The “John Orange and Ann(e)” Problem

Sue Law & Jacqueline Roberts

1. The Johns (primary sources) - page 2

2. The known John marriages (primary sources) - page 5

3. The offspring (primary sources) - page 6

4. The locations - page 17

5. Map – page 20

6. Given name analysis & timeline – page 21

7. East of London Religious Centres open in the C18th – page 23

8. Conclusions – page 31

8. References - page 33

Acknowledgements

IGI Entries courtesy of Church of LDS

Transcripts from Parish Registers courtesy Jacqueline Roberts & Dawn Orange

Grid references from Multimap.com

Abbreviations:

HSLQ = Huguenot Society of London Quarto Series

LMA = London Metropolitan Archives

GL = Guildhall Library

mf = microfiche/film

1. The Johns

Name	IGI Record	Parish Transcripts	Notes and other sources
Jean Pierre	Ch: 21 JUN 1719 Bell Lane And Browns Lane And Marche Church French, Stepney Father: JEAN ORANGE Mother: MARTHE Extracted birth or christening record.... Batch No.: C049161	MARCHE FRENCH CHURCH Orange, Jean Pierre f. de Jean et de Marthe Orange bap par Mr. Holland... (HSLQ45)	Married Martha Catherine Compigne, possibly a second marriage for her (c.f. JP Orange m MC Pillon 1742).
John	Ch: 20 NOV 1721 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Father: PAUL ORANGE Mother: MARY Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055773	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 20 Nov 1721 John son of Paul Orange of BG weaver and Mary 28 days old (LMA mf 24/15)	?Grandson of Phillipe Siblings b. B.G. Note: St Matthew’s BG not founded till 1743
John	Christening: 01 MAY 1727 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Death: 16 AUG 1727 Father: JNO ORANGE Mother: ELIZABETH Extracted birth or christening record … Batch No.: C055774	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 1 May 1727 John son of Jno Orange of BG weaver and Elizabeth 12 days, DIED; int. 16 Aug 1727 (LMA mf 24/15)	Died Young
Jean Baptiste	Birth: 01 APR 1728 Christening: 21 APR 1728 The Artillery - French Huguenot, Spitalfields Father: JEAN ORANGE Mother: MARTHE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049051	ARTILLERY FRENCH CHURCH 1728, 21 Av. Jean Baptiste f de Jean et de Marthe; bap par M. Pierre Gelly. P. Jean Baptiste Achain. M. Susanne Bonneau. Ne 1 Av. Tem. S. Bono (HSLQ42)	Married Marie Anne Pretrel 1748 JR - died 1804, left Will bequeathing property in Cheshunt Herts and BG, money and shares
John	Ch: 28 FEB 1734 Saint Dunstan, Stepney Age at Christening: 1 Father: ABRA Mother: PENELOPE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055774	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 28 Feb 1734/5 John s/o ABRA Orange of MNT Wea & Penelope, 56 days (LMA mf 24/17)	b. 3 Jan 1735 Year change-over page, i.e. Dec 1734 to Feb 1735.
Jean	Birth: 26 MAY 1745 Ch: 16 JUN 1745 The Artillery - French Huguenot, Spitalfields Father: JAQUES ORANGE Mother: RACHEL Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049051	ARTILLERY FH SPITALFIELDS 16 6 1745 Jean f. de Jacques et de Rachel bap par Mr.Blanc Min. Gf Mr Jean Orange Gm Jeanne Campegne ne 26 Mai (HSLQ42)
John	Ch: 19 JUL 1747 Saint Dunstan, Stepney Age at Christening: 1 Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055774	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 19 7 1747 John s/o John Orange & Ann of MENT weaver 23 days (LMA mf 24/16)
Jean Isaac	Birth: 26 JUL 1748 Christening: 14 AUG 1748 Threadneedle Street French Huguenot, London Father: JEAN PIERRE ORANGE Mother: MARTHE CATHERINE COMPIGNE Extracted birth or christening record ... Batch No.: C049032	THREADNEEDLE ST FRENCH 1748 Orange – Aout 14. Jean Isaac f de Jean Pierre O et Marthe Catherine Campigne, P. Jean Furmy, M. Anne Coiffier. Ne 26 Juill (HSLQ23)

2. Known “John” Marriages

Names	IGI Info	Parish Record	Notes
John Peter Orange Martha Catherine Pillon	14 FEB 1742 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Extracted marriage record... Batch No.: M055763	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 14 2 1742 John Peter Orange weaver of B.G. m. Marthe Catherine Pillon of same p. (LMA mf 24/23)	Is this a widowed Martha Catherine Compigne? NB St Matthews, Bethnal Green didn’t open until 1743.
Jean Baptiste Orange Marie Anne Pretrel	-	ST MARTIN ORGARS FRENCH 606: Orange-Pretrel 1748, 31 Oct. Jean Baptiste Orange, de la par. de Bethnall Green-Mariane Prestreel, de la meme par.; mar. par D. Durand, l’un des Mins. de l’eg. Annonces. Sig Marie Anne Pretrel. Tems. Jean Orange, Louis Royer. (HSLQ37)
John Orange Esther Alldridge	10 MAY 1766 Saint Leonards, Shoreditch, London, England Extracted marriage record... Batch No.: M040811	ST LEONARDS SHOREDITCH 10 5 1766 John Orange bat m. Esther Aldridge x sp by banns John Marsden Thomas Ewer (LMA mf 94/53)	John signed register
John Orange Jemima Grew	09 APR 1777 Saint Leonards, Shoreditch, London, England Extracted marriage record ... Batch No.: M040811	ST LEONARDS SHOREDITCH 9 4 1777 John Orange x bat o.p m. Jemima Grew wid o.p by banns wits Saml Velu, William Burgess (LMA mf 94/55 or 56)	John marked register

3. The Offspring

Children of JOHN ORANGE and ANN(E)

