View Full Version : Mary Walker/Newham/Archer/Bentall
I am trying to tie up some loose ends about another slightly exotic family connection. Most of the facts are well supported, but maybe someone can help me sort out the remaining uncertainties.
Here is the context and what I know:
Mary Walker was the daughter of Thomas Walker, a quite respected watchmaker with his place of business and residence at 7 Castle Street, Oxford Market, London. He traded there under the name of Thomas Walker & Son, and died in 1832.
In his Will he said "I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Archer the sum of one shilling and no more" and then he left everything else to be split between his two sons equally.
Mary had produced a son, James William Newham, who was born on 6 December 1825 at 109 Great Portland Street, and was baptised at All Souls, Langham Place, on 29 January 1826. He became a prison governor and his memoir or diary was published not long ago. In it, he stated that his father was William Newham, "the eldest son of James Newham, outfitter and tailor to the King, Prince of Wales, nobility etc."
On 13 August 1827, Mary (now Newham) married James Archer. There is a record of a William Newham who was buried at St. James, Piccadilly in 1826, which would explain how she was able to find a new husband and a new name.
Her son's memoir states that James Archer "moved to America and died there shortly afterwards". James Newham attended a boarding school for a short time and then moved with his mother to Covent Garden and attended a school near Leicester Square (which was demolished later to make room for the expansion of the National Gallery). So it appears that the family was not without resources.
In 1840 Mary Archer married Henry Bentall at St. Alphege, in Greenwich, Kent. He was a coal and wine merchant. They lived together at 19 Cecil Street, Strand, until he became bankrupt and spent time in the Queen's Bench Prison, where Mary and her son had visiting rights. Soon after he was released she developed cancer, underwent some excruciating surgery, and died on 6 March 1842.
In the 1841 census her age was given as '30' but that could have been an understatement.
Henry married again and lived with his new wife and then a son in Blackfriars. (He was Dante Gabriel Rossetti's landlord and was a member of the jury at the inquest of Rossetti's wife Lizzie Siddal).
Here are the loose ends that I would like to sort out.
1. There is a record of a Mary Walker born on 12 June 1809 and baptised at St. Marylebone. If this was her she would have been 16 when her son was born and that would fit the census information and would explain her father's displeasure. But she was not the only person of that name born around that time. Is there a way to confirm that this was the right one?
2. I have not found any record of a marriage to William Newham. It seems that she took his name but maybe he died before they could tie the knot. Have I missed another marriage, maybe nonconformist?
3. The son's memoir states that James Archer moved to America and 'died soon after'. There is also a record of a death of a James Archer at Greenwich in 1837. Could this be the husband, and was young James told a fairy tale?
4. Is there any way to find out how she was supported financially? Which of the men in her life helped to pay for her son's education?
Tim
In the 1841 census her age was given as '30' but that could have been an understatement.
I see Mary's death reg has her age as 37 in March 1842. Who registered her death? This death record suggests she was born earlier than your 1809 estimation.
Have I missed another marriage, maybe nonconformist?
There were no non-conformist Christian marriages at this time (except Quakers), so you probably won't have missed a marriage because of non-conformity.
You mentioned Thomas Walker's two sons - have you established any baptisms for them, or anything else to confirm their mother's first name. I presume she predeceased Thomas.
Oh, going back to the Walker to Newham marriage - What about this one? (It doesn't say she was a minor but the witnesses may well be the two fathers)
25 Dec 1824 St Marylebone Westminster
William Newham bachelor
Mary Walker spinster
both otp married by banns by curate, B Burgess
witnesses James Newham and Tho Walker
I was a bit worried when I saw the transcription for Thomas Walker's burial had his age as 37 in 1832! However, it looks more like 57 to me, so he was probably born about 1775ish.
I see James Thomas Walker (one of Thomas's sons) appears in the London Gazette a few times 1833/35 as a watchmaker and silversmith etc.
