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  1. #1
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    Default John George of Bath

    John George was a builder/carpenter with interests in several properties in Bath. (Plenty of leases referred to in the Bath RO online catalogue)

    In his will of 1814 he made bequests to:
    Firstly: his 3 nephews and 2 neices, children of his brother William, £100 each
    Then: Daniel Hillier(?) of Hoopers Court,
    The Society of Lady Huntingdons Chapel,
    Martha wife of Joseph Maggs, butcher (not listed in 1822 Pigots)
    Sarah wife of Richard Brooke (butcher but later brewer)

    Sarah was my 3x gt grandmother but I dont know what her connection was to John George or any of the others. I think her maiden name was Sheppard as I found a marriage at St Mary's Chapel, Walcot Bath between Richard Brooke & Sarah Sheppard in 1797, but I am not sure who her parents were.

    Does anyone know any more about any of the other beneficiaries?
    What was John's connection to them?

    Sarah mentioned the furniture left to her (for her own use) by John George when her husband was later made bankrupt. It's a fascinating story and I'd love to fill in some of the gaps.

  2. #2
    kiwipom
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    There is a baptism for a Sarah SHEPHARD in Sep 1777 at St Swithins, Walcot.
    Father Joseph, Mother Hester.

    This could be the Joseph SHEPHERD of Widcomb that married Esther HARRIS of St Peter & Paul at St James on 22 Mar 1761. Witnesses Thos Parfitt and Henry Spering.

    Also a Sarah SHEPHERD baptised at Widcombe 20 Aug 1780, Father Thomas, Mother Sarah. (could be a bit late).
    Tony

  3. #3
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    Thanks Tony.
    Those were the possibilities I had identified. I initially favoured Joseph and Hester because the date fits with the burial at Brokenborough, Wilts (birthplace of her husband) in 1835 of Sarah Brook of Walcot age 60 but none of her chidren (that I have found) were called Joseph or Hester.

    I have found her five sons baptised at St Swithins (Richard 1801, William 1805, William Thomas 1806, Edwards (aka Edward Edwards) 1809, Charles 1811.
    I have not yet found baptisms for the two I am convinced are her daughters but cannot prove until I find them :
    Sarah c 1700, who married Thomas Thornthwaite in 1821,
    Eliza Mary whose dob varied from 1806(in '41) to 1814 depending on which census you look at. She was a teacher and moved to Yorkshire. In 1841 she was living with brother Edward.

    With the help of recently discovered relatives, wills and leases, I have lots of info about their descendants, and a line for Richard which I have yet to verify but am stuck with Sarah.

    Lesley

  4. #4
    AnnieB5051
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    According to the 1819 Bath Directory, Mr R Brooke was the City Police Sommission for the Parish of Walcot, as well as being the brewer at the Albion Brewery, Upper Bristol Road. In the same directory, there's no Maggs that is a butcher, but there's an S. Hillier, laundress at 6 Hooper's Court. Can't see any connections forming there. Of the Sheppards in that year, there were 6 in Walcot parish in total.

    Going back to the 1809 directory, 2 possible Sheppards are listed - John at 9 Northumberland Place, a staymaker; and Sarah, a haberdasher at 8 Westgate Street. No listing in this year for John George or a suitalbe Maggs. Richard Brooke is a butcher at 3 Gloucester Street.

    The directories this early are very incomplete for listings, so I'm not surprised to find more people 'missing' than conveniently where you need them to be.

    As to the tale of Richard Brooke's bankruptcies (he went bankrupt twice), the best place to track them down is the London Gazette - searchable online at www.london-gazette.co.uk/search - set the years between 1 Jan 1822 & end of 1827 and look for Richard Brooke Walcot in the all words box. The entry for the 25 Feb 1823 conveniently lists all the property and leases up for auction to fulfill his debts. A later notice also lists his wife as Frances Brooke, resident in Chipping Sodbury. He's described as a 'Common-Brewer, Dealer and Chapman'.

