Winnall Travally and Elizabeth Benbow

St Dunstan's Church, Stepney
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Marathon - geograph.org.uk/p/6294631

Winnall Travally (bap. 15 May 1715 at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney), son of Thomas Travally and Rachel Winnall, married Elizabeth Benbow (bap. 5 Aug 1716 at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney), daughter of Richard Benbow and Elizabeth Cowtley by Licence granted on 14 Oct 1738.

Winnall Travally and Elizabeth Benbow, it appears, had four children; 

1. Sarah Travaly b. Sunday, 5 Aug 1739, Sarah Trevelly (sic) daughter of Winnall Trevelly (sic) Waterman of White Horse Street and Elizabeth, bap. 19 Aug 1739 (at 14 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse
2. Winnall Travally b. Tuesday, 11 Aug 1741, Winnall son of Winnall Travally, Waterman of White Horse Street, Ratt & Elizabeth, bap. 6 Sep 1741 (at 26 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse. Winnall son of Winnall Travally, Waterman was buried 8 Nov 1741, at St Anne's Limehouse
3. Elizabeth Travally b. Sunday, 3 Oct 1742, Elizabeth daughter of Winnall Travally, Waterman of White Horse Street & Elizabeth bap. 14 Nov 1742 (at 42 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse
4. Esther Travally b. Thursday, 27 Sep 1744, Hestor (sic) daughter of Winnall Travally, Lighterman of White Horse Street and Elizabeth bap. 21 Oct 1744 (at 24 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse

Winnall Travally, was a Waterman on the Thames, as was his father.

Elizabeth Travally reportedly "Inherited three houses on White Horse Street, Ratcliff, left to her in the Will of her uncle James Bendbow (sic) (died 1761), on the death of his widow Frances in 1766." In fact, James' Will specifies "give unto Elizabeth Travally my cousin three houses freehold in White Horse Street ...", but she was his niece as James was her father's brother.

Elizabeth Travally of Poplar died, aged 63, from 'mortification' (mortification is more technically called gangrene or necrosis) and was buried on Thursday, 24 Jun 1779, at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney. 

Winnall Travally of Poplar died, aged 68, of Consumption (Tuberculosis) and was buried, on 18 Jul 1783, in the Rector's Grounds at St Dunstan's, Stepney.

George Powell, Widower, married Esther Travally, Spinster, who will then have been 50, at the church of St George in the East, Cannon Street Road, on 10 Aug 1794. Esther Powell of Anchor and Hope Alley (Wapping) died, aged 77, and was buried at St George in the East, on 30 Dec 1821.

Richard Benbow and Elizabeth Cowtley

St Dunstan & All Saints, Stepney
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/3477077
This beautiful church is often spoken of as the Mother Church of the East End. It is, of course, one of the 'Oranges and Lemons' churches, ("When will that be/ Said the bells of Stepney").

Richard Benbow, listed as 24, which would suggest birth year of 1690, of Ratt. (Ratcliff), Bricklayer, son of Richard Benbow and Grace Beer, married Elizabeth Cowtley (bap. 4 Oct 1696 at Saint Dunstan, Stepney), daughter of John Cowtley and Mary Pateman, on 18 Sep 1714 at St Dunstan's, Stepney. Elizabeth was said to be 21, but she was then a minor, at only 18.

Less than six months later, on 4 Mar 1715, under Burials in the Parish of Stepney, we find the burial of Richard Benbow, Ratc[liffe], Bricklayer.

Richard and Elizabeth's only child:

1. Elizabeth Benbow, b. Sunday, 15 Jul 1716 - posthumously - bap. 5 Aug 1716 at St Dunstan's, Stepney (at 21 days old), listed as Elizabeth [daughter] of Richard and Elizabeth Benbow, Ratt, Bricklayer.

I cannot [yet] say what happened to Elizabeth Benbow (née Cowtley) or whether perhaps she remarried. There are surprisingly too many records of Elizabeth Benbow to isolate the relevant ones without more clues.

A transcript of a London Apprenticeship Abstract lists that Richard - who would then have been the correct age of 15 - son of Richard Bendbow (sic), Stepney, Middlesex, bricklayer was apprenticed to William Mart, Grocers' Company (Worshipful Company of Grocers). Why he was apprenticed to a grocer when he clearly came back to bricklaying, we'll never know.

Richard's brother, James, also listed as son of Richard and a Bricklayer, later left three houses to Richard's daughter, Elizabeth Travally, his niece.

It has been claimed that Richard Benbow's father was John Benbow even attributing a baptism on 7 Nov 1693, at St Paul's, Deptford - which was the baptism of the son of then Captain John Benbow. One very good reason not to accept the 1693 baptism is because that child (already the 2nd child the Admiral had named Richard), was buried in Jan 1694. 

