William Dalton and Sarah Travally

St Mary & Holy Trinity, Bow Church
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/3616000

William Dalton (b. 26 Dec 1742, bap. 16 Jan 1743 at St Paul's Church, Shadwell), son of Thomas and Mary Dalton, married Sarah Travally (b. 5 Aug 1739), daughter of Winnall Travally and Elizabeth Benbow. Entries in the Parish Register of St. Mary, Stratford, Bow in East London (Bow Church), obtained from the Greater London Record office (later London Metropolitan Archives and now The London Archives) and reported in The Journal of the Dalton Genealogical Society Volume 12 No. 2 page 8) [Source], state that Dalton, William, Batchelor and Sarah Travaly (sic), Spinster, both of this parish, were married in this church by banns on 15 May 1763. 

This couple had seven children: 

1. Elizabeth Dalton b. Friday, 13 July 1764, bap. 5 Aug 1764 (at 23 days old) at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney
2. Winnall Travally Dalton b. Monday, 28 July 1766, bap. 24 Aug 1766 (the record says he was 27 days old) at St Anne's, Limehouse
3. William Benbow Dalton b. Sunday, 22 Nov 1767, bap. 20 Dec 1767 (at 28 days old) at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney. He was buried on 14 Jan 1768, also at St Dunstan and All Saints
4. Thomas Benbow Dalton b. 6 May 1770
5. Sarah Dalton b. 22 May 1778
6. Martha Dalton b. 2 Oct 1780
7. Ebenezer Dalton b. 16 Aug 1782

The baptism records list their father's occupation as Caulker, a person who caulks the seams of boats; to make (a vessel) watertight by filling the seams between the planks with oakum or other material driven snug. In the Hebrew Bible, the prophet Ezekiel refers to the caulking of ships as a specialist skill.

The records for the last four children are unusual. Those in 'England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975' mention Saint Dunstan and All Saints Church, Stepney (as in parish), but they do not follow the usual format of Christian baptisms and specify the dates as birth dates, not of christenings. They each also include the information: "Maternal Grandfather's Name, Winnal Travaly and Maternal Grandmother's Name, Elizabeth", so we can have no doubt that these are the children of this couple and their pedigree. There were witnesses to all these birth records too, which in all four cases were Elizabeth Gabbedey and Esther Travally, both of whom were Sarah's sisters. Repeated in the record set, 'England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977', which specified each child's birthplace as "White Horse Street, St Dunstans Stepney, Middlesex." "White Horse Street was the main street of the medieval village of Stepney, centred around St Dunstan’s Church. Until the nineteenth century, although there were buildings along White Horse Street itself, the surrounding area was mainly open fields." [Source] These records are from Dr Williams' Library Registry; Registers of certificates, an early birth register of Protestant dissenters. 

William Dalton from Poplar died in his 57th year and was buried, on 9 Jul 1799, at St Anne's Limehouse. Probate was granted on 15 Jul 1799. The Will of William Dalton of Naval Row [1] Hamlet [of] Poplar Stepney, Middlesex tells us that he was leaving "to my loving wife Sarah Dalton all my household furniture, plate, silver, china and whatsoever else shall be in my house at my [unreadable] for her sole use and for her disposal as she may think fit, likewise all the interest arising from my property in the Funds at the Bank of England." He also mentions his children by name, viz: Elizabeth, Winnall Travally Dalton, Thomas Benbow Dalton, Sarah, Martha and Ebeneezer. 

[1] The Naval Row Conservation Area was designated in January 1987 by the London Docklands Development Corporation. It is defined to the north by the listed perimeter wall of the former East India Docks. Laid out in the early 19th century, Naval Row takes its name from a small terrace constructed c. 1782 by John Perry (1743-1810), owner of Blackwall Yard, where he built ships largely for the East India Company. To live at that address, one assumes that William Dalton must have worked for John Perry. Caulking was certainly a skill he will have needed in building and maintaining ships. It's clear Dalton was not just an ordinary labouring caulker and it looks to have been a close association - not just from William Dalton's address and financial position - but also as William and Sarah Dalton were witnesses at the marriage of John Perry's sister, Elizabeth, to Sarah's (and my) cousin, Elnathan Ayres.

NB: Many family trees at Ancestry wrongly claim that Sarah Dalton died in 1792 in Lambeth. Wrong area. More importantly, William Dalton wouldn't be leaving his property to "his loving wife", if she'd died several years before him.