Name	IGI Entry	Parish Entry	Notes
ABRAHAM ORINGE Male	Ch: 02 JAN 1741 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Age at Christening: 1 Father: JOHN ORINGE Mother: ANNE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055774	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 2 1 1741 ABRAHAM s/o John Oringe & Ann weaver of MENT 15 days (entered along length of margin "by Hugh Colley, Curate from an affidavit made before John Fell Esq. on the 4th of March 1748") (LMA mf 24/16)	b. 18 Dec 1740 Note that this was a later interpolation based on an affidavit in 1748. It may not be accurate.
ISAAC ORINGE Male	Ch: 20 SEP 1743 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Age at Christening:1 Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055774	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 20 9 1743 Isaac s/o John Oringe & Ann of MENT weaver 1 day old (LMA mf 24/16)	b. 19 Sep 1743
ELIZABETH ORANGE Female	Ch: 30 JUN 1745 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Age at Christening: 1 Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055774	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 30 6 1745 Elizabeth d/o John Orange & Ann of MENT weaver 26 days (LMA mf 24/16)	b. 4 Jun 1745
JOHN ORANGE Male	Ch: 19 JUL 1747 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Age at Christening: 1 Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055774	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 19 7 1747 John s/o John Orange & Ann of MENT weaver 23 days (LMA mf 24/16)	b. 26 Jun 1747
ANNE ORANGE Female	Ch: 13 NOV 1748 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Age at Christening: 1 Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANNE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055774	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 13 11 1748 Anne d/o John Orange & Ann of MENT weaver 31 days (LMA mf 24/16)	b. 13 Oct 1748
JAMES ORANGE Male	Ch: 17 OCT 1750 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C025501	ST MARY WHITECHAPEL STEPNEY 17 10 1750 James s/o John Orange & Ann of Tongues Yard (LMA mf 24/88)
SARAH ORANGE Female	Ch: 15 DEC 1751 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Age at Christening: 1 Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANNE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055774	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 15 12 1751 Sarah d/o John Orange & Ann of MENT weaver 30 days (LMA mf 24/16)	b. 15 Nov 1751
JANE ORANGE Female	Ch: 03 FEB 1755 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANNE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055761	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 3 2 1755 Jane d/o John Orange and Ann of MENT weaver 25 days (LMA mf 24/16)	b. 9 Jan 1755
JAMES ORANGE Male	Ch: 31 JUL 1757 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANNE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C055761	ST DUNSTANS STEPNEY 31 7 1757 James s/o John Orange & Ann of MENT weaver 19 days (LMA mf 24/16)	b. 12 Jul 1757
JOHN ORANGE Male	Ch: 09 DEC 1759 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C025501	ST MARY WHITECHAPEL STEPNEY 12 1759 John s/o John Orange & Ann of Catherine Wheel Alley (LMA mf 24/88)
ELIZABETH ORANGE Female	Ch: 09 AUG 1761 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C025501	ST MARY WHITECHAPEL STEPNEY 9 8 1761 Elizabeth d/o John Orange & Ann of Bell Yard (LMA mf 24/88)
JOHN ORANGE Male	Ch: 07 AUG 1763 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C006296	ST MARY WHITECHAPEL STEPNEY 7 8 1763 John s/o John Orange & Ann of Bell Yard (LMA mf 24/88)
JACOB ORANGE Male	Christening: 03 MAR 1765 St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C006296	ST MARY WHITECHAPEL STEPNEY 3 3 1765 Jacob s/o John Orange & ann of Bell Yard (LMA mf 24/88)
ABRAHAM ORANGE Male	Ch: 03 SEP 1766 Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C046982	ST MATTHEW BETHNAL GREEN 3 9 1766 Abraham s/o John Orange & Ann weaver 7 days (LMA mf 23/3)	b. 27 Aug 1766 Early baptism, frail baby?
THOMAS ABRAHAM ORANGE Male	Ch: 23 AUG 1767 Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C046982	ST MATTHEW BETHNAL GREEN 23 8 1767 Thomas Abraham s/o John Orange & Ann weaver 9 days (LMA mf 23/3)	b. 14 Aug 1767 Early baptism, frail baby?
ABRAHAM ORINGE Male	Ch: 18 MAR 1770 Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C046982	ST MATTHEW BETHNAL GREEN 18 3 1770 Abraham s/o John Oringe & Ann weaver 29 days (LMA Mf 23/3)	b. 17 Feb 1770
MARY ORANGE Female	Birth: 25 FEB 1772 Ch: 22 MAR 1772 Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C046982	ST MATTHEW BETHNAL GREEN 22 3 1772 Mary d/o John Orange b. 4th March & Ann (LMA)
SUSANNA ORANGE Female	Ch: 05 NOV 1775 St Botolph Bishopsgate, London, London, England Father: JOHN Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C001616	ST BOTOLPHS BISHOPSGATE 5 11 1775 Susannah d/o John Orange & Ann (GL Mf 5417/2)
WILLIAM SUNDAY ORANGE Male	Ch: 03 JUL 1777 St Botolph Bishopsgate, London, London, England Father: JOHN Mother: ANN Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C001616	ST BOTOLPHS BISHOPSGATE 3 7 1777 William Sunday s/o John Orange & Ann (GL Mf 5417/2)

Children of JEAN PIERRE ORANGE and MARTHE CATHERINE COMPIGNE

Name	IGI Entry	Parish Entry	Notes
DEBORA ORANGE Female	Birth: 30 NOV 1744 Ch: 02 DEC 1744 Threadneedle Street French Huguenot, London, England Father: JEAN PIERRE ORANGE Mother: MARTHE CARTIGNY Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049032	THREADNEEDLE STREET 2 12 1744 Deborah d/o Jean Pierre and Marthe Catherine Compigny G.m Marthe Catherine Contigny G.f Pierre Orange (HSLQ 23)
ESTER ORANGE Female	Birth: 08 MAY 1747 Ch: 31 MAY 1747 Threadneedle Street French Huguenot, London, England Father: JEAN PIERRE ORANGE Mother: MARTHE CATHERINE COMPIGNE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049032	THREADNEEDLE STREET Orange – Mai 31. Ester ff de Jean pierre O et Marthe Catherine Compigne, P. Pierre Orange, M. Madelaine Delamare. Nee 8 Mai (HSLQ 23 P. 229)	Entered under 3 Juin
JEAN ISAAC ORANGE Male	Birth: 26 JUL 1748 Ch: 14 AUG 1748 Threadneedle Street French Huguenot, London, England Father: JEAN PIERRE ORANGE Mother: MARTHE CATHERINE COMPIGNE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049032	THREADNEEDLE STREET 1748 Orange – Aout 14. Jean Isaac f de Jean Pierre O et Marthe C.atherine Campigne, P. Jean Furmy, M. Anne Coiffier. Ne 26 Juill. (HSLQ23 P. 233)	note v
DAVID ORANGE Male	Birth: 09 JAN 1752 Ch: 22 JAN 1752 Threadneedle Street French Huguenot, London, England Father: JEAN PIERRE ORANGE Mother: MARTHE CATHR. CONPIGNAY Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049032	THREADNEEDLE STREET FH 22 1 1752 David s/o Jean Pierre and Marthe Catherine Compignay G.m Rachel Orange (HSLQ 23)
GUILLAUME ORANGE Male	Birth: 25 SEP 1754 Ch: 01 OCT 1754 Threadneedle Street French Huguenot, London, England Father: JEAN PIERRE ORANGE Mother: MARTHE CATHERINE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049032	THREADNEEDLE STREET FH Orange – Oct 1 Guillaume f de Jean Pierre O et Marthe Catherine s. f. P. son pere, M. sa mere Ne 25 September (HSLQ 23 P. 254)	was this an emergency baptism? No other baptism in any of our families has BOTH parents as godparents. One is very unusual.

