Saturday, May 21, 2011

Hemsley of Bermondsey, London, UK

The surname Hemsley has been a tantalizing one ever since I found one of my 2x great grandfather's sisters had been named Emma Hemsley Buller. I felt it just must lead me back to their mother whose forename was Mary. I knew that the parents of my Henry Christopher Buller were Christy and Mary Buller because that is the way that it was written for the baptism.

Out of the blue I received an email from a member of the Beard family letting me know that Mary Buller's maiden name was Beard and with the will in hand I transcribed it and learned a little more about the Beard family. I still hadn't found the name Hemsley but as I searched back in time looking for the wife of Henry Beard I discovered the marriage of Henry Beard and Elizabeth Hemsley 31 Mar 1766 at St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey. My intuition had paid off as I now knew what I had thought to be true; that Hemsley was a family name (one more generation back than I thought but very welcomed none the less).

I went through the Burial Register for St Mary Magdalen and found the burial for Elizabeth Beard (née Hemsley) 22 Jul 1781 at St Mary Magdalen. When we visited the Church  and Church Yard of St Mary Magdalen in October last, I wandered around the Church Yard to see if there was any trace of tombstones for the Beard family but did not find any. I knew that there probably wasn't a stone anymore but wanted to look anyway. It was interesting walking on the grounds where 250 years ago my 4x great grandparents had married and watched their three daughters (all baptized at St Mary Magdalen) grow up in the Church community. Mary (my ancestor) was the eldest of three daughters.

Elizabeth the second daughter was likely born around 1770 (still searching for her baptism) and she married William Millin 24 Dec 1807 at St Mary Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, London. He died 19 Apr 1812 at Three Hammer Alley,  Southwark. They had two sons John baptized 21 Aug 1808 at St Saviour, Southwark but died before his father as he was not named in the will and Horatio Henry who was baptized 11 Nov 1810 at St Saviour. He married Martha Wood 29 Jul 1832 at St Mary Magdalen and they had seven children. Horatio Henry Millin died june quarter 1866 at Bermondsey.

Charles Henry baptized 30 Jun 1837 at St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey
Martha Mary born circa 1838
Horatio Benjamin baptized born circa 1840,  11 Dec 1853 at Christ Church, Bermondsey
Henry born circa 1842, baptized 11 Dec 1853 at Christ Church, Bermondsey
Sophia born circa 1845
Emma born circa 1849, baptized 11 Dec 1853 at Christ Church, Bermondsey
William Nelson born circa 1853, baptized 11 Dec 1853 at Christ Church, Bermondsey

I do not have any further information on this family.

Their third daughter was Sarah born 23 Feb 1777 at Lambs Alley, Bermondsey and baptized 2 Mary 1777 at St Mary Magdalen. She married Michael Jacob Denner 21 Jan 1808 at St Andrew Undershaft, London and they had two children that I have found thus far

Henry John born 11 Feb 1812, baptized 7 June 1812 at St Botolph Without aldgate, London and buried 18 Aug 1813 at St Botolph Without Aldgate.

Sarah Jane born 30 Mar 1820 and baptized 30 Mar 1820 at St Botolph Without Aldgate.

I have not found any further information on this family to date other than that Michael Jacob Denner remarried in the 1850s.

Christy Buller was named in the will of William Millin as an executor.


Date: 30 Jan 2011
Document: Will
Source: The National Archives # 227
Date of document: 6 May 1812
Author: William Millin
Relationship: husband of Elizabeth Beard (sister to my 3x great grandmother Mary Beard)
Location:  Three Hammer Alley, St Edwards Broadway, Southwark, London, England
Document quality: 18th century English, good black writing somewhat dotted


margin] William Millin

1  In the Name of God Amen I

2  William Millin of Three Hammer Alley Saint Edouard's Broadway in

3  the Borough of Southwark in the County of Surr[e]y Cooper being weak in

4  body but of sound mind memory and understanding blessed be God for the

5  same do make this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following

6  that is to say I commit my body to the Earth to be decently buried at the

7  discretion of my Executor hereinafter named and touching such worldly Estate as

8  it hath pleased Almighty God in his goodness to bestow upon me gave and

9  dispose thereof as follows I give and bequeath unto my dear Wife Elizabeth Millin

