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| St Leonard, Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch - East end cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/2624832 |
John Sweeney married Anne Elizabeth Gabbaday (b. 23 Feb 1811), daughter of John Benbow Gabbedy and Isabella Cleghorn, on 11 Jun 1832, at St Leonard, Shoreditch (often known simply as Shoreditch Church - this is the church mentioned in the line "When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch" from the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons). Witnesses to the marriage were Anne's brother, Henry Gabbedy (sic), Ann Goose and Geo. Garrow.
Census listings consistently show John as having been born ~1809, in St George in the East, but I've not been able to find a baptism for him.
John and Anne had at least these five children:
- Maria Eliza Isabella Sweney, bap. 11 Jan 1835 at St Dunstan's, Stepney
- Unnamed Male Sweeney b. 1838 M Qtr in STEPNEY Vol 02 Page 390, mother GABBEDEY. Died 1838 M Qtr in STEPNEY Vol 02 Page 493.
- John Henry Charles Sweeney, b. 11 May 1839, at 1 George Place, White Horse Street, Ratcliff (1839 J Quarter in STEPNEY Vol 02 Page 466)
- Mary Ann Sweeney, b. 10 Dec 1848, bap. 19 Jan 1860 at St John the Evangelist, Limehouse
- Matilda Sweeney b. 8 Sep 1851, bap. 19 Jan 1860 at St John the Evangelist, Limehouse (Died, aged 16, in 1866 S Quarter in WHITECHAPEL Volume 01C Page 415)
On John Henry Charles' birth certificate, his father's occupation is Ship's Joiner. His mother is clearly listed as "Ann Sweeney, formerly Gabbedy".
The dates of birth for the two youngest are as listed on the baptism records, as there appear to be no GRO birth registrations for the girls.
In 1841 living in Pleasant Row, Brewers Place, Stepney were John Swaney (sic) (32) Carpenter; son John (2), wife, Ann (29) and daughter Maria (7). (Throughout her life, my mother had been most pedantic that her maiden name was spelled Sweeney “with three Es.” It should have occurred to me to ignore that and, indeed, most of the records before 1901 are listed with the spelling of Sweney, sometimes Sweeny and, as here, even Swaney.)
In 1851, in Ocean Street, Mile End Old Town, were John Sweeny (42), Carpenter, Ann (39), Maria (17), John (9), Mary Ann (5) and Matilda (0).
A death of an Ann Sweeny, in Whitechapel, in the Jan-Feb-Mar Quarter of 1855, had been widely accepted as that of Anne Elizabeth, however, upon double-checking this at the GRO, it lists that this record relates to a baby girl aged 1. Another death in 1855 in Stepney that had been attributed was for a woman of 32 (would compute to birth year of 1823). Closer, but still not acceptable. Both youngest daughters were baptised in 1860, so I feel that may have been motivated by their mother's illness or death. As yet, I've been unable to confirm exactly when Anne died and I think there's a very good chance that her death wasn't registered, but it was clearly by 1861 ...
In 1861 at 107, North Street, Limehouse was John Sweney (52), Carpenter and Joiner, Widower, with Mary Ann (13) and Matilda (10), as well as son-in-law Richard Ford (27) Labourer Blacksmith, Maria Ford (24) and grandson, Richard Ford (6 months). There are records of a John Sweeney (22), lodging nearby, but none conclusively identified as John Henry Charles Sweeney.
In 1871, John Sweney (63), Widower, Carpenter, was head of the household at Stephen Cottages, James Street, St Anne Limehouse, Stepney, and living with him was his son John [Henry Charles] Sweney (31) Labourer; Susan Sweney (26), Susan Sweney (9), John Sweney (3) and Job Sweney (1).
John Sweeney died, at 71, in 1878 M Qtr in STEPNEY Vol 01C Page 351.
