Anthony Dent and Sarah Dalton

Photo © John Salmon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

St Mary & Holy Trinity, Bow Church, Wednesday, 1 May, 2013

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

Anthony Dent married Sarah Dalton (b. 22 May 1778 in White Horse Street, Stepney), daughter of William Dalton and Sarah Travally, on 13 Aug 1799, at St. Mary, Stratford, Bow (Bow Church). As with the marriages of Sarah's brother and sister, Thomas Benbow Dalton and Martha Dalton, the transcripts of the records suggest they were married at All Saints Church, Poplar, which cannot be true because All Saints Church wasn't built until 1821-23. The writing and Rector are the same on all three of the original marriage records, showing this couple too were married by A H Eccles, Rector (Allan Harrison Eccles, Rector of Bow Church). One of the witnesses to this marriage is written as Jas [James] Ashfeild (sic) and the other E [unreadable].

There was a potential baptism for Anthony Dent on 20 Oct 1765 at St. Mary, Stratford, Bow, son of James and Martha Dent, but cannot confirm this. In 1791, Anthony Dent, when he was around the right age of 15, was apprenticed to David Taylor, Cabinetmaker, of St Paul Shadwell.

Anthony and Sara Dent had at least four children:

1. Elizabeth Dent b. ~1804
2. Alfred Dent b. ~1811. Died, at 34, in 1845 D Qtr in POPLAR UNION Vol 02 Page 249 and buried on 12 Oct 1845 at All Saints, Poplar
3. Sarah Ann Dent b. ~1815
4. Thomas Dent b. ~1819

This family has been non-conformist: Sarah Dalton and her siblings were not baptised but their births registered in the Independent church. Sarah's sister, Martha's children were baptised, but in a non-conformist, Congregational chapel. However, there are no records for any of Anthony and Sarah's children, neither births, nor baptisms. The only information being that picked up from census records, it may well be likely that there were others.

In 1841, living in Regent Street, All Saints Poplar were Anthony Dent (65) Joiner; Alfred Dent (30) Joiner; Thomas Dent (21) Joiner; Sarah Dent (63) and Sarah Jenkins (26). Of course, in 1841, there were no indications as to social status, nor the relationships between household members.

Anthony Dent died, aged 71, in 1847 D Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 02 Page 379 and was buried on 17 Oct 1847 at All Saints, Poplar.

In 1851, Thomas Dent (32) Joiner, Married was head of the household at 82, Regent Street North, Poplar, London. Living with him were Sarah Dent (76) Widow, Mother; Sarah Jenkins (35) Widow, Sister; Elizabeth Wise (46) Married, Sister; Thomas A Wise (11) Nephew; Fredrick Turner (6) Nephew; Jane Turner (4) Niece; Alfred A Turner (1) and Thomas Dealon (28) Lodger. (Unable to find any records to explain how the Turners are related.)

Sarah Dent died, aged 76, in 1855 M Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 526 and was buried on 15 Jan 1855 at All Saints, Poplar.

1. Elizabeth Dent, Spinster, married Thomas Brightwell Wise (b. Friday, 10 May 1799, bap. 23 Jun 1799 at St Anne, Limehouse), Bachelor, son of Robert Wise, Shipwright of Ropemakers Fields, and Johanna Maria Baker, at St. Mary, Stratford, Bow (Bow Church) on 26 Mar 1837. Witnesses were Alfred Dent and Mary Ann Hazelwood. Thomas and Elizabeth Wise had three children, all of whom pre-deceased them: i. Thomas Robert Wise b. 1838 M Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 02 Page 258. Died 1838 S Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 02 Page 257; ii. Thomas Anthony Wise b. 1839 D Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 02 Page 294, bap. 27 Oct 1839 at All Saints, Poplar. Died, aged 15, in 1855 D Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 322; and iii. Jane Joanna Wise b. 1842 J Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 02 Page 326. Died 1843 D Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 02 Page 302. In 1841, Thomas Wise (40) Shipwright; Betsy Wise (35) and Thomas Anthony Wise (2) were living in Regent Street South, Poplar. Seeing that he was a shipwright, it's possible that Thomas Wise was at sea when Elizabeth was living in the household of her brother in 1851. In 1861, Thomas Wise (60) Shipwright and Elizabeth Wise (57) were living at 91, Hare Street, Bethnal Green, London. Elizabeth Wise died, aged 58, in 1862 D Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 253. Thomas Wise died in his 67th year and was buried on 26 Mar 1865 at Hackney, Victoria Park Cemetery ('The Resort of Thieves and Harlots'; Victoria Park Cemetery, Bethnal Green), later known as Meath Gardens.
2. Sarah Ann Dent, Spinster, then 20, married Anthony Jenkins, Batchelor, also at St. Mary, Stratford, Bow (Bow Church) on 1 Jun 1835. Witnesses were James Harris, Sarah Dent and E Taylor. They had one daughter, Frances Sarah Jenkins b. 12 July 1841 (1841 S Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 02 Page 314), bap. 3 Mar 1844 at St Leonard's, Shoreditch. In 1841, we can't tell whether Sarah Ann is married or widowed (clearly, she was about to give birth to her daughter), but is listed as widowed in 1851, nevertheless, I can find no suitable death of an Anthony Jenkins between 1835 and 1851. As he doesn't appear on any census, there are no clues to his age, origins, nor occupation. Sarah Ann Jenkins may have remarried, or she may have died, but I've been unable to isolate any further relevant records for her or her daughter.
3. Thomas Dent, in 1841, was listed as being married, but his wife is not in the household and I cannot find any suitable marriage. Thomas Dent died, aged 53, in 1873 M Quarter in POPLAR UNION Vol 01C Page 416.