Giddings brothers Coopers of London from Wiltshire

[AlanWatson]

Hi,

I would very much appreciate your help tracing the ancestors of two brothers Josiah and Benjamin Giddings from Wiltshire who became citizens of London in the guild of coopers in the early 1700s.

My ancestor Josiah Giddings married Letitia, probably Letitia Ironmonger in 1706, St Mary Le Bow. He had probably started a seven year apprenticeship aged about 12 and finished it before his marriage, putting his birth at about 1684. he took apprentice coopers in 1711 and 1717, the year of his death. Letitia took another apprentice in 1724.

Josiah's 1717 will mentioned his daughter Mary and wife Letitia and was proved by his brother Benjamin Giddings also a Cooper. When Mary married,  uncle Benjamin signed the bond.

Benjamin Giddings' apprenticeship document was signed in November 1701 by his father Josiah Giddings of Wiltshire, so Benjamin was probably born in about 1689. He had children Josiah and William (I haven’t traced his wife) and died in 1764.

His will mentioned his children, his sister Marian (I think) Giddings (presumably unmarried)  and his brother in law John Clark.

So I am looking for a Wiltshire father Josiah Giddings who had sons Josiah and Benjamin in about 1684 and 1689 and at least two daughters, one called Marian and one who married John Clark. i can see lots of Josiah Giddingses in Wiltshire, but none whose family matches this.

I would be very grateful for your help. I can supply further information on the brothers' London families.

Alan Watson

[warncoort]

Hello,
On familysearch.org did a sibling search with father Josiah 1675-1695,20 results all in Urchfront.
Missing IGI batches here  http://www.archersoftware.co.uk/igi/
I haven't gone through them all.

[AlanWatson]

Hi,

Many thanks for your suggestion. Just to check that I have done the right thing, I have searched genealogies on family search for people with surname Giddings born in Wiltshire between the dates mentioned with father Josiah Giddings.

I get nine results rather than 20. As you say they are all from Urchfront and they include:

Benjamin christened 16 November 1683
Josiah christened 27 July 1677
Marie christened 13 August 1675

as well as two Johns, Jane, Gracian,  Ann and Alice.

This might well be my family, assuming that Marie and Marian could be the same.

Josiah's age could fit. He would have been 29 when he married and 40 when he died.

But Benjamin is more difficult. He would have been 18 when he started his apprenticeship, which is surely too old, and 81 when he died. I can see this same Christening in the parish records (an index only, on FamilySearch and on Ancestry) but this is the only Christening for a Benjamin Giddings that comes up in England at around that time.

I also can't find any marriages between John Clarks and spouses called Giddings that might fit. There is one in the LDS 'pedigree resource file' but it is for 1695 in Ipswich for a family of Ipswich Giddingses.

I can see various trees on ancestry which have some of this family (but not Benjamin for odd reasons) as children of Josiah Giddings (1642-1705) and Alice Blankett (1645 - ?). These two married in Urchfront in September 1666, which seems consistent with the first birth, and I can see people on Ancestry and FamilySearch tracing Josiah back (parents Cary Giddings & Mary Long). But fixing Josiah and Alice as my parents still seems very difficult.

Others have part of this family belonging to Josiah Giddings and Marie Crook who married in 1674. This may well be right for some of the children listed above but it's obviously too late for Benjamin. At the moment I have no way of knowing which of the children were siblings.

I can see wills of William and Thomas Giddings of Urchfront in 1657 and 1653. William has a son Josiah, but I don't see how this helps me. I can't find a will for a Josiah Giddings at an appropriate time.

In other words, I am still struggling and would welcome more help.



Alan Watson

[ribbo39]

Hi Alan,
The only entries I can find that may help are these marriages in Urchfont;
30-9-1666 Josias Giddings - m - Alice Blankett (d/o William)

15-11-1674 Josias Giddings - m - Marie Crook

Nothing further listed.
Taken from the Wilts FHS CD of Marriages Wilts (Sth East)

Alan

[Lily M]

London & Surrey Marriage Bonds

June 1712 - St.John Wapping

Benjamin Giddings age 27 is to marry
Constant Dunbar (widow) age 22


Constant Munday mar. William Dunbar 1710 St.John Wapping


I can't see any Munday marriages to a John Clark

[Lily M]

There's also

May 1713   John Giddings age 27 of St.John Wapping to marry
Mary Haden