Edward CROPLEY, c.1788, Nottingham

[Jon Whiting]

Hi All,

I am trying to find the origins of Edward CROPLEY (c.1788-1861).

According to the 1861 census (the only UK census in which he appears), he
was born Nottingham, Notts, age 73. At some time before 1809, with a partner Charles DOLTON, he established a jewellery business in Soho, London, and married Mary CHURCHILL 29 Jun 1811 in Westminster, London. They had six children, all born London, before Edward and Mary moved to Calcutta, India, where the jewellery business continued. They had four further children in India. The business failed in 1824, and he was declared bankrupt in 1827. He took on a variety of jobs afterwards, including librarian and indigo planter. He returned to England in the 1850s, and lived in Kensington, London, with his youngest daughter Maria, until his death 29 Nov 1861.

Cropley is an uncommon name in Notts, the bulk of the families being based
in Cambridgeshire. I have found very few Cropleys on the IGI in Notts.

I am interested in tracing his parents, his siblings (if any), or his place
of birth/baptism, and any further information on his early life.

Regards
Jon

[Dolly]

Jon
I have the Notts FHS transcription of baptisms 1533 to 1900. I am not saying that there are no mistakes, I have never found any - I can only find 9 Cropleys in the male baptisms for the county, all are in the 19th century.
In August 1788 there is an Edward christened, but his surname is Cropper, baptism is at Newark St Mary.

[Jon Whiting]

Jon
I have the Notts FHS transcription of baptisms 1533 to 1900. I am not saying that there are no mistakes, I have never found any - I can only find 9 Cropleys in the male baptisms for the county, all are in the 19th century.
In August 1788 there is an Edward christened, but his surname is Cropper, baptism is at Newark St Mary.

Hi Dolly,
Thanks for that information. I have since been told of the following:


a burial:
18 Nov 1789 Alice dau of Edward and Esther CROPLEY
Sutton in Ashfield.
[transcript from Notts burial cd]

and a marriage:
10 Apr 1815 Jane CROPLEY to Joseph TOPLADY
Nottingham St Mary
[indexed on Notts marriage cd]

This shows that there were Cropleys around at the correct time, but no other information to confirm their connection. I'll just have to keep looking.

Regards
Jon

[Wirral]

A couple more CROPLEY mentions from marriage licences:

1719-20 Jan 23, John BRENTNALL p. St Mary's Nottm. gent, bac., 21 and Mary CROPLEY of same spr. 19; at St Nicholas or Arnold (marriage was at St Nicholas).
1668 Aug 13 Symon STARKEY of Lenton, gent. & Ellen CROPLEY p. St Mary's Nottm. widow.

Another thought, have you tried looking under CROSSLEY? The way a double letter s was written (like fs) could be mistaken for a letter p in transcriptions.

[Jon Whiting]

A couple more CROPLEY mentions from marriage licences:

1719-20 Jan 23, John BRENTNALL p. St Mary's Nottm. gent, bac., 21 and Mary CROPLEY of same spr. 19; at St Nicholas or Arnold (marriage was at St Nicholas).
1668 Aug 13 Symon STARKEY of Lenton, gent. & Ellen CROPLEY p. St Mary's Nottm. widow.

Another thought, have you tried looking under CROSSLEY? The way a double letter s was written (like fs) could be mistaken for a letter p in transcriptions.

Hi Wirral,

Thanks for those. I found both on IGI; a bit early for mine. Yes, I have looked under spelling differences, but no Edward CROSSLEYs in Notts.

Regards
Jon