Children of JEAN BAPTISTE ORANGE and MARIANNE PRETREL

Name	IGI Entry	Parish Entry	Notes
MARIE ANNE ORANGE Female	Birth: 30 JUL 1749 Ch: 13 AUG 1749 Saint Jean French Huguenot, Spitalfields, London, England Father: JAN BATTISTE ORANGE Mother: MARIE ANNE PRAITEL Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049061	ST JEAN FH SPITALFIELDS 13 Aug 1749 Marie Anne d/o Jean Battiste and Marie Anne Praitel Gf Jean Orange (HSLQ 39)
JEAN BAPTISTE ORANGE Male	Birth: 21 APR 1755 Ch: 11 MAY 1755 Saint Jean French Huguenot, Spitalfields, London, England Father: JEAN BAPTISTE ORANGE Mother: MARIANNE PRETREL Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049061	ST JEAN FH SPITALFIELDS 11 Mai 1755 Jean Baptiste s/o Jean Baptiste and Marieanne Pretrel P. Jean Baptiste Orange, M. Marthe Orange (HSLQ 39)	Large gap
SAMUEL ORANGE Male	Birth: 27 MAR 1766 Ch: 20 APR 1766 Threadneedle Street French Huguenot, London, England Father: JEAN BAPTISTE ORANGE Mother: MARIE ANNE PRETREL Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C049032	THREADNEEDLE STREET FH Avril 20 Samuel f de Jean Baptiste O et Marie Ann Pretrel. P. le Pere M. la mere. Ne 27 Mars (HSLQ23 P. 290)	Another emergency? Note very large gap in offspring

Children of JOHN ORANGE and ESTHER ALDRIDGE

Name	IGI Entry	Parish Entry	Notes
RACHEL ORANGE Female	Ch: 06 FEB 1767 Spitalfields Christ Church, Stepney, London, England Death: 22 DEC 1771 Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ESTHER Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C069692	CHRISTCHURCH SPITALFIELDS 6 2 1767 Rachel d/o John Orange & Esther weaver of Phonix St 27 days old (LMA mf 95/621)	b. 10 Jan 1767
JOHN ORANGE Male	Birth: 30 JAN 1770 Ch: 02 FEB 1770 Saint Leonards, Shoreditch, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ESTHER Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C040811	ST LEONARDS SHOREDITCH 2 2 1770 John s/o John Orange & Esther of New Inn Yard b. 17^th (LMA mf 94/33)	b. 17 Jan 1770
JAMES ORANGE Male	Ch: 26 AUG 1772 Spitalfields Christ Church, Stepney, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ESTHER Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C069692	CHRISTCHURCH SPITALFIELDS 26 8 1772 James s/o John Orange & Esther weaver of West St 30 days (LMA mf 95/621)	b. 28 Jul 1772
GEO. WILLM. ORANGE Male	Birth: 28 JUN 1776 Ch: 30 JUN 1776 Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, London, England Father: JNO. ORANGE Mother: ESTER Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C046982	ST MATTHEW BETHNAL GREEN 30 6 1776 George William s/o John Orange weaver & Esther b. Jan 28th (LMA mf 23/3)	b. 28 Jan 1776
GEO. ORANGE Male	Ch: 18 JUN 1777 Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, London, England Father: JNO. ORANGE Mother: ESTHER Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C046982	ST MATTHEW BETHNAL GREEN 18 6 1777 George s/o John Orange & Esther weaver month old (LMA mf 23/3)	b. c 18 May 1777
RICHARD ORANGE Male	Birth: 25 APR 1781 Ch: 27 MAY 1781 Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: ESTHER Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C046982	ST MATTHEW BETHNAL GREEN 27 5 1781 Richard s/o John Orange & Esther b. 25 April last (LMA mf 23/3)	b. 25 Apr 1781

Children of JOHN ORANGE and JANE

Name	IGI Entry	Parish Entry	Notes
MARY ANNA ORANGE Female	Birth: 14 OCT 1776 Ch: 27 OCT 1776 Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, London, England Father: JOHN ORANGE Mother: JANE Extracted birth or christening record... Batch No.: C046982	ST MATTHEW BETHNAL GREEN 27 10 1776 Mary Ann d/o John Orange & Jane b. 29th Sept (LMA mf 23/3)

4. Locations

French Churches

Marche - This is “Du Marché” (Gwynn, page 102), i.e. Spitalfields Market, Grid Ref: TQ336818 (~200m NE of Artillery Lane)

Bell Lane - Still exists, runs south off the Eastern end of Artillery Lane, Grid Ref: TQ335816. Community did not exist in 1700.

Browns Lane - No longer exists (it was roughly where the western end of Hanbury St now is, extending from Lamb St) Grid Ref: TQ337819 (~400m NE of Artillery Lane). Community did not exist in 1700.

The Artillery French Huguenot - Artillery Lane off Bishopsgate, Grid ref: TQ334817 (~500m NE of Threadneedle St).

Threadneedle Street French Huguenot - Located in Threadneedle Street, City of London until 1841, Grid Ref: TQ330812. (For history of locations see http://www.history.ac.uk/ihr/associnstits/huguenots.html)

Note that these three are very close to each other.

St Jean French Huguenot Spitalfields - ?St John St, Bethnal Green (between St John St and Hare St on 1818 map, c.f. map in Gwynn), probably where the railway runs now between Pedley St and Cheshire St, Grid Ref: TQ340823 (~800m NE of Artillery Lane). This is up towards Bethnal Green.

