The Tomkins of Abingdon

[K Rees]

Seeking help from someone with a similar interest and who may have access to Abingdon baptisms and marriage records of the Tomkins' families.

I am trying to link the Tomkins of Abingdon, maltsers, bankers with the Tomkins of London, maltsers, bankers, merchants, as records show that a Benjamin Tomkins (b 1730) of Abingdon and of Bread Street, London was a linen draper. My ancestor Samuel Tomkins (c.1756) was also a linen draper of Bread Street and later carpet merchant of Carpenter's Hall, London.

The issue, if and how were they related when Benjamin Tomkins of Abingdon was a baptist and Samuel Tomkins' father Nicholas Tomkins was a Quaker!

I do not have access to the Tomkins of Abingdon papers now in the library at Oxford University. I am sure there would be some answers there.

Maybe some has access to Abingdon records of the Tomkins which may help to see who married who!

Or someone reading this message may have an interest in helping research this topic!
Keith (Australia)

[ribbo39]

Hi Keith,

I have a copy of the transcripts for the Abingdon churches  (ex OFHS) and cannot find a Benjamin Tomkins baptism about 1730.
 
In the same parish there are no less than 7 burials for "Benjamin Tomkins"between 1720 & 1784;
11-3-1720 a glover,
5-5-1731 s/o Bargemaster,
9-5-1732 Mr,
11-1-1736 Mr,
29-4-1752 Mr,
5-8-1753  (London),
13-2-1784 Mr.

There were no entries in St.Michael,
and only one in St.Nicholas and that was for;
 (no date) 1697 Sarah Tomkins d.o Benjimin & Elener [sic] born July 25
This entry is between 31-8 and 16-10-1697

Where did you the the  year of birth from?

Alan

[K Rees]

Thank you Alan for your reply.
1782:  London Gazette notice
A notice appeared in the London Gazette May 30, 1782. It read:
If Benjamin Tomkins, formerly of Bread Street, London, linen draper, who afterwards resided at Hackney in the County of Middlesex, will send a line addresses to Mr. John Fawler at Temple Exchange Coffee House, Fleet Street, London appointing a time and place in or near London, when and where he be spoke to in person, aa an interview will be upon Business of Consequence.

We had thought that he was the same Benjamin Tomkins who:

Marriage for St. Stephens, Coleman Street   
Benjamin Tomkins of the Parish of Abingdon, in the County of Berks, Bachelor, and Sarah Tomkins of this Parish, spinster, were married by Licence this twenty-seventh day of December in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty six by me, A. Webster, Vicar.
         Signed: Benjamin Tomkins and Sarah Tomkins
         Witnesses: Joseph Tomkins and Eliz. Tomkins
Thus we estimated his birth c1730

I will use what you have sent plus a number of Wiil summaries to see if I can get a better time of his birth.

Thank you,

Keith

[K Rees]

Allan
If only they used second names!
Burials of Mr. Benjamin Tomkins
Some replies to your finds:
Mr. Benjamin Tomkins bd 9/5/1732
I had him dying 1/5/1732 so if he was buried 8 days after death then maybe a transcription error with 1 and 9. Age in 68 year, so I make him born c1669.
I have his wife as Elizabeth .... died 15/12/1739 with a Will proved in 1743. He was a maltser of Abingdon. I am sure that he was the one that built Stratton House in 1722 for his daughter and the Elm Houses.
For you next entry Mr. Benjamin Tomkins buried 11/1/1736, I make him to be the son with a Will proved 15/3/1736. He was left Radley House and houses in Ock Street.

Maybe your entry 13/2/1784 for Mr. Benjamin Tomkins is the former linen draper of Bread Street, with the notice searching for him two years earlier was late of Hackney.
 Have you a burial entry for John Tomkins who died c1718, as I think that he is another brother of the above first Benjamin Tomkins, as I already have about 12 possible chn for him. I have his Will written in 1706 but not proved until 1720.