    Good Luck,

    Anne

  5. #5
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    Thanks Anne for those directory entries.
    I have the details of the bankruptcies, quite a lot of property was involved!
    The Frances Brooke you mention was Richard's Aunt - his father's brother Thomas's wife.
    The London Gazette report says:
    "the creditors ...are desired to meet to assent or dissent from the said assignees paying ceertain charges and expenses incurred in superseding a former Commission of Bankruptcy issued against the said bankrupt on the petition of Frances Brooke of Chipping Sodbury, widow, and also to assent or dissent from the said Assignees giving up to the wife of the said bankrupt, certain part of the household furniture claimed by her as he separate property, as legatee under the will of John George, deceased..."
    I assume this to mean that Frances bailed him out the first time around - she was very well provided for in her husbands will and I think had property in her own right. Two of Richard's sons named children using her family name. (her mother was a Fitzherbert)

  6. #6
    janbooth
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    Default Joseph & Martha MAGGS

    There is a member submitted baptism on the IGI of a Martha MAGGS on 7 April 1822 at Clutton, Somerset, father Joseph mother Martha which could be relevant to you plus baptisms in 1818 at Clutton for a John MAGGS, father Joseph MAGGS mother Martha COLLIER, James MAGGS on 20 October 1816 and Mary MAGGS 1820 at Clutton. Also a marriage of a Joseph MAGGS & Martha COLLIER in Clutton in 1815. There are details of a whole load of MAGGS baptisms at Clutton but all are member submitted so I don't know how reliable they will be.

    James MAGGS definitely exists as he is in the 1851 census of Clutton, a Coal Miner, living with wife Harriet and children Emma, Joseph & Jemima. John MAGGS is in the 1871 census of Trevethin, Monmouth, Wales together with wife David? and children Ruth, Maria, Enoch, Alice, John & Henry.

    Not sure how any of this connects to your Sarah, though.

    Janet

  7. #7
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    Thanks Jan but I dont think the Clutton Maggs are the right ones. I found a death in Mar 1841 in Bath, with burial at Batheaston for a Martha Maggs (age 56) and there is a possible Martha Jnr in Walcot in 1841 who m in 1843 but not enough potential spouses on the page to be able to identify.

    I had hoped that tracking down Martha might help explain why John George made bequests to her and Sarah. I am beginning to think it might be connected to the Society of (unfortunately I cant make out the next bit) of Lady Huntingdon's Chapel.

    I forgot to mention that John also left £100 to his natural son by Nanny Ashland, commonly called John George.
    and mentioned somebody Mason son of his late wife. I shall have to go back to the will and see if I can dig out anything else.

  8. #8
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    From Bath Georgian Newspapers project

    6 Dec 1792 Charity: comment on the need for "The Strangers & Sick Man's Friend" society. City of Bath increasing in magnitude daily & consequent increase in the poor.

    I 'm pretty sure now that the will says the Society of the Sick Man's Friends at Lady Huntingdons Chapel. So it must have been formed subsequent to the above notice.

    Good to know he cared about the poor as well as my ancestor!

  9. #9
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    Default Another snippet

    5 Mar 1795 News: Mr Maggs, butcher of Bath slaughtered a remarkable large ox on Thursday [26 Feb], which alive weighed 131 score & 12lbs

    Which makes me now think that the connection is Butchery - before he became a brewer (and lost all his money!) Richard Brooke was a Butcher and John George had some land that was converted to a butcher's yard! But that doesn't explain why included the wives (Martha & Sarah) in his will and not their husbands - maybe he suspected that Richard might have trouble?

    All speculation but it does make them seem more like real people and not just "my dead people" as my husband calls them!

  10. #10
    AnnieB5051
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    Quote Originally Posted by lesleys View Post
    there is a possible Martha Jnr in Walcot in 1841 who m in 1843 but not enough potential spouses on the page to be able to identify.
    In the Bath Register Office indexes, there are two Martha Maggs marrying in 1843 - both in the Register Office. One to Henry Archer, and one to Thomas Clark

    Anne

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