London Trade Directory lookup request

[ShaunJ]

Staton had moved to Carlton Street by 1831:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/61866/images/61865_314054001181_18044-00296

[jbml]

Magnificent stuff, Shaun!

[jbml]

He was first made bankrupt in 1831 but the 13 Long Acre mention I found was from 1857.

I think  it's the 1831 bankruptcy I need.

Edgar Spooner was born in about 1813, and according to the Workhouse examination:

* apprenticed age 14 (circa 1827)
* resided with his master at 13 Long Acre for more than 2 years (until circa 1829)
* removed with him to 15 New Bond Street and resided there with him for 12 months (until circa 1830)
* removed again to [blank space in the manuscript] and was there a few weeks

The bankruptcy follows this. So 1831 looks like the right one ... and the 1857 bankruptcy addresses reach back to before the prior bankruptcy.

Great detective work!

[ShaunJ]

Richard Staton land tax record in Bond Street in 1830:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/14608397:2170

[ShaunJ]

...and at 15 New Bond Street in 1830 directories:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/61265/images/47056_302022005561_1196-00397

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/61265/images/47056_263021009499_1432-00026

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/61265/images/47056_263021009499_1432-00546

[jbml]

That's the address we have from the workhouse examination ... so this is our man alright.

Oddly, I've got a London Gazette notice relating to matters in his bankruptcy after the order had been made (1 September 6 September 1831 Issue 18845 page 1828) but none of the normal ones relating to the bankruptcy hearing itself and the making of the Order.

However, this is the earliest bankruptcy order I have yet dealt with, and it is in Chancery rather than the Court for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors; so presumably the procedure and the advertisement requirements under the Act of 6 Geo IV were different ...

[jbml]

Still at 13 Long Acre in 1829 per this baptism record:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/61866/images/61865_314054001181_18131-00474

I can't view the image because I don't have Ancestry; but is that Drusilla Staton, daughter of Richard and Drusilla, baptised at St Martin-in-the-Fields on 16 January 1829?

[ShaunJ]

yes

[jbml]

Brilliant! Thank you.

It's amazing how much useful evidence you can milk out of the bare bones of the parish registers combned with trade directories and the dusty old London Gazette if you mix your metaphors hard enough, isn't it?

I doubt I'm going to find anything on the first 14 years of Edgar's life until his father paid Richard Staton the £20 premium for his apprenticeship and he went to start his apprenticeship; not yet for the 9 years hetween his leaving Richard Staton in July 1831 on account of the latter's bankruptcy and his marrying Jannot Saunders in July 1840.

But for the rest of Edgar's life - once seeminly totally enigmatic - we've now been able to add a LOT of colour. No mere black-and-white portrait for THIS ancestor ...