Samuel Watlington and Anne Monke

Photo © John Salmon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

All Saints, Swallowfield, Berks - East end

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

Samuel Watlington (b. ~1660) married Anne Monke at All Saints' Church, Swallowfield, Berkshire, on 29 Dec 1687. The church stands well away from the village, nestled in a corner of Swallowfield Park. What, if any, link Anne Monke may have had to that estate would be a subject for further research, but it is interesting to note its later links to the East India Company.

Watlington House
Mr Ignavy (cc-by-sa/2.0)
geograph.org.uk/p/3628685

Watlington House (Watlington Street), Reading, now Grade II* listed and reputed to be the oldest surviving secular building in the town, was built in 1688 for Samuel Watlington, who was a wealthy clothier or cloth merchant and leading citizen the town who twice served as Mayor of Reading in 1695 and again in 1711 [Watlington House – History]. He was also known to have been a Churchwarden of St Laurence's Church, Reading. The family is said to have been "of considerable influence in local affairs" and a 1929 article in the Reading Standard says the first mention of them was in 1520, of Robert Watlyngton among the burgesses of the Merchant Guild of Reading.

Richard Watlington, presumably an ancestor, had been Mayor of Reading no less than five times, in 1566, 1574, 1584, 1589 and 1593 and Samuel's son, Abraham Watlington, served as Mayor of Reading in 1734, 1743 and 1755. 

There was a baptism of an Ann Monke on 8 Dec 1672 at St Laurence's Church, Reading, the daughter of William and Ann Monke. This would have potentially made her 15, or maybe just 16, when she married, which, for the time, probably wouldn't have been too unusual. A father's name of William makes sense too. This would have made her 44 when she gave birth to her last child, which is a heck of a lot more reasonable than one Ancestry family tree, which would have her giving birth at 61! Can they not do maths? 

Samuel and Anne Watlington had 12 children:

1. Samuel Watlington bap. 29 May 1689 at St Giles' Church, Reading
2. William Watlington bap. 16 Apr 1691 at St Giles' Church, Reading
3. John Watlington bap. 4 Jan 1693 at St Giles' Church, Reading
4. Ann Watlington bap. 18 Jul 1695 at St Giles' Church, Reading. Anne Watlington, daughter of Samuel & Anne Watlington, was buried on 12 Mar 1700 at St Laurence's Church, Reading
5. Abraham Watlington bap. 24 Jun 1697 at St Giles' Church, Reading
6. Edward Watlington bap. 23 May 1699 at St Giles' Church, Reading
7. Thomas Watlington b. approx. 1702 (no baptism found)
8. Joseph Watlington bap. 22 Mar 1704 at St Giles' Church, Reading
9. Benjamin Watlington bap. 19 Jun 1707 at St Giles' Church, Reading
10. James Watlington bap. 3 Jan 1709 at St Giles' Church, Reading. James Watlington, son of Samuel (Alderman) & Anne was buried at the church of St Laurence, Market Place, Reading on 18 Jun 1711
11. Mary Watlington bap. 10 Aug 1713 at St Giles' Church, Reading
12. Ann Watlington bap. 26 Apr 1716 at St Giles' Church, Reading

On 27 Apr 1704, Samuel Watlington, son of Samuel Watlington of Reading, Gentleman was apprenticed to Thomas Barnard, Citizen Draper of London (presumably a member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers) to learn his art, for a period of seven years. In Jun 1713, Samuel Watlington Jr was granted Freedom of the City of London, his occupation noted as Draper.

On 13 Dec 1706, John Watlington, then about 13, son of Samuel Watlington of Reading, Berkshire, Gentleman was apprenticed to to Charles Yalden, Fishmongers' Company (Worshipful Company of Fishmongers).

In 1716, Edward Watlington, son of Samuel Watlington of Reading, Gentleman, was apprenticed to Master Christopher Diggs, Gentleman, of Barnard's Inn, for which the premium paid was £107. 10s. 0d. 

In 1718, Thomas Watlington, son of Samuel Watlington of Reading, Gentleman, was apprenticed to William Watlington, Girdler (presumably a member of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers), City of London. The bargain premium was £50. 0s. 0d, presumably because his master was family.

On 20 Jun 1720, Joseph Watlington, who would then have been round 15, son of Samuel, Reading, Berkshire, Farmer, was apprenticed to Arthur Walter, Fishmongers' Company, for a premium of £105. 0s. 0d.

Mrs Ann Watlington was buried at St Laurence's Church on 2 Sep 1735.

Samuel Watlington was buried at St Laurence's Church on 4 Oct 1735.

Probate was granted on 4 Nov 1735 on the Will of Samuel Watlington of Reading in the County of Berks, who requested that his body be buried in the North side of the Chancel of St Lawrence's Church. His bequests included those to his sons William Watlington, John Watlington, Abraham Watlington, Edward Watlington, Thomas Watlington, Joseph Watlington, and Benjamin Watlington, and daughters Mary Watlington, and Anne Watlington. Also mentioned were a Freehold Estate in Wokingham and a Copyhold Estate in Wargrave, amongst other assets. Samuel Watlington speaks of his "loving wife Anne Watlington during her widowhood", but the Will was drawn up on 13 Apr 1720, long before her death, which in the end was only around a month before his. He had said that she should have the use of all his plate and household goods and furniture, which he was then leaving (at the time of her marriage or death) to his son Samuel Watlington. From this we can deduce that their eight sons and two daughters were all still alive in 1720.