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From the Parish Registers (1):
Baptisms, Weddings and Burials at St George-in-the-East


General Comments

Note: the registers for the early years are in fragile condition, and are not available for general inspection at the London Metropolitan Archive where they are held, but can be viewed there on microfilm, or via ancestry.co.uk. A few of the older registers are barely legible.
 
 St George-in-the-East was a civil registration district (as well as an ecclesiastical parish) 'in the county of Middlesex' from 1837 to 1889, and in the 'county of London' from 1889 to 1925, when it was designated as 'Stepney'. This can confuse family historians: birth and marriage certificates from this earlier period do not necessarily mean that the ceremony took place at the parish church.


The Gregorian calendar
The change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar took effect in 1752, from which time the new year began on 1 January rather than 25 March (Lady Day); for simplicity, the table below follows the 'new style', counting events in January-March up to 1752 as belonging to the year numbered from 25 March. The registers tend to use the style (e.g.) '1740/41' for these months (for further explanation, see here).

A primary record
Before the introduction of civil registration of births, deaths, and non-church marriages, parochial registers were the primary record, so it was important to correct mistakes. Errors occurred both because of illiteracy (people couldn't check what was written) and, in the case of baptisms, through the system of 'rough' or 'day' books in which the clerk noted down details and later transcribed them into the registers: there was no preliminary paperwork - you just turned up (and, as sometimes noted, a few failed to stay and register, e.g. 1756 a child was this day carried away from the church without being registered -  and see below for further examples). For marriages, detailed 'day books' were also kept, from which banns were read (unless the marriage was by licence, for some reason - more common than today), and in due course there was a register to be signed (or marked, by non-literates). But mistakes still occurred. Generally the error was a wrong or omitted forename, but sometimes the surname was incorrect (example 'Mansell' for 'Manson', or baptisms in the mother's maiden name). Occasionally the sex of a child was wrong: in 1759 'Matthew' was changed to 'Martha', in 1760 'Sarah' to 'Samuel', in 1837 'James' to 'Jane' and in 1858 'Henry' Gaffken to 'Eleanor'. Sometimes wrong dates were recorded, which could cause problems; for example, an affidavit of 1816 is included in the baptism register declaring that
....Elizabeth Luton of 3 Silver Street in the Parish of St George in the said County and the wife of William Luton this day cometh before me of His Majesty's Justice of the Peace for the said County and Maketh Oath that she, the Deponent, is the Mother of Richard Luton by her said Husband William Luton. And that this Deponent being desirous of getting her Son into Shakespears Walk School [see here for details of this 'British Union School'] finds it necessary to prove that her Son is under Ten years of age. And that on obtaining a Certificate of her Son's Baptism she finds that he is stated to be born 'the 26th of September 1806' instead of 1807, her Son having been baptized about a month after his birth which is stated in the said Certificate to be in '1807, 25th of October' as wiill appear by the said Certificate hereto annexed. And this Deponent saith that the same must have been an error of her husband, she herself not having been present at the Baptism.
Sworn in the Public Office, Shadwell, ?? April 1816
Eliz Luton (her mark)

[The Rector's certificate, also appended to the registers, states]
'Register of Baptisms for the year 1807, 25th of October
Richard, Son of William Luton, lighterman, by Elizabeth, Silver Street, born the 26th of September 1806'
extracted from the Register of Baptisms this 24th day of April in the Year 1816
By me, R. Farington, Rector

Sometimes corrections were needed where a couple had signed the marriage register (or made their mark) with the incorrect name, particularly when foreigners had changed or anglicized their names.  The clergy noted corrections; for example,
In 1835 a system of declarations, sworn before a police court magistrate, had replaced the more elaborate requirement of an affidavit, and a number of these are pinned into the registers; after the details of the correction, the printed text reads
...and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the Provisions of an Act made and passed in the [Fifth and] Sixth Year[s] of the Reign of his late Majesty King William IV [Cap LXII] entituled 'An Act to repeal an Act of the present Session of Parliament, entituled an Act for the more efficient Abolition of Oaths and Affirmations taken and made in various Departments of the State, and to substitute Declarations in lieu thereof, and for the more entire suppression of Voluntary and Extra-judicial Oaths and Affidavits, and to make other provisions for the Abolition of unnecessary Oaths.'
Later, this fell out of use, and incumbents simply inserted a marginal note witnessed by the parties.

