Mary Walker/Newham/Archer/Bentall - Genealogists' Forum

tpb · #1 28-05-17, 02:40

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

Merry · #2 28-05-17, 07:17

Quote:

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.

Quote:

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

Merry · #3 28-05-17, 07:33

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.

Merry · #4 28-05-17, 07:47

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.

Merry · #5 28-05-17, 08:02

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.

Merry · #6 28-05-17, 08:12

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.

Merry · #7 28-05-17, 16:10

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.

Merry · #8 28-05-17, 16:41

Quote:

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.

Merry · #9 28-05-17, 17:54

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

Merry · #10 28-05-17, 18:06

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.