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).[1]

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.

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[1] It would be easy to assume that Margaret, wife of William Newton, with whom Isabella Gabbedy was lodging in 1841, could have been her daughter Margaret Elizabeth Gabbedy and, they are, coincidentally, of similar vintage. And at MyHeritage I found two trees where she listed as 'Margaret Elizabeth Newton (born Gabbadey)'. However, by researching methodically through this family, it became easy to prove that this assumption was wrong:

William Newton of this parish, Widower, and Margaret Jacobson, of this parish, Widow, were married at St Dunstan's, Stepney on 10 July 1826. As it shows that she was a widow, the next step was to see if a Margaret Gabbedy had married anyone named Jacobson. There was no such marriage. (Actually, the first clue that this Margaret was not Isabella's daughter, was because on the 1851 Census, Margaret Newton's birthplace is shown as South Shields, Durham.) The only marriage of a Jacobson and a Margaret, was that of John Jacobson of the Hamlet of Ratcliff, Batchelor, and Margaret Charlton, of the same, Spinster, also at St Dunstan's, Stepney, on 24 Jan 1820. 

 John and Margaret Jacobson had two daughters:

1. Mary Anne Jacobson b. 23 Feb 1822, bap. 4 Aug 1822 
2. Elizabeth Jacobson b. 2 Aug 1823, bap. 27 Aug 1823 

Both baptisms, which took place at St Anne's Limehouse, list their parents as John Jacobson, Mariner and Margaret.

It then appears that John Jacobson (46) - so born ~1777 - of Mile End Old Town, was buried on 5 Nov 1823 at at St Dunstan's, Stepney.

William and Margaret Newton then had four children:

1. Margaret Newton b. 21 May 1827, bap. 14 Oct 1827
2. Eleanor Newton b. 3 Jun 1829, bap. 20 Sep 1829
3. Lawrence Newton b. 1 Jul 1831, bap. 15 Jul 1831. (Died at 27 in 1858 D Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 492.)
4. William Newton b. 16 Jul 1834, bap. 16 Nov 1834

All of these baptisms, which also took place at St Anne's Limehouse, list their parents as William Newton, Mariner, and Margaret.

In 1841, the household at Wades Place, All Saints Poplar, consisted of William Newton (60) Mariner; Margaret Newton (40), Margaret Newton (14), Ellen Newton (12), Lawrence Newton (10), Mary Bowers (40) and Isabella Gaberdey (sic) (70). All of them had Y in the column for being born within the county [in this case, Middlesex], which was not always correct. There are no indications of the relationships between the members in the household.

(John James Sebastian, Ship's Carpenter, had married Ellinor Newton (sic), Minor, daughter of William Newton, Mariner, at All Saints, Poplar on 13 Apr 1847. One of the witnesses was her mother, Margaret Newton.)

In 1851, living at 32, Wade Street, All Saints Poplar, were William Newton (72) General Dealer from Dorset, England; Margaret Newton (54) from South Shields, Durham; Margaret Newton (23) Dressmaker; Lawrence Newton (19) Engineer and Maria Salter (7) Granddaughter. (Born Emma Maria Salter on 2 Jan 1844 (1844 M Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 02 Page 495 mother's maiden name JACOBSON), bap. 21 Jan 1844, she was the daughter of Robert Salter, Joiner and Mary Anne Jacobson.)

Margaret Newton died, aged 54, in 1852 M Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 421. This suggests she was born around 1797/8.

In 1861, still at 32, Wade Street, All Saints Poplar, were William Newton (80) Widower, Milkman from Dorsetshire; Margaret Newton (32) Dress maker, Daughter and Frances Phillips (3) Granddaughter. (Born Frances Coudun Phillips in 1857 D Quarter in MILE END OLD TOWN Volume 01C Page 542 mother's maiden name JACOBSON, bap. 20 Sep 1857 in Stepney, she was the daughter of Alfred James Phillips and Elizabeth Jacobson.) 

(Wade Street in Poplar, East London, was part of the 19th-century Wade Estate developed to the north of Poplar High Street, historically characterized by two-storey brick terraces. The Wade Estate, including Wade Street and Wade's Place , was developed over 40 years starting around 1823.)

