See also
Name:
Mary Priscilla Harman1
Sex:
Female
Father:
Mother:
Birth:
25 Sep 1789
Address: her parents home in New Street
Baptism:
25 Oct 1789 (age 0)
St George-in-the-East Church5
Address: Tower Hamlets, Middlesex
Religion:
frm 25 Oct 1789 to 1847 (age 0-58)
member of the Church of England6
Because her surname at birth is unknown it has not been possible to trace her baptismal record. However as she as married in a Church of England church she must have been baptised into the Church of England.
Occupation:
frm 1811 to 1845 (age 21-56)
blacksmith which is an extremely unusual trade for a woman; Whitechapel, Middlesex7 8
She is shown as a blacksmith which is an unusual trade for a woman in the 1841 Census. How she became a blacksmith is not known but she may have started by assisting her first husband. She is not shown as blacksmith on her Death Certificate but a contributing factor to her death was asthma which she may have contracted by inhaling coke fumes from the forge
spouse:
btw 1811 and 1815 (age 21-26)
Death of spouse
Residence:
frm Dec 1815 to Apr 1847 (age 26-57)
where [PF] worked as a silk weaver. The first indication of where they lived after their marriage in Bethnal Green in Dec 1815 is from the baptism of their first son Abraham George in Apr 1825 which took place in St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch, just to the north of Spitalfields. Their address is not recorded but they must have lived in the parish. The first specific address comes from the baptism of their sons George and Clement Harman in September 1828 when they are shown as living in Montague Street in Whitechapel. By December 1830 they had moved to Crown Court, Little Pearl Street, Spitalfields, which is the address recorded in the Baptismal Register for the baptism of their son Thomas at Christ Church. In the 1841 Census they are shown as living in Bell Court which was one of the courts off Wheler Street in Spitalfields. They were still living there when Mary died in April 1847.
The way in which they moved around has been plotted on a map of the area.
Parent:
4 Apr 1825 (age 35)
Baptism of son Abraham George
Parent:
28 Sep 1828 (age 39)
Baptism of son George
Parent:
28 Sep 1828 (age 39)
Baptism of son Clement Harman
Parent:
20 Dec 1830 (age 41)
Baptism of son Thomas
Death:
7 Apr 1847 (age 57)
her home12
Cause: asthma which she had had for 10 years and dropsy which she had had for 9 months
Address: 19 Bell Court, Wheler Street, Spitalfields, Whitechapel, Middlesex
Dropsy is an old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. There are many causes; one cause is congestive heart failure in which the heart's function as a pump to deliver oxygen rich blood to the body is inadequate to meet the body's needs and it is just possible that her asthma and consequent shortage of breath may have brought about this condition.
Jean Garvie was present at her death. She lived in Oxford Street, Stepney which was just over half a mile away. A search of the 1841 Census produced a Jane Garvey who was 17 at the time so would have been 23 when Mary died. However it has not been possible to establish a relationship between Mary and Jean (Jane) but it is possible that they were related.
Death Registration:
15 Apr 1847
the Register Office13
Address: for Whitechapel
Jean Garvie who was present at her death lived in Oxford Street, Stepney which was just over half a mile away from where Mary died. A search of the 1841 Census produced a Jane Garvey who was 17 at the time so would have been 23 when Mary died. However it has not been possible to establish a relationship between Mary and Jean (Jane) but it is possible that they were related. Why her death was not reported by her husband Abraham is not known but possibly Jean had been helping to look after Mary.
1841, 1841 Census for Household of Abram Thornton
Spouse:
Children:
Marriage:
13 Dec 1815 (age 26)
St Matthew's Church14
Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex
The marriage register entry shows that Mary was a widow although she was only 23 at the time. The two witnesses, Francis Rooney and J P Nilk, do not appear to be related to the couple although it is remotely possible that one of them may have been related to Mary. A search of the FamilySearch (LDS) website and the 1841 census indicates that a few Rooneys of Irish origin were living in the Whitechapel area which borders Bethnal Green where they were married. So it is possible that Francis Rooney was a friend. A search on the name Nilk produced a blank.
Census for household:
6 Jun 1841 (age 51)
Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex15
Address: Bell Court, Christ Church
The household consisted of Abram, his wife Mary and their children Abram, George and Thomas aged 18, 14 and 10 respectively. There was also a William Thornton living in the house who, at the age or 24, is the oldest child but is listed last. As children are normally listed eldest first and the first born boy was normally named after his father this makes the relationship to Abram uncertain (the 1841 Census does not give relationship information). However, for lack of any other evidence he has been treated as Abraham's and Mary's son. Abram's trade is given as a weaver and he probably worked in the silk making industry which was centred on Spitalfields. Many of his neighbours had occupations connected with weaving. Mary is shown as a blacksmith which seems incredible for a woman. There is no corroborating evidence.
