Samuel Watlington and Anne Monke

Photo © John Salmon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

All Saints, Swallowfield, Berks - East end

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

Samuel Watlington (b. ~1660) married Anne Monke at All Saints' Church, Swallowfield, Berkshire, on 29 Dec 1687. The church stands well away from the village, nestled in a corner of Swallowfield Park. What, if any, link Anne Monke may have had to that estate would be a subject for further research, but it is interesting to note its later links to the East India Company.

Watlington House
Mr Ignavy (cc-by-sa/2.0)
geograph.org.uk/p/3628685

Watlington House (Watlington Street), Reading, now Grade II* listed and reputed to be the oldest surviving secular building in the town, was built in 1688 for Samuel Watlington, who was a wealthy clothier or cloth merchant and leading citizen the town who twice served as Mayor of Reading in 1695 and again in 1711 [Watlington House – History]. He was also known to have been a Churchwarden of St Laurence's Church, Reading. The family is said to have been "of considerable influence in local affairs" and a 1929 article in the Reading Standard says the first mention of them was in 1520, of Robert Watlyngton among the burgesses of the Merchant Guild of Reading.

Richard Watlington, presumably an ancestor, had been Mayor of Reading no less than five times, in 1566, 1574, 1584, 1589 and 1593 and Samuel's son, Abraham Watlington, served as Mayor of Reading in 1734, 1743 and 1755. 

There was a baptism of an Ann Monke on 8 Dec 1672 at St Laurence's Church, Reading, the daughter of William and Ann Monke. This would have potentially made her 15, or maybe just 16, when she married, which, for the time, probably wouldn't have been too unusual. A father's name of William makes sense too. This would have made her 44 when she gave birth to her last child, which is a heck of a lot more reasonable than one Ancestry family tree, which would have her giving birth at 61! Can they not do maths? 

Samuel and Anne Watlington had 12 children:

1. Samuel Watlington bap. 29 May 1689 at St Giles' Church, Reading
2. William Watlington bap. 16 Apr 1691 at St Giles' Church, Reading
3. John Watlington bap. 4 Jan 1693 at St Giles' Church, Reading
4. Ann Watlington bap. 18 Jul 1695 at St Giles' Church, Reading. Anne Watlington, daughter of Samuel & Anne Watlington, was buried on 12 Mar 1700 at St Laurence's Church, Reading
5. Abraham Watlington bap. 24 Jun 1697 at St Giles' Church, Reading
6. Edward Watlington bap. 23 May 1699 at St Giles' Church, Reading
7. Thomas Watlington b. approx. 1702 (no baptism found)
8. Joseph Watlington bap. 22 Mar 1704 at St Giles' Church, Reading
9. Benjamin Watlington bap. 19 Jun 1707 at St Giles' Church, Reading
10. James Watlington bap. 3 Jan 1709 at St Giles' Church, Reading. James Watlington, son of Samuel (Alderman) & Anne was buried at the church of St Laurence, Market Place, Reading on 18 Jun 1711
11. Mary Watlington bap. 10 Aug 1713 at St Giles' Church, Reading
12. Ann Watlington bap. 26 Apr 1716 at St Giles' Church, Reading

On 27 Apr 1704, Samuel Watlington, son of Samuel Watlington of Reading, Gentleman was apprenticed to Thomas Barnard, Citizen Draper of London (presumably a member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers) to learn his art, for a period of seven years. In Jun 1713, Samuel Watlington Jr was granted Freedom of the City of London, his occupation noted as Draper.

On 13 Dec 1706, John Watlington, then about 13, son of Samuel Watlington of Reading, Berkshire, Gentleman was apprenticed to to Charles Yalden, Fishmongers' Company (Worshipful Company of Fishmongers).

In 1716, Edward Watlington, son of Samuel Watlington of Reading, Gentleman, was apprenticed to Master Christopher Diggs, Gentleman, of Barnard's Inn, for which the premium paid was £107. 10s. 0d. 

In 1718, Thomas Watlington, son of Samuel Watlington of Reading, Gentleman, was apprenticed to William Watlington, Girdler (presumably a member of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers), City of London. The bargain premium was £50. 0s. 0d, presumably because his master was family.

On 20 Jun 1720, Joseph Watlington, who would then have been round 15, son of Samuel, Reading, Berkshire, Farmer, was apprenticed to Arthur Walter, Fishmongers' Company, for a premium of £105. 0s. 0d.

Mrs Ann Watlington was buried at St Laurence's Church on 2 Sep 1735.

Samuel Watlington was buried at St Laurence's Church on 4 Oct 1735.

