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| Church of St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Lord - geograph.org.uk/p/3307085 |
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
William Joseph Buzzacott and Martha Wykes
Friday, 6 February 2026
Philip Perry and Elizabeth Flemming
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St Mary, Church Road, Little Ilford - Chancel Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence. |
Mr Philip Perry (b. ~1678) married Elizabeth Flemming (purportedly b. ~1685) at St Mary the Virgin, Little Ilford, Essex, on 6 Feb 1706. This couple were paternal grandparents of the 'famous' John Perry, Shipbuilder credited as the founder of the Blackwall Yard, which built ships largely for the East India Company. (Philip and Elizabeth Perry were also the grandparents of John Perry's first wife, Elizabeth Brown, as John married his first cousin.) It was Philip Perry who began the family's connection with Blackwall Yard.
Philip and Elizabeth Perry had eight children:
- Thomas Perry b. 7 Dec 1708, bap. 14 Dec 1708
- Philip Perry b. 3 Oct 1710, bap. 22 Oct 1710
- John Perry b. 13 Dec 1712, bap. 1 Jan 1713 (Gregorian)
- Elizabeth Perry b. 27 Feb 1714, bap. 27 Mar 1715
- Susanna Perry b. 1 Mar 1715, bap. 27 Mar 1715
- Fleming Perry b. 4 Jan 1717, bap. 12 Jan 1717. Fleming, son of Mr Philip Perry, buried 21 Oct 1720 at St Margaret's, Barking
- Sarah Perry b. 27 May 1719, bap. 14 Jun 1719. Sarah, daughter of Mr Philip Perry, buried 26 May 1720 at St Margaret's, Barking
- Sarah Perry bap. 12 Mar 1720 (Julian) 1721 (Gregorian). Sadly, the church official had stopped putting in the actual birth dates.
All of the baptisms took place at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich. Elizabeth and Susanna, baptised together in 1715 (Gregorian), were presumably born in different years, but the record doesn't show which. Elizabeth is listed first on the baptism, as well as later in her father's Will, so I'm assuming she was the older of the two. St Margaret's Church, Barking a.k.a. the Church of St Margaret of Antioch is where Captain Jonathan Collett, to whom Philip Perry left a bequest, was baptised and later buried. Susanna Perry would seem to have been named after Collett's wife, Susanna Hill (whom he had married at Saint Helen Bishopsgate, City of London on 6 Jul 1706).
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| A view of the Thames and Woolwich Dockyard in 1698, prepared for King William III. The church of St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich is on the mound to the left. |
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| Francis Holman (1729-1784) - Blackwall Yard from the Thames |
Thursday, 25 December 2025
Arthur Edward Copeland and Alice Jane Hurry
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| All Saints, Shooters Hill, Plumstead, London SE18 - West end cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/1955513 |
- George Arthur Copeland b. 21 Aug 1896 (1896 S Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 1270), bap. 9 Sep 1896 at St George's Garrison Church, Woolwich
- Edith Eleanor Copeland b. 1897 D Quarter in PLYMOUTH Volume 05B Page 218, bap. 31 Oct 1897 at Plymouth, Crabtree Mission Church, when they were resident at 4 Gordon Terrace, Laira, Plymouth.
- Ellen Hurry b. 1903 J Quarter in DEPWADE Volume 04B Page 238, bap. 11 Jun 1903 in Dickleburgh with Langmere, Norfolk
- Samuel Jack Hurry b. 2 Aug 1906 (S Quarter in DEPWADE Volume 04B Page 218), bap. 5 Sep 1906 in Dickleburgh with Langmere
Thursday, 6 November 2025
George Hockley and Eliza Crow
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| St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow, Essex - Chancel cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/1304114 |
George Hockley, son of Daniel Hockley and Sophia Mason, married Eliza Crow, daughter of William Crow and Judith Doe on 6 Nov 1843 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow. The marriage record shows that George, as well as both fathers' were labourers and witnesses were John and Jane Burton.
