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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => London and Middlesex => Topic started by: Novak20 on Saturday 30 March 19 18:22 GMT (UK)
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I’m trying to trace Annie Sharpe born early 1850s in Clerkenwell.
The earliest definite record I have is her marriage to James Sheridan Johnson in 1879, St Pancras church. She names her father Henry Sharpe, watch maker. I also know she had a younger sister, Jane Sharpe, married to Charles Simpson in St Pancras in 1875. The marriage register does not give details about her father except ‘dead’.
The sisters are living next door to each other in the 1881 census in Clerkenwell: Annie born around 1854 in Clerkenwell, Jane born around 1855 also in Clerkenwell. They are consistent on Clerkenwell and roughly these dates of birth in subsequent censuses.
Because I’m descended through the youngest children of subsequent generations, Annie is in fact only my great grandmother. My grandmother remembered regularly visiting her aunt Jane Simpson in Islington around the 1900s.
Another thing my grandmother recalled: Girling is a family name.
From here things get a little more speculative.
I can find nothing promising in 1871. But in 1861, there’s an Annie and Jane Sharp (9 and 6 respectively) attending the Clerkenwell Workhouse School in Upper Holloway.
I have also found Ann Sharp (b. 1851) and Jane (b. 1854) baptized together in 1855 in St Philip Clerkenwell, living at 29 Noble Street. Their parents are given as Thomas, watchmaker, and Elizabeth. Civil registration records show that Elizabeth’s maiden name is Girling.
So my theory has been that Annie may have misstated her father’s name on the marriage certificate (or the clerk messed up): her father was Thomas, not Henry. But, of course, this isn’t very satisfactory without more evidence.
The recent GRO birth index has pointed me towards some younger children of Thomas & Elizabeth Sharp: James Henry born in 1840 (24 Union Buildings, Shoreditch), Emma in 1842 (20? Brewer Street North, Clerkenwell) and William in 1844 (16 Brewer Street, Clerkenwell). I can’t find their baptisms -- nor can I find these three younger children, or their parents Thomas and Elizabeth, in any census.
Just to make things more complicated, the 1845 Post Office Directory lists a Henry Sharp, watch finisher, at 19 Brewer Street North.
I keep coming back to this line but it’s proving a tough nut to crack. Any thoughts welcome!
Mike
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Will have a look. From the sidebar info it appears your email address may not be working for Rootschat notifications - you may want to check that?
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1841 census
Brewer St, Clerkenwell
Henry Sharp 28 Watch m. N [“Donn” Sharp on Ancestry’s index]
Elizabeth do 27 Y
James do 1 Y
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You refer to “younger children” but of course the three 1840s children are older than Ann & Jane.
Is this the full list of birth registrations then?
James Henry Sharp mmn Girling, Mar qtr 1840 Shoreditch
Emma Sharp mmn Girling, Sep qtr 1842 Clerkenwell
William Sharp mmn Girling, Dec qtr 1844 Clerkenwell
Ann Sharp mmn Girling, Jun qtr 1851 Clerkenwell
Jane Crookshank Sharp mmn Girling, Mar qtr 1855 Clerkenwell
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Marriage
8 Feb 1837 (how annoying a few months too soon)
Elizabeth Girling to Thomas Phillips Sharp
Place London. No church on index.
Added, ow Ancestry finally letting me in, church was St Clements , Eastcheap
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Looking at that gap in births, might Thomas have died c 1845 and his brother Henry took over the business and his sister in law?
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I am pretty confident it is Henry with Elizabeth in 1841 (despite the transcriber’s difficulty with it).
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Death?
SHARP, ELIZABETH
Age 45
Q3 1859 CLERKENWELL Volume 01B Page 343
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Re reading your post, do I understand you do have all the birth certs and they all have the father as Thomas?
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I am pretty confident it is Henry with Elizabeth in 1841 (despite the transcriber’s difficulty with it).
It might say Thom
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Yes but I can see a descender from the “y” of Henry (reaching the L of Elizabeth). Although fainter, it looks very much like another Henry further up the page.
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Thanks everyone -- here's the full list taken from civil registration (and yes, I should have written 'older' siblings):
James Henry Sharp, Thomas Phillips & Elizabeth, watch finisher, 24 Union Buildings, Hackney Road. Born 25 Jan 1840, reg. 11 Feb 1840.
Emma Sharp, Thomas & Elizabeth, watch maker, 20? Brewer Street North, St James Clerkenwell. Born 19 Aug 1842, reg 29 Sep 1842.
William Sharp, Thomas Sharp & Elizabeth, watch finisher, 16 Brewer Street. Born 7 Oct 1844, reg. 5 Nov 1844.
Ann Sharp, Thomas & Elizabeth Girling, watch finisher, 3 Taylor’s Row Clerkenwell. Born 24 Feb 1851, reg. 7 Apr 1851.
Jane Crookshank Sharp, Thomas & Elizabeth, labourer, 29 Noble Street Clerkenwell. Born 23 Dec 1854, reg. 3 Feb 1855.
All give Elizabeth as formerly Girling. The first entry also gives Thomas' middle name 'Phillips' which confirms the 1837 marriage.
The Henry Sharp family on Brewer Street is 1841 is definitely suggestive -- but they seem otherwise pretty elusive as well. (I had a fanciful thought that Thomas might have called himself 'Henry' to confuse creditors!).
Thanks Mabel: I have that death record for an Elizabeth Sharp at Clerkenwell Workhouse 27 Jul 1859, age 45. Possibly this is Elizabeth Girling.
I haven't found a likely death record for a Thomas but there may have been some precipitous decline in the family's circumstances in the 1850s leading to Annie and Jane at the workhouse school by 1861. The birth registration for Jane gives Thomas' trade as 'labourer', possibly indicating that he was struggling.
avm228: the email and messaging seems to be fine but I can't remove that message about my email not working.
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OK so they should be in Taylor’s Row for the 1851 census (30 March 1851).
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Hmmm.
1851 census: 3 Taylor’s Row, Clerkenwell
Henry Culshaw Unm 35 Watchmaker’s finisher Manchester.
HO07/1519/49/29.
Perhaps the Sharps were away from home. How frustrating.