The Wedderburn Family - 2 jamaica - england - south africa - australia - new zealand |
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More information? Peter Garwood |
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Wedderburn & Co. |
Research
on the Wedderburn family continued on the basis of the following
information from our previous research:
Jabez
Wedderburn, son of Robert Wedderburn of Long Acre in London, was apprenticed for
seven years on 7 March 1811 to a blacksmith, William Lewis Nicholl. He later
became a scalemaker (being the first known member of his family to do so) and
married (although no record of the marriage has been found) Sophia Clarkson or
Surrage, the illegitimate daughter of James Clarkson and Phoebe Surrage, who had
been born in Hackney in 1802.
Jabez and Sophia lived in Spitalfields in the early 1820s before moving over the
river to Bermondsey in about 1827.
They were of West Street, Bermondsey in 1832 but had not been found in
the 1841 or 1851 census returns of Bermondsey (which are
unindexed) and we therefore did not know where Jabez had been born. Searches had
been made for his birth or baptism in indexes to English and Scottish parish
registers without success.
Jabez and Sophia had six children. Their son Jabez, born 1827, married Harriet Bassom in 1846 and was also a scalemaker. We had also been researching a more modern branch of the family who settled in Southampton to set up a scalemaking business there. It was known that this family descended from a George Alexander Wedderburn, who moved to Southampton in the 1870s and had sons Herbert, Lionel and F W V Wedderburn and died in 1917. We had suggested that George Alexander could probably be identified as the George Wedderburn, son of Jabez and Harriet, born in 1855/6 at Golden Lane (St Luke's, East London) but this needed confirmation. To confirm the identity of George Alexander Wedderburn who set up the Southampton business in the 1870s, we first made a search for the birth certificate of George Wedderburn, born in about 1855/6 in the Golden Lane area, son of Jabez and Harriet, to see if his middle name was Alexander. This proved to be the case and the connection was thus made certain (see Appendix i):
Registration District East London
Sub-district
Cripplegate
City of London
3 Aug 1856 George Alexander [son of] Jabez Wedderburn Master Scale Maker [of] 8 Little Arthur Street, London [&] Harriet Wedderburn formerly Bassom
The family was living at Little Arthur Street (Jabez senior had lived at Great Arthur Street, Finsbury St Luke in 1822). These are two small streets running parallel to Old Street, between Golden Lane and Aldersgate Street (see map at Appendix ii).
We now wished to find George Alexander Wedderburn and his family in a census, to clarify the family relationships of the younger generations. The 1881 census has recently been indexed by county and so we began by looking at the index for Hampshire, but there was no entry for George (Alexander) Wedderburn. We checked the Middlesex index for both George and his parents Jabez and Harriet Wedderburn but again the result was negative. We looked at an 1871 directory and found the following:
London
Directory
Jabez
Wedderburn, scalemaker 35 Upper Queen Street; Islington, N
James Wedderburn, scalemaker 5 Berkley Street, Lambeth Walk SE
James
was presumably the brother of Jabez, baptised in 1824. We looked at the
1871 and 1881 census returns of Upper Queen Street but the family was not to be
found there or in the surrounding enumeration district. We now tried the 1881 census index for Surrey but
found only Jabez William Wedderburn (son of Jabez and Harriet) and his uncle
Robert:
Census
3 April 1881
SRD Camberwell, RSD Peckham
PRO
RG II 681 ED 7fol 77r
73 Summer Road Peckham
Jabez Wedderburn
Head mar
36
Scalemaker
London
Ruth
Wedderburn
Wife mar
36
Bedfordshire
Jabez
Wedderburn
Son
13
Scholar
London
Ernest
Wedderburn
Son
12
Scholar
London
Walter
Wedderburn
Son
10
Scholar
London
Ruth
Wedderburn
Dau
6
Scholar
London
Florence
Wedderburn
Dau
2
London
Beatrice
Wedderburn
Dau
1
London
John Bryant
19
Apprentice
London
This census return had
been noted in the starting information with which we had been originally
provided, but 'Summer Road' had been misread.
Robert and Martha
Wedderburn were living at 108 Commercial Road and this census return had already
been examined (see our previous report, page 2).