One of the entries reads:
James Thomas Walker, formerly of Oxford Street, having one or more stands in the Pantheon Bazaar, Oxford Street, Watchmaker, Silversmth, Jeweller and Commission agent, and late of King St, Soho, all in Middlesex, out of business, his wife, a Pearl and Bead Stringer, Artificial Florist and Glover, under the firm of Shepherd and Co, Rathbone Place, Middlesex and other places.
So, we know he was married by then (June 1835)
I feel it's likely you have al this info already, but as you didn't mention his bap or that of his brother William I'm still looking!
It seems to me you need the baptisms for the two brothers in order to be more certain of the baptism for Mary.
James Thomas Walker married Louisa Greenwood at St Anne's Soho by licence just a few days before Mary married William Newham (19 Dec 1824)!
She was a spinster of St Marylebone parish and the witnesses were George Greenwood and Caroline Greenwood.
There's a bap in 1799 in St Marylebone for a Louisa Greenwood dau of George and Charlotte. They had another dau, Caroline in 1796, so would appear to be the right family. EDIT I looked for her on census, burial records etc with no luck.
They had a son, James William Walker who was bap Apr 1825 St Martin in the Fields, Westminster. I couldn't see him easily in 1851 but he must be alive as he married Mary Ann Butt in 1852 at which time he said his father was dec'd.
All this to try and establish where and when James Thomas Walker was born lol - I bet he was already dead in 1851 which is totally unhelpful!
There are three death registrations for a James Thomas Walker 1837-1852 all of which are much too young to be your James. So, it's fairly likely he died before civil registration began.
Drat, I looked for Walker/Butt children and found some, but then realised there are two Walker/Butt marriages, the other one appearing to be unconnected, but close by, in Marylebone in 1853. The first three children I found all seem to belong to this other couple.
Time to be doing kitchen stuff now........
Probably found James William and Mary Ann at 94, Francis Street, Aston, Warwickshire in 1861. Doesn't help much!
lol I know I saw this about an hour ago lol
Name: Louisa Walker
Spouse: Thomas Oriel
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 6 Jan 1849
Parish: St Marylebone
Borough: Westminster
Father Name: George Greenwood
Spouse Father: Thos Oriel
Louisa Oriel and her son Jas Walker are next door neighbours in 1851. None of which helps with her first husband. :mad:
It wasn't the Oriel marriage I saw before, but the 1841 census entry in St Pancras for Louisa Walker aged 35 in the same house as Thomas Oriel. As she didn't have her son with her, I had assumed she wasn't the right Louisa.
So, still none the wiser re anything on James Thomas Walker, except he married in 1824 and was alive in 1835 and was the son of Thomas Walker.
Louisa (described as 'an interesting-looking female') was in court Dec 1834 - amongst other things, it was said she was living in adultery with a tailor in Poland Street (Mr Oriel?)
http://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0001427%2f18341201%2f009
Can transcribe later if you don't have a fmp sub.
Oooh, here is James Thomas Walker and his son with him in 1841!!!!
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8980/JERHO107_1461_1461-0334/14425254?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.u k%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3f_phsrc%3dQng3764%26_phstart%3dsucc essSource%26usePUBJs%3dtrue%26db%3duki1841channel% 26so%3d2%26pcat%3d35%26gss%3dangs-c%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn%3djam es%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dwalker%26gsln_x%3d1%26gsk w%3dchan*%2bisland*%26gskw_x%3d1%26cpxt%3d1%26cp%3 d11%26MSAV%3d2%26MSV%3d1%26uidh%3d672&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
In April 1836 Louisa attempted to divorce her husband:
http://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000174%2f18360429%2f039
And May 1837, partial transcription from The Mornng Post:
WALKER V. WALKER. This is a suit for divorce by reason of adultery, promoted by Mrs. Louisa Walker against her husband, which was met by a counter plea of adultery against the wife.
The James Archer who died in Greenwich in 1837 was aged 62. Obviously we can't say this precludes him from being Mary's husband, but possibly makes it less likely, especially as you have the story about him going to America.
If this was her she would have been 16 when her son was born and that would fit the census information and would explain her father's displeasure.
