Anthony Cleghorn and Margaret Jane Murray

The River Tweed at Carham
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Walter Baxter - geograph.org.uk/p/270077
Viewed from England at Carham, the village of Birgham in Scotland is on the left

Anthony Cleghorn married Margaret Jane Murray on 15 Sep 1770 at St Paul's Church, Shadwell. Not the current church, built in 1821, but the old church, traditionally known as the Church of Sea Captains. Both "of this parish", bachelor and spinster, respectively and both were able to sign their names. Witnesses were George Cleghorn (presumably a relative) and an Andrew Hedly. Literate people, with family at the wedding, probably hadn't 'run away' to London to marry, but what brought them there and when, isn't clear.

Anthony Cleghorn was baptised at Carham, Northumberland on 17 Mar 1745, the son of John Cleghorn. There is a marriage, in Carham, of a John Cleghorn to an Isabel Edmiston, on 27 Mar 1733, who may well be his parents.

It isn't possible to go any further north than Carham, without going over the border into Scotland and with a name like Murray, there's an enormous probability that was where Margaret Jane origins were. Sadly, trying to find the right Murray in Scotland is like trying to find the right Jones in Wales or Sweeney in Ireland! So, for now at least that's as far as we can go. 

The couple had at least three children, all baptised at St Paul's, Shadwell: 

1. Isabella Cleghorn b. 7 Jul 1771, bap. 28 Jul 1771
2. William Guthrie Cleghorn b. 1772
3. Ann Phillis Cleghorn b. 1777

On the baptism record for the 21 day old Isabella Cleghorn, daughter of Anthony and Margaret Jane, in 1771, it gives the family's address as Farmer Street, Shadwell and Anthony's occupation as a Baker.

So far, I've found no further records for this couple.

St Paul's Church, Shadwell. J Shepherd, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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.