William Beckford Evans and Esther Gabbaday

St George In The East
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Raymond E Hawkins - geograph.org.uk/p/510487

William Evans (b. 18 Sep 1772 in Rotherhithe, bap. 10 Oct 1772 at St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe), bachelor, son of Edward Evans and Ann Tring, married Esther Gabbaday (b. 16 Feb 1775, bap. 18 Mar 1775 at St Anne, Limehouse), spinster, daughter of John Gabbdey and Elizabeth Travally, at the church of St George in the East, Cannon Street Road, on 8 Apr 1792. The bridegroom wasn't yet 20 and the bride was just 17. Witnesses to the marriage were Edward Penfold, the bride's step-father, and Esther Travally, her aunt.

William and Esther Evans appear to have had at least six children:

1. Esther Elizabeth Evans b. 20 Jan 1793, bap. 20 Feb 1793 (31 days old), daughter of William, Boat Builder and Esther, at St Anne's Limehouse
2. Ann Evans b. Thursday, 1 Dec 1796, bap. 30 Dec 1796 (at 29 days old), daughter of William, Boat Builder and Esther at St Dunstan's, Stepney
3. Edward Evans b. 6 Feb 1801, bap. 2 Apr 1806 at St Dunstan's, Stepney, son of William, Boatbuilder of Poplar, and Esther.
4. George Evans b. 3 Jun 1803, bap. 2 Apr 1806 at St Dunstan's, Stepney, son of William, Boatbuilder of Poplar, and Esther.
5. Charles James Evans b. 1 Oct 1805, bap. 2 Apr 1806 at St Dunstan's, Stepney, son of William, Boatbuilder of Poplar, and Esther.
6. Eliza Jane Evans b. 11 Dec 1807, bap. 21 Jan 1816 in the Hamlet of Poplar (the Parish Church of Poplar was Poplar Chapel at that date, not All Saints, Poplar as the transcript claims, which was then not yet built), daughter of William, Boatbuilder of Poplar, and Esther.

The Last Will and Testament of William Beckford Evans of Limehouse Hole in the Hamlett (sic) of Poplar in the County of Middlesex, Boat Builder, "First I desire my just Debts to be paid as soon as Convenient. I leave and bequeath my Dear wife Esther Evans all my Household Furniture, linen, china, etc., with all my Stock in Trade, Book Debts, Moneys and every thing whatsoever I am in possession of at the Hour of my Death ... I likewise leave and bequeath unto my wife the Lease of my House and Premises situate at Limehouse Hole. I appoint my Dear Wife my sole Executrix." The Will was dated 5 Oct 1810 and had four witnesses to William's very shaky signature, so I have to assume he was very ill. William Evans otherwise William Beckford Evans the testator was late of Limehouse Hole in the Hamlet of Poplar in the Parish of St Dunstan Stepney in the County of Middlesex and died [at 38] on 9 Nov 1810. William Beckford Evans' Will was proved in London on 10 Dec 1810 and his estate valued at £600 (equivalent in purchasing power to about £61K today).

The Parish records of St Dunstan Stepney show that William Evans of Poplar was buried, at Poplar, on 16 Nov 1810. Listed as being buried at Poplar means he was buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church), built by the East India Company. William Beckford Evans was buried there just one day after John Perry, shipbuilder, who owned the Blackwall Yard, had also been buried in that same chapel. Esther's uncle, William Dalton, certainly worked for Perry and was witness at the marriage of John Perry's youngest sister (to one of mine and Esther's cousins). Living in Limehouse Hole, St Anne's Limehouse might have been a more logical choice, geographically, so with burial at Poplar Chapel and these connections, it seems likely to me that William Evans may well have been supplying boats for Perry's ships.

Esther Evans of Limehouse died, at 42, and was buried on 3 Apr 1817 in the Parish of Poplar. The transcript at Ancestry claims she was buried at All Saints, Poplar, but that's impossible because the church wasn't built until 1821-3, so she must also be buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias).

Limehouse Hole - Charles Napier Hemy (1841–1917)
Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (GMRC)