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Most of the information on this page was kindly supplied by Allan and Elizabeth Tansley.
The origins of Peter (1) Tansley are not yet known.
He married Sarah Higgs on October 16th 1797 at St. Leonard, Shoreditch [IGI: Batch M040801]. The latter source spells his surname as Tensley.
Sarah may have been the daughter born on January 13th 1775 to parents James and Ann Higgs and christened at St. Leonard on January 29th 1775 [IGI: Batch C040811]. Or, she may have been the daughter born to parents William and Mary Higgs and christened at Spitalfields Christ Church on September 24th 1775 [IGI: Batch C069692].
They produced at least the eight children listed below, all christened at St. Leonard. Peter's surname is spelled again as Tensley in the IGI record for Joseph [IGI: Batch C040801] but as Tansley for all the subsequent children [IGI: Batch C040802].
Peter (1) was described as a silk manufacturer on the 1846 certificate of the marriage of his son Peter (2) to Mary Ann Deloitte.
Sarah died on December 21st 1837 [Death Index: Whitechapel II 492, 1837 (Dec)]. The death certificate describes her simply as a widow aged 62 and gives her address as 11, Wilkes Street, Christ Church in Spitalfields. The cause of death was inflammation and the informant was her son-in-law William Chapman, in attendance and of the same address. The 1841 Census record for 11, Wilkes Street [PRO Ref: HO107 Piece 710 Book 3 Folio 8 Page 8] seems not to include anyone connected with the family.
Peter (2)'s first wife was Catherine Collins. They married on May 8th 1826 at Christ Church, Greyfriars in Newgate [IGI: Batch M001341]. The latter IGI record misspells his surname as Fansley. The marriage is recorded also in Pallot's Index, spelling his surname correctly. They produced a son Peter (3) Tansley who was born on June 25th 1837 and christened at White Row Independent, Spitalfields on July 23rd 1837. The birth, registered on July 31st, is recorded in Dr. Williams' Library (holding mainly records of Protestant Dissenters) at Red Cross Street in Cripplegate, and was certified by two persons present at the birth - Sarah [nee Higgs] Tansley of 11, Wilk [sic] Street, Spitalfields and David Dodd, Surgeon of 9, Wilderness Row [in Chelsea]. It does not appear in the GRO Birth Index. Peter (2)'s address in the Dr. Williams record was 122, St. John Street in Finsbury. He and Catherine were still at this address in the 1841 Census, together with a child "Angelina Tansley" aged "12" who was probably their niece Angelina Tansley Bathurst. Peter (2) was occupied as a straw plait dealer. Peter (3) was not there, having been sent elsewhere as Catherine was then ill. She died soon afterwards - from pulmonary tuberculosis - on October 3rd 1841 [Death Index: W. London 2 173, 1841 (Dec)]. Peter (2) is recorded as a straw hat manufacturer in the London Post Office Directory for 1841. In 1844, however, he became bankrupt, as announced in The Times on July 6th of that year. On March 12th 1846 he remarried to Mary Ann Deloitte [Marriage Index: St. Geo. Southwark 4 419, 1846 (March)], the grand-daughter of a French emigre Count De Loitte and the sister of William Welch Deloitte, founder of the famous Deloitte firm of accountants. Mary Ann was christened on September 20th 1816 at St. Mary Rotherhithe [IGI: Batch C006253]. The Post Office Directory for 1856 describes Peter (2) as a fruiterer. At other times he was occupied as a straw plait dealer, a straw hat manufacturer and a confectioner. The 1861 Census finds him aged 61 living with Mary Ann and two sons at 16, Essex Street in Shoreditch, occupied as a greengrocer and fruiterer. The 1871 Census finds him aged 71 living with Mary Ann and one son at 223, Hackney Road in St. Leonard, Shoreditch, described as a retired fishmonger. He died aged "73" on February 22nd 1873 [Death Index: Shoreditch 1c 136, 1873 (March)], but Mary Ann outlived him by over 20 years, dying on June 12th 1894 aged "77" [Death Index: Hackney 1b 337, 1894 (June)]. They are both buried - but in separate graves - in the Abney Park Cemetery.
Peter (3) married in 1868 to Henrietta Lloyd [Marriage Index: Shoreditch 1c 320, 1868 (Sept)]. The 1871 Census finds him living with Henrietta and two children at 14, Red Lion Street in St. Leonard, Shoreditch, occupied as a dealer in fish and poultry. He died aged "50" in 1885 [Death Index: Shoreditch 1c 78, 1885 (March)].
Sarah is believed to have married William Murrell. The IGI records his marriage to a Sarah Tansley on May 3rd 1824 at Christ Church, Greyfriars in Newgate [IGI: Batch M001341].
Ann married William Chapman by whom she produced a daughter Caroline Angelina Chapman who was christened at St. Matthew, Bethnal Green on September 28th 1828 [IGI: Batch C046984] and who witnessed the marriage in 1847 of her cousin Angelina Tansley Bathurst. Caroline Angelina remained unmarried and died aged 66 in 1892 [Death Index: Hackney 1b 473, 1892 (March)], being buried on January 19th 1892 at Abney Park Cemetery [Burial No. 087838, Section LO5, Index 3S13].
Angelina (1) is presumed to have died in infancy.
Angelina (2) became the second wife of Robert (2) Bathurst, but died just two years later in 1831 after bearing him two children, including Angelina Tansley Bathurst.
Mary Ann was employed as a housekeeper to a Dublin-born music seller John Keegan in his shop in the Burlington Arcade, Piccadilly. The 1851 Census finds them both living at 3, Burlington Arcade. Her niece Angelina Tansley Bathurst played the piano in the shop for customers. In his Will of March 3rd 1852 John Keegan – who died just over a fortnight later – left his entire estate to Mary Ann.
Alfred was christened at St. Leonard, Shoreditch [IGI: Batch C040802].