10  all my household furniture linen plate china wearing apparel ready money

11  Stock in trade debts and all other my Effects which shall be found in and upon

12  my dwellinghouse shop and premises situate in three Hammor alley aforesaid

13  at the time of my decease to and for her own absolute use and benefit  she

14  my said wife paying thereout all my just debts funeral expenses and the

15  charges of proving this my Will and Where there is now standing in my

16  name in the books of the Governor and Company of the bank of England

17  the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds three per cent consolidated bank

[Page 2]

18  annuities  I do give devise and bequeath the same unto my friend Christy

19  Buller of Three Hammer Alley aforesaid Slop Cutter Upon __ue in the first place

20  to sell assign and transfer the sum of fifty pounds part thereof unto my said dear

21  Wife to and for her own absolute use and benefit And afterwards to pay to or

22  otherwise to permit and suffer my said dear Wife to receive the Interest and

23  dividends of the residue of the residue of the said sum of two hundred and

24  fifty pounds as and where the same shall become due and payable until my

25  son John Millin by my former Wife shall attain the age of twenty one years and

26  upon his attaining that age then to sell assign and transfer the further Sum of

27  one hundred pounds other part of the said Sum of two hundred and fifty pounds

28  three percent consolidated bank annuities unto my said Son John Millin to

29  and for his own absolute use and benefit and afterwards upon further trust to

30  permit and suffer my said dear Wife to receive the Interest and dividents of the

31  remaining __er of one hundred pounds three percent consolidated bank

32  annuities as the same shall become due and payable until my second son Horatio

33  Henry Millin by my said dear Wife Elizabeth shall attain his age of twenty one years

34  and then upon trust to sell assign and transfer the said remaining sum of one

35  hundred pounds being the residue of the said Sum of two hundred and fifty pounds

36  three per cent consolidated bank annuities unto my said Son Horatio Henry to

37  and for his own absolute use and benefit but in case my said Son John Millin should

38  happen to depart this life before he ataine the age of twenty one years then my

39  mind and will is and I hereby direct that the said one hundred pounds Stock

40  given and bequeathed to him as aforesaid shall go to and belong to my said Son

41  Horatio Henry raised in case unpaid heirs John Millin and Horatio Henry Millin shall die before they attain their respective ages of twenty

42  One years then my mind and will is and thereby direct the said Christy Buller

43  to pay assign and transfer the said two hundred pounds Stock unto my said dear

44  Wife to and for own absolute use and benefit and I hereby nominate constitute

45  and appoint my said dear friend the said Christy Buller sole Executor of this my will and I hereby revoke all former and other wills by me at any time heretofore

46  made and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In witness whereof I

47  the said William Millin the Testator have re this my last Will and Testament

48  contained in two sheets of paper set my hand and seal that is to say to the first

49  sheet thereof my hand and to the second and last sheet thereof my hand and seal

50  this twenty sixth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred

51  and twelve Wm Millin (seal) Signed Sealed published and declared by the within

52  named William Millin the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in

53  the presence of use who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each

54  other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereof  Jn: Rippon [signed]

55  att[orne]y at Law Southwark Isaac Foster [signed]

56  Proved at London 6th May 1812 before the w[ors]hipful John Daubery Doctor of Laws

57  and Surrogate by the Oath of Christy Buller the sole Ex[ecut]or to whom admon was

58  granted having been first sworn duly to administer.

Continuing to look at Elizabeth Hemsley and my contact for the Beard family sent me rather interesting information on the Hemsley family at St Mary Newington in Southwark. I had found the burial for Elizabeth Hemsley Beard 22 Jul 1781 at St Mary Magdalen (she was living on Grange Road when she passed away) and her age was listed as 38. Working with that information she was likely born in 1742 and at St Mary Newington there is an Elizabeth Hemsley baptized Nov 1742 and born 16 Oct 1742 at St Mary Newington. She was the daughter of Matthew Hemsley and Mary Coal who were themselves married 14 Dec 1740 at St Mary Newington and they had four children baptized

Mary born 22 Aug 1741 and baptized 23 Aug 1741 at St Mary Newington (she is thought to have died by 1750)
Elizabeth (as above)
George baptized 20 Jul 1744 at St Mary Newington
Mary baptized 14 Feb 1750 at St Mary Newington

My project with the next research day is to continue working with the Hemsley family at Newington and review some information on the Hemsley family sent to me by the Beard family researcher with whom I am in contact. Their opinion is that this family can be traced back to a parish north of the Thames River and I shall investigate that.

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