Location: Shropshire, England

Surnames/tags: Ankrett Rock
This page outlines the argument for Thomas Ankrett of St Giles in the Fields and St Anne Soho being born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire in 1758, son of Arthur Anchorett/Ankritt and Martha Savage.
Contents |
Initial Information
- Thomas was stated to be aged "Thirty years and upwards" on 15 Nov 1789[1] (ie born before 15 Nov 1759).
- He was stated to be aged 43 on his burial record on 22 August 1803[2] (ie born mid-August 1759 to 22 August 1760).
Noting:
- Marriage licence ages often round down; legally the important thing was that the person had sworn they were over 21 years old. Because he was bonded for a significant sum of money, we can assume that Thomas was truthful when he said he was at least 30 years old when he married (to the best of his knowledge). But he could have been older than 30 and his sworn statement would still be truthful.
- Burial ages are only as good as the knowledge of the relative supplying the information. In this case it was likely his widow, and Thomas was reasonably young, so the 43 years should be reasonably accurate.
Research and Evidence
Candidates for Birth/Baptism of Thomas
A search throughout Great Britain of the main online genealogical databases (Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast), using all known variants of Ankrett, reveals three candidate baptisms for Thomas Ankrett in the period 1750-1770, all in Shropshire:
- Thomas Anchoret/Ankritt bap. 1754, Church Stretton, Shropshire
- Thomas Ankrit b. 1758, Shrewsbury St Chad's, Shropshire
- Thomas Ankritt bap. 1763, Stapleton, Shropshire
All three Thomas's and their families were researched, to determine if any of them could be Thomas of St Giles in the Fields. This research found that both the Thomas baptised 1754 and the Thomas baptised 1763 have had marriage and death/burial records inconsistent with Thomas of St Giles. It appears these two Thomas's never left Shropshire. Sources for the marriages and deaths/burials are on their profiles. They were thus discounted from further consideration.
No further records for Thomas born 1758 were found in Shropshire, thus he remained a candidate at this stage. However, even though he is the final remaining candidate, we cannot just assume that he is the same person as Thomas of St Giles. For example, it could be that there is another Thomas for whom there is no surviving baptism record. We thus need to examine what evidence there is to support the identification of Thomas born 1758 with Thomas of St Giles in the Fields.
Thomas of Shrewsbury Born 1758
There is not one piece of evidence (eg a bequest in a will) that proves Thomas born 1758 is the same person as the Thomas who married Sarah Rock in 1789 in Walsall and was buried in 1803 in Westminster. But there are several pieces of evidence that when considered together, make it likely that they are indeed the same person. The main evidence is as follows:
- Thomas was born 14 March 1758;[3] this would make him 31 years old at marriage and 45 years old at death, both of which are close to the ages in the marriage licence[1] and burial record.[2]
- Thomas born 1758 had a brother, Abraham, who lived in London.[4]
- Thomas born 1758, had a sister, Sarah. She disappears from the Shropshire records and is most likely the person who turns up in 1783 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, getting married to John Crow.[5] Comparison of signatures confirms that Thomas of St Giles was a witness at their marriage. The same John Crow was a witness on the marriage licence of Thomas of St Giles.[1] Sarah and her husband lived in Walsall (same place as Thomas of St Giles married and his children later lived) and she was buried there in 1805.[6]
- Martha Ankrett was godmother to Thomas of St Giles's daughter Elizabeth in 1795.[7] Thomas born 1758's mother was named Martha.[8] In 1796, a Martha Ankrett appears in the Catholic register of St Mary's Shrewsbury, as godmother to a Thomas Leicester.[9] The only Martha Ankrett likely to be living in Shrewsbury at this time is the mother of Thomas, who died there in 1803.[10] So there is both a person connection and Catholic connection between Ankrett of St Giles and Ankrett of Shrewsbury.
There are a few further points of interest that generally support the identification:
- Martha Ankrett, mother of Thomas born 1758, was granted 100 pounds in the will of Elinor Talbot, proved in 1780.[11] She thus had money which could have been used to set Thomas up in business in London.
- When she died in early 1803, a death notice for Martha Ankrett appeared in the Monthly Magazine,[12] a nationwide publication. Such is consistent with her eldest son being a well-to-do London businessman.
- Thomas born 1758 had a sister, Ann, who married John Edwards.[13] There is an Ann Edwards, wife of John, buried at Wednesbury, Staffordshire in 1792.[14] Wednesbury is where Sarah the sister of Thomas born 1758 was married. However, the names Ann and John Edwards are very common, so this burial may relate to another couple with the same names.
