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Tuesday, 15 October 2024

Robert Hankin and Elizabeth Edwards

Kneesworth Street, Royston, Herts
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Ruth Sharville - geograph.org.uk/p/6687304

Robert Hankin (bap. 7 Jan 1742 in Royston), Batchelor, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Hankin, married Elizabeth Edwards, Spinster, in Royston, on 15 Oct 1767. Witnesses were William Stamford and Elizabeth Chapman.

Robert and Elizabeth had nine or ten children:
  1. Robert Hankin bap. 30 Jan 1769
  2. Sarah Hankin bap. 26 Jun 1770
  3. Joseph Hankin bap. 23 Sep 1772
  4. Ann Hankin bap. 8 Mar 1775
  5. Elizabeth Hankin bap. 28 Aug 1777
  6. William Hankin bap. 28 Oct 1779
  7. Mary Hankin bap. 29 Nov 1781
  8. Unnamed child bap. Feb 1786. This record does not show the exact date, name or gender of the child. This also could be either of the following:
  9. James Hankin, for whom I can find no birth / baptism
  10. Thomas Hankin, for whom I can find no birth / baptism
Given the dates, all of these Non-Conformist baptisms must have taken place at the Royston, Old Meeting (Independent) House, that had existed in Middle Row, Kneesworth Street, since 1706. [Source] These Non-Conformists, it seems, were CongregationalistsIn 1790, a dispute arose over doctrine and a group withdrew from the Old Meeting, to form a New Meeting. In 1791 a New Meeting house was built on another site in Kneesworth Street. 

On 7 Sep 1759, when he will then have been the correct age of 15, Robert Hankin was apprenticed to John Thrift of Royston, Barber. The premium was £9 0s 0d. In turn, on 7 Dec 1770, Robert Hankin took an apprentice, named Edward Lilley, for whom the premium had gone up to £10 0s 0d.

On 6 Mar 1812, "E Hankin" was buried and the record is in the burials at Royston, New Meeting House (Independent). I'm sure this is Elizabeth Hankin because the record next to it is the burial of Robert Hankin on 21 Apr 1812.

Between those burial dates, on 4 Apr 1812, Robert Hankin wrote his will, directing that all his personal household furniture be sold with his other property [and] the product of its sale to be disposed of as follows: twenty pounds to his son James; twenty five pounds to his daughter Sarah; to his daughter Elizabeth wife of Stephen Wilton twenty pounds; Mary twenty pounds; Thomas (with a whole list of conditions) twenty pounds; Joseph five pounds; William five pounds; and another bequeath to his daughter Ann. He appointed his son James Hankin and John Butler as joint Executors. Probate was granted to James Hankin on 15 Oct 1812. As the Will was written after the burial of E Hankin and there is no bequeath to his wife, this tends to confirm that Elizabeth had pre-deceased him and that burial relates.