Anglican Churches

St Dunstan, Stepney - mediaeval parish church on Stepney High Street, Grid ref: TQ359816 (~3 km East of Artillery Lane)

St Leonards, Shoreditch - mediaeval parish church, rebuilt 1740, Shoreditch High Street, Hackney, Cnr of Hackney Road, Grid Ref: TQ334826 (~600m N of Artillery Lane)

St Mary Whitechapel - Parish formed 1323, formerly part of Stepney. 17^th Century church, bombed WWII not rebuilt. Opposite Nags Head Yard, Grid Ref: TQ340814 (~700m ESE of Artillery Lane)

St Matthew Bethnal Green - Parish formed 1743, formerly part of Stepney, bombed WWII and rebuilt. Located on corner of St Matthews Row (formerly Church Row) and Bethnal Green Road. Grid Ref: TQ341825 ((~1.2km NE of Artillery Lane).

St Botolphs Bishopsgate - City of London parish dating back to mediaeval times extends beyond the city walls. On Bishopsgate, opposite the end of Houndsditch, Grid Ref: TQ331814 (~200m SW of Artillery Lane)

Christchurch, Spitalfields – Parish formed 1729, formerly part of Stepney. On Commercial Rd (formerly Red Lion St) just N of Fashion St, Grid Ref: TQ337817 (~200m E of Artillery Lane)

Residential Locations

MNT, MENT = Mile End New Town, South of Bethnal Green, east of Spitalfields and north of Whitechapel. Part of the parish of Stepney (until 1838) but cut off from it by the formation of Bethnal Green. Part of the boundary between Whitechapel and MENT was (Old) Montague Street which ran east from the north end of Bells Yard (see below). There was some development along Montague street in 1745 (see the A to Z of Georgian London).

B G = Bethnal Green, between Stepney and Shoreditch, NE of Spitalfields

Tongue’s Yard - Tongues Yard (Little and Great) AKA Tongs Yard (see the A to Z of Georgian London), situated next to Tom's Yard, lay between present day Whitechapel Road, Commercial Road and New Road. Go to the North East of this triangle and find Fieldgate Street. This creates a new smaller triangle with Whitechapel Road and New Road. Tongues Yard lay about 1/3 of the way along and just off Whitechapel Road itself in the western end of this small triangle. Grid Ref: TQ343815 (~1km ESE of Artillery Lane)

Catherine Wheel Alley – There are 3 Catherine Wheel Alleys on the 1745 John Rocque map (see the A to Z of Georgian London)

1. off Petticoat Lane - still exists on Google Earth, ran between Bishopsgate St and Petticoat Lane on 1818 map, Grid Ref: TQ333815 (~50m S of Artillery Lane).

2. Snow Hill – would be roughly where the eastern end of Holborn Viaduct is, Grid ref: TQ338814 (~1.6 km E of Artillery Lane)

3. Whitechapel – about half-way between Brick Lane/Bell Yard and Old Castle Street, roughly the south end of Commercial Street, Grid ref: TQ338814 (~500 m SE of Artillery Lane). This one is consistent with a baptism in St Mary Whitechapel.

Bell Yard - No longer exists, was on the east side of the southern most section of Brick Lane (A-Z of Georgian London, this section of Brick Lane later became Osborn St – see A-Z of Regency London), just across Whitechapel Road from St Mary’s, Grid Ref: TQ340815 (~500m ESE of Artillery Lane).

Phonix St - = Phoenix Street (A to Z of Georgian London), no longer exists, ran between Wheeler St and Brick Lane just north of Quaker St, Now under the railway line, Grid Ref: TQ337821 (~500m NNE of Artillery Lane).

New Inn Yard - still exists, runs between Shoreditch High Street and Curtain Rd just north of Holywell Lane, Grid Ref: TQ333823 (~800m N of Artillery Lane).

West Street – no longer exists, was the western access road to Spitalfield Market (A to Z of Georgian London), Grid ref: TQ335818 (~150m N of Artillery Lane).

5. Location map for the offspring of John & Ann.

1-5,7-9 = Mile End New Town (Area)

6 = Tongue’s Yard

10 = Catherine Wheel Alley

11-13 = Bell Yard

14-17 = St Matthew, Bethnal Green Parish (Area)

18-19 = St Botolph, Bishopsgate Parish (Area)

St D = St Dunstan, Stepney

St My = St Mary, Whitechapel

St B = St Botolph, Bishopsgate

St Mw = St Matthew, Bethnal Green

St L = St Leonard, Shoreditch

6. Given name analysis to try and sort out the Johns and Anns

Author: S. Law

Parish abbreviations: St = Stepney, Wch = Whitechapel, BG = Bethnal Green, Bpg = Bishopsgate

Name(parents)	Birth date	Siblings	Name (wife)	Marr date	Offspring
Jean Pierre (Jean, Marthe)	1719	Ann Judith, Jacques, Pierre, Jean Baptiste, Marthe, Samuel, unnamed, Anne	John (Anne)	c1740-1742	Abraham 1740-1742(St), Isaac 1743 (St), Elizabeth 1745 (St), John 1747 (St), Anne 1748 (St), James 1750 (Wch), Sarah 1751(St), Jane 1755(St), James 1757(St), John 1759(Wch), Elizabeth 1761(Wch), John 1763 (Wch), Jacob 1765 (Wch)
John (Paul, Mary)	1721	Jane, Sarah, William, Mary	Jean Pierre (Martha)	1742	This one is definite. Debora 1744, Ester, Jean Isaac, David, Guillaume 1754 (All at Threadneedle St)
Jean Baptiste (Jean, Marthe)	1728	Jean Pierre, Ann Judith, Jacques, Pierre, Marthe, Samuel, unnamed, Anne	Jean Baptiste (Marianne)	c1749	This one is definite. Marie Anne 1749, Jean Baptiste 1755, Samuel 1766 (St Jean x 2 & Threadneedle)
John (Abraham, Penelope)	1735	Possibly Abraham x 2 ½ brothers Penelope Jackson’s parents were Thomas and Mary	John (Anne)	c1766	Abraham 1766(BG), Thomas 1767(BG), Abraham 1770(BG), Mary 1772(BG), Susanna 1775(Bpg), William 1777(Bpg)
Jean (Jacques/James, Rachel)	1745	Jean, Isaac, Magdalene, Pierre, Marie, [Elizabeth, Thomas, George, James, William]	John (Esther)	1766	Rachel 1767, John, James, George William, George, Richard 1781
John (John, Anne)	1747	Abraham, Isaac, Elizabeth, Anne, James, Sarah, Jane, [James]	John (Jane)	1776	Mary Anna 1776
Jean Isaac (Jean Pierre, Martha Catherine)	1748	Debora , Ester, Jean Isaac, David, Guillaume	John (Jemima)	1777	No children known to date.