A Note on Francis Ankrett 1798
A 1798 transcription of a Westminster Rate Book suggests that a Francis Ankrett was living on the same street as Thomas.[15] This could be a relative so would suggest looking for a Francis Ankrett born in Shropshire. However, the relevant image of the St Anne's Soho Paving Rate Book has been checked (they are available at FamilySearch Centres - Image 401 on digital image group DGS5109507) and it is confirmed that this is a transcription error. Only Thomas Ankrett appears on the image. The person immediately below Thomas is a Francis Hine and the transcriber has likely mixed up the entries.
Conclusion
Thomas Ankrett of St Giles in the Fields and St Anne Soho, husband of Sarah Rock, married in Walsall (Staffordshire) in 1789 and buried in Westminster in 1803, is very likely the Thomas born on 14 March 1758 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. His parents were therefore Arthur Anchorett/Ankritt (1715-1789) and Martha Savage (1729-1803).
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Marriage licence: "Staffordshire, Dioceses Of Lichfield & Coventry Marriage Allegations And Bonds, 1636-1893"
FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 17 August 2023) - ↑ 2.0 2.1
Burial:
"Westminster Burials"
Archive: City of Westminster Archives Centre
FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 22 August 2023)
Thos Ankret burial (died in 1803) on 22 Aug 1803 in St James, Hampstead Road, Middlesex, England. - ↑
Baptism:
"Shropshire Baptisms"
Reference: P253/A/1/3; Page: 179
FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 18 August 2023)
Thos Ankrit baptism on 2 Apr 1758 (born 14 Mar 1758), son of Arthur & Martha, in Shrewsbury, St Chad's, Shropshire, England. - ↑
Burial:
"London, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-2003"
London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P93/GEO/077
Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 1559 #9114716 (accessed 22 August 2023)
Abraham Ankritt burial (died in about 1823) on 11 Oct 1823 in St George in the East, Tower Hamlets, England. - ↑
Marriage:
"Staffordshire Marriages"
Reference: D4383/1/23; Page: 35
FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 22 August 2023)
Sarah Ankret marriage to John Crow on 20 Apr 1783 in Wednesbury, St Bartholomew, Staffordshire, England. - ↑
Burial:
"FreeReg UK Parish Register database"
Staffordshire; Walsall; St Matthew Burial Ground; Other Transcript; File line number: 1295
FreeReg Transcription (accessed 22 August 2023)
Sarah Crow burial on 22 Dec 1805 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England. - ↑
Baptism:
"England Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms"
Archive: Westminster Archdiocesan Archives
FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 18 August 2023)
Elizabetha Ankrett baptism on 8 Feb 1795 (born 23 Jan 1795), daughter of Thomas Ankrett & Sare, in Lincoln's Inn Fields (Sardinian Chapel), St Anselm & St Cecilia, Middlesex, England. - ↑
Baptism:
"Shropshire Baptisms"
Reference: P253/A/1/3; Page: 179
FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 22 August 2023)
Thos Ankrit baptism on 2 Apr 1758 (born 14 Mar 1758), son of Arthur & Martha, in Shrewsbury, St Chad's, Shropshire, England. - ↑ George Eyre Evans, editor and transcriber, "Liber Baptizatorum in Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae, Salopiae. Ab anno 1775 ad annum 1837", Shropshire parish registers : Nonconformist and Roman Catholic registers, (Shropshire Parish Register Society, 1903) p. 6; Internet Archive Image.
- ↑
Burial:
"Shropshire Burials"
Reference: P253/A/1/5; Page: 27
FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 20 August 2023)
Martha Ankrett burial (died in 1803 at age 80) on 18 Feb 1803 in Shrewsbury, St Chad's, Shropshire, England. - ↑
England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858:
"England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
PROB 11: Will Registers > 1777-1780 > Piece 1070: Collins, Quire Numbers 470-509 (1780) > image 389 of 653
Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 22 August 2023)
Elinor Talbot. - ↑ Death: Monthly Magazine no. 99, vol. 15 no. 3, 1 April 1803, p. 288; Google Books.
- ↑
Marriage:
"Shropshire Marriages"
Reference: P257/A/3/2; Page: 21
FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 20 August 2023)
Anne Ankret marriage to John Edwards on 7 Feb 1774 in Shrewsbury, St Mary's, Shropshire, England. - ↑
Burial:
"Staffordshire Burials"
Reference: D4383/1/6; Page: 248
FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 22 August 2023)
Ann Edwards burial (died in 1792) on 11 Mar 1792 in Wednesbury, St Bartholomew, Staffordshire, England. - ↑
1798 Rate Book:
"Westminster Rate Books 1634-1900"
FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 22 August 2023)
First name(s): Francis; Last name: Ankrett; Occupier's first name(s): Francis; Occupier's last name: Ankrett; Date: 1798; Year: 1798; Address: Little Newport Street; Parish: St Anne, Soho; Notes: Land Tax 1798-1800 Paving Rates 1797-1798 Watch Rates 1797-1798 Rector'S Rates 1799-1801 Paving Rates 1798; Folio number: 28; County: London; Country: England.
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