Robert Hankin and Elizabeth Edwards

Photo © David Howard (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Church of St John the Baptist, Royston, Sunday, 19 April, 2026

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

Robert Hankin (bap. 7 Jan 1742 in Royston), Batchelor, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Hankin, married Elizabeth Edwards, Spinster, in Royston, on 15 Oct 1767. Witnesses were William Stamford and Elizabeth Chapman. The marriage record merely states that they were married in the parish of Royston. Whilst we can see later that they attended the Independent Old Meeting House, it's doubtful they married there, however, because Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act of 1753 required almost everyone (except Quakers and Jews) to marry in an official Church of England parish. So a nonconformist "meeting" marriage in 1767 would typically not be legally binding unless the couple also registered at the local parish church, St. John the Baptist in Royston.

Robert and Elizabeth had nine or ten children:

1. Robert Hankin bap. 30 Jan 1769
2. Sarah Hankin bap. 26 Jun 1770
3. Joseph Hankin bap. 23 Sep 1772
4. Ann Hankin bap. 8 Mar 1775
5. Elizabeth Hankin bap. 28 Aug 1777
6. William Hankin bap. 28 Oct 1779
7. Mary Hankin bap. 29 Nov 1781
8. James Hankin, for whom I can find no birth / baptism
9. Thomas Hankin, for whom I can find no birth / baptism

There was also a record of an unnamed child bap. Feb 1786. This record does not show the exact date, name nor gender of the child. 

Given the dates, all of these Non-Conformist baptisms must have taken place at the Royston, Old Meeting (Independent) House, that had existed in Middle Row, Kneesworth Street, since 1706. [Source] These Non-Conformists, it seems, were Congregationalists. In 1790, a dispute arose over doctrine and a group withdrew from the Old Meeting, to form a New Meeting. In 1791 a New Meeting house was built on another site in Kneesworth Street. 

On 7 Sep 1759, when he will then have been the correct age of 15, Robert Hankin was apprenticed to John Thrift of Royston, Barber. The premium was £9 0s 0d. In turn, on 7 Dec 1770, Robert Hankin took an apprentice, named Edward Lilley, for whom the premium had gone up to £10 0s 0d.

On 6 Mar 1812, "E Hankin" was buried and the record is in the burials at Royston, New Meeting House (Independent). I'm sure this is Elizabeth Hankin because the record next to it is the burial of Robert Hankin on 21 Apr 1812.

Between those two dates, on 4 Apr 1812, Robert Hankin wrote his will, directing that all his personal household furniture be sold with his other property [and] the product of its sale to be disposed of as follows: twenty pounds to his son James; twenty five pounds to his daughter Sarah; to his daughter Elizabeth wife of Stephen Wilton twenty pounds; Mary twenty pounds; Thomas (with a whole list of conditions) twenty pounds; Joseph five pounds; William five pounds; and another bequest to his daughter Ann. He appointed his son James Hankin and John Butler as joint Executors. Probate was granted to James Hankin on 15 Oct 1812. As the Will was written after the burial of E Hankin and there is no bequest to his wife, this tends to confirm that Elizabeth had pre-deceased him and that burial relates.