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| View of St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich. Drawing by unknown artist, 1799. |
Philip Gilbert of the Parish of Woolwich in the County of Kent, Widower & Susanna Perry (b. 1 Mar 1715 in Woolwich), daughter of Philip Perry and Elizabeth Flemming, of Poplar in the Parish of St Dunstan Stepney in the County of Middlesex, Spinster, were married, by Licence, at St Dionis Backchurch in the City of London [the same church were her brother Philip Perry and sister Elizabeth Perry had also married] on 11 Aug 1743.
Philip and Susanna Gilbert had four children:
- Philip Gilbert b. 18 Jun 1744, bap. 5 Jul 1744 at St Mary, Woolwich
- Susanna Gilbert bap. 16 Aug 1745 at St Mary's Church, Chatham, Kent
- Elizabeth Gilbert bap. 2 Jun 1748 at St Mary's, Chatham. Elizabeth Gilbert, an Infant, buried at St Mary's, Chatham on 8 Jul 1748.
- Ann Gilbert bap. 11 Sep 1751 at St Mary's, Chatham
On 13 May 1743, Philip Gilbert of Woolwich, Kent, Shipwright, took as an apprentice Will, son of Will Reed. And on 7 Mar 1744, Phillip Gilbert of Chatham, Kent, Shipwright, took apprentice, Rich, son of Henry Everall.
No ordinary shipwright, Phillip Gilbert, was Assistant Master Shipwright (second in command) at three major Royal Navy dockyards. Having been appointed Master Caulker at Woolwich Dockyard in 1730, he was appointed Assistant Master Shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard in 1732. In 1740, he was appointed Assistant Master Shipwright at Deptford Dockyard, then appointed Assistant Master Shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard. From 1744 until his death, he was Assistant Master Shipwright at Chatham Dockyard.
As stated on the marriage record, Philip Gilbert was a Widower when he married Susanna Perry. Philip Gilbert previously married Margaret Watkins at St Mary the Virgin, Lewisham on 5 Aug 1725. It appears that this couple had two daughters: Catherine Gilbert b. 30 Nov 1726, bap. 15 Dec 1726 at All Hallows-by-the-Tower and Sarah Gilbert bap. 17 Aug 1731 at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich. Both baptisms list the parents as Philip and Margaret. However, "Margaret wife of Mr Phillip Gilbert Assistant [Ship]Builder at Woolwich" was buried at Saint Nicholas, Deptford on 13 Aug 1739.
Philip Gilbert was buried at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich on 29 Sep 1751.
The Will of Philip Gilbert of Woolwich had been drawn up in 1736, before the death of his first wife. In it he had left one pound one shilling to his brother Samuel Gilbert. The remainder of his possessions he left to his then 'loving wife Margaret Gilbert' and after her decease 'to my children born of her body to be equally divided between the then surviving children'. He had also appointed Margaret executor. Susanna's brother, John Perry and her brother-in-law, John Brown, appeared on her behalf and accordingly Administration of the Will was granted to Susanna Gilbert, Widow on 7 Oct 1751.
In her own Will, drafted on 16 Nov 1774, Susana Gilbert Widow and Solo Administrator of Philip Gilbert late of Chatham in the County of Kent Assistant [Ship]Builder at His Majesty's Yard there, left a Silver Tankard to her son Philip Gilbert; she also left bequests to her grandson, John Gilbert; her daughter Susanna Nuttall (including a pair of silver salts and salt spoons, a diamond ring that belonged to her late father, Philip Perry and another diamond ring from her late brother, John Perry); and to her daughter Ann Gilbert. She also left 'South Sea Annuities' to her nephew John Perry of Blackwall Esquire. She appointed her nephew John Perry and her sister Sarah Seehl as joint executors. Witnesses to her Will were E Brown (her sister Elizabeth, or Elizabeth's namesake daughter) and Joseph Hankey (who was married to her niece, Ann Perry, daughter of her late brother John).
The parish records of St Dunstan Stepney state that Susanna Gilbert of Poplar at 'Do' (Ditto, the same), presumably with her parents and siblings at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church), was buried on 22 Jul 1777.