This pub and hotel on North Street has been closed and boarded up for some years, with signs of abandoned or postponed building work. It is grade II listed, the oldest parts from the 15th century. Conflicting reports suggest it has since been demolished or converted into flats. |
Wednesday 20 September 2023
Henry Wilton and Mary Barton
Wednesday 16 August 2023
Henry Prior and Eliza Ellen Seymour
Former St Peter's Church, Cephas Street, Mile End Old Town Photo: Julian Walker. Some Rights Reserved |
Henry Prior (b. 1835), son of Charles Prior and Mary Wilton, married Eliza Ellen Seymour (b. 1838, registered: Ellen Eliza Seymour 1838 D Quarter in MALDON Volume 12 Page 131), daughter of John Seymour and Susannah Howell, on 16 Aug 1869 at the church of St Peter, Mile End Old Town.
In 1861, Eliza Seymour (22) had been a visitor in the household of her brother-in-law, Charles Lambson (30) Wine Clerk - married to Eliza's older sister, Jane Seymour (bap. 27 Oct 1822) - in Chesterford Terrace, Stanley Road, Hackney, which would explain her presence in that area.
Henry and Eliza Prior had seven children, all born in Maldon, Essex:
- Florence Annie Prior b. 7 May 1870 J Qtr in MALDON Vol 04A 261
- Agnes Prior b. 1872 M Qtr in MALDON Vol 04A Page 274. Died, aged 1, in 1873 S Qtr in MALDON Vol 04A Page 164
- Rosa Jane Prior b. 19 Dec 1873 (1874 M Qtr in MALDON Vol 04A 274)
- Alice Gertrude Prior b. 1876 J Qtr in MALDON Vol 04A Page 308. Died, aged 19, in 1896 M Qtr in CAMBRIDGE Vol 03B Page 314
- Alfred Edwin Prior b. 10 Jun 1878 S Qtr in MALDON Vol 04A 325
- Ada Ella Prior b. 10 Aug 1880 S Qtr in MALDON Vol 04A 355
- Eleanor Winifred Prior b. 24 Dec 1884 (1885 M Qtr Vol 04A 463)
Market Hill, Maldon cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Stefan Czapski geograph.org.uk/p/4223421 |
Tuesday 15 August 2023
Dan Tompson and Mary Ann Green
Junction of Cable Street and Watney Street, Shadwell cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Robin Stott - geograph.org.uk/p/6067988 |
- Eliza Louisa Tompson b. 24 Aug 1868 at 299 Cable Street (1868 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 417)
- Dan Edward Green Tompson b. 12 Mar 1870 (1870 M Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 466). Died 1870 J Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 288.
- Amelia Mary Tompson b. 1872 (died 1874, aged 1)
- Jessie Elizabeth Tompson b. 1874 (died 1876, aged 1)
- Sarah Sophia Tompson b. 9 Oct 1876
- Mabel Grace Tompson b. 6 Aug 1878
- Mary Adcock Tompson b. 1880 (died 2nd quarter of 1881)
- Dan Baker Tompson b. 1882 (died 1883)
- Charles Frederick Tompson b. 1884 (died 1887, aged 3)
- George Daniel Tompson b. 1885
- Ernest Wilberforce Tompson b. 1888 (died 1890, aged 1)
- Amelia Mary Tompson b. 14 Nov 1890
- Ellen Hoile Folville Tompson b. 22 May 1893
- Ivy Maud Tompson b. 23 Feb 1895
St Michael & All Angels, Waddesdon - Font cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon geograph.org.uk/p/3267102 |
Gracious Street, Whittlesey (1897) A decorated house on Whittlesey’s Gracious Street during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria in 1897. Image Peterborough Images Archive |
Grave of Dan Tompson at Prospect Cemetery in Toronto |
Monday 12 June 2023
Henry Wilton and Maria Frogg
St Andrew, Stapleford, Cambridgeshire cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/334044 |
Henry Wilton (bap. 1733), son of Henry Wilton and Martha Douse, farmer, married Maria Frogg on 12 Jun 1762, in Stapleford, Cambridgeshire.
They had 3 children, baptised in Stapleford:
- Martha Wilton bap. May 1763
- Henry Wilton bap. 24 Dec 1769
- Maria Wilton bap. 29 May 1774
Wednesday 24 May 2023
Joseph Kritzer and Sarah Sophia Tompson
St Wilfrid's, Chelsea |
Sarah Sophia Tompson, eldest surviving daughter of Dan Tompson and his second wife, Sarah Jane Baker married Joseph Kritzer, son of Wilhelm Kritzer and Flora Gleichauf, on 24 May 1905 in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire.
Their daughter, Mary Amalie Kritzer was born on 21 Feb 1906, but she was not the couple's first child. On the census for the household of Sarah's parents, Dan and Sarah Jane Tompson, in 1911, there appeared a 'mystery' grandchild listed as William Charles Kritzer (7) (although his surname was originally mis-transcribed at Findmypast as Roizen, which added much to the confusion in tracking him down), who it says, was born in 1904 'At Sea'.
The boy was born, actually in 1903, aboard the SS Kaiser Wilhelm II at Lat 40.45N/Long 56.52W, off the coast of North America. Launched at Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland), on 12 Aug 1902, the SS Kaiser Wilhelm II made regular trips between Germany and New York City.