Spouse:
Marriage:
1810 (est) (age 20-21)
Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex
The only evidence for this marriage comes from the register entry for Mary's marriage to Abraham Thornton on 13 December 1815 where her condition is given as a widow. An extensive search for a record of the marriage detailed in Search for First Marriage of Mary Priscilla Bolitho failed to produce a record and it can only be concluded that if she was a widow when she married Abraham that her first marriage took place some time between 1804 and 1813. 1810 has been selected as a median date. The fact that she was a widow is reinforced by the fact that no Baptismal Record can be found for a Mary Priscilla Bolitho. According to the 1841 Census she was born in Middlesex so it is assumed that is where the marriage took place probably in St Mathew's Church, Bethnal Green as everything else in her life happened in Bethnal Green and at the time of her marriage St Matthew's was the only church in Bethnal Green. How she came to meet her first husband is not known. Bolitho is a Cornish name so it is assumed that he came to Bethnal Green looking for work although a small number of Bolithos had lived in the area for some time.
In the Register entry for her marriage to Abraham George Thornton in December 1815 she is shown as a widow with the surname Bolitho. No record of her marriage to a Bolitho could be found so her maiden name was unknown. However, it was noticed that her third son had been baptised with the Christian names of Clement Harman. (Her first two sons had been named Abraham George and George after their father.) Harman is an unusual Christian name so it was thought that it may have been her maiden surname. A search for the baptism of a Mary Priscilla Harman produced a result considered reasonable with regard to the area and birth year calculated from the age given in her Death Certificate.18 19
Abraham and Marey married in Dec 1815. The 1841 Census lists 3 definite children, Abraham George (b. 1824), George (b. 1825) and Thomas (b. 1828) who were confirmed as theirs through baptismal records. There was also a William Thornton (b. 1817) living with them but it has not been possible to establish his relationship to Abraham and Mary. He is probably their child although he was listed after the other children despite being the oldest and it was normal practice to list the oldest child first. Subsequently another child Clement Harman (b. 1825) was found through baptismal records. This leaves a gap of 9 years (Dec 1815 to Oct 1824) between their marriage and the birth of their first definite child during which they probably lived in the Spitalfields area. As it seems unlikely that they did not have any children during this period there are two possibilities. Either the children had left home (a child born 1 year after they married would have been 24 or 25 at the time of the 1841 census) or they had died.
Tracing the former is difficult as it means ploughing through baptismal records of churches in the area in which they lived. It is evident from existing records that they moved frequently so the records of a number of likely churches have to be examined. In an effort to determine whether any children had died FreeBMD was searched for Thornton deaths in Middlesex from Sep 1837 (when registration started) to Dec 1841. The FamilySearch (LDS) website was then searched for baptismal records of children with the Christian names thrown up by the death registrations and parents names of Abraham and Mary who were baptised between 1815 and 1825. This produced 2 possibilities:-
NameChurchBirthBaptismParent's names
Mary ThorntonSion Chapel3 Aug 181612 Jan 1817Abraham and Mary
Union Street
Lady Huntingdons
Mile End Old Town
Shoreditch
John ThorntonSt Mary1 Nov 1818Abraham and Mary
Whitechapel
Both of these are considered unlikely as the baptismal registers for the baptism of their known children which took place in C of E churches always give the full names of the parents, i.e. Abraham George and Mary Priscilla. It is therefore concluded that they almost certainly had children between between Dec 1815 to Oct 1824 but had not had them baptised and that they had either died before September 1837 or had left home left home.
As far as can he determined // Bolitho and Mary Priscilla Harman had no children.
Rev. Joshua King Rector of St. Matthew's Church, Bethal Green, Register Entry for Marriage of Abraham George Thornton and Mary Priscilla Bolitho, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Marriages 1815, Page 186, No. 468; Bride Mary Priscilla BOLITHO. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: Not Recorded.
Census 1841 Census for Household of Abram Thornton in Whitechapel, Middlesex, (Ancestry.co.uk). Custom Id: HO107/710 Book1, Folio 15, Page 22; Mary Thornton age 49 born in the County (Middlesex). National Archives. Call Number: HO107/710/1.
General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Mary Thornton, (Jack's Certificates). Custom Id: DYB 939272; Mary Thornton age57 wife of Abram Thornton. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk, Call Number: Deaths Apr-Jun 1847.