Timeline based on current “assignments”.

Note that no children are known for John & Jemima.

7. East of London Religious Centres open in the C18th

The aim of this section is to try and identify possible sources of BMD information which may have been missed to date.

(from the East of London Family History Society Site, in alphabetical order by parish, only those centres with records from the C18th or earlier shown)

Results of some background reading by Sue:

The period of interest for this John&Ann study was a period of transition both in the Huguenot community (where assimilation was gathering pace) and for religious ceremonies in England. By 1750 many of the smaller French congregations had ceased to exist. According to Gwynne most of the Huguenots joined Independent Chapels when they abandoned their French congregations, and so these must be carefully monitored over the period.

It was also the period which saw the enactment of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke’s Marriage Bill. This bill, aimed at stopping the trade in clandestine marriages such as Fleet Marriages, effectively gave the Anglican parish churches a monopoly on marriages. To quote Jennifer Payne (see reference)

“Hardwicke's bill addressed the worst abuses of the clandestine marriage system. It proposed to void any marriage which was not enacted publicly by a clergyman in a church or chapel during the hours proscribed by canon law. In order to appease the aristocracy, individuals under the age of twenty-one needed parental consent to marry. All verbal or written contract marriages were rendered null and void as were any marriages not recorded in a parish register with the signatures of both the bride and groom and at least two witnesses. Furthermore, the bill reinforced a seventeenth century ordinance which required that a copy of each register be sent annually to the bishop for safekeeping.”

The only amendment to the original bill was proposed by Henry Fox:

“In order to protect the intent of "respectable" eloping couples, during these sessions, Fox successfully added a loophole in which, if a couple gave a false statement of place of residence on a marriage license, their union was not rendered void.”

The act came into effect on March 25 1754 at which point marriages in non-Anglican places of worship effectively cease.

Note that this act did not affect Baptisms.

Bethnal Green

“Bethnal Green is situated about 1½ miles north of Whitechapel and ¾ mile northeast of Shoreditch and was originally part of the Manor of Stepney. It was the poorest district of Victorian London but two hundred years earlier was a pleasant country area with wealthy residents. By the end of the 17th century the silk-weavers of Spitalfields began spreading into the area and by the mid 18th century it was said to have eighteen hundred houses with fifteen thousand inhabitants - three or four families in a house. By 1840 there were six times as many looms used in Bethnal Green than in Spitalfields and Mile End New Town. Although the weaving industry was in decline, other industries based at home or in small workshops took its place. The "Jago" district around Old Nichol Street was notorious for crime and poverty.”

Church Records

St. Matthew, St. Matthew's Row: Baptisms 1746-1993, Marriages 1746-1987, Burials 1746-1877 : LMA

Gibralter Burial Ground (Dissenters): Burials 1793-1837 : PRO

Independent Chapel, Cambridge Rd: Baptisms 1704-1755, 1771-1836, 1845-1858 : PRO

Bishopsgate

“Bishopsgate gets its name from "Bishop's Gate", which stood opposite Camomile Street, one the eight gates into of walled City of London. The rich merchants of Tudor and Elizabethan times lived here. Among them were the mansions of Sir Thomas Gresham, Sir Paul Pindar and Sir John Crosby. Before the time of Shakespeare plays were performed at the Bull Inn.

Of the three parish churches, St. Ethelburga and St. Helen were situated inside the City wall and St. Botolph situated outside.”

Church Records

St Botolph: Baptisms 1558-1898, Marriages 1558-1958, Burials 1558-1849 : GL, Baptisms 1898- date, Marriages 1958- date : Not deposited

St Ethelburga: Baptisms 1671-1974, Marriages 1679-1951, Burials 1672-1839 : GL

St Helen: Baptisms 1575-1981, Marriages 1575-1870, Burials 1575-1853 : GL, Marriages 1870- date : Not deposited

Independent Meeting House, New Broad St: Baptisms 1727-1837 : PRO

Parliament Court Chapel (Baptist), Artillery St: Births 1795-1811 : PRO

Presbyterian Chapel, Hand Alley: Baptisms 1705-1753, 1760-1789 : PRO

Society of Friends Meeting House, Devonshire House, Houndsditch: Births 1655-1837, Marriages 1666-1837, Burials 1719-1837 : PRO

Hackney

“Hackney is situated about 3 miles northeast of Whitechapel on the west bank of the river Lea and was originally in the County of Middlesex. For many centuries this was a green and pleasant land with views stretching for miles. The village was long and scattered along the road which runs from Mile End to Stamford Hill. Midway along this road was the village centre with its parish church.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, villages in close proximity to London began to grow in importance as places where nobility and rich merchants could build their homes. In the 17th and 18th centuries Hackney was regarded as a healthy and agreeable environment and gained a reputation with its pleasure gardens.

The parish church of St. John at Hackney was built in 1792-7 by James Spiller in the shape of a Greek cross to hold 4,000 people. This replaced the old church of St. Augustine whose 16th tower still stands to the south.

At the beginning of the 19th century it was still quite rural, with central and northern Hackney mainly occupied with nursery gardening but industries growing to the south and east. Clothing, boot and shoe making and furniture being the main occupations. Over the next century the population swelled to over 200,000 and with the exception of a few parks all the rural areas had disappeared under bricks and mortar.

In 1965 Hackney joined with Shoreditch and Stoke Newington to form the London Borough of Hackney.”

Church Records

St. John at Hackney, Lower Clapton Rd: Baptisms 1556-1952, Marriages 1590-1968, Burials 1593-1933 : LMA, Baptisms 1952- date, Marriages 1968- date : Not deposited

St. Thomas Square Chapel (Presbyterian), Mare St: Baptisms 1765-1837, Burials 1787-1876 : PRO, Baptisms 1814-1898, Marriages 1838-1848 : HAD

Norton Folgate

“An extra-parochial liberty, probably at one time part of St. Botolph Bishopsgate outside the City, and transferred to London in 1889.