Just because Thomas's will stated one shilling for Mary and no more, he didn't have to be expressing any displeasure at her behaviour! This was just a legal way of demonstrating she had not been excluded from benefiting from the will, the most common reason for this would be that she had already been provided for.
I think I've fund a marriage for William Walker, son of Thomas:
17 Feb 1840 St Marylebone
William Walker bachelor full age occ coachman 13 Allsops Mews
Eleanor Hewlett spinster full age Dorset Mews, Dorset Square
groom's father Thomas Walker watchmaker dec'd
bride's father Jacob Hewlett stable keeper
witnesses William Catchpole, Margaretta Catchpole, Lucy Catchpole
In 1851 William Walker is aged 34 and born in Marylebone, so born about 1816/17. The most likely bap is 25 Aug 1818 at St Marylebone, parents Thomas and Sarah. Occupation just says Trade and no street address given.
I'm now thinking you have seen this before and the mother's name being Sarah is why you chose the 1809 bap for Mary. The problem with that is, we don't know that Thomas always lived in Marylebone and we don't know if he had more than one wife. I still don't think the 1809 bap is the right one unless she wasn't a small baby at that date, but the register suggests that Mary was born on 12 June 1809.
4. Is there any way to find out how she was supported financially? Which of the men in her life helped to pay for her son's education?
Well, we don't know what she received from her father during his lifetime, but there was several hundred pounds in trust "for and towards the maintenance education and advancement in life of my grandson James William Newham" left in the will of Mary's first father-in-law, James Newham whose (PCC) will was proved in 1835. The will is quite long and I only read up to that mention of the grandson which was at the top of the first full page. The will was signed 6 Aug 1835 and proved 5 Nov 1835.
London Evening Standard 02 October 1835
Oct 1st, at his residence, York Place, Portman Square, James Newham Esq., in his 59th year.
He was buried on 8 Oct 1835 at St James, Piccadilly.
Thomas Walker was at 8 Oxford Market in 1811 (watch and clock maker) - London and Country Directory, 1811
It would be nice to be able to make a decision about this baptism one way or the other:
Baptism date 13 Mar 1797 at Minster in Sheppey, Kent
James Thomas Walker the son of Thomas and Elizabeth
There's a James Walker on the 1851 census who says he was born in Minster and aged 54 He has his 52-year-old unmarried sister Sarah living with him, also born in Minster, but I've not been able to match her up with a baptism (at Minster in Sheppey or Minster in Thanet) to try and work out if her brother is the one who originally had two forenames and therefore definitely not your James Thomas.
I don't think images for Minster in Sheppey baptisms are available anywhere online.
Thomas Walker was at 8 Oxford Market in 1811 (watch and clock maker) - London and Country Directory, 1811
It looks very likely that he was there in 1806 as well as I found this on the TNA site:
Reference:
MS 11936/437/792916
Description:
Insured: William Minshull, 8 Oxford Market, butcher
Other property or occupiers: Walker
Date:
11 September 1806
Held by:
London Metropolitan Archives: City of London, not available at The National Archives
This makes it more likely the 1809 baptism is the right one for Mary Walker but then she would be only 15 at her marriage and her age at death would be a few years out (unless it was supposed to be 31 rather than 37 - do you have the certificate?) I thought her age might have been rounded down in 1841 because her husband was younger than her.
There are a lot of baptisms for children of Thomas and Sarah in Marylebone, but I think there may be more than one couple as there would need to be quite a few deaths before Thomas's death in order for there to be only three beneficiaries and I've only found a couple.
I do think it likely Thomas arrived in Marylebone after the birth of James Thomas.
Info on Marylebone baps, parents Thomas and Sarah 1795-1833
Date............ Forename(s)..Address?.. dob?.......... Occ of Father?
