I have known of William Thompson almost since I started my family tree over thirty years, however until recent weeks he wasn’t much more than a name and an occupation. Searching for the name William Thompson in London is a challenge. However, not long ago, I found a clue that led to some interesting discoveries.
William Thompson was born around 1793 in Southwark, Surrey,
just south of the River Thames in what is now inner London. He was baptised as St Saviour’s church on 9
Jun 1793. His parents were Thomas and
Esther Thompson. William was the third
of their six known children, although I suspect there could be others I haven’t
found yet. His siblings were John
Thomas, Thomas (possibly died young), Esther, Thomas Henry and Sarah Elizabeth.
Yes, they did like the name “Thomas”.
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| "St. Saviour's Church, Southwark, Surrey" Copper engraved print published in The Beauties of England and Wales, 1815. Recent hand colouring. Size 15 x 11.5 cms including title, plus margins. Ref F1639 (obtained from Ancestry Images) |
On 5 Jul 1809, when William Thompson was about 16 years old, he was apprenticed to John Eldridge, a Citizen (freeman of the city) and member of the Haberdasher’s Guild, one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies in London. By the 1800s, there was not necessarily a link between actual occupation and the guild a person was a member of. In William’s case, he trained as a chair maker.
The apprenticeship indenture says that William was the son
of Thomas Thompson of the Catherine Wheel, Kent Street, Southwark,
Victualler. While Thomas had started
off as a Dyer, he changed careers a few times, working as a labourer, a
victualler (licenced to sell alcohol), a carman (carrying goods) and a
coachman. The Catherine Wheel was a
coaching inn and yard on Borough High Street, which ran into Kent Street. It was not far from the famous and still
standing George Inn. If my map reading
is correct, I think it is now a KFC.
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| "Catherine Wheel, Southwark" lithograph after J.C.Maggs, published in Old English Coaching Inns, 1910. Slight foxing, otherwise good condition. Overall size 43 x 27.5 cms, no margins. Ref H6393 (obtained from Ancestry Images) |
One of the terms of William’s apprenticeship was that he was
not supposed to “contract matrimony” during the seven years it lasted for. William did not comply with this
condition. He was also not allowed to
“play at Cards, Dice, Tables or any other unlawful Games” and “He shall not
haunt Taverns nor Play houses”. I have
no evidence either way regarding his compliance, but he did live in an area
full of coaching inns and there must have been many temptations for a young man
living in Regency London.
On 30 May 1815, William Thompson married Catherine Foskett
as St Mary’s Lambeth, also south of the River in London. Their first child,
Harriet Sarah Thompson was born on 12 February 1816, barely 9 months
later. Harriet went on to marry an
Irishman named Thomas Archbold. Thomas Archbold seems to have been the family
patriarch for a time as he was witness on several family marriage certificates.
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| "St.Mary, Lambeth" engraved by T.Higham after a picture by T.H.Shepherd, published in London in the Nineteenth Century, 1831. Steel engraved antique print with recent hand colouring. Good condition. Size 14.5 x 10.5 cms including title, plus margins. Ref G9297 (obtained from Ancestry Images) |
William and Catherine had at least 10 more children between 1817 and 1837: Catherine (presumably died young), William, Thomas, Joseph, John, James, Catherine (my ancestor), Frederick, Alfred and George.
In 1818, William’s sister Esther married Thomas Lodge. She had several children, including Esther
Jane and Sarah. The two girls are key to
revealing this story.
By around 1820, the Thompson family had moved north of the
River. Son William was reportedly born
in Bishopsgate and the subsequent children were born in or near
Shoreditch. While William Thompson’s
family lived in Southwark, wife Catherine’s family lived in the East End.
In 1826, William Thompson, chair maker and son of Thomas,
was made free of the Haberdashers Company by oath, so because a Citizen and Freeman
of the City of London. He was sponsored
by John Eldridge, his master, so there must not have been any hard feelings
regarding the marriage before his apprenticeship was completed. At this time, the Thompson’s lived at 57
Curtain Road, Shoreditch.
By 1840, a London Directory gives the family’s address as 3
Raven Road, which is next to The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. They were still at this address at the time
of the 1841 Census.
Many of the family were involved in the chair making trade alongside
William. His wife Catherine was a caner,
weaving seats for the chairs. Sons James and Alfred were chair makers. George was a caner in 1851. Son William was a cabinet maker.
In 1839, son William Thompson married Esther Jane Lodge, his
first cousin, the daughter of Esther Thompson, mentioned previously.
The last record I have for William Thompson is the 1841
census. By the time of the 1851 census,
Catherine is listed as a widow, living in Mulberry Cottage. She lived there
until her death in 1856. There are a
number of possible death and burial records in the area for William Thompson
but it is difficult working out which, if any, is the correct one.
In 1851, daughter Catherine Thompson was living with her
sister Harriet Archbold. Also in the
household was thier 16-year-old cousin, Sarah Lodge, working as a caner. When I saw this, I remembered that son
William Thompson married a “Lodge”. Once
I discovered that Esther Jane Lodge was the daughter of Esther Thompson and
sister of Sarah, the rest of the puzzle pieces quickly fell into place. Researching Esther Jane Lodge and Esther
Thompson was much easier than researching a popular name like William
Thompson. Finally, last weekend I found
William Thompson’s baptism, indexed as Wm and Thos Thompson to make it extra
difficult.
Several of William Thompson’s children left London and
migrated to the other side of the world.
My ancestor, Catherine, moved to Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, in 1855
soon after she married Philip Charley. Her brother William with wife Esther
also went to Ballarat. Alfred migrated
to Australia. Harriet and Thomas
Archbold ended up in New Zealand.
Thanks to a clue in the 1851 census, I have been able to
build quite a story of William Thompson’s life and there is still more to
discover.
Notes on Lineage: Me > Mum > John Macdonald Charley
> Walter George Charley > John Joseph Charley > Catherine Thompson
> William Thompson