George and Eliza's children included:
- William Crow bap. 17 Nov 1842 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
- Tamar Hockley b. 1844 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 12 Page 75 (Tamar as a female given name) (No baptism found)
- Daniel Hockley b. 1845 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 12 Page 71, bap. 12 May 1850 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
- Elizabeth Hockley b. 1847 J Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 12 Page 79, bap. 9 Aug 1857 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
- James Hockley b. 24 Apr 1849 (1849 J Qtr in DUNMOW UNION Vol 12 Page 22), bap. 10 Jun 1849 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
- Emma Hockley b. 1851 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 12 Page 90, bap. 13 Apr 1851 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
- Lucy Hockley b. 1852 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 283, bap. 8 Aug 1852 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
- Charles Hockley b. 1854 J Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 326, bap. 9 Jul 1854 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
- Alice Hockley b. 1855 D Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 282, bap. 11 Nov 1855 St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
- Sarah Ann Hockley b. 1857 J Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 337, bap. 9 Aug 1857 St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
Tuesday, 4 November 2025
Charles James Parsons and Eleanor Elizabeth Copeland
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| Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Marathon - geograph.org.uk/p/6732016 |
Charles James Parsons (b. 1867 in Rawalpindi, then India, now Pakistan, presumably an army brat) married Eleanor Elizabeth Copeland (b. 30 Sep 1881 in Gosport, Hampshire), daughter of Benjamin Copeland and Tamar Hockley, at All Saints Church, Shooters Hill, Plumstead, on 4 Nov 1899.
Charles James Parsons, Musician, joined the Royal Artillery, at 15 y & 3 m (record says appeared 14), at Woolwich, on 9 Sep 1882. He was 4ft 9¾in, with a fresh complexion, light hazel eyes and a fair complexion. In 1891, Charles James Parsons (23) Musician Royal Artillery, birth place India, was at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Artillery Place, Woolwich. He was reengaged at Woolwich on 4 May 1894 to complete 21 years service; promoted to Bombardier on 1 May 1895; Corporal on 5 Jul 1896 and Sergeant on 20 Oct 1899, then was permitted to continue beyond 21 years in 1903. Under next of kin, is "Father" Joseph Parsons, St John's Road, Deptford. No idea why parenthesis were used. At 41 years and 1 month on discharge, Charles James Parsons, who had been a Musician in the Royal Artillery Band, had grown to 5ft 9in. He was discharged after 3 months notice on 31 Jul 1908, after 25 years 327 days service, with his character described as 'Exemplary' and awarded a Silver Medal for long service and good conduct.
In 1901, Charles James Parsons (33) Sergeant Royal Artillery Band and Eleanor E Parsons (19), were living - as a separate household - but at her parents' address at 27, Llanover Road, Plumstead.
However, Charles James Parsons died, aged 41, in 1909 M Quarter in GREENWICH Volume 01D Page 760.
The couple's only daughter, Elsa Euphie Parsons was born, posthumously, on 4 Jun 1909 (1909 S Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 1203).
Eleanor Elizabeth Parsons, Widow, married Frederick William Watson (b. 25 Apr 1877 J Quarter in WOOLWICH Vol 01D Page 1046), son of Frederick Watson and Martha Emma Thompson, in Woolwich, on 2 Jun 1910.
Frederick William Watson, Musician, had joined the Royal Garrison Artillery, at 18 y & 4 m, at Woolwich on 6 Sep 1895. He was then 5ft 4¼in, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. He had a small mole on the right side of his nose. In 1901, Frederick Watson (23) Soldier Royal Artillery Band, was at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich Common.
Frederick William and Eleanor Elizabeth Watson added one son:
- Frederick Charles Watson b. 13 Mar 1911 (Reg: 1911 J Quarter in WOOLWICH Vol 01D Page 1143), bap. 7 Jun 1911, in Plumstead.
Monday, 11 August 2025
Philip Gilbert and Susanna Perry
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| View of St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich. Drawing by unknown artist, 1799. |
Philip Gilbert of the Parish of Woolwich in the County of Kent, Widower & Susanna Perry (b. 1 Mar 1715 in Woolwich), daughter of Philip Perry and Elizabeth Flemming, of Poplar in the Parish of St Dunstan Stepney in the County of Middlesex, Spinster, were married, by Licence, at St Dionis Backchurch in the City of London [the same church were her brother Philip Perry and sister Elizabeth Perry had also married] on 11 Aug 1743.
Philip and Susanna Gilbert had four children:
- Philip Gilbert b. 18 Jun 1744, bap. 5 Jul 1744 at St Mary, Woolwich
- Susanna Gilbert bap. 16 Aug 1745 at St Mary's Church, Chatham, Kent
- Elizabeth Gilbert bap. 2 Jun 1748 at St Mary's, Chatham. Elizabeth Gilbert, an Infant, buried at St Mary's, Chatham on 8 Jul 1748.
- Ann Gilbert bap. 11 Sep 1751 at St Mary's, Chatham




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