Showing posts with label Masters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Masters. Show all posts

Saturday, 24 January 2026

Benjamin Searle Sparrow Masters & Sage Boulton Ayres

St Mary's Churchyard Gardens, Rotherhithe
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Robin Stott - geograph.org.uk/p/7794520

Benjamin Searle Sparrow Masters (b. about 1786) married Sage Boulton Ayres (bap. 2 Jun 1786 at St Mary's, Rotherhithe), daughter of Elnathan Ayres and Elizabeth Perry, in the parish of St Mary, Newington, London (A History of the Parish of St. Mary Newington) on 24 Jan 1808.

They had six children, baptised at St Mary's, Rotherhithe:
  1. Benjamin Masters bap. 13 Nov 1808 (Assume died in infancy)
  2. George Sparrow Masters b. May 1811, bap. 26 May 1811 
  3. Ann Masters b. 28 Jul 1813, bap. 18 Aug 1813. (Died 27 Nov 1816)
  4. Emma Masters b. 12 Feb 1816, bap. 6 Mar 1816. (Died 10 Dec 1816)
  5. Benjamin Masters b. 1 Dec 1817, bap. 21 Dec 1817
  6. Charles Masters b. 26 Mar 1820, bap. 16 Apr 1820
Sage Masters, 35, widow of Benjamin Masters of Rotherhithe petitioned Trinity House for support after her husband's death. The details of the petition tell us that Benjamin Masters, Shipwright, was carpenter in several ships in the West India Trade [1], finally the 'New Phoenix' (assume Phoenix (1810). He died at Trinidad, West Indies in January 1820, leaving Sage and three children unprovided for: George Sparrow Masters aged nine, b. May 1811; Benjamin Masters two years six months, b. Dec 1817 and Charles Masters aged four months, b. Mar 1820 (therefore a posthumous child).

[1] The "West India trade" primarily referred to the transatlantic slave trade, where European powers like Britain and the Netherlands transported enslaved Africans to their Caribbean colonies to work on sugar plantations, exchanging them for goods like sugar, rum, and molasses, creating a triangular trade route between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. [Source]

Sage Boulton Masters later married Uriah Wackrill (bap. 22 Aug 1802 in Danbury, Essex), son of Uriah Wackrill and Susannah Stone, again in the parish of St Mary, Newington on 26 Apr 1833. (Son George Sparrow Masters married later that year, so I suspect Sage waited until he had reached majority before remarrying to maintain their assistance from Trinity House.)

In 1841, Uriah Wackrill (35) Gardener was living at Knights Hayes Farm, Tiverton, Devon with Sage B Wackrill admitting to being 45 - she was then actually 55 - along with George Branfield (15) M.S. [Male Servant].

Published in the London Gazette and local press of the time: "Notice is hereby given, that the Partnership between the undersigned, Uriah Wackrill and John Gath, in the trade or business of Brewers and Maltsters, Tiverton, in the county of Devon, and elsewhere, under the firm of Wackrill and Gath, was this day dissolved by mutual consent; and in future the business will be carried on by the said Uriah Wackrill on his separate account; and who will pay and received all debts owing from and to the said partnership in the regular course of trade." 25 Oct 1845. (Wackrill & Gath (& brewers), were in Bampton Street, Tiverton, according to Pigot's Directory of Tiverton in 1844.)

In 1851, Uriah Wackrill (47) Gardener from Danbury, Essex was living in Battersea Rise, Battersea, Wandsworth, with Sage B Wackrill (then claiming to be 52, but she'll have been 65); Hannah Wackrill (9) Niece (daughter of Uriah's brother Evan Wackrill and Hannah Bradbery), plus a K Austin (24) Visitor, Governess (presumably for Hannah), from Honiton, Devon.

Sage Boulton Wackrill died, age estimated as 71 (close, 73), in 1859 S Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 281.

In 1861, Uriah Wackrill (58) Head Gardener was living at Bolingbroke Farms, Battersea Rise, Battersea, Wandsworth with Hannah Wackrill (19) Niece.

In 1871, Uriah Wackrill (68) Widower, Estate And House Agent, from Chelmsford, was a boarder in the household of David R Adsley in Battersea.

Uriah Wackrill of 2 Lime Cottage, Battersea, died aged 69, on 2 Feb 1872 (1872 M Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 377) and was buried, in Battersea, on 7 Feb 1872. He left his effects to his brother, Edward Stone Wackrill of Cox Green, Bray, Berkshire, Gardener.

Thursday, 4 December 2025

George Sparrow Masters and Mary Pope

St Peter's ChurchLiverpool Grove, Walworth
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Peter Trimming - geograph.org.uk/p/5304270

George Sparrow Masters (bap. 26 May 1811 St Mary's, Rotherhithe), Batchelor, son of Benjamin Searle Sparrow Masters and Sage Boulton Ayres, married Mary Pope, Spinster, at St Peter's Church, Walworth, Surrey on 4 Dec 1833. There appear to have been four witnesses to their marriage: William Williams, Isabella [?], Caroline Sophia Say and Sam Barrow. 

George and Mary Masters had one daughter:
  1. Caroline Masters b. 1837 D Quarter in OF SAINT GEORGE THE MARTYR SOUTHWARK Volume 04 Page 107
In 1841, George Masters (25) Coach maker, Mary Masters (25) and Caroline Masters (4) were listed in New Canal Street, Birmingham.

In 1851, George Masters (40) Coach maker from Rotherhithe, Surrey; Mary Masters (45) and Caroline Masters (13) School teacher - both listed as from London - were at 41 New Canal Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire.

George Sparrow Masters died in 1860 S Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 91, though his age was listed as 55.

In 1861, Mary Masters (49) Widow, from Hampshire was a Lodging house keeper at 23, Daniel Street, Bathwick, Bath, Somerset and living with her were Caroline Masters (23) born in Southwark, Surrey; and Eliza Shell (19) House Servant from Bath, Somerset. Lodging at that address were Valentine Brown, a Captain (Unattached - i.e. between ships) from Galway, Ireland and his wife Fanny, from Dublin. (Widow Masters may be long gone, but you can still lodge at 23, Daniel Street, Bathwick, with Sykes Cottages.)

In 1871, Mary Masters (68) [although wrongly listed as Matthews] Lodger, Widow, Annuitant from Southampton, was living with her widowed daughter, Caroline Wright, at 301 Breck Road, Everton, West Derby, Lancashire.

Mary Masters died, her age listed as 72, in 1873 J Quarter in WEST DERBY AND TOXTETH PARK  Volume 08B Page 350.

© Stephen Richards (cc-by-sa/2.0) geograph.org.uk/p/3830761
19-36 Daniel Street, Bath