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This page draws mostly upon material from documents supplied by Mr. John Bathurst of Quebec from his Collection of Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Records of the Family of Bathurst, and appears here by his kind permission. The John Bathurst Collection [JBC] assigns to each individual Bathurst a unique four-digit reference number prefixed by a #.
Robert (1) Bathurst [JBC: #4986] was born on July 19th 1780 to parents Robert (3) Bathurst and his wife Mary (nee Cash). He was baptized at St. Matthew, Bethnal Green on August 6th 1780.
He married at St. Dunstan, Stepney to Sarah Hitchins on January 30th 1804 [IGI: Batch M055763], being of that parish and of Mile End Old Town. The witnesses were Richard Hitchins and Daniel Price whose connections are unknown.
Sarah may have been the child baptized on January 26th 1783 at St. Michael, Coventry in Warwickshire of parents John Hitchins and his wife Ann. Or, she may have been the child baptized on January 18th 1780 at Holy Trinity, Coventry, being the tenth and last child of parents John Hitchins and Sarah (nee Jolliff), who had married at St. Michael, Coventry on December 19th 1759. Her cited age in the 1851 Census would, if accurate, favour the former (1783) baptism.
London Commercial Directories record that between 1804 and 1818 Robert (1) was variously at Holywell Lane in EC2, George Yard in EC3 and Bryan Street in N1. He was occupied as a weaver in 1814 and as a willow weaver in 1818. In 1826-27 he was a willow hat maker of 12, Great Pearl Street in Stepney's subdistrict of Spitalfields. Great Pearl Street no longer exists as such but corresponded roughly to today's Calvin Street which branches off to the east from Commercial Street (formerly Red Lion Street). In 1835 and 1837 he was a velvet trimmer and willow square manufacturer at this same address.
In 1836 he witnessed the marriage of his daughter Mary Ann (2).
Pigot's Directory of London and its Suburbs, 1839 describes him thus:
Bathurst, Robert
Velvet trimming and willow square maker,
12, Great Pearl Street, Spitalfields
The same Directory further records
Bathurst, Benjamin
Willow square manufacturer,
10, Bacon Street, Shoreditch
There is a strong degree of doubt over this entry, as no suitable candidate for this "Benjamin Bathurst" exists in the known Bathurst pedigrees. It may be that the Directory's compilers made a recording error, such as misrendering "Robt." - referring to Robert (1)'s son Robert (2) - as "Benj." Bacon Street still exists as such and lies about 350 yards north-east of Calvin Street.
The 1841 Census finds Robert (1) and Sarah living at 24, London Terrace in Bethnal Green where he was occupied as a willow hatter, although these words had then been struck out in the schedule - perhaps he had retired. No one else was living with them. The record wrongly indicates that Sarah born in Middlesex.
On February 21st 1843, the day on which his Will was drawn up, he was living in Hackney Road, Bethnal Green, and was described at that time as a "Gentleman"; "Hackney Road" here denotes the district in which London Terrace was situated.
He died aged "65" at 24, London Terrace in the Hackney Road sub-district of Bethnal Green on September 30th 1845 [Death Index: Bethnal Green 2 30, 1845 (Dec)]. The certificate describes him simply as a "Gentleman". The informant, present at the death, was his son Robert (2) of 59, Church Street in Mile End New Town. The cause of death was certified as "natural decay". He was buried aged "65" at the Tower Hamlets Cemetery, City of London on October 9th 1845 [National Burial Index].
His Will was proved on October 16th 1845.
The 1851 Census finds his widow Sarah, described as a "proprietor of houses" aged "66" and born in Warwickshire, living at 8, Sidney Place in Bethnal Green with her grand-daughter Sarah (2) Bathurst, together with the Hardcastle family of her married daughter Mary Ann (2). She died at Stepney in 1857 [Death Index: Stepney 1c 332, 1857 (June)].
According to Pallot's Index of London marriages, Sarah (1) married at Hackney in 1823 to George Lindford. The index does not cite the precise date or the parish. In 1826 she witnessed the marriage of her brother Robert (2). Neither she nor her husband has yet been found in any census. Her known children, who appear generally to have rendered their surname as "Linford" in later life, were:
George Robert "Linford" married Sarah Frost in 1852 [Marriage Index: Islington 1b 305, 1852 (Sept)]. He has not been found in the 1861 Census. The 1871 Census finds him living with Sarah at the Alwyne Castle inn at 83, St. Paul's Road in Canonbury, Islington where he was occupied as a licensed victualler. It is not known whether he had fathered any children. He died aged "50" in 1876 [Death Index: Islington 1b 207, 1876 (June)].
William Walter "Linford" married in 1848 [Marriage Index: Islington 1b 310, 1848 (March)]. The name of his wife is not yet known. He has not yet been found in any census and nothing more is known of him.
Emma Sophia "Linford" married in 1853 [Marriage Index: London 2 143, 1853 (Sept)] to Thomas Hardcastle, younger brother of the husband Edmund John Hardcastle of her cousin Sarah (2) Bathurst. Thomas was born on December 29th 1828 and baptized at St. Leonard, Shoreditch on January 30th 1829 [IGI: Batch C040805]. The 1851 Census finds him as a bachelor aged "22" living with his widowed mother Susannah at Nos. 11 and 12, Little Pearl Street in Christchurch Spitalfields and occupied as a cotton dyer. The 1861 Census finds him with Emma Sophia and four children living at 28, Hay Place in Victoria Road, Shoreditch where he was occupied as a dyer. The 1871 Census finds him with Emma Sophia and six children living at the "Dyer's Shop" 41, Clephane Road in Islington, again occupied as a dyer. He died aged "44" in 1873 [Death Index: Islington 1b 207, 1873 (June)]. In 1875 Emma Sophia remarried to a master boot maker Frederick Blaine [Marriage Index: Shoreditch 1c 341, 1875 (June)]. He was baptized to parents George and Susan on November 9th 1834 at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire [IGI: Batch C072254]. The 1881 Census finds Emma Sophia living in Campsbourne Road, Hornsey with Frederick and three of her children by her former husband. She died aged "59" in 1888 [Death Index: Edmonton 3a 170, 1888 (June)] and Frederick died aged "55" in 1890 [Death Index: Hendon 3a 117, 1890 (Sept)].
Robert John "Linford" married Emma Snow in 1856 [Marriage Index: Bethnal Green 1c 588, 1856 (Sept)]. They married on July 20th 1856 at St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, the register correctly naming Robert's father as George [IGI: Batch M046989]. Robert has not been found in the 1861 Census, but Emma - described as still married - and their three children were then living at 25, Brownlow Street in St. Giles, Finsbury, her birthplace given as Bishopstow, Wiltshire. The 1871 Census finds him with Emma lodging at 25, Blackstone Road in St. John, Hackney, his occupation given as waiter. With him was one daughter and at least one niece. He died aged "70" in 1900 [Death Index: Shoreditch 1c 89, 1900 (June)].
Mary Ann (1) Bathurst was born at George Yard in Shoreditch and died young.
Mary Ann (2) Bathurst married at St. Mary, Islington in 1836 to George Hardcastle. The witnesses were her father and her sister Matilda (2). George, baptized in 1815, was the eldest of at least seven children baptized at St. Leonard during the period 1815-30 of parents John Hardcastle and his wife Susannah. Their second eldest son Edmund John married Mary Ann (2)'s niece Sarah (2), witnessed by Edmund's brother Thomas.