Returning
to the Hampshire census returns we found George Alexander at
Bernard Street (his address in 1917) in 1891:
Census
5 April 1891
Southampton
PRO RG 12 920 ED 48
flOOv
12 Bernard Street
George Alexander Wedderburn
Head m
34 Scale maker employer
London
Florence Ada Wedderburn
Wife m
31
Jersey
Florence Louisa Wedderburn
Dau
7
Southampton
George Herbert Wedderburn
Son
4
Southampton
Harriett Maud Wedderburn
Dau
2
Southampton
Kate Spencer Serv 15 Southampton
Presumably Lionel Wedderburn was born after 1891.
Returning now to the earlier generations, we looked at the 1851 census of the Golden Lane area, Cripplegate, where Jabez and Harriet were living in 1856. There was a chance that Jabez Wedderburn senior might also have been living there. We found Jabez and Harriet:
Census
30 March 1851
SRD East London
RD Cripplegate
PRO HO 107 1525 ED 4fol 534v
8 Little Arthur Street, Liberty of Glass House Yd
Jabez Wedderburn
23
Scalemaker
Kent St
South
Harriott Wedderburn
21
Old
Kent Road
Jabez Wedderburn
1
St Lukes
Harriott Wedderburn 3 City
The
record was not complete and Jabez's birthplace was rather cryptic (he was
baptised in Bermondsey) but there is a Kent Street in St Saviour's parish,
Southwark, near St Olave's. The London liberties were areas which fell
geographically outside the City of London but which enjoyed the same privileges.
Interestingly, Harriet now said she was born in the Old Kent Road; the 1861
census (see our previous report, page 4) would seem to have been defective since
it also gave an incorrect birthplace for Jabez. We now turned to the
International Genealogical Index. This has been recently issued in CD-ROM format
which enables us to make a quick search of all English counties, rather than
searching the county indexes individually. We made a search for the marriage of
Jabez Wedderburn and Sophia Surrage or Clarkson, but this was not found.
We then made a search for the baptism of Jabez, son of Robert Wedderburn
but again there was no relevant entry (we checked also the section for Wales,
and 1994 addenda). Looking in detail at the London/Middlesex section of the IGI,
we noted the
baptism of four children who seemed likely, from their names, to be siblings of
Jabez Wedderburn senior. We followed up these entries in the
original parish registers:
St
Katherine Creechurch, Leadenhall Street
Original Registers
Baptisms
31
Mar 1790 Maria Weatherbourn daughter of Robert and Elizabeth
born 4 March
I Jul 1791 George
son of Robert and Elizabeth Weatherboume
born 2 June
Holborn
Lying In Hospital, Endell Street
Original Registers
Baptisms RG 8 59 No 81
27
Jul 1786
Came in Labor Eliz. Weatherbum wife of Robt occupation taylor;
age 33, settlement Kingstown Jam"
Delivered 24 July, boy and girl baptised 27 July
Robt and Eliz.
discharged 11 August
Recommender Montrose Dutchss
This
last entry was particularly interesting. Holborn Lying In Hospital is in Endell
Street, at right angles to Long Acre where Jabez's father was living in 1811
when he was apprenticed. Robert's parish of settlement was Kingstown in Jamaica;
this had to be given in case the family fell in need of parish relief and needed
to apply to their home parish for assistance (although it seems fairly unlikely
that they would have been shipped back to Jamaica in this instance).
St Katherine's, Creechurch is some distance to the east, but it may have been Elizabeth's home parish, for here the couple were married:
St
Katherine Creechurch
Original Registers
Marriages
5
Nov 1781 Robert Wedderburn (X) of this parish bachelor and Elisth Ryan of this
parish spinster
Banns
Witnesses: Abrm Gore, Wm Brown
Robert could not sign his name; Elizabeth could.
Jabez
Wedderburn would have been about thirteen or fourteen when he was apprenticed in
1811.
We searched the registers of baptism of St Katherine's Creechurch from
1791 to 1811 but found no further Wedderburn baptisms. Although we did not have
proof of the connection, Jabez named children Robert and Elizabeth and the name
George was used in subsequent generation. The name Wedderburn was not common in
London and it therefore seemed reasonable to assume that Robert Wedderburn of
Long Acre was the husband of Elizabeth Ryan and the father of Robert, Elizabeth, Maria and George.
