Welcome to
Jousiffe (Joseph) Family
History and Genealogy
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ABOUT THIS SITE
This site is dedicated to all the descendants of Francis and Harriot JOSEPH whose family roots lie deep in Westminster, London, United Kingdom, since at least the late 1600s.
Whether you choose to go by the name Joseph, Jousiffe, Jossif or Jousif you are welcome.
(The surnames on this site are as recorded on birth certificates/baptism records)
Origins of the Name
It is not clear how or why it is that members of the early generations started using the Jousiffe, Jossif, Jousif variations of the surname Joseph. What is clear is that William, the father of Francis, was described in historical records as "Joseph" and by the time Francis's 10th child was born, the name "Joseph" became the preferred and most consistent way of writing the family name.
The surname Joseph is an Anglo-Saxon name that comes from the baptismal name for the son of Joseph. It is of English, German, French, Spanish and Jewish cultures. It derived from the Hebrew Yosef may He (God) add (another son), so basically 'god may add to' is a rough translation.
The surname Joseph was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the Latin form Josephus was recorded. Later in Norfolk, Joseph (no forename) was listed at Holme (1141-1149) and later in Lincolnshire in 1187. In Herefordshire, Umfridus filius Josep was found there in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1205 and then William Joseph was entered in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1191 and in the Curia Regis Rolls for Suffolk in 1205.
The Foundation Years
The only source of information we have on the parents of Francis JOSEPH is the baptismal record found in the England & Wales, Christening Index, 1530-1980, and copy of a page from the church records of Westminster, London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1558-1812 .
In both these records, Francis's surname is spelt "JOSEPH". His father is named as 'William' and his mother as 'Ann'. Her maiden surname is not provided, something that makes it very difficult to trace her true origins. Furthermore, the marriage records of Francis and Harriot make no mention of Francis's parents, something that was quite unusual for those times.
London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1597-1921
In the marriage banns, Francis has taken to spelling and signing his surname as "JOUSIFFE"
London in the 1700s
A view of London from the east in 1751.
In 1700, London was divided into three: the City (London), the court (Westminster and St James's) and south of the river (Southwark). The essayist Joseph Addison, in 1712, looked on it as "an aggregate of various nations distinguished from each other by their respective customs, manners an interests". London was a vivid new metropolis, much of it in soft pink brick that had risen out of the ashes of The Great Fire of 1666 that had left more than half of the old city in smouldering ruins.
By 1715, London's population reached an estimated 630,000 people, roughly equaling that of Europe's largest city until that time, Paris. Within a few years London itself was the largest city in Europe, reaching 750,000 people by 1760 and 1 million by the end of the century.
St James's Church
Build from the designs of Sir Chistopher Wren in the reign of Charles II, and was completed in 1683.
For at least three generations thereafter, descendants of William Joseph resided in Westminster and many of them were christened at St James's Westminster, Middlesex. It is situated on the south side of Piccadilly, nearly opposite Sackville Street. It owes its origin to the increase of buildings in its neighborhood, and its parish is a cantlet from that of St Martin's in the Fields. The settlement which grew up around Westminster Abbey, the royal palace, and Parliament which came to be known as Westminster was part of the County of Middlesex and separate from the City of London.
By 1700, Westminster contained around 130,000 inhabitants, and was larger than any other city in the country, except the rest of London; by 1801 it had grown to 165,000. Westminster contained extremes of wealth and poverty, as the gentry and aristocracy attached to parliament and the court lived alongside the servants, craftsmen and tradesmen who catered for their needs.
Honours Board
Family Members that Served their Country as Soldiers during War Times
Arthur William Jousiffe* - WW2, 1939
Herbert Allen Joseph* - WW1, 1914
Robert John Jousiffe - WW1, 1914
Francis Major Joseph* - WW2, 1939
George Clarence Cawkwell - WW2,1944
Edwin Charles Jousiffe* - WW1, 1914
Percy Gibbon Joseph - ABW, 1899
Federick William Jousiffe, WW2, 1939
Arthur Alwin Joseph - WW1, 1914
Donald Thane Pitman* , WW2, 1939
William Ogilvie - Waterloo, 1815
Paid the highest price - died in battle
Our Family is Growing
16
Francis
323
John
38
Germain
29
Richard
111
George
18
Edward
64
Charles
39
Other
How to use this website
Persons are listed in a family block and each person is given a unique card and number sequence, as follows:
01
1st Generation
The first generation member is given a number starting from 1 and increasing in the order they were born.
01A
2nd Generation
The first child of the 1st generation member is given a letter starting at "A" for the firstborn. Boys in blue and girls in peachy colour.
01Aa
3rd Generation
The eldest grandchild is given an additional letter "a". The next born gets a letter "b".
01Aaa
4th Generation
The eldest great grandchild gets an additional letter a.
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Disclaimer and Acknowledgements
This is the product of research work that began in 2010. Every attempt has been made to ensure that the information recorded is correct, verified against birth records, census data, marriage records, and other family trees that are both publically and privately held. My sincere gratitude to all the family members, immediate and distant who have contributed to this collection. A special acknowledgement for my distant cousins who have a similar site at http://www.jousiffe.co.uk