Brockbank Brookbanks Brooksbank family

5 September 2008

 

 

 

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Dr Geoffrey Mann

geoff.mann@btinternet.com

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4 Christopher

 BROOKBANKS 1800-1837?

 


spouse's records

m Arabella DACKOMBE 1821

 

 

 

 

Christopher Brookbanks was born in 1800, the eldest son of Richard and Eleanor, a few years before they married.  His father was a baker who had moved from London from Worcestershire.  Christopher was baptized in St Martin in the Fields and apprenticed to a baker in the City of London when he was 14

 

He married Arabella Dackombe when he was 21 and they lived at his father’s bakers shop in Seven Dials.  He received the freedom of the City the following year as a member of the Bakers Company

 

Their first three children were baptized at St Giles in the Fields but they then moved to Cannon St in the City.  Matilda was born there but died when only a few hours old.  Christopher was still a baker, but probably not at his father's shop, although this remained in business until at least 1848.

 

Christopher and Arabella moved to Hampton St near the Elephant & Castle in Camberwell and continued as a baker.  A son James was born in 1831, but Arabella died when he was only six months old.  Christopher died just 5 years later and was buried at the Whitfield Memorial Church in Tottenham Court Rd London.  Perhaps he had moved near to his father after Arabella’s death or when he fell ill.

 

 

 

EVENTS

C = christened

 

           age

     DATE CB AD

 

                       EVENT

15Nov1800    

26Dec1800 5  

 1May1815 14

 8Nov1821 21 19

 7Oct1822 22 20

 4Mar1823 22 20

30Mar1823 22 20

 8Mar1825 24 22

 3Apr1825 24 22

 3Jul1827 26 24

 8Sep1829 28 26

11Sep1829 28 26

27Sep1831 30 28

     1832

14Jum1832 30 28

20Nov1836 36

25Jun1837 

Christopher born son of Richard and Eleanor

baptised at St Martin in the Fields

apprenticed to a baker in the City of London

m Arabella Dackombe at Christchurch Blackfriars Rd

admitted freeman of City in the Bakers Company

dau Arabella Ann born

dau Arabella C at St Giles in the Fields; Christopher was a baker at 38 Gt St Andrew St

dau Elizabeth Susanna born

dau Elizabeth C at St Giles; Christopher was a baker at 38 King St Seven Dials

son Christopher Richard born; C St Giles 29Jul; Christopher a baker at same address

dau Matilda born and C at St Swithin; Christopher was a baker at Cannon St

dau Matilda buried at St Swithin

son James born in Camberwell

Christopher a baker at 37 Hampton St Newington

wife Arabella of Hampton St buried at St Mary Newington

Christopher buried at Whitfield Memorial Church in Tottenham Court Rd

James baptized at St Peter Walworth; CB was a baker at Hampton St

 

 

PRINCIPAL RECORDS

b=born  m=married  d=died

C=Christened        B=Buried

BIRTH

 

Christopher was apprenticed  in 1815 and married in 1821, so a birth date around 1800 is probable.  His wife Arabella was born in 1803 so aged only 18 at marriage.  Christopher was a baker in the parish of St Giles  in the Fields from 1823 to 1827 and there is a suitable baptism in the neighbouring parish of St Martin in the Fields:

 

C 26Dec1800  b 15Nov1799 Christopher  s Richard & Eleanor BROOKBANKS

 

the apprenticeship confirms his father’s name as Richard, a baker, and the combination of expected date and place and relatively uncommon name, leaves little doubt that this is the correct baptism.  Note also that Christopher named his first son Christopher Richard

 

MARRIAGE

 

James-3 was born in 1837 son of Christopher and Arabella BROOKBANKS.  This baptism is preceded by a suitable m at Christchurch Blackfriars Rd:

 

m 28Nov1821 Christopher BROOKBANKS bch otp & Arabella DACKOMBE spr otp by banns; witness: Charles CHANNON Lewis TROUGHTON

 

although this m precedes the baptism by sixteen years, there are other baptisms in this period, and the unusual names and correct location identify this m without doubt

 

 

DESCENDANTS

 

unusual name combination of Christopher and Arabella and consistency of occupation identify the following baptisms:

from original register of St Giles in the Fields, London:

 

C 30Mar1823 b  4Mar1823 Arabella Ann        d Christopher & Arabella BROOKBANKS 38 Gt St Andrews St, baker; m10Oct1849 John WEST

C  3Apr1825 b  8Mar1825 Elizabeth Susanna   d Christopher & Arabella BROOKBANKS 38 King St, Seven Dials, baker

C 29Jul1827 b  3Jul1827 Christopher Richard s Christopher & Arabella BROOKBANKS 38 King St, Seven Dials, baker; m22Jul1850 Sarah CLARKE

 

[Christopher’s father owned a baker’s shop at 38 King St as shown by his will]

from register of St Swithin, London Stone:

 

C  8Sep1829 b 8Sep1829 Matilda d Christopher & Arabella BROOKBANKS baker, 12 Cannon St

B 11Sep1829 Matilda BROOKBANKS 12 Cannon St age 12hours

from register (BT) of Walworth St Peter SRY:

 

C 25Jun1837 b27Nov1831 James s Christopher & Arabella BROOKBANKS; baker Hampton St

 

marriage certificates

m 10Oct1849 at parish church of St Luke, Chelsea after banns

John WEST full bch servant, Radnor St & Arabilla BROOKBANKS full spr, Radnor St

f: Thomas WEST victualler, Christopher BROOKBANKS baker; wit: Richard BROOKBANKS, R BROOKBANKS