The Will of Sarah Dalton of the Hamlet of Poplar in the Parish of St Dunstans, Stepney, Middlesex, Widow - so we absolutely know William died first - also confirms this. Her Will is dated 15 Mar 1813 and the Probate date is 19 Feb 1818, so we can be pretty sure she died between Mar 1813 and Feb 1818, although, in her case, I haven't [yet] been able to find a corresponding burial. Sarah requests "to be directly buried as near to the remains of my late husband as possible and my funeral to be in the same manner" [one hopes therefore that she's also buried at St Anne's Limehouse); directs her goods and chattels to be sold; the property of her late husband William Dalton as it stands in the Bank of England viz one thousand four hundred pounds in the five per cents ... and one hundred pounds in the three per cents .... [2]  to be equally divided between my five children [3], namely Winnall Travally Dalton, Thomas Benbow Dalton, Ebenezer Dalton and my daughters Sarah Dent and Martha Butterfield also give and bequeath my watch and rings to the said Martha Butterfield and five pieces of [unreadable] work to the said Sarah Dent also my wearing apparel and household linen to be equally divided between my said daughters Sarah Dent and Martha Butterfield. Lastly also nominate and appoint my said sons Winnall Travally Dalton, Thomas Benbow Dalton and my son-in-law William Butterfield to be joint Executors.

[2] These funds in the five percents and three percents, may be reasonably assumed to have been Consols (originally short for consolidated annuities, but subsequently taken to mean consolidated stock) were government debt issues in the form of perpetual bonds, redeemable at the option of the government. The first British consols were issued by the Bank of England in 1751. 

[3] Sarah names five children, which suggests Elizabeth pre-deceased her.

Winnall Travally Dalton and Ann Woolfe

© Peter Trimming (cc-by-sa/2.0 geograph.org.uk/p/6195470
Southwark Cathedral

Winnall Travally Dalton (b. 28 July 1766 in Limehouse), son of William Dalton and Sarah Travally, married Ann Woolfe (bap. 21 Jul 1769 in Hitchin, Herts), daughter of Thomas Woolfe and Martha Bray, at Southwark St Saviour (now Southwark Cathedral) on 30 Nov 1794. However, the banns of this marriage state that Winnall Dalton was Widowed. Winnall Travally Dalton then of the parish of St Paul, Shadwell, had first married Elizabeth Crutchfield then of the parish of St. Mary, Stratford le Bow, Spinster, by Licence, in the parish of All Saints, Poplar on 7 Aug 1792. We know that this marriage relates, as the witnesses included William Dalton and Sarah Dalton, the groom's parents. On 9 Oct 1792 an Elizabeth Dalton, described merely as 'Woman (Fever)' was buried at St Giles Without Cripplegate and this sadly appears to relate.

Winnall Travally Dalton and Ann Woolfe had ten children:

1. Winnall Thomas Dalton b. 14 Nov 1795
2. Ann Dalton b. 24 Jun 1797. She appears to have been christened at the Ratcliff Rose Lane Independent church in July 1797.[1]
3. William Dalton b. 26 Nov 1798
4. John Dalton b. 5 Jun 1800
5. Eliza Dalton b. 28 Jan 1802
6. Martha Dalton b. 15 Aug 1803
7. Henry Dalton b. 8 Oct 1804
8. George Dalton b. 10 Jul 1806
9. Mary Emma Dalton b. 6 Aug 1809
10. Phillip James Dalton b. 2 Aug 1813, bap. 24 Oct 1813 at St Anne's Limehouse.

[1] Rose Lane has been renamed at some time to Ratcliffe Lane which leads into Butcher Row (the old White Horse Street) and is about 250 yards from Ratcliffe Cross Street. [Source]

The birth records for the first nine children, all born in Church Lane, in the parish of St Anne Limehouse are of Non-Conformists - 'Dissenters'. These records, which list the maternal grandparents, are from Dr Williams' Library Registry; Registers of certificates, an early birth register of Protestant dissenters. (‘Dissenting’ tradition in Stepney.) Each birth has two witnesses: Sarah Dalton, I presume Winnall's mother, was one of the witnesses on most of the births. Ann Spokes was witness also to the first three; from John onwards, one of them was an Elizabeth Spinks and at Mary Emma Dalton's birth in 1809, one of the witnesses was Winnall's cousin, Esther Evans.

Phillip James' baptism record lists his father's occupation as Caulker.

