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John Masters was christened on 8 May 1762 in Staverton, Northamptonshire. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Masters and he was third child of seven. His siblings were Elizabeth (b.1757), Thomas (b.1760), Ann (b.1765), Mary (b.1769), Joseph (b.1772) and William (b.1775). John got married on 29 May 1786 to Sarah Spencer. The wedding took place in Wolfhamcote and was witnessed by Thomas Masters (assumed to be John's father) and Samuel Hall. John is listed in the first official census, taken in 1841, as living in Willoughby, Warwickshire. Willoughby is approximately five miles away from Staverton. He is listed in this and the next census in 1851 as being a widowed Agricultural Labourer. In this 1851 census he is listed as being 92 years old (suggesting a birth in 1759). John died in 1852 and the recorded age is 91. The two conflicting ages given here, and a few years before his death, give a birth of between 1759 and 1761. Parish records record him as being christened in 1762, though he could, of course, have been born a few years earlier. |
 John's baptism in the Staverton Parish Records. |
 John Masters in the 1841 census. |
 John Masters in the 1851 census. |
 John's death certificate. |
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1760 – GEORGE III ASCENDS THE THRONE, following the death of George II. George is the grandson of George II but was proclaimed insane from 1810 when the Prince of Wales (later George IV) acted as regent. 1762 – JOHN STUART, EARL OF BUTE (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1763 – GEORGE GRENVILLE (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1763 – A PREACE TREATY IS SIGNED IN PARIS BRINGING AN END TO THE WAR WITH SPAIN AND FRANCE. The Treaty gives Britain all French holdings in North America east of the Mississippi. French power was also reduced in India, West Africa and the West Indies. The French overseas empire had practically disappeared and Britain became the legatee. 1765 – CHARLES WATSON-WENTWORTH, MARQUIS OF ROCKINGHAM (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1766 – WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. Also known as “Pitt the Elder”. 1768 – AUGUSTUS HENRY FITZROY, DUKE OF GRAFTON (Tory) becomes Prime Minister in a coalition cabinet. 1770 – LORD FREDERICK NORTH, later the second Earl of Guildford (Tory), becomes Prime Minister. 1776 – ADAM SMITH PUBLISHED “THE WEALTH OF NATIONS”, condemning the existing system of imperial trade restrictions. 1780 – ROBERT RAIKES FOUNDS THE FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL for the teaching of the three R’s to poor children. 1782 - CHARLES WATSON-WENTWORTH, MARQUIS OF ROCKINGHAM (Whig) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1782 – WILLIAM PETTY, EARL OF SHELBOURNE, later the Marquis of Lansdowne (Whig), becomes Prime Minister. 1783 – THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION RESULTS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BEING RECOGNIZED AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION, shattering Britain’s empire. 1783 – WILLIAM HENRY CAVENDISH-BENTINCK, DUKE OF PORTLAND (Tory), becomes Prime Minister in a coalition cabinet. 1783 – WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM (Tory), becomes Prime Minister. Also known as “Pitt the Younger”. 1793 – BRITAIN IS AT WAR WITH A “REVOLUTIONARY FRANCE”. They remain at war, apart from a brief respite, until 1815. 1801 – IRELAND UNITES WITH GREAT BRITAIN TO FORM THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 1801 – HENRY ADDINGTON, later Viscount Sidmouth (Tory), becomes Prime Minister. 1804 - WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM (Tory), becomes Prime Minister for the second time. Also known as “Pitt the Younger”. 1806 – WILLIAM WYNDHAM GRENVILLE, BARON GRENVILLE (Whig) becomes Prime Minister in a coalition cabinet. 1807 - WILLIAM HENRY CAVENDISH-BENTINCK, DUKE OF PORTLAND (Tory), becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1809 – SPENCER PERCEVAL (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1810 – KING GEORGE III IS PROCLAIMED INSANE. His eldest son, the Prince of Wales (the later George IV) acts as Prince Regent. 1812 – SPENCER PERCEVAL, the Prime Minister, is assassinated. 1812 – ROBERT BANKS, EARL OF LIVERPOOL (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1820 – GEORGE IV ASCENDS THE THRONE following the death of his father, George III. 1827 – GEORGE CANNING (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1827 – FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON, VISCOUNT GODERICH and the later Earl of Ripon (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1828 – ARTHUR WELLESLEY, DUKE OF WELLINGTON (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1830 – WILLIAM IV ASCENDS THE THRONE following the death of his brother, George IV. William is the third son of George III. 1830 – EARL CHARLES GREY (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1830 – SIR ROBERT PEEL DEVELOPES THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY which succeeds the Tory Party. 1832 – REFORM BILL OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS BECOMES LAW, extending the vote to more people and redistributing the constituencies to secure more equitable distribution of representation. 1834 – WILLIAM LAMB, VISCOUNT MELBOURNE (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister. 1834 – SIR ROBERT PEEL (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister. 1835 - WILLIAM LAMB, VISCOUNT MELBOURNE (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1837 – QUEEN VICTORIA ASCENDS THE THRONE following the death of her uncle, William IV. Victoria was the daughter of George III’s fourth son, Edward (Duke of Kent). 1837 – COMPULSORY RECORDING OF ALL BIRTHS, DEATHS & MARRIAGES INITIATED. 1841 - SIR ROBERT PEEL (Conservative) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1843 – THE POLICE FORCE FOUNDED. Policeman were often called ‘Bobbies’ and ‘Peelers’ in reference to the Prime Minister |