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.

George Sparrow Masters and Mary Pope

St Peter's Church, Liverpool 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), son of Benjamin Searle Sparrow Masters and Sage Boulton Ayres, married Mary Pope at St Peter's Church, Walworth, Surrey on 4 Dec 1833.

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 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, it appears, probably 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. (Widow Masters may be long gone, but you can still lodge at 23, Daniel Street, Bathwick, with Sykes Cottages.)

(Didn't find the family anywhere in 1841. There's a possible marriage of Caroline Masters, in bath in 1861, but [as yet] I've been unable to find further records to confirm if this is her. I've also not been able to isolate further records for Mary Masters: In 1851, she had been listed as being from London; but in 1861, Hampshire. She also only managed to age by four years in the intervening decade, therefore, it hasn't been possible to determine where she was really from and when, to be able to be sure of the right records.)

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

Elnathan Ayres and Elizabeth Perry

St Mary Matfelon's footprint, Whitechapel
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff - geograph.org.uk/p/1278357

Elnathan Ayres (b. 17 Jul 1752) Bachelor, son of Elnathan Ayres and Martha Travally, married Elizabeth Perry (b. 28 Aug 1749) Spinster, daughter of John Perry and Ann Watlington, at St Mary's, Whitechapel (St Mary Matfelon), Whitechapel High Street, on 3 Oct 1771. Witnesses were William Dalton and Sarah Dalton; Esther Travally (either Elnathan's aunt or his cousin) and Ann Perry, who will have either been Elizabeth's sister, or her mother. 

(Sarah Dalton (née Travally) - whose sister Elizabeth Travally was my 5x great-grandmother - was Elnathan Ayres' first cousin, daughter of Winnall Travally and Elizabeth Benbow. Winnall Travally, my 6th great-grandfather, thus was Elnathan's uncle; his mother's brother. As both Elnathan and his father were shipwrights and since the Daltons later lived in a house built by John Perry (shipbuilder), the founder of the Blackwall Yard, which built ships for the East India Company, I was certain Elizabeth Perry was related - she was John Perry's youngest sister. Elnathan Ayres was my 1st cousin seven times removed, as our nearest common ancestors were Thomas Travally and Rachel Winnall - his grandparents and my 7x great-grandparents.)

Elnathan Ayres had at least seven children with Elizabeth Perry:

1. Elnathan Boulton Ayres b. Saturday, 5 Dec 1772, son of Elnathan, Shipwright of Queen Street and Elizabeth, bap. 30 Dec 1772 at St Anne, Limehouse (at 25 days old). Elnathan Ayres of Queen St, aged 2 years, 6 months, was buried at St Anne, Limehouse on 4 Jun 1775.
2. Elizabeth Ayres (dates unknown, mentioned in will as eldest daughter)
3. Martha Travally Ayres bap. 8 Oct 1780 at St Mary, Redcliffe, Bristol
4. George Ayres (dates unknown, mentioned only in will)
5. Charlotte Ayres bap. 9 Jun 1784 at St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe
6. Sage Boulton Ayres bap. 2 Jun 1786 at St Mary's, Rotherhithe
7. Martha Ayres b. Sunday, 4 Sep 1796, bap. 9 Oct 1796 at St Dunstan's, Stepney (baptism specifies that she was 35 days old).

For the child born in 1796 to be also named Martha, suggests that Martha Travally Ayres born in 1780 had died (not found record) and makes sense of the order in which the children are listed on Elnathan Ayres' will.

Eldest son and daughter Sage, were given the middle name Boulton, which has to be significant. Richard Boulton was one of four partners - all retired sea captains who had worked for the East India Company and were members of London's shipping community - who owned the Blackwall Yard (The Ownership of Blackwall Yard, 1724–79). Boulton, was a London merchant and an important figure in the East India Company, of which he was a director from 1718 to 1736 and on the Committee for Shipping from 1723 until 1726. He was also a member of the Honourable Company of Shipwrights.

Elnathan Ayres was listed among European inhabitants in Bengal, excluding those in the service of the East India Company or the Crown 1805.

