John Degge

Baptised at St Alkmund’s Church, Derby in 1699, John was the third and youngest son of Symon Degge and his first wife Selina Williams. His mother died in 1702 when John under three so it’s likely he had no memory of her. His father, left with three young sons to care for, remarried in 1705. His new wife, Jane Staunton, came with a substantial inheritance of £6,000. The couple added two more sons and a daughter to the family.  Little is known of John though, according to a memorial plaque erected in Denton Church, Lincolnshire he married but had no surviving children. He died around 1741.

John is shown here as a good-looking young man in a powdered full-bottomed wig and dove-grey coat with matching waistcoat. Oil on copper set in a turned fruit wood frame and inscribed reverse.