The Priory of St. Mary Spital was founded in 1197 by Walter Brown and Rose, his wife, on the east side of Bishopsgate. In early records it appears as the New Hospital Without Bishopsgate and was run by Austin canons with the help of lay brothers and sisters. In the churchyard was an outdoor pulpit called the Spital Cross where sermons were preached at Easter to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and others. The sermans continued after the suppression of the hospital and was attended in 1559 by Elizabeth I.

Spital Square was devolped on the site in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Occupied by the silk merchants and master weavers, it retained its seclusion by having obstacles erected to prevent through traffic. Only a tiny part survives today.”

Church Records

St. Mary, Spital Sq.: Baptisms 1734-1911, Marriages 1720-1752, 1845-1911 : LMA

Shoreditch

“Shoreditch is situated about a mile north of Whitechapel. The original settlement was founded at the junction of two Roman Roads, Kingsland Road and Old Street. St. Leonard's church was founded about the 12th century, the parish also including Hoxton and Haggerston. The land in the parish was owned by Holywell Priory, the hospital of St. Mary Spital, the Canons of St. Paul and the Bishop of London.

In 1965 Shoreditch was amalgamated into the London Borough of Hackney”

Church Records

St. Leonard, Shoreditch High St.: Baptisms 1558-1901, Marriages 1558-1899, Burials 1558-1858 : LMA, Baptisms 1901-1928, Marriages 1899-1930 : GL, Baptisms 1928- date, Marriages 1930- date : Not deposited

Baptist Chapel, Worship St: Baptisms 1785-1837 : PRO

Calvinist Methodist Chapel, Cumberland St / Curtain Rd: Baptisms 1788-1815 : PRO

French Church, Swan Fields: Baptisms 1721-1735, Marriages 1722-1731 : PRO

Holywell Mount Chapel (Congregational), Chapel St / Curtain Rd: Baptisms 1783-1837 : PRO, Baptisms 1837-1854 : LMA

Spitalfields

“Spitalfields: the fields to the east of medieval priory and hospital of St. Mary Spital. A mainly rural area up to the beginning of the 17th century but by 1640 there had been some building along the southern and eastern fringes spreading from Whitechapel and the City. Rapid development in the next three decades brought the number of houses to about 1300, mostly small tenements crowded into narrow streets and alleyways. Christ Church Spitalfields was erected in 1714-1729 to cater for the rapidly growing population and as an attempt to combat the nonconformity of the area that had existed from 1612 with the first Baptist church in England.

Many foreigners, including French weavers, were already present by the time of the large influx of Huguenot refugees from France after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Spitalfields gained the reputation in the 18th century as the centre of production of fine silks and in 1807 the population had reached over 15,000.

The slum buildings were being replaced by blocks of artisans' dwellings beginning with the first Peabody Buildings in Commercial Street in 1864. The new buildings were mainly occupied by Jewish immigrants who came into the area in increasing numbers from the 1880's, the weaving trade being replaced by small furriers' and clothing workshops. One building at the corner of Fournier Street and Brick Lane reflects the social changes that have occurred in Spitalfields. Built as a Huguenot chapel in 1743, it later became a Wesleyan chapel, a synagogue and is now a mosque.”

Church Records

Christ Church, Commercial St: Baptisms 1729-1961, Marriages 1729-1964, Burials 1729-1859 : LMA , Index to Banns Registers 1833-1861 : EoLFHS Publications

Baptist Chapel, Church St: Births 1772-1826 : PRO

Church of the Artillery (French Church), Artillery Lane: Baptisms 1691-1786, Marriages 1691-1754, Banns 1713-1733 : PRO

Whites Row Chapel: Baptisms 1756-1837 : PRO, Baptisms 1756-1908 : LMA

Eglise Neuve (French Church), Church Street: Baptisms 1753-1809 : PRO

French Church, Crispin Street: Baptisms 1694-1716, Marriages 1694-1716 : PRO

French Church, Pearl Street: Baptisms 1698-1701, Marriages 1698-1701 : PRO

French Church, Wheeler Street: Baptisms 1703-1741, Marriages 1704-1741 : PRO

La Patente de Spitalfields or La Nouvelle Patente (French Church), Paternoster Row /Brown's Lane: Baptisms 1689-1785, Marriages 1689-1753 : PRO

Répertoire Générale (Huguenot community general register),

Baptisms 1689-1774 (La Patente) : PRO

Baptisms 1695-1715 (Crispin Street) : PRO

Baptisms 1703-1742 (Wheeler Street) : PRO

Baptisms 1719 (Le Marché) : PRO

Baptisms 1709-1716 (Bell Lane) : PRO

Baptisms 1719-1740 (Brown's Lane) : PRO

St. Jean (French Church), John Street: Baptisms 1687-1823, Marriages 1687-1751 : PRO

St George in the East

“St. George in the East is situated immediately east of Whitechapel, between Stepney, Shadwell and Wapping. The church of St. George in the East with its 160 ft tower, was built in 1714-29 to the designs of Nicholas Hawksmoor, and created a seperate parish from Stepney. In 1886 the churchyard was landscaped as a public garden. The interior of the church was severely damaged by incendiaries in May 1941, a tempory building serving the parish until being rebuilt in 1960.”

Church Records

St. George in the East, Canon Street Rd: Baptisms 1729-1901, Marriages 1729-1894, Burials 1729-1875 : LMA, Baptisms 1901- date, Marriages 1894- date : Not deposited

Beulah Chapel (Baptist), Commercial Rd: Births 1787-1837 : PRO

Independent Chapel, Old Gravel Lane: Baptisms 1704-1837, Burials 1737-1837 : PRO

Mulberry Gardens Chapel (Lady Huntingdon's Connexion), Pell St: Baptisms 1784-1837 : PRO

Pell Street Chapel , Ratcliff Highway: Births & Baptisms 1736-1829 : PRO

Scotch Church, Broad St: Baptisms 1741-1840 : PRO

Wycliffe Chapel (Independent then Congregationalist), Philpott St: Baptisms 1785-1837, Burials 1784-1837 : PRO, Baptisms 1792-1810,1850-1906, Marriages 1850-1873, Burials 1831-1840 : LMA

St Katharine by the Tower

“Queen Matilda, the wife of King Stephen, founded a hospital for the poor in the 12th century on 13 acres of land belonging to the Priory of Holy Trinity, Algate in the Portsoken Ward of the City of London. A Charter of Privileges granted in 1442 removed the residents from the civil jurisdiction of the City and the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Bishops of London. St. Katharine's became a Royal Peculiar with its own ecclesiastical court and in civil matters responsible only to the Master and Lord Chancellor. Trades and industries could therefore develop free from the jealously guarded rights of the City and its guilds.