In 1792, Winnall Dalton, Caulker, of Shadwell, Middlesex, took on James Carrington as an Apprentice; and in 1795 Winnall Dalton, Caulker, of St Paul Shadwell, records show, took on another Apprentice, Edward Barrow.

There is a record of Winnall Dalton being brought into custody and discharged at Marshalsea on 9 Oct 1820 in respect to a suit - presumably for a debt - brought by a William and Sarah Wright. This is the same Debtors' prison where Charles Dickens' father was committed four years later in 1824.

Winnall Travally Dalton died in 1825, aged 59 and was buried on 5 Jun 1825 at St Anne's Limehouse.

In 1841, Ann Dalton (70) Widow of Independent means was living at 16 Holmes Street, St Dunstan Stepney, with daughter Martha Dalton (35) Milliner; son Phillip James Dalton (25) Vellum Binder and a Jane Gray (20) Milliner, presumably a boarder. (All ages rounded down.)

Ann Dalton (80) of 16 Holmes St, Stepney, died in 1850 M Qtr in STEPNEY Vol 02 Page 368 and was buried on 12 Jan 1850 in Tower Hamlets.

Richard John Goss and Martha Ayres

Photo © John Salmon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

St Anne, Limehouse - East end, Friday, 3 July, 2015

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

Richard John Goss (b. 16 Jan 1792, bap. 27 May 1792 at St Anne's Limehouse), batchelor, son of Francis Goss, Shipwright, married Martha Ayres (4 Sep 1796, bap. 9 Oct 1796 at St Dunstan's, Stepney, spinster, daughter of Elnathan Ayres and Elizabeth Perry, by banns and with the consent of parents, at St Anne's Limehouse on 30 Jul 1815. They were married by the Rev. James Rudge. Witnesses were John May and Ann Fisher.

This couple had five sons:

1. George Richard Goss b. 17 Jun 1816, bap. 26 Jul 1818 
2. William Henry Goss b. 18 Aug 1821, bap. 2 Sep 1821
3. Thomas Hoskins Goss b. 22 Aug 1826, bap. 12 Nov 1826. Died, at 37, in 1861 D Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 455. Buried at the City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery on 30 Dec 1861.
4. Richard John Goss b. 11 Jun 1827, bap. 30 Sep 1827 
5. Henry James Goss b. 25 Aug 1832, bap. 16 Sep 1832 

George and William were baptised at St Anne's Limehouse; Thomas, Richard and Henry, baptised at All Saints, Poplar. All of the baptisms list their father's occupation as Caulker and their parents as Richard John and Martha. 

In 1841, Richard Goss (45) Publican, was living at Ropemakers Fields, St Anne Limehouse, Stepney, London with Martha Goss (40), William Goss (15), Thomas Goss (10), Richard Goss (10), Henry Goss (5), Sarah Mason (20) F. S. [Female Servant]. Also, presumably boarding or lodging, were John Muir (20) Engineer; John Cook (25) Engineer; James Young (20) Shipwright; and James Jemmerson (40) Sail M[aker], all four from Scotland. Unfortunately, the census doesn't give the name of the pub, but there is evidence in London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1972, where Richard John Goss is listed at (another closed pub) The Three Mariners, Ropemakers Fields, in 1845.

In 1851, Richard Goss (59) had returned to being a Ship's Caulker and was residing at 7, Gates Street, Poplar, London with Martha Goss (55), Thomas Goss (26) Ship's Caulker and Henry Goss (19) Ship's Caulker. 

On 11 Jul 1853, Richard Goss, Caulker, from Limehouse, 63, 5ft 10in, was admitted to the Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital (Seafarers Hospital Society), which was then still housed in "a decrepit wooden warship, moored in the River Thames at Greenwich", the former HMS Dreadnought (1801). Richard Goss remained in hospital until 3 Aug 1853, having fractured some ribs while working on the ship Earl of Balcarres (a British East Indiaman, launched in Bombay in 1815, sold to the Somes Brothers in 1848, who operated the ship in the India trade for a while) at the Somes Dock at Blackwall. 

In 1861, living at 14, Alfred Street, Poplar, were just Richard Goss (69) Ship's Caulker and Martha Goss (65). 

Richard John Goss of Northumberland Street, Poplar, died, aged 74, in 1866 M Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 525 and was buried on 4 Mar 1866 at the City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery. 

Martha Goss died in 1870 S Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 346.