We turned to probate sources, to add to our knowledge of the family and in particular to look for the will of Robert Wedderburn or Weatherbourn that might identify his children. Before 1858, probate matters were dealt with by the local ecclesiastical courts, as wills were historically regarded as religious documents. We searched the probate indexes for the following courts:
Commissary
Court of Surrey 1752-1858
Archdeaconry Court of Surrey 1752-1858
Commissary Court of London 1800-1858
Archdeaconry Court of London 1781 onwards
Dean and Chapter of St Paul's 1749-1837
Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1750-1800
The Prerogative Court of (the Archbishop of) Canterbury, which was in London, had superior jurisdictions over all the local ecclesiastical courts and was used where a testator died overseas or had property in more than one diocese; it was also used in a general way by wealthy families, especially those living in or near the metropolis. Unfortunately there was no sign of a will or administration for Robert Wedderburn.
We then looked at the indexes to the Principal Probate Registry which has dealt with wills and administrations since 1858, and has annual indexes for the whole of the country. Jabez William Wedderburn, husband of Ruth, died in 1915 but did not leave a will; administration of his estate was granted on 24 June 1916 to Frederick William Wedderburn, scalemaker, his estate being valued at �317 9sh 7d. Frederick William was his nephew, one of the Southampton Wedderburns; all Jabez's children had emigrated to Australia or New Zealand. We found the will of Jabez Wedderburn, husband of Harriet (see Appendix iii):
Will
of Jabez Wedderburn 1882
This
is the last Will and Testament of me Jabez Wedderburn of Nos 46 and 48 Blackheath Road Greenwich in the County of Kent Scale Maker
I give devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate and effects
whatsoever and wheresoever to my dear wife Harriet Wedderburn for her absolute
use and benefit and I appoint the said Harriet Wedderburn Executrix of this my
Will and hereby revoking all former Wills I declare this to be my last Will and
Testament In witness whereof I have set my hand this twenty first day of October
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Signed Jabez Wedderburn
Witnesses: H Howard Solicitor, J J Salter
Proved 13 February 1882 by the oath of Harriet Wedderburn widow
This
explained why we had not found Jabez and Harriet in the 1881 census indexes; they had moved to Greenwich in Kent. We now
found them in the census:
Census
3 April 1881
SRD Greenwich, RSD Greenwich West
PRO RG II 722 ED 22fol
54r
46 Blkheath Rd
Jabez
Wedderburn
Head mar
54
Scale Maker
Surrey Bermonsey
Harritt Wedderburn
Wife mar
53
do
Kent Road
George Wedderburn
Son U
25
Scale Maker
Middx London
Frederick Wedderburn
Son U
21
Scale Maker
London
Mary Wedderburn
Dau
18
London
John
Wedderburn
Son
16
Middx
Albert Wedderburn
Son
10
Scholar
Kent Deptford
James Buckler
Visitor
19
Butcher
Devon
William Ayles
Serv U
16
Servt gen
Unknown
Scale maker
This
provided us with the names of three further children. Albert was born in
1871 and we obtained his birth certificate, as this would give us an address
(see Appendix iv):
Registration
District Greenwich
Sub-district St Paul's Deptford
Counties
of Kent & Surrey
8 May 1871 Albert Edward [son of] Jabez Wedderburn Scale Maker (Master)
of
9 Deptford Bridge, Deptford [&] Harriet Wedderburn (X) formerly
Bassom
We found the family in
the 1871 census:
Census
2 April 1871
SRD Greenwich, RSD St Paul Deptford
RG 10 289 ED lfol 4r
9 Deptford Bridge
Jabez
Wedderburn
Head mar
45
Scale Maker
Surrey Bermonsey
Harriett Wedderburn
Wife mar
44
do
Kent Road
Harriett Wedderburn
Dau
Un
20
City
London
Robert Wedderburn
Son
Mar
18
City
London
George Wedderburn
Son
16
City
London
James Wedderburn
Son
14
Middx Poplar
Frederick Wedderburn
Son
12