William Newton (83) was admitted to Poplar Workhouse on 8 Dec 1864 and discharged from that institution on 19 Dec 1867, it appears to Wapping. 

William Newton died, aged 88, in 1868 D Qtr in STEPNEY Vol 01C Page 358.

Two of this Margaret's granddaughters being in the Newton households in 1851 and 1861, confirm the continuity and her maiden name of Charlton, and thus shows clearly that she was not Margaret Elizabeth Gabbedy. 

NB: I wasn't able to isolate Margaret Charlton's baptism in South Shields. William Newton, I believe, was probably bap. 23 Aug 1778 in Portland, Dorset, the son of James and Jane Newton. I haven't researched William Newton's previous marriage, as it did not seem crucial to this question. But, there does not appear to be any family connection between the Newtons and Isabella Gabbedy. Then going back to the children of John Benbow Gabbedy and Isabella Cleghorn, despite many attempts, so far I can find no further, verifiable, records for any of their first five children.

Henry Gabbedy and Ann Stewart (née Causton)

The east end of St. Katharine's Church, founded by Queen Matilda in 1150

Henry Gabbedy (b. Wednesday, 19 Sep 1705, bap. 7 Oct 1705 at St Dunstan's, Stepney), then from the parish of St Anne's Limehouse, Ship's Carpenter, son of Henry Gabbedy and Hannah Peters, married Anne Stewart, at the Collegiate Church of St Katherine By the Tower, City of London on 6 Sep 1737. (St Katharine by the Tower on map c. 1720. This church was demolished in 1825 to make way for St Katharine Docks, which were named after it.) The marriage record erroneously calls her Mary and Henry's occupation on the licence I'm sure is wrong and should say Ship's Caulker. The rest is true. Crucially, the record of their marriage and the licence make it clear that Henry was a widower, aged 32 and Ann was a widow, aged 30.

Born Ann Causton (b. 1707, bap. 15 Jan 1711 at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney, aged 5 years), she was the daughter of James Causton and Parthenia Clarke. ("Parthenia" is a Greek word meaning "virginity" or "maidenhood." It's derived from the Ancient Greek word "parthénos" (παρθένος), which means "virgo" or "virgin". Parthenia is sometimes used as a given name for girls, particularly those with Greek heritage.) Further proof of this link: Ann's sister, Parthenia Quick, left £5.00 in her will to her nephew, John Gabbaday. (It has been claimed that Ann had previously married at St Andrew, Holborn on 31 Oct 1727, however that marriage can be discounted, because Charles Stewart had, in fact, married Ann Barnes, Spinster.) The correct previous marriage, I believe, is that between James Stewart and Ann Coston (sic) at St Mary's Church, Bromley St Leonard's (more about this church here) - this church is also in the right area, where Holborn isn't - on 15 Jan 1729. It hasn't been possible to tell if the couple had children, nor to find James' death.

Henry Gabedey (sic) of the Parish of St Dunstan's, Stepney, Bat[chelor], had previously married Bridget Ward (said to be b. 1705, daughter of William Ward) of the same, Sp[inster], at St Botolph's Aldgate, on 22 Sep 1728.

Henry and Bridget Gabbedy had two sons:

1. Thomas Gabbedey b. Monday, 15 Sep 1729, son of Henry Gabbedey, Caulker, & Bridget, bap. 13 Oct 1729 (aged 28 days) at St Dunstan's
2. Henry Gabedy (sic) b. Sunday, 16 May 1731, son of Henry Gabedy (sic) of Pop[lar], Caulker, & Bridget, bap. 6 Jun 1731 (at 21 days old) at St Dunstan's, Stepney

As Henry and Ann later name another son Thomas and, as these are not mentioned in Henry's will, I have to assume that both died in infancy.

Bridget Gabeday was buried, in Stepney, on 2 Jul 1731.