By the end of the 16th century large numbers of foreigners, especially Flemish weavers and brewers, settled in the area, attracted by its nearness to the City and the absence of restrictions on immigrants. The few open spaces left were soon occupied and wharves built along the riverside.

The area was fairly well kept and comparatively healthy, but the promoters of the scheme to convert the area into wet docks described it as a collection of hovels inhabited by the lowest sections of the community. The Act to establish St. Katharine's Dock was passed in 1825 and on 30th October 1825 the church was packed for the final service. Within a year all the buildings were demolished and the hospital of St. Katharine moved to Regent's Park.”

Church Records

St. Katharine By The Tower: Baptisms 1584-1946, Marriages 1584-1924, Burials 1584-1854 : GL

Stepney

“The Domesday Book of 1086 describes Stepney as an arable area with meadows, pastures and woodland with a population of 900 which included Hackney. In medieval times the parish of Stepney extended east from the City as far as the River Lea and north from the River Thames as far as Hackney.

At the end of the 16th century there was a period of rapid growth in population with the development of the riverside and eastern suburbs of the City. For civil purposes Stepney had been divided up into four hamlets - Ratcliffe, Limehouse, Poplar and Mile End, but because of the increase in buildings and inhabitants new hamlets were created. Bethnal Green (in 1597), Shadwell (in 1645), Spitalfields (in 1662), St. George in the East (in 1670), Mile End New Town (in 1691) and Bow (in 1719). Whitechapel and Bromley St. Leonard were already separate parishes.

The name Stepney now meant little more than a geographical area around St. Dunstan's church but revived in the 19th century as the name of a registration district. In 1900 the Borough of Stepney was formed and comprised of various civil vestries, parishes and liberties bounded by the City, Bethnal Green and Poplar. This industrial suburb had a population of about 300,000, many living in poverty and overcrowded conditions. The main industries were dock labour and the manufacture of clothing with many employed in warehouses and shops.

During World War Two more than a third of the houses were made uninhabitable and most of the others damaged by bombing, as were the docks, warehouses and business premises. Stepney became part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in 1965.”

Church Records

St. Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney High St.: Baptisms 1568-1954, Marriages 1568-1962, Burials 1568-1929 : LMA, Baptisms 1954- date, Marriages 1962- date : Not deposited

Baptist Chapel, James St: Baptisms 1786-1803 : PRO

Congregational Chapel, Cannon Street Rd: Baptisms 1792-1810 : LMA

Independent Chapel,: Baptisms 1796-1820 : PRO

Independent Meeting House, Bull Lane: Baptisms 1644-1837, Marriages 1646-1677, Burials 1780-1837 : PRO

Tower Liberty

“Tower Liberty before 1686 consisted of the land within the walls of the Tower of London and the land immediately outside - Tower Hill. In 1686 three further areas were added by James II's charter, Minories, Old Artillery Ground and Wellclose. These were all former monastic lands sold for redevelopment and previously used to store ordnance. Being granted the privilege status of Tower Liberties the inhabitants were outside the jurisdiction of the City of London and the County of Middlesex and free from jury service at assizes. Although having the right to raise taxes, these were only levied occasionally. The Tower Liberties had its own courthouse and prison, originally on Tower Hill and later in Wellclose Square. Various Police Acts gradually eroded these rights in the 19th century and by 1900 the area became part of the Borough of Stepney.

Holy Trinity, Minories: The convent of the Order of St. Clare was founded in 1293 by Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, brother to Edward I. The royal connection gave this convent the privilege of becoming a Papal Peculiar and as such was outside the jurisdiction of the English bishops. The convent was surrendered in 1539 to Henry VIII as part of the "Dissolution of the Monasteries". Part of the buildings were then used as an armoury for the Tower of London and the rest a workhouse. The chapel was given the name St. Trinities and became a parish church, rebuilt in 1706 and finally destroyed in 1940.”

Church Records

St Peter ad Vincula , (Chapel Royal in Tower of London): Baptisms & Marriages 1538- date, Burials 1538-1871 : Not deposited

Holy Trinity, Minories, Haydon Square: Baptisms 1563-1897, Marriages 1579-1898, Burials 1566-1852 : GL, Marriage Index 1676-1754 : EoLFHS Publications

Whitechapel

“Whitechapel, originally part of Stepney, quickly developed as a suburb to the City of London because of its location on the main route in and out of the City from Essex. The chapel that gives Whitechapel its name was built in the 13th century and became the parish church of St. Mary in about 1338. Many trades, particularly in metalwork, were considered a nuisance in the congested City and moved to Whitechapel. Amongst these were the Gunmakers Company Proof House in Commercial Road and the Whitechapel Bell Foundry which made the 'Liberty Bell' and 'Big Ben'. Both are still in existence to-day.

The poverty of the inhabitants, much commented upon by the Victorians, was already present. The hearth tax returns of 1664 show that almost three-quarters of the households occupied houses worth less than £1 a year - the highest proportion in East London. At the end of the 17th century, more substantial houses were built in the Leman Estate area, some of which were occupied by Sephardic Jews. When the London Hospital was moved to its present site in Whitechapel Road in the 1750's, it backed on to fields.

Whitechapel continued to develop, the back streets becoming a maze of disreputable yards and courts, later to become the scene of the Whitechapel murders (Jack the Ripper). The Commercial Road brought much traffic to and from the East & West India Docks including sugar to refineries in Whitechapel especially in the Blackchurch Lane area. The refineries employed mostly Germans while the Irish lived around Rosemary Lane (now renamed Royal Mint Street). Whitechapel Market was one of the largest Victorian street markets and was mainly run by Jewish and Irish traders with much competition between them.”