Middx Poplar
Mary Ann Wedderburn Dau
9
Middx Poplar
John Wedderburn
Son
5
Middx Poplar
It was here stated that James and Frederick were born in Poplar, but in 1861 their birthplaces had been given as Islington, which seemed more likely as the family were living in Islington in 1861. London Post Office Directories showed Jabez Wedderburn still at 35 Upper Queen Street, Islington in 1871 but at 9 Deptford Bridge from 1872 to 1877. In 1873 Queen Street, Islington in 1871 but at 9 Deptford Bridge from 1872 to 1877. In 1873 and 1874 he was also at 85 Queen's Head Street, Islington. James (William) Wedderburn, scalemaker (brother of Jabez) was also shown at various addresses:
London
Post Office Directories
1871
James Wedderburn scalemaker
5 Berkley St Lambeth Walk
1872 James Wedderburn
scalemaker 5 Church St Lambeth
1874 James Wedderburn scalemaker 124 Rodney Rd Walworth
At
this point research had to come to a halt. Although we lack absolute proof, it
appears that Jabez Wedderburn's father
Robert can be identified as a tailor of Kingstown, Jamaica, who married
Elizabeth Ryan in London in 1781 and had children Robert, Elizabeth, Maria and
George, all older than Jabez. Before looking at Jamaican sources it would be
prudent to make further efforts to find the baptism of Jabez Wedderburn. Finding
him in the 1841 or 1851 census would be extremely helpful. His eldest daughter
Sophia Phebe married in 1838 and we should look at her marriage certificate to
see where she was living. We should recommend looking at the entry for Mary Ann
Wedderburn noted in the index to St Luke's, Middlesex in 1851, to see if this
was his daughter, as this might reveal further clues. James William Wedderburn
could also be searched for in case his father went to live with him; we have an
address for him in 1871. Further work in directories might also be helpful.
Failing this, further searches could be made in churches around Long Acre for
the baptism of Jabez Wedderburn: Long Acre belongs to the parish of St Martin in
the Fields, which is indexed into the IGI, as is the nearby church of St Paul's,
Covent Garden, but it would be worth checking the original registers for the
years 1796-1798 when Jabez is likely to have been born. Once these sources have
been examined we can then turn to Jamaican sources, which are quite well preserved.
Sources Consulted
Civil Registration
General
Register Office, St Catherine's House, London
Birth
George Alexander Wedderburn 1856
Birth
Albert Wedderburn 1871
Census Returns
Public
Record Office, London
1871
Census Upper Queen Street, Islington (negative)
1871 Census 9 Deptford Bridge, London SE (Jabez and Harriet Wedderburn)
1881 Census Index Hampshire
1881 Census Index Middlesex
1881 Census Index Surrey
1881 Census Index Kent
1881 Census: Upper Queen Street, Islington (negative)
1881 Census: 73 Summer Road, Peckham (Jabez and Ruth Wedderburn)
1881 Census: 108 Commercial Road, Peckham (Robert and Martha Wedderburn)
1881 Census: 46 Blackheath Road, Greenwich (Jabez and Harriet Wedderburn)
1891 Census: 12 Bernard Street, Southampton
Parish
Registers
Guildhall Library
St
Katherine Creechurch Original
Registers Baptisms 1790 - 1811
Marriages 1781
Public Record Office, London
Holborn
Lying-in Hospital Original Registers Baptisms
1786
Probate Sources
Principal
Probate Registry: Indexes 1861-1882; 1915-191'
Will of Jabez Wedderburn 1882
Admon of Jabez William Wedderburn 1916
Probate
Indexes:
Commissary Court of Surrey 1752-1858
Archdeaconry Court of Surrey 1752-1858
Commissary Court of London 1800-1858
Archdeaconry Court of London 1781 onwards
Dean and Chapter of St Paul's 1749-1837
Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1750-1800
Miscellaneous
International Genealogical Index (1992): CD-ROM England & Wales;
Microfiche London/Middlesex
Commercial and Street Directory of London 1871
London Post office Directories 1871 1872 1873
1874 1877