St. Pancras Marriage 1803/Birth 1804/5

[ian55]

Hi inarcadia,

What great finds!! The marriage in Fleet Street 1795, the christening in Old Street 1798 and the second marriage in St Pancras 1803 are all within a reasonably short distance of each other which also adds to the circumstantial evidence.

GEORGE CONSTABLE 1783-1819
As you may have heard scotlandspeople have just put OPR burial/death records online and I have found George Constable died 1 August 1819 at Cupar aged 40 years--Failing. The age is a little overstated but from what else I have found this is likely to be the same man.

He married Margaret Gentle and Banns were read (1) in Edinburgh 15 December 1810 George Constable, Merchant, College Church Parish and Margaret Gentle Parish of Dunkeld daughter of Alexander Gentle, Farmer there and (2) in Dunkeld 10 January 1811 George Constable parish of Cupar in Fife and Margaret Gentle in Dunkeld.

They had two children Catherine Gentle Constable and Margaret Thomson Constable both born in Cupar before his wife Margaret Gentle died in 1814 in Cupar. There is a gravestone at Cupar Parish Church which reads "Erected by George Constable in memory of Margaret Gentle his spouse who died 13 March 1814 aged 32 years". The death of George himself is not mentioned on the gravestone but if he died in 1819 in Cupar it seems likely he was also buried in the same lair.

I am not aware that George had any middle name and I wondered if his hallmark "GC.C" might stand for "George Constable. Cupar".

I will post further info on the other Constable silversmiths later.

Ian55

[ian55]

Hi again inarcadia,

WILLIAM CONSTABLE 1771-1833
This is the older brother of George previously mentioned. It appears that after his second marriage to Margaret McRitchie in London in 1803 he settled in Dundee. On a visit to Dundee Reference Library I found the following which I have copied from an email to the family :-

We found two other interesting books at the library. Firstly there was a book entitled Old Scottish Clockmakers 1453-1850 by John Smith which says that clockmakers (and presumably watchmakers as well) were admitted to the Trade Incorporation of Hammermen and lists:-
William Constable, Dundee 1806
William Constable, Dundee 1812-1828
George Constable, Cupar 1814
Alexander Constable, Dundee 1838.
I could not find an explanation of what the dates meant in the book but perhaps they are dates when they joined the Incorporation. I am assuming that the entries for William are the same man as they seem to fit roughly with his time in Dundee. We know that George was the younger brother of William and that Alexander was the son of William.
 
The second book was a series of annual Trade/Post Office Directories for Dundee the earliest being 1809 which lists:-
William Constable Jeweller High Street
The 1818 edition lists:-
William Constable Jeweller Silversmith and Watchmaker 5 High Street
The 1829/30 edition lists:-
William Constable Jeweller and Watchmaker 7 High Street, House Skirvings Close
The 1834 edition (after William's death) lists:-
Alex. Constable Watchmaker Jeweller and Silversmith 7 High Street
The 1840/41 edition lists:-
Alexander Constable Watchmaker and Jeweller 7 High Street, Home Albert Close Nethergate
The 1842/43 edition lists:-
Mrs William Constable Watchmaker and Jeweller 7 High Street, House Albert Close 37 Nethergate (This suggests that son Alexander had left Dundee by this time)
The last entry for the shop is in 1850:-
Mrs W. Constable Jeweller 7 High Street, House Nethergate
The final entry is in 1858/59:-
Mrs William Constable Rankine's Close Murraygate
 
The other exciting piece of news relates to son Alexander Constable 1810-?? who first erected the gravestone. He was also a Jeweller and was apparently running the family business in Dundee with his mother in the 1841 Census. When he married Ann McLean in Glasgow in 1848 he was said to be a Jeweller residing in Barony Parish Glasgow. I could find no trace of them in Scotland after that, either in the Censuses or Death Certs.
 
However the Will of his mother Margaret McRitchie or Constable who died in 1859 is recorded in the books of Dundee Sheriff Court and has a provision which starts:-
In case my son Alexander Constable who went to California some years ago shall return to Scotland within five years after my decease.....

I hope this is of use to you.

Ian55.

[ian55]

Hi again inarcadia,

ALEXANDER CONSTABLE 1845-1926
This is a different Alexander and is not to be confused with the Alexander 1810- ?? who was the son of William in Dundee.

This Alexander was born in Cupar and was a great-nephew of William and George previously mentioned. According to the book Fife Shopkeepers and Traders 1820-1870 which I saw at Cupar Library he was a Clock/Watch Maker and Jeweller of High Street Kirkcaldy from 1870 onwards but he was initially a working jeweller from Thomas Duncan & Son of Cupar. I see that the Duncans are mentioned in the silver website.

Kirkcaldy Museum hold the ceremonial gold key which was made by Alexander Constable in 1892 for the grand opening of Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy.

If I can be of any further help please let me know.

Ian55

[inarcadia]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for all of that. Very interesting. Well, you seem to have looked in all the same books that I have. You do not list a Dundee Directory for 1841-42 (if one ever existed); there was no copy in the Dundee Archivist's office. And you evidently also have a copy of Margaret Constable's will. Don't you think it's strange that she seems unaware of her son Alexander's marriage? And the import of the Dundee Directories seems to be that Alexander had left the business in Dundee by 1842/43. Perhaps he told a fib about going to California?