Church Records

St. Mary (Matfellon), Whitechapel High St: Baptisms 1558-1940, Marriages 1558-1940, Burials 1558-1857 : LMA

Baptist Chapel, Little Prescot St, Goodmans Fields: Births 1786-1803 : PRO

Baptist Chapel, Mill Yard, Goodmans Fields: Burials 1732-1837 : PRO

Presbyterian Church, Somerset St, Goodmans Fields: Baptisms 1756-1780, 1783-1811, Burials 1749-1826 : PRO

St. George (German Lutheran), Little Alie St, Goodmans Fields: Baptisms 1763-1997, Marriages 1825-1997, Burials 1818-1853 : THL, Baptisms 1763-1895, Marriages 1825-1896, & Burials 1818-1853 : Copies with AGFHS, see also EoLFHS Publications

8. Conclusions

From the data presented here it seems that the “John and Ann” offspring fall into two groups geographically and temporally. The first group is centred on the eastern end of Whitechapel Street with baptisms ranging from ~1740 to 1765. (Note that the first baptism in this group was not entered at the time but was sworn to later in an affidavit, and the date could be in error.) The second group is based around the Bethnal Green/Bishopsgate area with births ranging from 1766 to 1777. This implies that there were potentially 2 marriages, one ~1740, the other ~1765. The first of these dates is before the 1753 Marriage Act [Payne], and so could have taken place in any religious establishment (such as a non-conformist church or the Liberty of the Fleet). The second would have had to take place in an Anglican Church. The marriage would normally take place in the home parish of one of the parties. However marriages could take place in a neighbouring parish under special circumstances, eg. where there was a potentially scandalous situation (e.g. the bride obviously pregnant) both banns and marriage were allowed. Also, for a fee, a licence would allow a quick quiet marriage in a parish away from home.

Another factor to be taken into consideration is that most of the people involved were artisans who underwent an apprenticeship in their teens. By regulation a child had to be 14 years of age to start an apprenticeship and had to serve a minimum of 7 years before becoming a journeyman. During this time they were part of their master’s household and financially dependent upon him. Thus it was unusual for artisans to marry before the age of 21.

Eliminating the Johns whose marriages are well established, the candidates for the fathers of the “John & Ann” offspring are:

• John the son of Paul and Mary, b. 1721
• John, the son of Abraham and Penelope, b. 1735
• John, the son of Jaques/James and Rachel, b. 1745
• John, the son of John and Ann, b. 1747
• Jean Isaac, the son of Jean Pierre and Marthe Catherine, b. 1748

From these we must also supply the John Orange who married Esther Alldridge in 1766 and Jemima Grew in 1777 and the John who, with Jane, produced Mary Anna in 1776.

The only one of these old enough to be the father of the first group is John, son of Paul and Mary, though even he is a bit young to be marrying in 1740. However, as pointed out above, the date of the first baptism may be in error.

• John the son of Paul and Mary, b. 1721
• John, the son of Abraham and Penelope, b. 1735
• John, the son of Jaques/James and Rachel, b. 1745
• John, the son of John and Ann, b. 1747
• Jean Isaac, the son of Jean Pierre and Marthe Catherine, b. 1748

The names of the offspring of John Orange and Esther Alldridge point to the father being John the son of Jaques/James & Rachel. Since the date ranges of the families overlap, this would eliminate him from being the father of the second “John & Ann” group.

• John the son of Paul and Mary, b. 1721
• John, the son of Abraham and Penelope, b. 1735
• John, the son of Jaques/James and Rachel, b. 1745
• John, the son of John and Ann, b. 1747
• Jean Isaac, the son of Jean Pierre and Marthe Catherine, b. 1748

Of the other two, John, the son of John and Ann (Whitechapel group) and Jean Isaac are a bit young to be marrying in 1765-6. They could however be the John Oranges who married Jane c1775 and Jemima Grew in 1777.

• John the son of Paul and Mary, b. 1721
• John, the son of Abraham and Penelope, b. 1735
• John, the son of Jaques/James and Rachel, b. 1745
• John, the son of John and Ann, b. 1747
• Jean Isaac, the son of Jean Pierre and Marthe Catherine, b. 1748

This leaves just one candidate: John, the son of Abraham and Penelope. This conclusion is supported by the names used for the children which include the given names of John’s father, Abraham, and both of Penelope’s parents, Thomas and Mary. For the moment, conditional on additional evidence, I include Susanna and William Sunday in this group on the basis of temporal sequence and locality.

So where to look for the marriages? Well Phillipe became a seaman later in his life and his son Paul baptized most of his children in St Dunstan Stepney. It is possible that a son of Paul, if he didn’t contract an “irregular” (Fleet) or non-conformist marriage, could have married in one of the Dockland churches, such as St Paul, Shadwell (Marriages 1670-1934, records in LMA), St Anne Limehouse (Marriages 1730-1968, records in LMA) or St John, Wapping (Marriages 1620-1940, records in LMA). The French Churches of Wheeler Street (to 1741), La Patente (to 1753) and St Jean (to 1751) are possibilities for a non-conformist marriage, though they have been thoroughly searched by Jacqueline Roberts.

As for the second marriage, it’s possible it took place in St John Hackney (Marriages 1590-1968, records in LMA). It seems to have been a popular church with weaver’s offspring. I have Beckwith/Lamson silk weaving antecedents who lived in the NE corner of Bethnal Green, baptized their children in St Leonard’s Shoreditch, or St Matthew Bethnal Green, but all married in St John’s Hackney.

9. References

Robin D. Gwynn “Huguenot Heritage”, Routledge & Kegan Paul, London (1985)

David Hawgood “GENUKI Stepney Parishes site” http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/genuki/MDX/Stepney/index.html (2003)

John Rocque's Map of London (1746)

The A to Z of Georgian London with Introductory Notes by Ralph Hyde, Harry Margary London (1981)

Also online at:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~genmaps/genfiles/COU_files/ENG/LON/Rocque/rocque_index.htm

Cary’s New and Accurate Plan of London and Westminister, the borough of Southward and parts adjacent (1818) http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow/1818map/1818map.htm

Horwood’s Map of London 1799-1819

The A to Z of Regency London, London Topographical Society Publication No. 131 (1985)

East of London Family History Society Parish Index (2006) http://www.eolfhs.org.uk/parish/index.htm

Jennifer M. Payne “From Fleet Street to Gretna Green: The Reform of "Clandestine Marriage" under Lord Chancellor Hardwicke's Marriage Act of 1753.” (1995) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/7023/clandestine.html

Alfred Plummer “The London Weavers’ Company 1600-1970” Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and Boston (1972)