27 Mar 1807..John................No.........08 Mar 1807...No
13 Aug 1809...Mary...............No........12 Jun 1809....No
12 Aug 1812...Eliza................No........18 Mar 1812...No
06 Feb 1814...John................No.........30 Dec 1813..Trade
02 Apr 1815...Thomas............No.........11 Mar 1815..Trade
29 Sep 1816...Sarah..............No.........04 Sep 1816..Trade
25 Aug 1818...William............No.........25 Aug 1818..Trade
28 Oct 1819....Charles............No.........25 Oct 1818..Trade
08 May 1821...Frederick..........No.........11 Apr 1821..Trade
12 Jul 1823....Alfred...............No.........18 Jun 1823..Trade
20 Apr 1825...Marg. Mason...164 Oxf'd St. 07 Mar 1825 Haberdasher
19 Jun 1827 Four children of the haberdasher, b 1821, 23, 25 and 27. Three of them had been baptised previously - Frederick 1821, Alfred 1823 and Margaret Mason 1825 (matching dates of birth recorded). The extra child was Amelia b 1827.
After this, Thomas the Haberdasher became a draper (still living in Oxford St) and had two more children (Maria and Hester) born and baptised after 1827. I didn't look after 1833 as your Thomas died in 1832.
So, all the children born 1821 and after belong to the haberdasher and his wife. However, they were married 22 April 1811 (Sarah was Sarah Mason) at Marylebone, so those children born 1811 to 1819 could belong to them or could belong to your Thomas and Sarah!
So, the next step must be to look for burials for the following as they were not in your Thomas's will - any that lived and were born after 1811 might belong to the other couple:
John b 1807 buried 6 Jan 1813 Marylebone. Age not given but says child.
Eliza b 1812 buried 6 Jul 1813 Marylebone. Child.
John b 1814 buried 17 Aug 1830 Marylebone aged 17. Address Oxford Street so might possibly be the other family. However there are a couple of other possible burials for children named John in 1815 and 1821.
Thomas b 1815 buried 7 Apr 1822 Marylebone. Child.
Sarah b 1816 buried 24 Oct 1819 Marylebone. Child.
Charles b 1819 Three possible burials 1822 1824 and 1827 Marylebone, all children.
So, impossible to tell who most of these children belonged to as it's very likely they all died. John b 1807 is probably the son of your Thomas as he was born before 1811. I suppose there's a chance the second John is another sibling as he was born soon after the first John died.
The 'other' Thomas and Sarah wee living at 17 Old Quebec St Marylebone in 1841and 1851 with some of their younger children.
I looked at burials for your Sarah Walker between the birth of her son William and the death of her husband in Marylebone but none of them were an obvious fit as none of them had an address I recognised.
I'm not sure if any of this helps at all?
London, Westminster Marylebone census 1821 & 1831
1821 Census 17 Castle Street East Marylebone
Inhabitants' Names: Walker
Families occupying house: 2
Males in the house : 7
Females in the house: 6
Families in the house employed in trade or manufactures: 2
Ages of males:
Under 5: 1
5-10: 1
20-30: 3
30-40: 1
40-50: 1
Ages of females:
Under 5: 1
5-10: 1
10-15: 1
15-20: 1
30-40: 1
40-50:1
Maybe if there was only one family it might have helped?
1831 Census 17 Castle Street Marylebone
Name of Householder: Walker
Families occupying house: 2
Families employed in agriculture: -
Families employed in trade/manufactures: -
Male persons: 3
Female persons: 5
Total persons: 8
Number of males aged 20 and upward: 2
Number of those (2) males who are wholesale merchants, bankers, professional persons or other educated men: 1
Number of those (2) males who are labourers not employed in agriculture: 1
Of the female persons (5) how many are household servants: 1
I note that Thomas Walker made a codicil to his will replacing his son, William, as executor. The new executor was George Munday also of 17 Castle Street.
I did wonder if George Munday was the head of the other family living at that address in the 1831 Marylebone census, but it looks fairly unlikely as I can't see him being described as a labourer (non agricultural).
George was George Mitchell Munday bap 1795 in Finsbury, d 1873 Marylebone. He married in 1831 (I think after the census) and was at Castle St when his first child was baptised in 1832. After that he lived at 6 Great Portland St Marylebone for the rest of his life and was described variously as a jeweller and/or silversmith, so not a labourer.
