Thomas Perry and Maria Jane Watlington

Photo © John Salmon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

St George, Bloomsbury, Saturday, 6 October, 2012

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

Thomas Perry Esquire (b. 13 Jun 1781 at Blackwall, Middlesex), Bachelor of the Parish of St Mary-le-bone, in the County of Middlesex, fourth son of John Perry and Elizabeth Brown, married Maria Jane Watlington (b. 10 Apr 1798, bap. 12 May 1798 at St Clement Danes, City of Westminster), Spinster, daughter of George Watlington and Charlotte Nevinson at St George's, Bloomsbury, on 6 Mar 1823. There were four witnesses to their marriage: George Watlington and Charlotte Watlington, Maria Jane's parents; and Phil Perry and Charlotte Perry, who were Thomas' brother and sister.

Thomas' paternal grandmother was Ann Watlington, so the pair were no doubt already related, but Ann was one of 12 children and had eight brothers who lived to maturity, so I've yet to determine exactly where the link might be.

The Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard (PDF) by Henry Green and Robert Wigram (published 1881), merely tells us that "The third son [actually the 4th son of John Perry], Thomas, went to India in the Civil Service". This was "The East India Company (EIC) Civil Service, an elite, covenanted administrative body whose members signed a covenant (formal agreement) with the Court of Directors promising good behavior and exclusive service in exchange for high pay and pensions." Thomas Perry, according to Google, was an early 19th-century British East India Company judge and magistrate in Etawah and Mynpoori [Mainpuri], India, who played a significant role in identifying and prosecuting early cases of "thuggee" (banditry) around 1808–1810. He investigated widespread looting and, in 1808–1809, found dozens of disfigured corpses, leading to the interrogation and confession of local thugs. [See also Acting in the “theatre of Anarchy” 1: The ‘anti-thug Campaign’ and Elaborations of Colonial Rule In Early Nineteenth-century India (PDF) by Tom Lloyd, School of History & Classics, University of Edinburgh]

His time in India also accounts for why Thomas Perry married late, at 42.

Thomas and Maria Jane Perry then had five children:

1. John Watlington Perry b. 7 Dec 1823, bap. 3 Mar 1824 at St Marylebone Parish Church, Marylebone Road. (Later took the name John Watlington Perry-Watlington, was first elected Conservative MP for South Essex)
2. Fanny Maria Perry b. 7 Nov 1825, bap. 3 Jan 1826 at Saint Mary, Bryanston Square, the family address listed as Montagu Square. Fanny Maria Perry died, aged 15, on 28 Dec 1840 (1841 M Quarter in EPPING UNION Volume 12 Page 83) at The Recotory, King's Cliffe (home of her Aunt Charlotte Bonney, her father's sister) and was buried on 5 Jan 1841 at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow with her late parents.
3. Mary Jane Perry b. 3 Aug 1827, bap. 22 Aug 1827 at Saint Mary, Bryanston Square. Once again, abode is Montagu Square
4. Louisa Philippa Perry b. 7 Jul 1829, bap. 29 Jul 1829 at Saint Mary, Bryanston Square. Once again, abode is Montagu Square
5. Emily Ann Perry b. 22 Feb 1832, bap. 11 Apr 1832 at Saint Mary, Bryanston Square. The family's abode was 15 Bryanston Square

Thomas Perry of Moor Hall, Harlow, Essex, died, aged 51, on 15 Oct 1833 and was buried on 23 Oct 1833, at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow. 

Maria Jane Perry died at 40, on 26 Feb 1839, at Brighton, Sussex (1839 M Quarter in STEYNING UNION Volume 07 Page 305). Maria Jane Perry of Moor Hall, Harlow, relict of T PERRY Esqr, was buried, on 7 Mar 1839, also at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow, along with her late husband.

During the course of my research, I came across this George IV English sterling silver quart tankard. The tankard, which dates to 1825, "displays a coat of arms of a saltire with roundel, above three bars wavy. These arms are a variant of the family of Watlington, of Caldicot Hill, Aldenham in the County of Hertfordshire." Given the date, this was almost certainly made for Maria Jane's father, George Watlington (1769-1848), who, in 1841 was indeed living at Caldicott Hill, Aldenham, Watford, Hertfordshire.

i. John Watlington Perry was still alive when the Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard were published in 1881. Therein, it says that Thomas Perry, "was in due course succeeded by his son, the present Mr. John Perry-Watlington, who, after the death of his wife's father added to his own name his wife's family name of Watlington. Mr. John Perry-Watlington, as already mentioned, is the present head of the Perry family." They seem to have got themselves in a twist over whose relation was what. It was John Watlington Perry's mother's father - his grandfather George Watlington - who died in 1848, which was when he appended that family name. Perhaps, if I dig deep enough, I'll find this was because he then also became head of that branch of the Watlington family.

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 (bap. 8 Dec 1672 at St Laurence, Reading), daughter of William and Ann 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's interesting to note its later links to the East India Company. The simple truth may be that they decided to marry out in Swallowfield, so that nobody would notice and object to the bride being merely 15 years old.

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. 

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

Ann Monke being born in 1672 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? 

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.