1891 - 13: 1901 - 44
These figures are not reliable because of mistranscription - Westbrooms can be transcribed as Westbrooks.
The censuses also show how the name was concentrated in Essex and in London
This Joseph (who appears on censuses as Wesbroom) was born c. 1805 in either Kirby le Soken or Thorpe le Soken. In 1843, and until the 1860s, his profession is given as tailor, but he appears to have kept a lodging house of sorts throughout. By 1861 the couple had moved to 4, Howard St, St Clement Danes, and by 1871 to no. 13 Howard St, where Joseph is listed as a lodging house keeper. On 28 October 1872 Dorcas appeared at the Old Bailey as a witness in the trial of their servant Ellen Ralph, who was accused of stealing £8 and 2 yards of mohair from them.
The couple seem to have had no children. Both died in 1879.