A third Richard was born to Captain John and Martha Benbow in 1696. Still not unreasonable at the same age as Elizabeth Cowtley. If that had been relevant, it would have made the infamous Admiral my 8x Great-Grandfather. But, of course, it's not true. Whoever originally attributed that baptism for 'our' Richard was - as is so often the case - grabbing the nearest available record, just because. 

The above marriage of Richard and Elizabeth is even considered as being that of the Admiral's son in this biography of Bravebenbow and I can see why. When the Admiral's son John Benbow died in 1709, he left a legacy, amongst others, to his brother Richard, however, when the Admiral's widow died, in 1722, Richard was not mentioned, from which it could be assumed he had died between those dates, which entirely fits with 'our' Richard above. 

Having had misgivings that a bricklayer could be a son of an Admiral the crucial proofs are Richard's apprenticeship, which names his father as Richard and the fact that 'our' Richard's father was a Quaker. None of the baptisms would be the right ones, is because Quakers don't practice baptism.

All that notwithstanding, clearly the Admiral was very keen to have a son named Richard, so we might assume this was a family name. The famous John Benbow was born in 1653; Richard Benbow Sr, Bricklayer, was born around 1659. At the very least they were contemporaries; they lived within the same parish; Benbow is hardly very common; there could still be a familial link.

Richard Benbow and Grace Beer

Site of the former St James', Dukes Place
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Basher Eyre - geograph.org.uk/p/921191
A former church, demolished in 1874.

Richard Benbow (b. 1659) Bachelor, married Grace Beer (b. 1663) Spinster, at the church of St James, Duke's Place, City of London, on 15 Aug 1686. Nicholas Poor is listed presumably as a witness to the marriage. Described variously as "Aldgate’s own version of Gretna Green" and the church that defied convention, St James's was "the place where people could get hitched while bypassing the irksome rules and regulations that would normally apply", with no need to wait for banns to be called; no need for a licence and, best of all, parental consent was not required to tie the knot there. Why this couple, a pair of my 8x great-grandparents, chose to marry there, isn't obvious.

They appear to have been the parents of at least four children:

1. Richard Benbow b. around 1690
2. Sarah Benbow b. around 1690
3. James Benbow b. around 1699
4. Samuel Benbow b. around 1699

Birth years are very approximate and mostly calculated from ages at death. There are no baptism records for any of their children, as they were Quakers and Quakers don't practice baptism. There could, therefore, have been other children, that we just don't encounter records for or cannot link to them.

We know that Richard Benbow is their child from a London Apprenticeship Abstract record, which lists him as the "son of Richard Bendbow (sic), Stepney, Middlesex, bricklayer". To confirm that link, James, also listed as son of Richard and a Bricklayer, later left three houses to Richard's daughter, Elizabeth Travally. Sarah is identified as his sister in James' will, as were his nieces Ann and Mary, daughters of Samuel. In the absense of the usual records, these are all we have to be able to glue this family together.

Richard Benbow, of Ratcliff, in the Parish of Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, Bricklayer, aged about 64 years, died the 26th day of the month called April, 1723. Buried in Friends Burying Ground Ratcliff. [In The London Burial Grounds, by Isabella M. Holmes, is the information "There was a little meeting-house with a burial-ground attached in Wapping Street, which seems to have been used until about 1779, but was then demolished, the worshippers moving to the meeting in Brook Street, Ratcliff."]. Richard Benbow was reported to have died "of a Dropsy" (Edema, also spelled oedema, also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling).

A tax record places Grace Benbow in Brooke Street, Ratcliff, in 1730.

Grace Benbow died, aged about 83, of old age. The record says she died (well, one version said she 'dyed' and one wonders what colour) on the 4th day of the 10th month called December and was buried on the 7th day of said month, 1746, also at the Friends Burying Ground at Ratcliff. (December was then the 10th month. Until 1752, the new year in England still began on Lady Day, March 25th. In addition, Quakers sometimes used a Calendar that differed from both the English custom of beginning the year on March 25 and from the Scottish custom of beginning the year on January 1. Many Quakers, such as George Fox and William Penn, began the year on March 1.)

Sarah Benbow, Spinster, and John Warber, Bachelor, both from the Parish of St Dunstan, Stepney, married at St Clement Danes, Westminster (the first church in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons) on 22 Dec 1724. However, John Warber, Pensioner (undoubtedly military), was buried at St Dionis Backchurch, City of London, on 23 Feb 1739. Sarah Warber married James Terney at Newington St Mary (Surrey) on 9 Sep 1740. This is the surname listed in James Benbow's will. James and Sarah Terney had a daughter, Elizabeth Terney bap. 19 Jun 1741 at St George in the East. This suggests that Sarah was probably a little younger than we're being told. There was a burial of a Sarah Turney (sic) at St James, Piccadilly on 30 Nov 1768.

