Doctor's Commons - Where and what is it?

[Ladkyis]

My 3xgreat grandmother is said to have died at 2 Wardrobe Court, Doctor's Commons. Could someone explain just where and what this place was?
She was about 83 ish and according to the 1861 Census was living on London Road Southwark.
Ann

[Sue Mackay]

Doctors' Commons (short for College of Advocates and Doctors of Law) was near St.Paul's Cathedral - demolished in 1867. This is where special marriage licences were obtained amongst other things (I knew reading all those Regency romance novels would come in handy!!). According to the London Encyclopaedia, from 1572 onwards it housed the ecclesiastical and Admiralty courts together with the advocates practising therein. These advocates - a wholly separate body from the barristers of the time - enjoyed a monopoly of practice and were required to hold doctorates in the civil law awarded by the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge before being admitted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to practise in the Court of Arches, which sat originally in the Church of St.Mary le Bow in Cheapside.

[Zoe Archer]

Hi Ann,

When did she die? It may well be worth checking the Wardrobe Court address in 1861, particularly if she died soon after the census. She had obviously moved to that address or was staying with someone (potential relatives). I had a quick look at the street index and didn't see Wardrobe Court, although there was a Terrace and one other 'Wardrobe' address both in the Doctors Commons area.

[Ladkyis]

I have just taken another look at the source of information - my dad's notebooks and I can see that as usual he has overwritten and the court bit belongs to something else, the correct address is 2 Wardrobe Place. the date is 9th June 1868 and her daughter Jane was present. The only thing Dad doesn't seem to have kept is the certificate but I do have several more boxes of *stuff* to go through.
Oh her name was Hannah NATHAN and it would seem she was 76 in 1861
She died of exhaustion after a fall - so Dad must have seen the certificate mustn't he?
Ann

[Zoe Archer]

Hi Ann

RG9-220 F111
2 Wardrobe Place

Several families at that address. Sending image privately!

[Ladkyis]

I tried reading the image and can't see any names that might be familiar. I might try printing it off and see if that works - Hannah was at 58 London Road in 1861 with her daughter Hannah I wonder if one of the wives in Wardrobe Place is one of her daughters... I haven't done anything about her yet, I have been far too interested in her grand daughter.
Ann
OH OH I haven't said thank you! I really do appreciate the work that goes into finding things like this so Thank you so much. I have to do it on here because outlook express is being feeble and everytime I click on an addy to send a message it falls over and I have to type each addy individually, needless to say I am not sending many emails at the moment and won't as long as I have to use this awful software - I want my puter back!
Ann

[Zoe Archer]

Hi again Ann,

You're very welcome. I had a thought, since the death occurred nearer to 1871 than 1861 I have sent you the image for that address in 1871. Less people there this time, very Jewish names!

BTW I connect to NATHAN via my LYONS line. Katherine, the sister of my 2xg grandfather Emmanuel LYONS, married Abraham NATHAN in 1868. Apparently Abraham was the son of Henry NATHAN and Sarah COSTA.

[Ladkyis]

you surely know how to give a person a wake up call. One of our family *myths* is that "of course we are related to the Lyons family of Lyons Corner House fame" so I have been keeping an eye out for the connection to the LYONS name - the closest we will come to fame and fortune will be sharing the same surname - so you can imagine my gasp when I read, with the wrong glasses, your sentnce beginning *by the way I connect to NATHAN through LYONS...*
I am sure as a sure thing that my 2xgreat grandfather John NATHAN was not an only child. I have been so preoccupied with his daughter - my actress great grandmother - that I just haven't looked at his family at all. John's parents were Samuel NATHAN and Hannah MENDES and I am sure that Samuel was not an only child either.
Thank you for the 1871 image - I have some of my NATHANs visiting GOLDSCHMIDs in a different document so perhaps they are "mine" too. This has been so useful, thank you for your kindness and your precious time.
Ann

[Zoe Archer]

Now you're scaring me! Emmanuel LYONS was the son of Henry Lyons and Rachel MENDES. Rachel's father was Jacob MENDES who went by John on the census, he was born abt 1787 son of David.

Our family story was that we lost out on the family fortune because one of the lads married outside the faith! I found the one marrying out of the faith, it was Emmanuel. However, I am yet to discover the family fortune! I think that part of the story was said with which got lost down the line!

[Ladkyis]

Hannah was the daughter of David MENDEZ/S she married Samuel NATHAN on 6th january 1808 so she has to have been born about 1790 or before - yes?
She married Samuel in the Great Synagogue and there is a notation in the comments column of the transcription by Angela Shire that says
BMM 1076
now this is a reference to Bevis Marks marriages and refers to the parents of Hannah Mendez!
My newfound knowledge of this tells me that the marriage information is with Bevis Marks because David MENDEZ is Sephardic.
I am so excited about this even if we aren't connected it is still a great thrill when someone else is after the same names.
Now I have to find where to get the Bevis Marks information!
Ann