William Matthews (MFFMF)
 

Name - William Matthews
Date and place of birth - 23 June 1769, Shoreditch, Middlesex
Names of parents - Thomas Matthews and Elisabeth (Green)
Date and place of baptism - 11 July 1769, St Leonard, Shoreditch
Details of each of his or her marriages -
1) Unknown - named as widower on 2nd marriage record
2) Esther Hodges, by licence (bride a minor but no licence found) 24 Dec 1818, St Lukes, Finsbury, Middlesex.
Occupation(s) - Writer and Guilder (their spelling, not mine!)
Addresses where they lived -
1819 - 1826 Chapel St, Shoreditch, Middlesex
1827 - Dorset Crescent, Shoreditch, Middlesex
Date, place and cause of death - June 1829, Baldwin St, Shoreditch (child born posthumously baptised in St Leonards from same address)
Date and place of burial - 27 June 1829, St Luke, Old St, Finsbury, Middlesex
Details of will / administration of their estate - none found
Memorial inscription - if any

That's strange, Sue - have you seen there is another marriage between William Mathews and Esther Hodges? 23 March 1818 at Camberwell St Giles, widower and spinster, the signatures match the other one, but this one is by Banns and it doesn't mention her being a minor. Witnesses Richd Rickwood (or Rickword?) and Sophia Taylor. Groom's surname is given as Mathews (with one t) at the top of the entry but his signature says Matthews.

I think it's a huge coincidence Kate. If you do a search on London Baptisms for children of William and Esther Matthews most of them are "mine" ie Shoreditch/St Lukes areas but there is one in Newington at almost exactly the same date as one of my lot, if you see what I mean.....

No, but the signatures are the same; I'm sure it's the same couple.

Hmmm, I see what you mean. The signatures are very similar! I wonder if the first marriage was illegal because she was minor and they had to do the deed again. Their first child was born in January 1819 which would tie in with the first marriage too (not that a marraige when she was 8mths pregnant is beyond the realms of possibility!)

Sorry nothing to add, but I got quite excited about this one, but my William Matthews from Bethnal Green/Spitalfields was born about 25 years later! but he did get married in Newington.

I checked very carefully when you posted your William Matthews too :d

Very exciting! Recently found a couple of indentures for William one of which names his father. I then found a Will for Thomas which left houses in Chapel St, Shoreditch (where William's children were baptised) to William.

Sue, I'm very pleased for you. Where did you get the indentures from? LMA?
I hope you can get further back.

I had found one indenture when they first became available on Ancestry, the other only came to light on The Freedom of the City of London records when I looked more closely at one previously discounted! Apparently he was originally bound to a Merchant Taylor, then released and bound again to a Painter Stainer. The first indenture names his father.

Although I've found Thomas' probable marriage I doubt if I'll get any further back. I can't find an indenture for him (he was a weaver, although he claimed to be a Gentleman in in his Will!) and it's a very common name. If I could find his parents I'd be able to post in this weeks TO5GP! That thread certainly focusses the mind - I doubt if I'd have been looking at William again without that prompt.