John Lynch and Ann Wiltshire

Photo © Stephen McKay (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Altab Ali Park, Whitechapel, Wednesday, 9 April, 2008

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

This open space, to the south of Whitechapel Road, was originally the site of the 'White Chapel', St Mary Matfelon (Church of St Mary, Whitechapel, London, 1831)

John Lynch (b. 15 Mar 1806, bap. 30 Mar 1806 at St George in the East), son of James and Jane Linch (sic), married Ann Wiltshire - the marriage record spells her name Wilcher - (b. 3 Oct 1806, bap. 27 Oct 1813 at St Mary Whitechapel), daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Wiltshire (there's a marriage of Richard Wiltshire and Elizabeth Todd, in Shoreditch on 13 Oct 1806 that may relate), at St Mary Matfelon (St Mary Whitechapel) on 13 Apr 1828.

Records suggest that John and Ann Lynch had nine children:

1. Charlotte Lynch b. 21 May 1829, bap. 14 Jun 1829 at St George in the East
2. Elizabeth Harriet Lynch b. 20 May 1831, bap. 19 Jun 1831 at St George in ...
3. John Edward Lynch b. 22 Sep 1833, bap. 13 Oct 1833 at St George in the East
4. Francis Lynch b. 13 Nov 1835, bap. 27 Dec 1835 at St George in the East
5. James Linch (sic) b. 8 Mar 1838 (1838 J Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) IN THE COUNTY OF MIDDLE Volume 02 Page 127 - mother's maiden name WILCHERE), bap 15 Apr 1838 at St George in the East. Died, aged 1, in 1839 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 02 Page 84.
6. Ann Elizabeth Lynch b. 22 Jun 1840 (1840 J Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 02 Page 114 - mother's maiden name WILTCHER), bap. 19 Jul 1840 at St George in the East
7. Richard Lynch b. 27 Apr 1842 (1842 J Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) Volume 02 Page 108 - mother's maiden name WILCHER), bap. 22 May 1842 at St George in the East
8. Robert Gordon Lynch b. 2 May 1845 (1845 J Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) Volume 02 Page 116 - mother's maiden name WILTSHIRE), bap. 1 Jun 1845 at St George in the East (as Robert Lynch) and bap. again on 17 Aug 1845 (as Robert Gordon Lynch) at Christ Church, Watney Street, Shadwell. The transcriptions in the London, Docklands And East End Baptisms says Christ Church, Jamaica Street, but that church didn't open until 1877. Suspect the second baptism was because his middle name was missed on the first one.
9. Alfred James Lynch b. 26 Feb 1852 (1852 M Quarter in SAINT GEORGE (IN THE EAST) Volume 01C Page 456 - mother's maiden name listed as WILLSHER), bap. 21 Mar 1852 at St George in the East.

The various spellings of the mother's maiden name on the GRO birth registrations are undoubtedly as a result of clerks writing down what they heard, which the parents couldn't spell out to them, but it's clear they're all meant to be Wiltshire. All of the baptisms list John's occupation as a Butcher. On Charlotte's baptism, the family address was Upper Chapman Street (see on map); on Elizabeth Harriet's and John Edward's baptisms their address was Lower Cornwall Street (now Cornwall Street formerly Upper (western part) and Lower (eastern part) Cornwall Street, it's just north of and parallel to Cable Street.) On Francis' baptism the address is just Cornwell Street, but that's probably the same place as before. On James, Ann Elizabeth and Richard's baptisms, the address is transcribed as Lower Cornwell Street. On Robert Gordon and Alfred James' baptisms, it was specified as 7 Lower Cornwell Street. I'm sure this is all still Lower Cornwall Street.

Haven't been able to locate any record of the family on the 1841 census.

In 1851 and still living at 7 Lower Cornwall Street, Saint George in the East, were John Lynch (45) Butcher Journeyman; Ann Lynch (44), Charlotte Hanson (21) (Charlotte Lynch had married Adolph Hanson in 1850), John Ed[ward] Lynch (17) Messenger; Francis Lynch (15) Coach painter apprentice; Ann Elizabeth Lynch (10), Richard Lynch (8) and Robert G Lynch (6). (Cannot confirm any further records for Elizabeth Harriet and need further clues.)

In 1861, at 143 High Street, Shadwell we find John Lynch (55) Butcher; Ann Lynch (55) Laundress with her birth place listed as Aldgate (which makes sense as it's yards from where she was baptised in Whitechapel); Ann Lynch (20); Richard Lynch (18) Warehouseman; Robert G Lynch (15) Errand Boy; Alfred J Lynch (9); Catherine Lewis (30) Servant Housemaid; and two boarders: William Honeyford (20) from Middlesex and George Thompson (19) from Sunderland, Durham, both list their occupation as Blacksmith.