James Bendbow (sic) of Ratcliff, Bricklayer, son of Richard Bendbow of the same place and trade deceased, married Frances Stalker, daughter of Thomas Stalker of Sotheringby, Cumberland, Carpenter, deceased, at the Monthly Meeting of Peel's Court, John Street, Westminster on 27 Nov 1740. Relatives present: Samuel and Mary Bendbow, Sarah and James Terney, Hannah Preston [1]. (Many considered Quaker couples to be living in sin because they didn't have clergy to officiate.) James Benbow of Brook Street in the Parish of Stepney, aged about 62 years, died on 23 Apr 1761, of convulsions. He was buried on 26 Apr 1761 at the Friends Burying Ground at Ratcliff. The will of James Bendbow (sic) of St Dunstan's Stepney, Bricklayer, left everything (including 11 freehold houses) to his wife Frances to dispose of, as mentioned above, with bequeaths to his sister Sarah Terney, and nieces (he'd said cousins) Elizabeth Travally, Ann Benbow and Mary Haselden [2]. Frances Bendbow (sic) of Brook Street, Ratcliff in the Parish of Stepney, aged about 66 years, died on 17 May 1766, of a Dropsy, and was buried on 23 May 1766 at the Friends Burying Ground, near School House Lane, Ratcliff.

Samuel Benbow married Mary Breeden at St Mary's Church, Bromley St Leonard's, on 10 Jan 1723. Samuel and Mary Benbow had eight children:

1. Sarah Benbow b. 18 Jan 1724, daughter of Samuel Benbow, Bricklayer and Mary, bap. 7 Feb 1724 (at 20 days old), at St Dunstan's, Stepney
2. Grace Benbow, daughter of Samuel Benbow, Bricklayer was buried on 1 Apr 1726, at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney. Assuming she had been born that same year and died at birth, or shortly thereafter.
3. Joseph Benbow, son of Samuel Benbow and Mary, bap. 21 May 1727 and buried on 28 May 1727, in Stepney, Middlesex
4. John Benbow, son of Samuel Benbow and Mary, bap. 19 May 1728
5. Elizabeth Benbow, daughter of Samuel Benbow and Mary, bap. 18 Jan 1729; died aged 13 and was buried on 20 Nov 1742 in Stepney
6. Ann Benbow b. Friday, 12 May 1732, daughter of Samuel Benbow, Bricklayer of Rat (Ratcliff) and Mary, bap. 4 Jun 1732 (at 23 days)
7. Joseph Benbow b. Monday, 14 Oct 1734, son of Samuel Benbow, Bricklayer of Rat (Ratcliff) and Mary, bap. 10 Nov 1734 (at 27 days). Died just before his first birthday, on 2 Oct 1735.
8. Mary Benbow b. Sunday, 5 Oct 1735, daughter of Samuel Benbow, Bricklayer of Rat (Ratcliff) and Mary, bap. 2 Nov 1735 (at 28 days old), at St Dunstan, Stepney. Mary, daughter of Samuel Benbow was buried at St Dunstan, on 30 Sep 1737, just short of her 2nd birthday.

Mary Benbow, wife of Samuel Benbow was said to have been buried at St Dunstan, Stepney on 26 Feb 1735. Unfortunately, relying on a transcription of this record only, I feel it's most likely that this was actually 1736.

Samuel Benbow, Widower, then married Mary Hudson, Widow, both of the Parish of St Dunstan, Stepney at St Botolph's Aldgate, on 24 Feb 1738. It hasn't been possible to narrow down a possible previous marriage to determine what this Mary's maiden name and parentage was.

In 1739, tax records place Samuel Benbow in Brooke Street, Ratcliff.

Samuel Benbow and his second wife had one daughter:

1. Mary Benbow b. Friday, 13 Jun 1740, daughter of Samuel Benbow, Bricklayer of Ratcliff and Mary, bap. 29 Jun 1740 (at 16 days old).

In 1746, tax records place Samuel Benbow on Cock Hill (The Highway).

Samuel Benbow of Ratcliff, Bricklayer, aged about 51 years, died on the 14 Nov 1750. (Actually, the original record says 1751, however, the deaths either side of his were in 1750 and Probate was granted on 20 Dec 1750, so I believe the record keeper saw his age of 51 and made a slip up in the year.) Samuel reportedly died of convulsions and was buried on 18 Nov 1750, at the Friends Burying Ground near Schoolhouse Lane. He left everything to his 'affectionate wife Mary Benbow' and appointed her sole Executrix.

[1] Found no other records of Hannah Preston to know how she was related.