Henry and Ann Gabbedy then went on to have a further seven children:

3. Henrietta Gabday (sic) b. Wednesday, 18 Apr 1739, daughter of Henry Gabday, Caulker, Limehouse Causeway and Anne, bap. 11 May 1739 (at 23 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse. Henrietta, daughter of Henry Gabdey, Caulker, was buried 16 May 1739 at St Anne's Limehouse
4. Jane Gabedey b. Saturday, 27 Sep 1740, daughter of Henry Gabedey, Caulker, Limehouse Causeway and Anne was bap. 19 Oct 1740 (at 22 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse
5. James Gabedey b. Wednesday, 10 Mar 1742, son of Henry Gabedy, Caulker, L.H. Causeway & Anne was bap. 4 Apr 1742 (at 25 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse
6. Thomas Gabedey b. Tuesday, 23 Aug 1743, son of Henry Gabedey, Caulker of L.H. Causeway & Anne, bap. 18 Sep 1743 (at 26 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse. Thomas, son of Henry Gabdey, Caulker, Rotherhithe, Drowned, buried 30 Aug 1749 at St Anne's Limehouse.
7. John Gabdey (sic) b. Saturday, 20 July 1745, son of Henry Gabdey, Caulker, Limeh[ouse] Causeway & Anne, was bap. 11 Aug 1745 (at 22 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse
8. George Gabedey b. Wednesday, 21 Jan 1747, son of Henry Gabedey, Caulker, Limehouse Causeway & Anne, bap. 14 Feb 1747 (at 24 days old) at St Anne's Limehouse. George, son of Henry Gabedey of Limehouse Causeway, buried 1 Mar 1747 at St Anne's Limehouse
9. Anne Gabady (sic) b. Wednesday, 23 Aug 1749, Anne of Henry & Anne Gabady, bap. 2 Sep 1749 (at 10 days old) at St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe. Not found burial, but presume died as an infant.

Ann Gabedy of Middle Turning [Shadwell] was buried at St Paul's Church, Shadwell (Burial ground. St Paul Shadwell) on 26 July 1753. (Others have suggested this as the burial of their child, but the church records consistently list deceased children as 'son/daughter of ...' and this doesn't, so I'm confident that it's the burial of Ann Gabedey, formerly Stewart (née Causton).

Henry Gabedey of the Parish of St Paul's Shadwell, Caulker, wrote his will on 10 Aug 1753, "being weak of body, but of sound and disposing mind ..." It seemed obvious that Ann had pre-deceased him when he left his estate to be divided equally between his three [surviving] children: Jane Gabedy, James Gabedy and John Gabedy. He appointed his sisters (Ann's sisters, his sisters-in-law) Parthenia Quick and Hester Causton as joint Executrixes.

Henry Gabbedy of Middle Turning was buried at St Paul's, Shadwell on 3 Oct 1753. Whilst there are no details on their causes of death, Ann will have been 46 and Henry 48. Henry "weak of body", was clearly ill. That both died within a short time of each other might point to a common pathogen. Consumption (Tuberculosis) always springs to mind, however, Smallpox was probably the single most lethal disease in eighteenth-century Britain, accounting for approximately 10% of all burials. The London Smallpox Hospital, one of the first of its kind in Europe, [coincidentally] was established in 1753.

"By the mid-eighteenth century, many houses in Shadwell had been rebuilt. "Seamen, watermen and lightermen, coalheavers and shopkeepers, and ropemakers, coopers, carpenters and smiths, lived in small lathe and plaster or weatherboard houses, two storeys and a garret high, with one room on each floor"; the average rent was £2/7/0." - Cox, Jane (November 2013). Old East Enders: A History of Tower Hamlets. [Via] A Land Tax Record in 1753 shows that Henry Gabedey was paying £5.00 in rent, so they were very much at the upper end of the average for the area - until illness struck them down.

There are indications to suggest that Hester took on the care of the children. Jane will have been 13, James 11 and John just 8, when their parents died.

Middle Turning was a narrow lane or alley in Shadwell, which existed in the 1750s or before. You can see it here on the map, running l-to-r between Shakespears Walk and Spring Street, south of the churchyard, below Upper Turning. "In the 1840s, half of the churchyard land was bought by the London Dock Company in a compulsory purchase order, in order to expand Shadwell Basin." [Source] This may mean that Henry and Ann are no longer resting there. Moreover, you can also deduce by comparing to the present day map, that the area they were living in is now under the waters of the basin.

Photo © Peter Trimming (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Shadwell Basin (with the spire of St Paul's Church, Shadwell behind)

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.