Keith

[ribbo39]

Keith,

No joy regarding John Tomkins burial in Abingdon St.Helens. There are unfortunately 15 "Tomkins" buried between 1719 to 1779 with no first names. The only ones that I think may be of interest are;
16-10-1723 Tomkins    -    wid, gloveress[sic]
10-12-1731 Tomkins    -    W, Ben sen bur Ock St [sic]

I should have stated that the burials I listed earlier for the years , 1732,1736 & 1784 were in Ock St.
The one for 1753 had nothing apart (london)

Alan

[K Rees]

Thank you Alan
The confirmation of the three dates as for Ock St also meet my "guesses".

There were a few too many intermarriages which doesn't help.

One good thing was that these people certainly looked after their relatives in their Wills. Only trouble was that too many had the same christian names.

Keith

[DebbieG]

Hi Keith

Have you seen the book 'Abingdon an 18th Century Country Town' by Mieneke Cox?   it has several bits about the Tomkins family in Abingdon.

Bits from -

In 1722 Benjemin Tomkins built Stratton House opposite the corner of Boar and Broad street,  this Benjemin was married to Sarah and their initials were over the doorway.  1728 he built a loarger house in Ock Street and his son Benjemin the younger took over Stratton House.  Sarah died in December 1731 and is buried in the Baptist burial ground,  Benjemin followed her in  January 1733  .......  then there is a lot about his will which you have.

Further on it says the son Benjemin and his brother Joseph continued their father's malt trade until Benjemin the younger died in 1737,  leaving Joseph the senior Tomkins in Abingdon.  Joseph died in 1753 and his sons Joseph & William continued the business with their cousin Benjemin.

Unfortunatly it doesn't seen to state for deffinate the parentage of the cousin Benjemin who is reffered to in the index as Benjemin Tomkins III.

Benjemin III is still alive in 1780 when he attended a meeting about poor law reform in the town.  Further on it says that this trio set up the Tomkins Abingdon bank in 1777


About John it says - John Tomkins one of Abingdons leading Baptists started off as a leather worker and at hes death in 1708 left £6,000 as well as lands and a malthouse,  his son Benjemin expanded the malting business and had his own wharf to ship malt to London at his death in 1733 he was one of the wealthiest men in Abingdon.

The Tomkins Almshouses are still there and in use today.

Hope you find this interesting

DebbieG

[K Rees]

Thank you Debbie

Yes, another lady called Carol and I are trying to make head of the various info, for eg you now have presented us with the "main" Benjamin Tomkins as having a wife called Sarah. Some Wills had indicated Elizabeth, eg Probate of Ben Tomkins of Abingdon Maltser of Abingdon written 28 Jan 1734/5 Proved 15/3/1736/7 where his wife Elizabeth was to get a property at Radley and son Benjamin was to inherit Radly and house in Ock Street with Malthouse and other houses in Ock Street; Martha to get malthouse in Peeks Land, Abingdon and daughter Elizabeth house and brew house in Stert Street.

Carol and I need to try mapping out all our information again.

The wharf that you mentioned is also a good clue as yet another Benjamin Tomkins, a maltser liver in Upper Thames Street, London which seems to be close to the river; however he died 1817, so we are yet to determine his father. Yes, his son Benjamin takes over the malters business in Upper Thames Street.

Carol and I actually descend from the Samuel Tomkins of Bread Street, line draper /carpert merchants/ joiners but we think that the two lines intermingle as our line also have bankers and stock brokers, like the Abingdon branch when they were brewing!!!!!

Keith

[DebbieG]

I should point out that as nearly all of the Abingdon Tomkins were Baptists - you are unlikly to find baptisms for them in the Church of England registers,  we are fortunate that the clerk at St Helens was quite good at noteing burials in the Ock Street burial ground,  which was the baptist burial ground (donated by the Tomkins family I believe)  at least in the earlier years, though they may not be complete - hence the missing one of John 1718ish, later I think this practise was discontinued.  It is lucky that several of them left wills  as church records for them will be difficult

DebbieG