In 1871, Ann Lynch (64) was living at 15 Sidney Street, Mile End Old Town, she was listed as the head of the household and married. Living with her were Robert G Lynch (25) Smith; Alfred J Lynch (19) Factory Hand; Sarah J Hanson (15) Granddaughter, Domestic Servant; and Ann Twyman (30) Lodger. Meanwhile, John Lynch (65) Oil refiner, Married, birthplace Wapping (St George in the East, was historically known as Wapping-Stepney) was less than half a mile away as a Patient in The London Hospital, Whitechapel Road. (The current Tower Hamlets Town Hall, opened in 2023, incorporates the façade of the old London Hospital which is a Grade II listed building.)

John Lynch (66) Oil refiner, died on 17 Dec 1872 (1872 D Quarter in MILE END OLD TOWN Volume 01C Page 332) at 15 Sidney Street, of 'Dropsy' 10 days, certified. The informant was R G [Robert Gordon] Lynch, present at death, of 15 Sidney Street. (Dropsy is an archaic term for edema, a medical condition characterized by the accumulation of excess fluid in the body's tissues, causing swelling. Dropsy is not a disease itself but a symptom of an underlying condition, including heart, liver, or kidney failure.) The change of occupation from butcher to oil refiner was at first confusing, but the address in Sidney Street where he died, as well as the name of the informant on his death certificate confirm that these are the correct records.

Ann Lynch (née Wiltshire) died, aged 72, in 1880 M Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 340.

Charles Awton and Mary Maurice

St Michael, Awliscombe, Devon - East end
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/1726261

Charles Awton (bap. 1735 in Broadhembury, Devon) married Mary Maurice (b. 1737) at the church of St Michael and All Angels, Awliscombe, East Devon on 13 Apr 1762. The family name was probably, and it certainly became, Horton, but I'll reproduce what was written undoubtedly as a result of the Devonshire accent and the precedent set by the spelling of the village name.

Charles and Mary had at least ten children, all baptised in Awliscombe:

1. Betty Awton bap. 6 Jun 1762
2. John Awton bap. 7 Apr 1765 (John, son of Charles and Mary, was buried on 10 Feb 1782. He will have been 16.)
3. William Awton bap. 22 May 1768
4. Charles Awton bap. 9 Sep 1770
5. Mary Awton bap. 18 Apr 1773
6. Nancy Awton bap. 2 Jul 1775
7. Jenny Awton bap. 19 Apr 1778 (Later calling herself Jane)
8. Henry Awton bap. 14 Jan 1781 (Presume died as an infant)
9. John Awton bap. 11 Feb 1782
10. Henry Awton bap. 9 Jan 1785

Charles Awton reputedly died in 1810, however, I've found no evidence.

There is a burial of a Mary Auten (sic), on 21 Jun 1837 - the day after Queen Victoria ascended to the throne - in Awliscombe, who had lived to 100. 

Reenactors in the uniform of the 33rd Regiment of Foot (Wellington's Redcoats), who fought in the Napoleonic Wars between 1812 and 1816. (Slightly later than William Horton's time.)
“The 33rd Regiment was unquestionably the best trained regiment in the British Army at this time (1765 -1795).” [Source] WyrdLight.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Most of the Awtons/Hortons I've been unable to trace forward, however, William Horton, living with his sister, Jane Gollop, in Widworthy, in 1841 and 1851, described as a Chelsea Pensioner, who had served with Marquess Cornwallis' 33rd Regiment of Foot (the real one, not the reenactors, but this does help to visualise him in his red coat, looking like an extra in a Jane Austen drama). He was discharged on 21 Apr 1796: William Horton, Private of the Aforesaid Regiment, born in the parish of Orliscomb (sic), in or near the Market Town of Honiton, in the county of Devon, aged twenty-six years (ish) and by Trade a Labourer, hath served honestly and faithfully in the said Regiment, five years and eight months, but being lame of the right arm from a Wound received at Bois-de-duk (sic) on the 15th October 1794, which renders him unfit for service ... The regiment took part in the disastrous Flanders Campaign during the French Revolutionary Wars (War of the First Coalition). In 1794, Bois-le-Duc (French) ('s-Hertogenbosch a.k.a. Den Bosch, Netherlands) was taken by French troops of the newly created young republic. The Siège de Bois-le-Duc (1794) took place from 23 Sep to 5 Oct 1794, so it's clear that William Horton was there around that time.

Despite this, William Horton lived until the age of 84 and was buried, on 27 Mar 1853, in the churchyard of St Cuthbert's church in Widworthy.