Just came across this:
The London Gazette, Part 1
THE COURT FOR RELIEF OF INSOLVENT DEBTORS
The Matters of the PETITIONS and SCHEDULES of the PRISONERS hereinafter named (the same having been filed in the Court) are appointed to be heard at the Court House, in Portugal Street, Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, on Tuesday the 24th day of January 1837, at Nine o'Clock in the Forenoon.
James Thomas Walker (committed as John Thomas Walker, sued as James Thomas Walker), formerly of the Fleet Prison, in the city of London, afterwards residing at the Green Dragon Inn, Beverley, and Bridlington, both in Yorkshire, then of No. 24 Gresse-street, Rathbone-place, Middlesex, then at Mr. Harrington's, Norwood, Surrey, and lastly residing at the house of Mr. Dimsdale, called or known by the name or sign of the York Minster, situate in Dean-street, Soho, Middlesex, a Watch Maker, Jeweller, and Commission Agent, out of business, occasionally doing a little business.
Assuming this is the right JTW, he seems to have moved around a lot before going to Jersey. I wonder if the child called Mary Walker aged 2 and born in Jersey, living with him in 1841, is his daughter? I would presume so, in which case he was probably in Jersey in 1839.
I wonder why he went to Beverley and Bridlington? I wondered if he had family connections there?
Ancestry have the discharge book records from the Fleet Debtors Prison which show he was discharged on 2nd July 1835.
I had thought up until 1858 a private act of parliament was required for each individual divorce case, and therefore only people of means would be able to obtain a divorce, yet I've just read this:
The Morning Post May 1 1837
WALKER v. WALKER
This is a suit for divorce by reason of adultery, promoted by Mrs. Louisa Walker against her husband, which was met by a counter plea of adultery against the wife. The case has been pending for some considerable time, and the particulars during the course of the proceedings have been fully reported.
Dr. Lushington gave his decision this day. After having stated the circumstances of the case he said that the Court could not place any confidence in the evidence of two of the principal witnesses brought forward on behalf of the husband, and who had been examined in support of his plea, in which Mrs. Walker was accused of adultery; for, looking at the declarations they had made, and the real facts of the case, as proved by credible witnesses, it was clearly evident that the persons alluded to of the name of Brereton and Lazarus had been guilty of perjury. The husband had completely failed in the charge of adultery which he had brought against his wife; and she, on the other hand, had clearly established the case as set up by her. Under these circumstances nothing remained for the Court but to perform it's duty in directing sentence to pass as prayed for.
The Court accordingly decreed a sentence of divorce against Mr. Walker.
Ah, this is probably the answer:
Until the mid-nineteenth century, the law largely adopted the Christian view of marriage as an indissoluble lifelong union. The ecclesiastical courts could grant a divorce a mensa et thoro, but this was more like a judicial separation than a divorce: the parties were free to live apart but could not marry again.
I had wanted to find out who this death belongs to:
Deaths Dec 1877
WALKER James Thomas 77 Islington 1b 139
so that any baptism for him could be excluded in the search for the baptism of Thomas Walker's son. However, can't work out who he is, so will have to hope his father has a different first name! (assuming he isn't 'the' James Thomas Walker, not dead before Louisa remarried in 1849!)
Merry:
Thank you for all this. I should have replied sooner, but have been preoccupied. The Christmas marriage seems right. I am not sure why it doesn't show up on the searches I tried. May I ask where you found it?
I agree that it would be helpful to find a birth or baptism record for a Mary Walker in Middlesex or nearby from around 1805, with a father named Thomas. But I have not found one.
The death certificate would almost certainly have been registered by her husband (or possibly her doctor who had tried to operate on her cancer). The son's account in his memoirs is quite candid.
Tim
Oh, and also, the information about her father-in-law's Will does go a long way to explain how she was able to send him to a decent school. Thank you.
Tim
Merry:
Thank you for all this. I should have replied sooner, but have been preoccupied. The Christmas marriage seems right. I am not sure why it doesn't show up on the searches I tried. May I ask where you found it?
Tim
I found the marriage on Ancestry in this database: London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921.
I do wonder if James Thomas Walker moved from Jersey to some other part of the world, but I've not investigated that.
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