I found this on The Scotsman's digital archive:

http://edu.archive.scotsman.com/article.cfm?id=TSC/1851/07/26/Ar00126
Says this (from The Scotsman: Saturday 26th July, 1851)
ELIGIBLE OPENING
JEWELLER, SILVER PLATE, WATCH-MAKING &c
MRS WILLIAM CONSTABLE respectfully intimates to those valued Friends and the Public who so long supported her late Husband, and of late herself, in the above business, that a recent family bereavement has forced upon her the thoughts of giving it up, should a suitable offerer come forward for a Lease of the Shop, and to take Stock, Fixtures, &c, at valuation.
Mrs W.C. hopes her Friends and the Public will accept of her sincere and grateful thanks for all the kindness she has experienced at their hands.
The above business has been successfully carried on for above forty years in the same Shop, No. 7 High Street, Dundee, and a more eligible opening in the Jewellery, Silver Plate, and Watchmaking business rarely occurs. Dundee, it is well known, is one of the most flourishing and increasing towns in the kingdom, and the said Shop is in a first-rate situation.
Those intending to treat will please address to Mrs W. Constable, 7 High Street, Dundee.
Dundee, 3d July 1851.

What I would really like to know would be the names of the journeymen who might have worked in Constable's shop in the late 1820s, early 1830s. But goodness knows how I can find that out. And I would like to know what William Constable was doing in London around 1795. It seems likely that he would have done an apprenticeship in Scotland, but he might have then spent a couple of years learning the business side of things in London (on behalf of his master?).

But I will let you know if and when I turn up anything new.

Thanks again,

inarcadia

[ian55]

Hi inarcadia,

I will start by thanking you for posting the Scotsman advert. As this includes little personal details it is of particular interest to me. I can tell you that in the 1859 Inventory of her Estate there is an item:-

   Proportion of the rent of the shop in High Street Dundee
   belonging to the Deceased occupied by William Alston, Jeweller there
   due at Deceased's death

So it would appear that he bought the business in 1851.

It is my recollection that some of the Dundee Directories were annual and some were bi-annual. I think that 1840-41 and 1842-43 are consecutive volumes.

I only found out about her son Alexander going to California from Margaret Constable's Will. The provision relating to Alexander does go on to at least mention his wife although not by name. Do you have a copy of her Will or did you find out about California from another source?

Alexander is in the 1841 Census at Albert's Court Dundee with his mother and a number of brothers and sisters. His occupation is given as Jeweller. He is also in the 1840-41 Directory but not the next volume which suggests he left Dundee perhaps late 1841 or early 1842. He appears to have been living and working in Glasgow when he married in 1848. As I cannot find him in the 1851 Census or later I think that he did go to California sometime shortly after 1848.

Ian55
                                                                                             

[inarcadia]

Hi Ian,

Yes, I have a copy of Margaret Constable's will and inventory and when I read it for the first time I got the impression that MC did not know whether AC was married or not. But now I look again I find the passage ambiguous:

“. . .and under the real[?] burden of paying the sum of One Hundred pounds Sterling to the widow of the said Alexander Constable in case he shall die during the foresaid space of five years leaving a widow, and in case she shall come to Scotland before the expiration of that period, to claim payment of the foresaid sum.”

I might see if I can get a [Scottish] legal interpretation of that passage.

I realise you are an experienced researcher and unlikely to make simple errors, so can you please tell me how you are certain that the 1848 marriage in Glasgow of an Alexander Constable jeweller is that of MC's son? It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that there would be another jeweller of that name. Are AC's parents named, or his place of birth given on the record?

And thank you for the information about William Alston. Yes, I knew that from MC's will.

Laurence

[ian55]

Hi Laurence,

So far as the Will is concerned I do not think there is anything difficult about the provision for Alexander's wife/widow. The executors would simply hold £100 for five years against the possibility of her turning up within the five year period failing which the executors would then pay the £100 to the other named beneficiaries.

You are quite right to say there is nothing in the marriage entry for Alexander Constable in 1848 to identify him as the son of William Constable and Margaret McRitchie apart from his occupation as a Jeweller which could be a coincidence. Any researcher outside the family might make an educated guess but could not be certain.

However, I have the benefit of the handwritten family tree made c1910 which shows Alexander as the fourth child of the marriage and names his wife as Ann McLean. It does not give dates and does not mention that they had any children.

I concluded that a second coincidence of the bride's name was still not 100% but coupled with their non appearance in later censuses and the mention of going to California in the Will was as close to a certainty as I was going to get.

I can give you a little more about the other people named in the Will later once I check my notes.

Ian55

[inarcadia]

Hi Ian,

Ah yes! I was forgetting the handwritten family tree. That explains it. So I guess William Constable junior, as the only survivor, inherited in the end. I seem to remember his sister Janet (Bruce) died in the same year as her mother. Does that mean you are distantly related through William junior? And how on earth did you find a handwritten family tree (you don't have to tell me).

A shot in the dark: have you ever come across the name James Sturrock, also a silversmith[?], in connection with William Constable in his time as a silversmith in Dundee? There is a maker with the initials JS, whom some take to be James Sturrock of Montrose (and earlier in Dundee). I've found a connection between his (JS's) usual marks and some of the marks used by Constable. Perhaps JS worked as a journeyman in Constable's workshop.

Yes, if you get time I'd be very interested to hear about the other people mentioned in MC's will.

Many thanks,

Laurence

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

The IGI also has,

Jane CONSTABLE
Christening:  01 AUG 1802   Saint Luke, Chelsea, London
Father:  William CONSTABLE 
Mother:  Jane 


I also found this burial,

Jane CONSTABLE
Age:  39
Date of burial: 14 April 1803
Place of burial: Bunhill Fields
Address at death: Lamb's Buildings, Bunhill Row


Possibly William's first wife, seems to be in the right area,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunhill_Fields


Regards
Daisy