The will of Elnathan Ayres is an eyebrow-raiser and probably creates more mysteries than questions it answers, but its highlights include:

In the Name of God: Amen: I Elnathan Ayres, Ship Wright of the Town of Calcutta Bengal being in bodily Health, and of sound and disposing memory; and considering the Evil, Dangers and other Uncertainties of this transitory life, do (for avoiding Controversies after my Decease) make, publish and declare this My last Will and Testament, in manner following:- that is to say, first I recommend my Soul to God, who gave it; and my body I commit to the Earth, or Sea, as it shall please God to order; and for and concerning all my Worldly Estate, I give bequeath and dispose thereof as followeth; that is to say; First I Will, that all my just Debts and funeral Charges be paid and discharged by my Executors hereinafter named and Secondly that my House and all my Effects be turned into ready money as soon as conveniently may be and Disposed in the manner following, Viz, I leave and bequeath to my son James Ayres, born in Calcutta the Sum of Sicca Rupees [1] three thousand five hundred to be laid out by my Executors, at Interest on good Security, for his Education (which is not to be under the charge of his mother), the principal not to be given to him untill (sic) he becomes of Age the remainder of my property I leave to my Wife Elizabeth Ayres of the parish of St Mary's Rotherhiethe (sic) London and in case of her Death to be equally Divided between my four children in England, Viz: George Ayres, Charlotte Ayres, Sage Ayres and Martha Ayres, of the parish Aforesaid and to my Oldest Daughter Elizabeth Ayres, I only leave one Rupee and in case of the Death of my son James born in this country before he becomes of age, then the property left him to go to my Children in England, to be equally Divided as above, and I do hereby nominate and appoint James Horsburgh and George Watson of the Town of Calcutta to be Guardians of my Son James and Executors of this my last Will and Testament ... dated 7 Jul 1808.

[1] Sicca Rupee - a rupee issued in Bengal before 1836 weighing more than the rupee of the British East India Company.

One wonders what eldest daughter Elizabeth had done to deserve the indignity of being left only 1 Rupee!

Elnathan Ayres, Ship Builder, was buried on 25 Apr 1812, in Fort William, West Bengal, India. His Executors presented his will before the Honourable Sir Henry Russell Knight Chief Justice at the Supreme Court in Fort William on 29 Apr 1812. The Executors produced an immensely detailed inventory, dated 9 May 1812, of his possessions, right down to teaspoons and six pairs of cotton stockings and even 'a bag with salt'. It also showed that Elnathan Ayres' estate totalled £8282 3s 6d (well over a million pounds now), of which almost £5,000 was to be paid to the Ayres Family in England. Clearly he was no ordinary shipwright. Probate was granted in England on 2 Apr 1816.

From the will, I'm reading that Elnathan Ayres was acknowledging a - clearly illegitimate - child he fathered in Calcutta with someone other than his wife. Even without the details of his estate, we had to know he was wealthy enough to do so. There is a transcript of baptism record of James Ayres, son of Elnathan Ayres, born on 3 Feb 1809 and baptised on 26 Feb 1809, in Bengal, India. The record doesn't say who the mother was. Having only seen the transcript and not the original, I cannot say where the anomaly lies, as surely the child had to have been born before the writing of the will in 1808. There's also a transcript of a burial record for James Ayres described as "Poor Boy From Free School", Race: White (if one were to speculate, presumably his mother was a western woman and more than likely someone else's wife, hence Ayres took responsibility for the child's upbringing), on 1 Dec 1812 at Fort William, West Bengal, India. Sadly, I'm sure this is the same child.

It appears Elizabeth Ayres (née Perry) had died, age given as 61, and buried on 6 Feb 1815 at St Anne, Limehouse, so probate had followed her death.

Even with this detail, I'm sure there's a much bigger story yet to uncover.

Elnathan Ayres and Martha Travally

The east end of St. Katharine's Church, the chapel of the hospice founded by Queen Matilda.

Elnathan Ayres (b. 1724), bachelor, married Martha Travally (b. 29 Jan 1716), spinster, daughter of Thomas Travally and Rachel Winnall at the Collegiate Church of St Katherine By the Tower, on 25 Sep 1748. (St Katharine by the Tower on map c. 1720. The church was destroyed in 1825 to make way for the new St Katharine Docks.) The licence says that Elnathan was 24 years old, and a Shipwright from the parish of St Anne's Limehouse. He paid a bond of £200, a huge sum at that time. Martha's age was listed as twenty-five. 

Elnathan Ayres, I am certain was the son of Elnathan Ayres and Mercy Mary Jones of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Other records suggest that Martha's husband was born in America and more still list their son as American. It's such a distinctive name that it would be hard to imagine he WASN'T connected. Both Nathaniel and Elnathan appear to be family given names and the family appear to trace back to one John Ayres (b.~1616 in England), who had made his way to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The only record of a child of this couple was their son:

1. Elnathan Ayres b. 17 Jul 1752, bap. 19 Jul 1752 son of Elnathan Ayres, Shipwright of Pump Yard (Pump Yard, Ratcliffe cross, was parallel to Narrow Street, as shown on the map here at In Search of Old Ratcliffe) and Martha, at St Anne, Limehouse (2 days old)

The burial of Martha Ayres at St James, Piccadilly on 6 Mar 1755 appears to relate. Not [yet] found any further records for Elnathan Ayres Snr.

