Benjamin Thompson and Mary Bottrell

The Spotted Cow (closed)
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Stephen Craven - geograph.org.uk/p/2331664

Benjamin Thompson, the middle child of Daniel Thompson and Mary Adcock, married Mary Ann Bottrell, daughter of Stephen Bottrell and Mary Thompson, in 1866, at Christ Church, Watney Street, St George in the East. Benjamin's older sister, Sarah Elizabeth Thompson, had already married Mary Ann's older brother, Daniel Botterill. Both sibling pairs married their first cousins.

Home with his parents, aged 9, in 1851, by 1861, Benjamin (19), bricklayer, was living in the household of his uncle, John Blackett, in St George in the East. 

By 1871, Benjamin Tompson was a Master Builder and married. That year, he and wife Mary were living at 299 Cable Street. (Benjamin's brother Dan and his wife Mary Ann Green were living at that same address two years later, when their first child, Eliza Louisa was born there.) Was 299 a boarding house?

Then in 1879, Benjamin Thompson was listed as the incoming licensee at the Victoria, 46 Three Colt street, Limehouse E14. He should be there at the time of the 1881 census. He was still there in 1882 and 1884. 

A Trip Down Three Colt Street | Houses in Three Colt street

Records suggest that Benjamin and Mary had five children:

1. Daniel Tompson born 1872
2. Benjamin Adcock Tompson born 1874
3. Sarah Tompson born 1879
4. Thomas Tompson born 1883
5. Mary Tompson born 1887

Benjamin Tompson died in 1890, aged 48. The probate record states:

5 February: The Will of Benjamin Tompson of the "Victoria" Tavern, Three Colt Street, Limehouse in the County of Middlesex, but late of the "Spotted Cow", Hither Green Lane, Lewisham in the County of Kent, Licenced Victualler, who died 6 February 1890 at the "Spotted Cow", was proved at the Principal Registry by Mary Tompson of the "Spotted Cow" Widow of the Relict and John Soppit of the "Railway" Tavern, Shortlands in the County of the Kent, Licensed Victualler the Executors.

Benjamin Tompson left £1,140 17s 10d. (Worth £147,454 in 2020.)

In 1891, Mary Tompson (46), widow, had become the Licenced Victualler of the Spotted Cow, Hither Green Lane, Lewisham. Living with her were her son, Daniel (19), who she had appointed as Manager Public House; Benjamin (17), Cabinet Maker's Apprentice; daughter Mary (3); her niece Sarah Tompson (Dan Tompson's daughter), as well as a Sarah A Bunting (24), General Servant.

By 1901, Mary Tompson (55) was living at 44, Ringstead Road, Lewisham. With her were Benjamin Tompson (27), who had become an upholsterer; Thomas Tompson (17), Warehouseman; Mary Tompson (13), Sybil Thompson (2), granddaughter, and Ellen Guymer (20), General Domestic Servant.

Mary Tompson died, aged 58, in Lewisham, in 1903.