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My umpteenth granddad was a Gomery

By Alan Tyler


 

Gomery of Rochford

 

John Gomery of Rochford, Worcestershire, married Elizabeth Amies of Tenbury Wells sometime after 24 June 1690, by licence, possibly at St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow. As far as one can tell they lived all their married life in Rochford where their 11 children were born, two of whom died in childhood. Nothing much is known about John beyond the fact that he was described as a labourer on the marriage licence and is recorded as being churchwarden at St Michael’s in 1700, 1708 and 1716. He was buried on the 17 April 1719 Elizabeth surviving him by nearly two years was buried 18 February 1720 [old style]. At this time the ages of their five youngest children would have ranged from about 8 to 17 years in age. 

 

  • Philip baptised 30th July 1703
  • William baptised  3rd March 1704
  • Robert baptised 17th May 1707
  • Mary baptised 10th April 1710
  • Michael baptised 13th September 1712 - all baptised at St Michael’s, Rochford.

 

Possibly after the death of their parents, it would appear that they left Rochford and went to live in the London area, maybe with an unidentified relative. But the evidence for this only rests on the fact that four males with the same names married in London between 1732 and 1739.

 

White Hart Inn, Whitechapel

 

Assuming that we are correct, the youngest son Michael married Ann Hancock at St Andrew’s Church, Holborn, by licence on 12th November 1736. Both in the marriage allegation and the parish register they give their place of residence as Edmonton. There is no indication in either document as to Ann’s age but working back from the age given at death she would have been about 18 at the time. One can only suggest that Edmonton was where Ann came from as their first child, William, was born at the White Hart Inn, Whitechapel, being baptised at the parish church of St Mary’s less than four months later on the 1st March 1737 [o.s.]. There is no other reference to Gomerys living in Edmonton, so it seems likely that Michael was already resident in Whitechapel and perhaps Ann was the barmaid at the White Hart. The couple went on have a further 11 children, all of whom were born and baptised in the same location, before Michael died of consumption there aged 52 and was buried at St Mary’s Whitechapel on the 28th April 1765.

 

 

 

Map dated 1746 showing the White Hart Inn on the south side of Whitechapel High Street - just below the “E” of White.

 

 

There is still a public house called the White Hart at 89 High Street, Whitechapel, which incidentally is linked to the Jack the Ripper killings, but it was built during the mid 19th century to replace the coaching inn, demolished 1846, on the other side of the road and closer to Aldgate.

 

In his will, proved on 27th April 1765, Michael left to Ann ‘all my household goods Linnen China plate and furniture’ together with two leasehold fields, one in Plaistow and the other in Bethnal Green. She was also the beneficiary of the will, proved 11th July 1772, of her second son, Michael, who died ‘in foreign parts’. It is thus rather surprising to find the record of her own burial at St Leonard’s, Shoreditch, on 1st August 1788 marked with a P - for pauper.

 

William Gomery is recorded in the Register of the Names of Apprentices bound in the Company of Fishmongers of the City of London on the 27th November 1752 though there is no entry that appears to specifically refer to the binding – the commencement of William Gomery’s apprenticeship. Seven years later the Freedom Register dated 7th December 1759 records ‘William Gomery Son of Michael Gomery of the Parish of St Mary in White Chappel in the County of Middx Innholder & late the Apprentice of Richard Peyton Freeman claiming his Freedom by Service is admitted & sworn’. It is suspected that Richard Peyton was not in business as a fishmonger but in spite of searching various London directories that cover the period 1749 to 1763 no listing has been found for him. A similar search was made for William Gomery after 1759, so to date we have no idea what line of business William pursued.

 

Return to Worcestershire - Bewdley

 

Likewise nothing is known as to the occupation of William Gomery following his move to Bewdley sometime prior to 1763 although it is known that he was a member of the Grand Jury in that year, and again in 1767, 1774 and 1778. He also held land at Tinkers Gate, Bewdley. As to why William, and his cousin Robert Gomery who was a surgeon, should have moved to Bewdley has not as yet been established.