 

m 22Jul1850 at the Parish Church, Chelmsford after banns

Christopher Richard BROOKBANKS bch full plumber & painter Romford & Sarah CLARKE spr full Chelmsford

fathers: Christopher BROOKBANKS baker; Francis CLARKE brazier;witnesses: Mary Ann CLARKE; Francis CLARKE; Cha EDWARDS; Sarah CLARKE

 

m 2Dec1855 at St George in the east after banns

James BROOKBANKS bch full omnibus guard 4 Church Rd, & Elizabeth Mary Ann BRAY spr full 4 Church Rd

fathers: Christopher BROOKBANKS baker; Thomas Bray dairyman; witnesses: J VIRRAL; Mary BRAY

 

 

DEATH

from register of Newington St Mary SRY

B 14Jun1832 Arabella BROOKBANKS age 28, Hampton St

from register of Whitfield Memorial Church, Tottenham Court Rd

B 20Nov1836 Christopher BROOKBANKS age 37, St Marylebone

 

No death certificate has been found for Christopher despite extensive searches of the index for alternative spellings etc. Neither has he been found in any census including the 1841.  He was not mentioned in his father’s will of 1842.  The burial record above is the right name and age for Christopher-4 and explains his absence from subsequent records.  The non-conformist church, named after a celebrated preacher, was located in Tottenham Court Rd only ˝ mile from St Giles, the parish church of Christopher’s father.  Perhaps Christopher returned to his father’s location after the death of his wife when he had young children to look after or when he became too ill to care for them. 

 

In view of the above, it seems certain that the burial record is indeed that of Christopher-4.  It provides an explanation why Christopher’s youngest son James was baptised in June 1837 when he was 5 years old.  If Christopher were already dead, then James’ carers having discovered he was unbaptised, remedied the situation. 

 

On the other hand, James’ baptismal record simply states that his parents were Arabella and Christopher, baker of Hampton St. without noting that either was deceased.  But Arabella was certainly dead, so the absence of “deceased” for Christopher is not critical and the register entry probably refers back to the time when James was born.   A more serious objection is that the Baker’s Guild recorded that Christopher paid his dues to the Guild both in 1837 and 1838, the last year that record have survived.  The entries were simple ditto marks and the only explanation I can offer is clerical error.

 

Despite these objections it will be taken that the above burial record is that of Christopher-4

 

 

CENSUS

 

Neither Christopher nor his son James has been found in the 1841 census despite extensive search of the index.

OTHER

 

Census: 1841 Moor St, St Giles in the Fields, MDX HO107/673/18 dist 8A p9

 

William  NIXEY       25 1816  oilman    n

Arabella BROOKSBANKS 15 1826  FS        Y [probably Christopher’s daughter]

J        GLOVER      30 1811  MS        n

 

Census: 1841 New Rd Stourbridge WOR HO107/1198 Bk12 dist 5 f15

 

Christopher BROOKBANKS  71 ind          y  [probably Richard-5’s brother]

Ann         BROOKBANKS  40 ind          n

Richard     BROOKBANKS  70 ind          y  [pprobably Richard-5, Christopher’s father]

Elizabeth   BROOKBANKS  15 ind          n  [probably Christopher’s daughter, Elizabeth Susan]

 

Census:  1841 Grosvenor St, Camberwell HO107/1064/3 dist5

 

Daniel      DACKOMBE   63  1777    clark   n

Ann M       DACKOMBE   19  1821            y

Matilda     DACKOMBE   15  1825            y

Christopher BROOKBANKS 13  1827    ind     n [Christopher’s son]

 

Apprenticeship and freedom records at Guildhall RO CF1/1487

 

1May1815 This Indenture witnesseth that Christopher BROOKBANKS the son of Richard BROOKBANKS of King St, Seven Dials in the County of Middlesex, Baker doth put himself apprentice to Thomas OSBORN of Snow Hill in the City of London, Baker

 

7Oct1822 Christopher BROOKBANKS was this day admitted to his Freedom in the Worshipful Company of Bakers by Servitude

 

Bakers Guild Records  at London Guildhall

Index of Freeman and Liverymen 1769-1852 from Court Minute Books  1836-74 (ref 5177/14)

BROOKBANKS Christopher

 

 1May1815: bound

 7Oct1822: free     abode: 40 King st, Seven Dials

 7Oct1822: housekeeper

 6Oct1823: livery

 6Oct1823: steward

 

Subscriptions of freemen and livery  (ref MS 5733)

 

quarterly subscriptions of freemen and liverymen (L); columns headed “amount” and “received” were marked ” in all cases meaning 4s and yes

 

1826 April     Brookbanks Christ (L) 40 King St Seven Dials

1826 Christmas Brookbanks Christ (L) 40 King St Seven Dials

1829 Christmas Brooksbanks Cr (L) [Cannon St City – crossed through]

1830 Christmas Brooksbanks Cr (L) [no address recorded]

1831 Christmas Brookbanks Chrstr (L) [no address recorded] remarks: letter retd [returned?]

1832 Christmas Brookbanks Chrsts (L) 37 Hampton St Newington remark: [letter retd – crossed through]

1833,1834,1835,1837,1838 Christmas Brookbanks Chrstr (L) 37 Hampton St Newington

 

no records preserved after 1838 until an undated book [MS 8147] which lists freedom dated up to March 1847 and so probably refers to Christmas 1847; column headings differ from the above book

 

Brooksbank Christ [L] [37 Hampton St Newington – crossed through]

date of freedom: Oct1822

how obtained: by servitude

redeemed: not known

 

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