Probate was granted on 4 Nov 1735 on the Will of Samuel Watlington of Reading in the County of Berks, who requested that his body be buried in the North side of the Chancel of St Lawrence's Church. His bequests included those to his sons William Watlington, John Watlington, Abraham Watlington, Edward Watlington, Thomas Watlington, Joseph Watlington, and Benjamin Watlington, and daughters Mary Watlington, and Anne Watlington. Also mentioned were a Freehold Estate in Wokingham and a Copyhold Estate in Wargrave, amongst other assets. Samuel Watlington speaks of his "loving wife Anne Watlington during her widowhood", but the Will was drawn up on 13 Apr 1720, long before her death, which in the end was only around a month before his. He had said that she should have the use of all his plate and household goods and furniture, which he was then leaving (at the time of her marriage or death) to his son Samuel Watlington. From this we can deduce that their eight sons and two daughters were all still alive in 1720.

Isaac Horn and Maria Agnes Thaxter

St. George-in-the-East
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Williams - geograph.org.uk/p/3844118

Isaac Horn (b. 21 Aug 1803, bap. 3 Aug 1806 in Thatcham, Berkshire), son of John Horn and Lucy Buckeridge, married Maria Agnes Thaxter (b. 6 Jan 1824 and bap. 21 Mar 1824 at St George in the East, Stepney), daughter of William Thaxter, Labourer in the East India Docks and his wife, Maria, at Christ Church Watney Street, St George in the East, on 24 May 1842. The groom, listed as a bachelor, will have been 39, while Maria was 18. Witnesses were James Massey and Amelia Thaxter, the latter I believe was Maria's sister.

Isaac and Maria had seven children:

1. William Horn b. 14 Oct 1842 D Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 02 Page 103, bap. 13 Nov 1842 at St George in the East
2. John Isaac Horn b. 18 Jul 1845 S Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 02 Page 109, bap. 31 Aug 1845, as John Isaac Robert Horn
3. George James Horn b. 16 Feb 1848 M Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Vol 02 Page 132, bap. 5 Mar 1848. Died before his 1st birthday in 1849 M Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Vol 02 Page 99
4. Edmund Horn b. 1851 M Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 02 Page 128. Died, aged 2, in 1853 M Quarter Vol 01C Page 340
5. Isaac Richard Horn b. 4 July 1856 S Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Vol 01C Page 406, bap. 27 Jul 1856 at St George in the East
6. Lucy Ann Horn b. 1858 M Qtr in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Vol 01C 452
7. Maria Lucy Horn b. 1862 J Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 452. Died in 1862 J Quarter Volume 01C Page 314

All of the GRO birth registrations confirm the mother's maiden name of THAXTER. On all of the baptisms, Isaac Horn is listed as a Plumber. On William's baptism in 1842, their address was 39 Lower Cornwell St and on John's in 1845, 29 Lower Cornwell St. On George's baptism in 1848, their address was 5 Back Road and on Isaac's in 1856, it was 5 China Place. 

In 1851, at China Place, Back Road (so the addresses on George's and Isaac's baptisms was the same place), were Isaac Horn (46) Plumber, although it gave his birthplace a Chippenham, Wiltshire; Maria Horn (27) Coffee Shop Keeper; William Horn (8), John Horn (5) and Edwin [they mean Edmund] (0).

Coffee Houses were a thing of the 17th and 18th centuries, places that no “respectable” woman was able to enter and many were haunts for criminals and prostitutes. By the 19th century, coffee houses had declined.

In 1861, at 5, Back Road, St George in the East, were Isaac Horn (56) Plumber and Painter, again with his birthplace listed as Chippenham, Wiltshire; Maria Horn (listed as 51, but she was only 37); William Horn (18) Plumber; John Horn (16) Plumber; Isaac Horn (5) and Lucy Horn (3).

Maria Horn died, at 39, in 1862 D Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 367.

In 1871, Isaac Horn (67) Widower, was Coffee House Keeper at 333 Cable Street. Living with him were William Horn (24) Plumber; Isaac Horn (15) Plumber and Lucy Horn (14). At one time each part of the street bore different names, with Back Road being one of them, so it seems likely they'd been in the same premises since at least 1848. Isaac's birthplace is once again listed as Thatcham, Berkshire. Why it had previously been given as Chippenham, Wiltshire, isn't obvious, but twice isn't an error. The two places are around 50 miles apart. It does appear that Thatcham is correct, however, both of his parents had died by 1810, so perhaps he was brought up in Chippenham.

Isaac Horn, age overestimated to 75, died on 20 Mar 1874 (1874 M Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 328).