Baptised, William Karl Tompson, on 9 Dec 1903, at the church of St Matthew, Stepney, on the baptism record, his mother is listed just as Daisy (as she appears to have called herself), with their abode listed as 3 Monteagle Street, Stepney - which had been the address given by her half-sister (my great-grandmother), Eliza Louisa, at the time of her marriage to Job Sweeney some 10 years earlier. (Birth and baptism information was provided to me by Christine Miller of the wonderfully named, GIN AND GENEALOGY.)
Sunday 9 May 2021
Herbert Edward Southwell and Emma Elizabeth Adcock
St. Mark's Church, Peterborough cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Paul Bryan - geograph.org.uk/p/4306299 |
Tuesday 4 May 2021
Martha Wilton and James Pearce
Melbourn High Street cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Sutton - geograph.org.uk/p/6508075 |
In 1849, Martha Wilton (42), third daughter of Stephen Wilton and Elizabeth Hankin, married widower, James Pearce and gained a ready-made family.
Mrs. Barfield’s Almshouses, Kneesworth StreetMrs. Barfield was the widow of Reverend Barfield and purchased the land on the west side of Kneesworth Street for 4 Almshouses. These were built in 1833 for poor windows. At a later date 3 others were built opposite from the accumulation of funds with the fourth funded by C. Beldam Esq. The Almshouses were built in 1858 and are constructed of gault brick in Flemish Bond with hip slate roofs. Tall gault brick chimneys project at intervals along the roof line and out of the end hips close to the eaves. The Almshouses are designed as two single storey elongated blocks situated parallel to each other and orientated to end onto the road. A lower central outhouse block is situated at a central point at right angles between the two rows of houses, creating an 'H' shaped layout. The balance and symmetry of the layout, form and design of the Almshouses are key to their local architectural and historic interest and their design contribution within the street scene.
Monday 3 May 2021
Henry Wilton and Martha Douse
Saint Mary the Virgin, Great Shelford |
- Henry Wilton bap. 2 Sep 1733
- Richard Wilton, bap. 16 Oct 1737
- Martha Wilton bap. 21 Oct 1739
Henry Wilton died and was buried, on 21 Oct 1739, at Stapleford. Martha Wilton died and was buried on 24 Oct 1766, also at Stapleford.
Sunday 2 May 2021
John Day and Ellen Wilton
View from Market Square in Hitchin, with St Mary's Church in the background cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Lucas - geograph.org.uk/p/989830 |
- Henry Wilton Day b. 1843 in Buntingford, Hertfordshire
- Martha Hobbs Day b. 2nd quarter of 1845 in Cambridgeshire
- Ellen Day b. 3rd quarter of 1847 in Hitchin (died 1857, aged 9)
- Sarah Ann Day b. Q1 of 1850 in Hitchin (died Q4 of 1850)
- John Alfred Day b. 4 Jan 1852 in Henlow, Bedfordshire
- Arthur Stephen Day b. 1855 born in Hitchin
“Some houses had earth floors. The windows and doors were small and in a few cases the only window downstairs opened to a passage where there was no light and very little air. The only bedroom was like a stable loft, reached by a decrepit stairs or a ladder. Tea chests served as tables and 5 or 6 children in one bed was not unusual. It was very much survival of the fittest.”
In 1861, John and Ellen Day were living in Church Yard, but that was still in the same squalid, underworld area, of which was said, "Although the area was central, the whole district was taboo for the rest of Hitchin’s inhabitants." There we find John Day (41), Ellen Day (46), Henry Day (17), at that time a Butcher Journeyman, Alfred Day (9) and Arthur Day (6). Martha Day (14) was then a House Maid in the household of Frederick Gillum (27), Cabinet Maker, in Sun Street, Hitchin. (A Martha Day, year of birth given as 1847, daughter of John and Ellen Day, was baptised on 17 Apr 1872, in Cambridge.)
Wednesday 20 January 2021
On the origins of Presidents, Pilgrims and Dissenters
Stapleford church on a winter morning. The remains of President Barack Obama’s ancestor might rest in this cemetery near St. Andrew's church in Stapleford, England. Mine certainly do. cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Sutton - geograph.org.uk/p/2841826 |
So here we are on very the day of the Inauguration of the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, who, as we know, was Vice President to Barack Obama. Having just finished writing about the third of the three Wilton brothers, Henry, Richard (my 3rd great-grandfather) and Joseph, last night I decided to research the area where their ancestors had come from.
What's the link? Apparently, both Barack Obama and I can claim links back to the same two villages in Cambridgeshire; Great Shelford and Stapleford.
The earliest records I can find for my ancestors [so far], are for the baptisms of the children of Henry Wilton & Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) - that's 10 generations: they were my 7th great-grandparents - in Stapleford:
- Sarah Wilton bap. 14 Jul 1695 (presume died in infancy)
- Martha Wilton bap. 27 Dec 1696
- Sarah Wilton bap. 14 Apr 1700
- Henry Wilton bap. 12 Apr 1702
- Richard Wilton bap. 7 Oct 1705
Elizabeth Wilton died and was buried on 15 Oct 1705. (I think we can guess the cause.) Henry does not appear to remarry and there are no other children listed born to a Henry in that period with a different mother. Henry Wilton Snr died and was buried on 30 Jun 1726, in Stapleford, Cambridgeshire.