- Born: Ditcheat and baptised 1 Jan 1745 in Castle Cary, Somerset
- Parents: Isaac Oram 1705-1791 and Sarah Higgins ?-?
- Half Siblings: George Oram 1734-? by Isaac’s first wife Lucy Roach
- Full siblings: Samuel Oram 1738-1801, Sarah Oram 1740-1812, Peter Oram baptised Orrem 1742- ?, Matthew Oram 1747-?, George Oram 1750-?, Jane Betty Oram 1752-?, David Oram 1757-1840
- Married: on 11 Nov 1771 Elizabeth Clare 1747-1795 at Ditcheat, Somerset
- Offspring: John Oram 1772 -1802 and James Oram 1774-1839, William 1780- baptised Oarm; Frances Oram 1782- baptised Oarm; Sarah Oram 1785-1860 baptised Oarm; Melior Oram 1788- baptised Oarm
- Died: 1802 and buried in Ditcheat, Somerset
See map at the bottom of this page for places mentioned in the text
Isaac is the earliest member of our family mentioned in documents handed down to us. His name heads a list transcribed from the lost family bible of his grandson John Oram 1824-1907.
INSERT image of bible entries
Isaac was the second son of Isaac Oram and his second wife Sarah Higgins who had married and lived in Ansford before moving to Ditcheat. Isaac was baptised on 1 January 1745 in Ansford BUT it was noted in the parish register that his ‘abode’ was Ditcheat. See Isaac Oram 1705-1791 page for the family’s move from Ansford and Castle Cary to Ditcheat.
Isaac’s marriage to Elizabeth Clare in 1771
On 11 November 1771 Isaac married Elizabeth Clare whose family name starts to appears in the village records in the mid 1700s. Please see Elizabeth Clare’s and Clare family pages.
Offspring of Isaac and Elizabeth
In the 1960s we were told that Isaac and Elizabeth had two sons John born 1772 and James born 1774. In 2019 a DNA result led to a careful check of the Ditcheat baptism registers when the family tree of DNA match ‘Debbie’ showed a Sarah Oram born in Ditcheat in 1785. Sarah has been baptised Oarm as had three more of Isaac and Elizabeth’s offspring namely William 1780-?, Frances 1782-? and Melior 1788-?
It seems odd to have the six year gap between James and William. A check in ancestry.co.uk and findmypast.com etc for Oram and variants born in Somerset with the father Isaac has not found any more offspring in surviving parish registers. If there are missing offspring then it is likely that they were baptised by a non-conformist minister. Included in Di Clements’ research on the History of Ditcheat and the Oram family page is
Methodists: By the eighteenth century the Church of England had a rival; the brothers Wesley had preached many times in the area and made many converts including William Kingston. At first they had no Chapel in which to worship but used private houses which had to be licensed.
By 1780 the following house was in use “Part of the Dwelling house of Edward Arnold of Alhampton in Ditcheat (now in the possession of William Oram) is intended for the public worship of Almighty God as Protestant Dissenters.” This house is towards the top of Alhampton Lane. William signed this and his signature was witnessed by Benjamin and Joseph Bond. At the bottom: “Certified proper notice of the above was given. Dissenters are commonly called Methodists. Anyone making a disturbance is liable to prosecution.”
We do not know if William was Isaac’s cousin but if Isaac was living in Alhampton in the 1770s they would have been neighbours.
View Isaac b1705, Isaac b1745, John b1772, John 1801-1891 in a larger map
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Ditcheat
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Alhampton
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Ansford
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Castle Cary
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Pilton
Birthplace of John Cox Oram 1866-1876, son Mary Oram and grandson John Oram 1800-1891
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North Cadbury
Sarah Oram b1833, daughter of John Oram 1800-1891 married William A Court. They lived with his elderly aunt in North Cadbury
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