John Henry Charles Sweeney and Susannah Harvey

John Henry Charles Sweeney
and Susannah Harvey.
Image provided by Jon Gilbert,
descendant of Rosina Sweeney

John Henry Charles Sweeney, son of John Sweeney and Anne Elizabeth Gabbaday, married Susannah Harvey, daughter of John Harvey and Esther Glede, on 6 Jul 1862 at the church of St John the Evangelist, Limehouse. The bride was 16 and the groom, listed as a Seaman, will have been 23 at the time of the marriage. Witnesses were the bridegroom's father, John Sweney (sic) and the groom's sister, Mary Ann Sweeney.

John and Susannah had eleven children:

1. Susannah Sweeney b. 5 Jun 1862
2. John Sweeney b. 6 Apr 1864, bap. 5 May 1864 at St John the Evangelist (died 1866, aged 2)
3. Esther Ann Sweeney b. 1866 (died 1866, aged 0)
4. John Sweeney b. 12 Dec 1867, bap. 5 Jan 1868 at St John the Evangelist.
5. Job Sweeney b. 6 Feb 1870, bap. 11 May 1871 at St John.
6. Thomas Sweeney b. 25 Dec 1871, bap. 15 Feb 1872 at St John.
7. Henry Sweeney b. 13 Jan 1874, bap. 12 Mar 1874 at St John.
8. Mary May Sweeney b. 1876 (died 1877, age 1)
9. Mary Matilda Sweeney b. 11 Mar 1878
10. Charles Sweeney b. 17 Jul 1880
11. Rosina Sweney b. 4 Jun 1883

With three having not survived infancy, this explains the eight listed in the family bible. There are no more civil registrations to support further reputed issue, though, of course, there could have been stillbirths or miscarriages.

Notice that the 3rd child has been named Esther Ann - these are the names of the two grandmothers, maternal first, paternal second - and I believe this is significant: there are suggestions that this is a pattern within the family.

St John the Evangelist, Limehouse (bombed in 1940 and since demolished).

In 1871, John Sweeney (63), carpenter - John Henry Charles' father - was listed as the head of the household at Stephen Cottages, James Street, St Anne, Limehouse. Then there is John Henry Charles (31), labourer, wife Susan (26), daughter Susan (9), plus sons John (3) and Job (1).

In 1881, at Stephen Cottage, 1, Limehouse, Stepney, were John (41), Dock Labourer, wife Susannah (36), daughter Susannah (18), Tailoress, John (13), Tea Packer, Job (11), Thomas (9), Henry (7), Mary (3) and Charles (0).

In 1891, at Stephensons Cottages, Condor Street, Limehouse, Stepney (still the same place), were John (52), Labourer, Susannah (47), Job (21), Packer, Thomas (19), Labourer, Mary M (13), Charles (10) and Rosina (7).

In 1901, at Stephenson Cottages, 1, Limehouse, Stepney, were John Sweeney (63), Dock Labourer, Susannah (54), Thomas (29), General Labourer, Matilda (23), and Rosina (18), both Confectionery Packers.

And in 1911, the address as 1 Stephensons Cottages, Conder St, Limehouse, with all the kids having flown the nest, there were just John Henry Charles Sweeney (71), now a Night Watchman and Susannah (65).

Susannah died in 1918, aged 72. John H C died in 1922, aged 83.

John Harvey and Esther Glede

Georgian Town Houses on Arbour Square, Stepney Casualguy, Public domain

John Harvey married Esther Glede, daughter of Morris Glede and Sarah Thorn, on 11 Aug 1849, at the church of St Thomas, Stepney, which had stood in Arbour Square: "a neat edifice of Suffolk brick, in the early English style, with two octangular turrets that was erected in 1837." It closed in 1940. 

The record of the marriage lists the bride's father as Morris Glede, the bridegroom's father as John Harvey and all three, including the bridegroom, with the occupation of Labourer. John and Esther are listed as bachelor and spinster, respectively and the record states that they were "of full age". Esther would have been 20, John 38. Witnesses were Eleanor Hooper and John P Hughlings. Can't help wondering if there's a significance to this being a church the family hasn't previously used and that the witnesses seem entirely unconnected.

John and Esther already had three children and added several more:

1. Sarah Harvey born c. 1843 in Essex
2. Susannah Harvey, born 15 Oct 1845 at 174 Eastfield Street, Limehouse (Mother's maiden surname on the civil registration written as Glead)
3. Mary Ann Harvey born 1848 (Mother's maiden surname Gleed)
4. John Harvey born 1850 (Mother's maiden surname Gleed)
5. Morris Harvey born 1853 (Mother's maiden surname Gleed)
6. Esther Harvey born 1855 (Mother's maiden surname Gleed)
7. Job Harvey born 5 Oct 1859, bap. 14 Dec 1859 at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney (died in the 4th quarter of 1859)
8. Job Harvey born 6 Nov 1860, bap. 9 Jan 1861 at St Dunstan and All Saints
9. Lydia Harvey bap. 14 Apr 1864 at St John the Evangelist, Limehouse

The 1851 census shows them living in Fair Place, Stepney, and lists John Harvey (40), Labourer, born in Chingford, Essex c. 1811, wife Esther (32), Sarah (8), born in Essex, Susannah (5), Mary Ann (3), both born in Limehouse and John (0), born in Stepney. Esther was actually 22 then. I'm confident this is the right household, but what I think is going on here is that her age has been 'rounded up' to hide how young she was - 16 at the time Susannah was born. Was Sarah Harvey, born 1843, in Essex, actually Esther's child? I'm not entirely convinced, but have been unable to identify any relevant birth to confirm either way. 

Unable to find them in 1861, I did find that John Harvey died in 1866, aged 56.

In 1871, Esther Harvey (47), Trouser Finisher, was living back in Eastfield Street, Limehouse, with son John (21), Bricklayer's Labourer, Morris (19), Dock Labourer, Esther (16), Trouser Finisher, Job (12), Scholar, and Lydia (8).

There is a potential death for Esther Harvey, aged 76, in 1899.

The Limehouse Cut
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Marathon - geograph.org.uk/p/3867617