[2] Mary Bendbow (sic), daughter of Samuel Benbow and his second wife, married Herbert Haselden, in Stepney, on 10 May 1757. This couple had a daughter, Mary Magdalen Haselden b. 22 Feb 1758, daughter of Herbert Haselden, Grocer, and Mary, bap. 23 Feb 1758 (at 1 day old) at St Dunstan, Stepney. They also had a daughter, Frances, bap. 9 June 1760, mentioned in this Lease and Release with counterpart of release, "William Wood of Little Russell Street, parish of Saint George, Bloomsbury, co. Middx., cider merchant and Frances his wife, only child and heir of Herbert Haselden late of Stepney in the fields, co. Middx., grocer and tobacconist, grand daughter and heir of Magdalen wife of Robert Haselden late of Over Hulton, co. Lancs." 

William Wood and Frances Haselden had married, by licence issued on 14 Apr 1787. In 1777, there had been a Frances Haselden apprenticed to a Susanna Pingo, as a Milliner, which would also suggest a year of birth around 1760.

• Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers
• The History of Brick Building in England
• Brickwork: Historic Development
• Stepney: Protestant Nonconformity to 1689
• Quakers around Shoreditch

John Benbow Gabbedy and Isabella Cleghorn

St Bride, Fleet Street, London EC4 - East end
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/1213706

John Benbow Gabbedy (b. 17 Nov 1771 in Limehouse, London) son of John Gabbdey and Elizabeth Travally, married Isabella Cleghorn (b. 7 Jul 1771 in Shadwell), daughter of Anthony Cleghorn and Margaret Jane Murray on 28 Apr 1795 at St Bride's, Fleet Street - the church with the famous "wedding cake" spire, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The record states they were married by banns and were both of the parish. Witnesses were John Brown and Martha Masters. What were these "Eastenders" doing up west?

John and Isabella Gabbedy had these seven children:

1. William Anthony Gabbedey b. 5 Feb 1796, bap. 8 May 1796 at St Dunstan's, Stepney at 93 days old.
2. John Cleghorn Gabbedey b. 25 Feb 1798, bap. 8 Apr 1798 at St Mary Magdalene Woolwich
3. Margaret Elizabeth Gabbady (sic) b. 30 May 1800, bap. 6 Jul 1800 at St Mary Magdalene Woolwich 
4. Charles Gabbedey b. 23 Dec 1803, bap. 5 Apr 1812 at St Dunstan's
5. Mary Gabbady (sic) b. 19 Aug 1805, bap. 11 Sep 1805 at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich
6. Henry Ralph Gabady (sic) b. 18 Dec 1807, bap. 17 Jan 1808 at St Dunstan's, Stepney
7. Anne Elizabeth Gabbaday, b. 23 Feb 1811, bap. 14 Apr 1811 at St Anne's Limehouse 

In the Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices' Indentures, on Friday, 30 Dec 1785, when he'll have just turned 14, John B Gabbedey was apprenticed to Owen Temple of Poplar in the County of Middlesex, Shipwright.

On William Anthony's baptism, the family's address was given just as 'Rat' (Ratcliff, between Limehouse and Shadwell), son of John, a Shipwright and Isabella. In 1808, John Benbow Gabbedy's occupation was again listed as Shipwright and on Henry Ralph's baptism, their address was Poplar. In 1811, John's occupation was listed as a Mariner, living in Gill Street, Limehouse. At the time of Charles' baptism in 1812, their address was listed as M.E.O.T. (Mile End Old Town) and John was again described as a Shipwright.

It seemed a strange career change for John to suddenly become a Mariner, when he already had a skill as a Shipwright, especially as he was 40. However, there's a record in British Royal Navy Allotment Declarations in 1811, where he's listed as John Gabidy (sic), with rank Co Mate, allotting part of his pay to his wife, Isabella. This record shows that he was with HMS Tortoise, an ex-East Indiaman, Sir Edward Hughes (1784 EIC ship). "Between March and July 1808 Tortoise was at Woolwich being fitted as a storeship for the Royal Navy." It would make total sense if he was involved in that conversion.

Under the columns for "When Allotment Ceases", is "D 27 Sept 1811 Invalid". The single D, I think means Discharged (it's DD for Discharged Dead), but, particularly as they don't have any more children after 1811, I wonder if he died then, or maybe shortly afterwards. Maybe that prompted Charles' baptism in 1812? John Benbow Gabbedy had certainly died by 1841.

In 1841, Isabella Gaberdey (sic) (70) was living in Wade's Place, Poplar in the household of William Newton (60) Mariner and his wife Margaret (40).

In 1851, Isabella Gabedy (84) Widow, from Shadwell, was a Pauper Inmate of Poplar Union Workhouse, then her only option for health or elder care.

Isabella Gabadey (sic) died in 1852 M Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 419, with her age over-estimated to 86 (she was 'only' 80), and was buried at All Saints Church, Poplar on 20 Feb 1852.