J P W Ward, Search for First Marriage of Mary Priscilla Bolitho (nee --?--), Subject: First Marriage of Mary Bolitho, (Jul 2008 Updated May 2022). See \\Hpserver\family history\Dowell-Lauderdale\Certificates & Registers\Marriage\Bolitho\Bolitho, Mary Priscilla (79). Dowell-Lauderdale Database.
Parish Register for Baptism of Mary Priscilla Harman, St George-in-the-East, Tower Hamlets, 25 October 1789, London Metropolitan Archives.
Rev. Joshua King Rector of St. Matthew's Church, Bethal Green, Register Entry for Marriage of Abraham George Thornton and Mary Priscilla Bolitho, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Marriages 1815, Page 186, No. 468; Mary Priscilla was married in St Mathew's Church, Bethnal Green, according to the rites of the C of E. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: Not Recorded.
Census 1841 Census for Household of Abram Thornton in Whitechapel, Middlesex, (Ancestry.co.uk). Custom Id: HO107/710 Book1, Folio 15, Page 22; Mary Thornton age 49. Trade Blacksmith. Cit. Date: 6 June 1841. National Archives. Call Number: HO107/710/1.
General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Mary Thornton, (Jack's Certificates). Custom Id: DYB 939272; Cause of death. Cit. Date: 7 April 1847. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk, Call Number: Deaths Apr-Jun 1847.
Rev. William Stone, Register Entry for Baptism of Thomas Thornton Christ Church, Spitalfields, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1830, Page 14, No. 111; Residence of parents Crown Court, Lower Peal Street, Spitalfields. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P93/CTC1/206-213.
Rev. Robert Saxby, Register Entry for Baptism of Abraham George Thornton, 4 Apr 1825 St Leonard, Shoreditch, Middlesex, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1825, Page 18, No. 139; Church or Chapel St LeonardParish ShoreditchFull Name Abraham George THORNTONResidence Webb SquareDate of Baptism 04 Apr 1825. Guildhall Library, Aldermanbury,LONDON,EC2P 7HH. Tel: 020 7332 1862 / 020 7332 1863.
Rev. D. Mathias Rector St Mary's Church, Whitechapel, Baptism of George Thornton at St. Mary's Church, Whitechapel, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: St Mary's Church Whitechapel Baptisms 1828 Page 83; Church or Chapel St MaryParish WhitechapelFull Name George THORNTONResidence Montague StreetDate of Baptism 28 Sep 1828. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P93/MRY1/003, 005, 071-08.
General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Mary Thornton, (Jack's Certificates). Custom Id: DYB 939272; Cit. Date: 7 April 1847. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk, Call Number: Deaths Apr-Jun 1847.
Ibid. Date registered. Cit. Date: 7 April 1847. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk, Call Number: Deaths Apr-Jun 1847.
Rev. Joshua King Rector of St. Matthew's Church, Bethal Green, Register Entry for Marriage of Abraham George Thornton and Mary Priscilla Bolitho, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Marriages 1815, Page 186, No. 468; Cit. Date: 13 December 1815. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: Not Recorded.
Census 1841 Census for Household of Abram Thornton in Whitechapel, Middlesex, (Ancestry.co.uk). Custom Id: HO107/710 Book1, Folio 15, Page 22; Cit. Date: 6 June 1841. National Archives. Call Number: HO107/710/1.
Rev. Joshua King Rector of St. Matthew's Church, Bethal Green, Register Entry for Marriage of Abraham George Thornton and Mary Priscilla Bolitho, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Marriages 1815, Page 186, No. 468; Mary Priscilla Bolitho's condition when she married Abraham George Thornton on 13 December 1815 is given as a widow. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: Not Recorded.
Census 1841 Census for Household of Abram Thornton in Whitechapel, Middlesex, (Ancestry.co.uk). Custom Id: HO107/710 Book1, Folio 15, Page 22; The 1841 census indicates that Mary, who was then married to Abraham Thornton, was born in Middlesex. National Archives. Call Number: HO107/710/1.
Rev. Joshua King Rector of St. Matthew's Church, Bethal Green, Register Entry for Marriage of Abraham George Thornton and Mary Priscilla Bolitho, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Marriages 1815, Page 186, No. 468; Abraham George Thornton, Bachelor, married Mary Priscilla Bolitho, Widow. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: Not Recorded.
J P W Ward, Search for First Marriage of Mary Priscilla Bolitho (nee --?--), Subject: First Marriage of Mary Bolitho, (Jul 2008 Updated May 2022). The search for her first marriage was unsuccessful. Dowell-Lauderdale Database.