A history of the Mansfield family from Devon and Wiltshire.

Our branch of the Mansfield's seems to have originated in the small village of Culmstock, Devon. They included a few characters of note including two accomplished church organists, a Free church minister and a Carmelite nun.

Jay Campbell Mansfield is the youngest of the Mansfield males a university student and born 22nd February 1980. Then there's myself, Stephen , photographer, webmaster and now the family historian. I also have a daughter Kara (Born 21st Jan 1982)

Next is my father Cedric Orlando Mansfield who was born 1918 in Glasgow. Cedric married Gladys Cuthill on the 26th September 1944 and they had two sons. Keith Lawrence (Born 1948) and me, Stephen Robert James (Born 1955). Keith has one daughter, Julie.

Purcell James Mansfield was born 24th May 1889 and the only child of Orlando and Louise. He very quickly showed promise as a talented musician. gaining his FRCO before he was 18 years of age. He was organist at Bideford Wesleyan Church in Torquay but was invited to take up the post as organist at Park Church, Glasgow. He married a local girl, Marie Campbell and they gave birth to Cedric Orlando Mansfield.

Next generation was Orlando Augustine Mansfield, another organist and a Doctor of Music. He married a Louise Christine Jutz, from Geneva, Switzerland. herself an accomplished musician.

Orlando was born in Horningsham, Wiltshire where his father James Pearce Mansfield was the minister of Englands oldest Free Church. Orlando's sister Theodosia Olympia became a Carmelite nun and joined the Carmel in Wells where she died. Their father was William Mansfield who was married to Susanna Pearce Andrews and together had seven children.

Now it gets slightly less certain. Orlando with his friend Mr Mansfield Haysom embarked on a search of their ancestors and he left some notes of his findings, but some pages are missing. It suggests that Williams Father was Charles Benjamin Mansfield and descended from John James Mansfield of Ringwood Hants.

I now think it is more likely that Williams father was a Samuel Mansfield or Manfield who was born in Culmstock and married a local girl, Betty Perry. This theory would certainly tie in with the names of their children.

A page from the history of the Mansfield's from Devon and Wiltshire.