A Cousin Reveals All

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”.

"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.

"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.

"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