Rice LEWIS Would appreciate any advice on my research

[Lily M]

Thank you maddy 😊

I find it interesting that Rice managed to question the prisoner.  Is he the gardener from Isleworth, or a solicitor?  Father or son?
Like you, I’m surprised at the amount of Rice Lewises.  The name is particularly common in Wales.

[hanes teulu]

"Additional Lists of Attornies & Solicitors, Admitted in Pursuance of the late Act, For the better Regulation of Attornies and Solicitors.
Publication Date - 1731


Person's Names and Abode - Rice Lewis of the Parish of St Buttolph's without Aldersgate, London, Gent

When Introduced or Entered - 30 Nov 1730

Possible subsequent employment?
Chamberlayne's "Magnae Britanniae notitia; The Present State of Britain &c ..." 1735, 1736 and 1737 editions and Miege's 1738 edition -

Court of Chancery
Examining Clerks
Six clerks recorded including a "Mr Rice Lewis"

[hanes teulu]

Might be worth checking out "Court of Chancery - Six Clerks"

Ignore - it just happens there were 6 "Examining Clerks" in Chancery - the "Six Clerks in Chancery" were something else.

[Lily M]

Is there any mention of him past 1737?  There’s this burial for St.James, Clerkenwell.  Rice Lewis 27/11/1737 aged 52.

Was his son, Rice, the one who was apprenticed to a clockmaker, at Clerkenwell, in 1736?

There’s also a burial for a Martha Lewis 16/09/1731 at St.Botolph, Aldersgate.

None of this gives us Martha’s maiden name though.

[hanes teulu]

He's in Miege's 8th edition printed 1738 - yet to determine the "cut off date" covered by this edition.
The next edition I have access to is Chamberlayne's  34th edition published 1741. A "Rice Lewis" is not recorded as an Examining Clerk - 4 of his former colleagues are.

[StevieSteve]

According to my guide to the National Archives...

For an attorney, one should first look for the original articles of clerkship via an index ref CP 5.

For a solicitor, the main records for Chancery are the Petty Bag Office Rolls in ref C 216.

They Weren't available on line in 2006, dunno if different now

[jim234j]

Thank you all for your replies and thank you Maddie for the Newspaper clippings which are invaluable in my estimation.

This is what I think so far.
Rice Davis and Martha marriage.  The records for this marriage are likely destroyed or missing.  As Steve said if they were married in Isleworth the records for this church were fire damaged and I have a feeling that is where they married because of Maddy's newspaper clippings but it also paper's there were two Rice Davis in the newspaper clippings.

The first lived in Isleworth and was involved in horticulture.

The second lived in Southwark and was a Leathermaker and according to the death notice clipping  (1767) the Foreman of the Leet Jury. 

Rice and Martha's first born Rice was baptized 1720 so none  the clippings cannot refer to him.  I am fairly certain he apprenticed as a watchmaker.

If my view on this is correct my feeling is the second Rice Davis would be ancestor due to where his children were baptized as the two churches involved were very close to Southwark.

I also was very surprised at the number of Rice Davis there were in London at the time.

I know my thoughts are all speculation but does it seem that I am on the right track and there are 2/3  Rice Davis in this thread and the second one is "likely" mine for the reason given which is likely very weak.

Thank you all for your help.  It is very much appreciated and I am learning a great deal about London records and good resources.

Jim

[StevieSteve]

Whoa, I thought Rice & Martha's firstborn was in 1720, where did 1754 come from?

[jim234j]

Whoops a typo on my part.   It was indeed 1720.  I changed it in my previous post for the correct date.
Thanks Steve

Jim