Ann Jesson (1734-1799). Ann was born in Warwickshire to Pudsey Jesson and Elizabeth Freeman. Her claim to fame was marrying Sir Charles Holte, 6th Baronet of Aston Hall in Birmingham UK.

Thomas Jesson (1779-1860) was the son of Richard Jesson who I talked about in my last blog, the one who patented the first commercially successful method for producing wrought iron with coke. Needless to say, Thomas lived a privileged life.  

He married Ann Elliot Percy in 1803. American born, Ann is the daughter of Rev William Percy, who was an ordained minister and a chaplain to Lady Selina Huntingdon the Countess of Huntington and became very prominent in spreading the gospel in America.

What made the Jesson family so prominent in the small area of West Bromwich in England?

Wealth, I discovered came in the form of iron.

Intrigued that there is a Jesson who is a Baron, I wanted to explore this Baron line further.

Figuring out the line that was documented on my hand drawn family tree with the assistance of Ancestry.com, I identified 12 generations of the Jesson family. I then researched Thomas Henry Percy Touchet-Jesson, an actor, mauafacturer, a baron and married briefly to Sir Winston Churchill’s daughter.

Are you putting off a Family History research project? Set a goal to work on it THIS YEAR. Stay on track by being accountable to me or another fellow researcher.

Follow my 2026 Family History Research Project “How the Other Half Lived” for tips on completing your project.

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