James Browning Sperryn (4.March.1817 - 5.July.1899)
The family tradition has been:


(Extract from a family tree drawn up probably in the late 1970s)

However, when Huw Sperryn visited the Somerset Archive Centre, Taunton in 2013, the truth was less glamorous.



In case you're finding it difficult to read, it says that on June 28th 1817, James Browning son of Elizabeth was baptised in Frome, Somerset. He is a bastard and has the surname Perryn. It is of course possible that he was born in Chiselborough, but he put Frome as his place of birth on the 1891 census.


The Still family has already researched the East India Company part of his history.

(He was actually 27 when he married Anne Neville. It's suggested that he should have been 21 to join the East India Co.)

page on James' medals & testimonials.

We have a letter from James to his son George written May 1883. letter
The transcription:

Tatsfield 19th May 1883

My dear George
I have many times
intended to reply to your kind letter
of the 26@ulto but somehow or other    [26@ulto = 26th of last month]
after a hard days work gardening, I
have felt out of sorts for letter writing
and still less so on gloomy wet days
nevertheless you and yours have never
been long absent from our thoughts, and
I sincerely trust my dear son that you
and your belongings are all progressing
favourably, both mentally and bodily.
I hope Lottie maintains what            (Lottie = Charlotte Jane George's wife (and eldest dau.)
improvement she may have gained during
her stay with us and that your new
dwelling is comfortable and convenient. It
is always most pleasing to us to hear of
the prosperity and welfare of any of our
younger branches.
I am jogging along much the same, sometimes better
and at other times not so well, I find
that I am not equal to much bodily
exertions and occasionally feel much
depressed especially on gloomy wet days,
but these symptoms probably are incidental
to my time of life. Mother, Florrie                  (Florrie = Florence Mary Sperryn daughter b. 1865)
and Willie I am happy to say are quite well              (Willie = William Ernest Sperryn son b. 1868)
We have Kitty and her little ones                  (Kitty = Elizabeth Katherine Sperryn dau. m. 1880)
with us for a little while, being in rather
delicate health it is hoped the change
may do them good, Charlie is also              (Charles Stephens - Elizabeth's husband)
paying us a flying visit.
We have had workmen engaged
finishing the front steps, we have also
had a nice pantry built which is a
real aquisition, so we are getting a
little ship shape by degrees but it
is rather a long and expensive process
the next operation will be painting
then papering -
I have no general news to
communicate, the routine in this
locality being somewhat monotonous
especially in wet and dull weather
of which we have had plenty of late
but I am happy to say a great improvement
has taken place in the last few days.
Kitty desires to be kindly remembered
to yourself & family also to Mary              (Possibly Mary Anne Sperryn dau. b. 1859)
I am much obliged for the
papers you send me they are very
acceptable as I can always read when
nothing else can be done, your town
of Bgham seems to have been made the
Head quarters of the Dynamite mob,
what a lucky thing they have been
so far bowled out, and that the law
is being vindicated in the case of the Irish
assassins, I wonder if the Americans
will ultimately surrender the members of
the gang now said to be in their dominion?
My dear son in conclusion I do trust
that you may not be worried from
over anxiety in any shape and that all
bussiness may be progressing fairly well
and that Lottie may be enjoying
her old vivacity and soon fully recover and
retain her former good health -
Give our kind love to our dear Mary              (Possibly Mary Anne Sperryn dau. b. 1859)
we should like her to pay us a visit when
convenient, if for ever so short a period - I
trust she is well
With kindest love from one and
all at Tatsfield to self Lottie
and little ones, we remain
my dear son
your affectionate father and mother
James and Anne Sperryn




We haven't been able to unearth James' will, but we have a copy of Anne's will. She signed the will on 25.Sept.1897 and died on 25.Aug.1899. The value of her estate was £321.4.3* which she left to her 3 daughters Amy, Mary and Florence. The sole executor was her son George.
*According to 'thisismoney.co.uk', that's equivalent to about £35k in 2015.