Henry Ralph Gabbedey and Elizabeth Louisa Osborn

St Botolph without Bishopsgate
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/1193022

Henry Ralph Gabbedey (b. 18 Dec 1807), son of John Benbow Gabbedy and Isabella Cleghorn, married Elizabeth Louisa Sheldrick on 17 Sep 1833 at St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate. Born Elizabeth Louisa Osborn and baptised on 24 Apr 1808 in Rotherhithe, daughter of James Osborn and Ann Hopwood, Elizabeth had previously married Thomas Sheldrick on 10 Oct 1830, also at St. Botolph Bishopsgate. However, by the time Elizabeth had their daughter, Eliza Maria Sheldrick baptised, on 19 Aug 1831, in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, Elizabeth was already described as a widow, although she wasn't, yet.

Thomas Sheldrick (43) "A convict in the General Penitentiary" (Millbank Prison), was buried on 5 Jul 1832 at the burial ground of the General Penitentiary, Millbank. In 1830, Thomas Sheldrick and at the same time John Kimpton, were both sentenced, in Cambridge, to 7 years Transportation for Larceny. Then there's a second record ordering the removal of Thomas Sheldrick and John Kimpton from Cambridge to the General Penitentiary on 14 Jul 1830. Clearly Sheldrick died before he could be transported. But it raises so many questions, like why did Elizabeth marry a convict?

Henry Ralph and Elizabeth Louisa Gabbedey added 10 children:

1. Henry William Gabbedey bap. 5 Oct 1834 at St John's, Wapping.
2. John Gabbodey (sic) b. 11 Dec 1835, bap. 27 Jan 1836 at Shadwell, Ebenezer Chapel, Independant, just north of Ratcliff Highway.
3. James Gabbedey b. 1837 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 02 Page 62 (Mother's maiden name listed as OSBORN).
4. Jesse Gabbedey b. 1837 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 02 Page 62 (Mother's maiden name SHELDUCK - Sheldrick misspelled.) Jesse and James (The outlaw Jesse James was not yet born) may have been twins, but why different mother's maiden names, is a mystery. Died, aged 1, in 1839 J Quarter in Volume 02 Page 50.
5. Louisa Ann Gabbedey b. 1839 D Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) Volume 02 Page 77 (Mother's maiden name listed as OSBORN).
6. Charles Gabbedey b. 1842 M Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) Volume 02 Page 82. (Mother's maiden name listed as SHELDRICK).
7. Thomas Gabbedey b. 1844 M Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) Volume 02 Page 94. (Mother's maiden name listed as SHELDRICK). Bap. Thomas Enoch Gabbedy 25 Mar 1874 at St Anne, Limehouse
8. Matilda Gabbedey b. 1845 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) Volume 02 Page 80. (Mother's maiden name listed as SHELDRICK).
9. Joseph William Gabbedey b. 1848 M Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 02 Page 566. (Mother's maiden name listed as OSBORN).
10. George Gabbedey b. 1850 J Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 02 Page 586. (Mother's maiden name listed as OSBORN). Died, aged 1, 1851 J Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 02 Page 381.

On Henry William's baptism, the family's address was listed as 70 Anchor and Hope Alley, (Browns Quay, Wapping), St. George in the East and Henry Ralph's occupation listed as Labourer. Later, on daughter Louisa's marriage in 1863, he was described as a Shipwright (as were his father and grandfather.) Once Civil Registration was introduced in 1837, they appear to have given up on baptisms. And what has been used on birth registrations for the mother's maiden name looks random, however, I suppose it depends on how the question was asked - 'maiden name' and 'former name', for example, would elicit two different answers if a woman had been married before.

In 1841, in Charles Square, St George, Tower Hamlets, were Henry Gabbedey (35), Elizabeth Gabbedy (33), Eliza Sheldrick (10), Henry Gabbedey (6), John Gabbedey (5), James Gabbedey (4) and Louisa Ann Gabbedey (2).

In 1851, Henry Gabbedey (44) General Labourer, was living in Sarah Street, Shadwell, with wife Louisa Gabbedy (43) purportedly from Hitchin, Hertfordshire; Henry Gabbedey (17), James Gabbedey (14), Louisa Gabbedey (12), Charles Gabbedey (10), Thomas Gabbedey (8), Matilda Gabbedey (6), Joseph Gabbedey (4), George Gabbedey (0), Eliza Sheldrick (20) and John Channing (21) Blacksmith from Newington, Surrey, Lodger.

Elizabeth Louisa Gabbedey (60) died in 1868 M Qtr in STEPNEY Vol 01C Page 342, buried 28 Jan 1868 in City of London & Tower Hamlets Cemetery.

Henry Gabbedey died, aged 70, on 30 Jan 1877 M Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 299, leaving his effects to his son Henry William Gabbedey and his daughter Louisa Seares.