 

On 14th February 1763 William married Elizabeth Hill, at St Leonard’s, Ribbesford. She appears to have been the second child and eldest daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Hill of Areley Kings baptised at St Bartholomew’s Church on the 28th December 1726. In which case, she would have been about 10 years older than her husband when they married. This may go some way to explaining why they only had two children, Elizabeth who was baptised on the 24th April 1763 and Rennea on the 3rd July 1766 at St Leonard’s, Ribbesford. Both were buried at Areley Kings, Elizabeth Gumbury of Bewdley on the 28th January 1794 and William Gummery of Bewdley on 21st November 1802.

 

Their daughter Elizabeth was only 15 years of age when she married William Smith on 2nd March 1776 at St Leonard’s, Ribbesford. The marriage licence is interesting as it shows that Elizabeth had, or needed to have, the consent of both of her parents in order to marry. When William Smith initially applied for the certificate he stated that Elizabeth was aged 25 [it looks like 25 but has been crossed out] but when her father was questioned about this he stated that she was 15. William gave his age as 29 [though it may be 20] and stated that the parish of Ribbesford had been ‘his usual abode for the space of four weeks last past’ perhaps implying that he came from somewhere else. No clue is given in the marriage licence as to what his occupation may have been at the time.

 

William and Elizabeth Smith had 12 children between 1780 and 1802 the eldest of whom was named William Gomery Smith and the second Jane [Clarke?] Smith. Is this latter a possible clue to the maiden name of William Smith’s mother? Having the surname of Smith does not make it easy to establish when either Elizabeth or William was buried though it may be significant that the Elizabeth Smith who was buried on the 9th May 1816 at St Leonard’s, Ribbesford, had an address in Lax Lane, Bewdley, which some years later was the residence of her son-in-law’s family. Her age at death, 55, would also be about right.

 

St Leonard’s Church, Ribbesford

 

Mary Gomery married George Tyler

 

Their youngest daughter, Mary was baptised on 9th December 1802, at St Leonard’s, Ribbesford, and married George Tyler at the same church on the 3rd November 1823 - all nine of their children were baptised there between 1824 and 1841. In all the baptism records George’s occupation is given as waterman, working the boats that traded through the busy river port of Bewdley. This tended to be a hereditary occupation so it is possible that his, as yet unknown, father was also one. When George died 31 July 1867 in Birmingham the age given on his death certificate was given as 68 years suggesting a date of birth c.1799 and this is consistent with the census returns for 1841, 1851 & 1861 where his age is given as 40, 52 and 62 respectively.

 

In the 1831 census, George is recorded as a waterman with 4 males and 3 females in the household and with the help of a Poor Rate book covering the same period it has been possible to place him on Severnside but not in a particular property. By 1835 the family had moved round the corner to Lax Lane where the younger children were born. However he seems to have left the river c.1840 as he was described as a labourer in the 1841 census and in 1851 as a rope spinner, living in Whispering Street across the River Severn in Wribbenhall. As to why he left the river one can only speculate but around 1840 railways were being constructed all across the country which led to a rapid decline in river traffic. Sometime in the following 10 years the family moved to 10 Court, Inge Street, Birmingham although his occupation remained the same. Mary outlived George by nearly six years dying at Heath Street, Birmingham on 8th May 1873. It is not, as yet known where either of them were buried.

 

Acknowledgements

Linda Hansen, Gomery One-Name Study (Goons #3034)

Charles Purcell, Bewdley Historical Research Group

If you wish to make contact then please email me .

 
Photo of St Leonard's Church, Ribbesford used with the permission of Vik from Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/keshvala/3846954518/in/set-72157621989421495/
URL=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gomery/whitehart.html
Last revised: 19 March 2012
© Linda Hansen 2012