For a few years in the latter part of the 18th century, the registers were inspected - baptism and wedding registers in 1784 (signed 'P. Keene Ins. Reg.'), 1786, and 1788 (but the inspector didn't pick up the mis-numbering jump in the baptism registers for that year).

 Civil Registration 1837
There had been previous attempts to regulate marriage, notably Lord Hardwicke's Act of 1753 (26 Geo II), 'An Act for the better Preventing Clandestine Marriages', requiring (except for Jews and Quakers) that marriages be conducted in an Anglican church, with an Anglican officiant, and after banns or licence, with particular provision for the marriage of minors, who required parental consent. New registers were issued, and the officiant had to sign each entry (from that time, clergy not licensed to parishes as incumbents or assistant curates signed as curate pro hac vice - 'for this occasion'). New registers were again issued after a further Act of 28 July 1812 (52 Geo III Cap 146). But the major change came in 1837, with the introduction of civil registration of births, and of civil marriage: see here for details of the local Registrars. All infants not previously baptized had to be registered, which led to a glut of baptisms on the days immediately before the Act came into force - 128 on 25 June, 148 on 28 June, and 225 of 30 June (a total of 501) - see here for more detail. There was opposition to the new Act from various quarters - see here for an example.

Christmas baptisms, weddings and funerals
Before working people had holidays, Christmas Day and Boxing Day were popular times for baptisms and weddings, often with a dozen or so of each, and sometimes there were also burials.

Fluctuating numbers - and who officiated?
The statistics below show the number of baptisms, weddings and (to a lesser extent) funerals varying markedly over time, and from year to year. The overall trend is of numbers rising sharply as the parish population increased, peaking in the 1830s with 1,000+ baptisms and 300+ weddings a year, reducing thereafter as our various 'daughter' churches were established, falling to about a tenth of that figure in the 20th century as the demography of the parish (including significant Jewish presence) changed, and continuing to fall in more recent years. But within that pattern there are sharp 'blips', in both directions, which may be attributed to the arrival or departure of a new Rector or of an energetic and efficient curate. (There are particular factors from 1859 onwards, first with the Ritualism Riots - which saw a big drop in weddings - and into the 1860s with the rise of the mission which became St Peter Wapping in 1866.)

On the whole, when assistant clergy were in post they officiated at baptisms, and to a lesser extent at weddings and burials (until the closure of the churchyard in 1854), rather than the Rector. However, even at the height of his troubles, Bryan King officiated far more often than previous or subsequent Rectors, except when he was away from the parish as a result of stress - including, in several years, a dozen or more Christmas Day weddings.

Unlike in some of our daughter churches, the number of baptisms has always far exceeded the number of weddings.

See here for a conference paper from 1880 by a former curate of St Paul Dock Street calling for further reform in marriage law and registration.

Baptisms

The first six registers are large volumes, on vellum, with single-line entries giving the first name of the child, father's name, surname and occupation, mother's name, coded street reference (no house number), and child's age in days. Between 1729 and 1749 there were 8,471 baptisms. Volume 3 has marriages (1729-54) in the back (by turning the book over); the new book of 1794 is marked 'Christning [sic] Register'; volume 6 is half-full, replaced by a new register from January 1813 [see above], which specifies 'The Rector', 'The Lecturer' or 'The Curate' as officiant. Some of the later volumes are barely legible (though the 'day books' are in better condition), and because entries are not numbered the statistics below may be inaccurate (within a margin of up to ten per year).

Christian names, for all social groups - the working classes, and the smaller number whose fathers are styled 'gentleman', or were professionals, ships' captains, customs officers and the like - are from a limited range, with Mary and Elizabeth predominating for girls (in 1757, all four candidates on 4 September were Elizabeth), and John and James for boys. However, local Danish influence is shown with a sprinking of Christian and Christiana, and in time German and other foreign names appear. Among the more unusual names are Protatia (the daughter of a brewer's clerk), Euphamia [sic], Lazarus, Fridesweed [sic] and the modern-sounding Dennis, plus some names from the Old Testament.

Almost all infants were baptized within a month of birth - often at a few days, without the mother present (she came a month later to be 'churched') - see the example above. Explanations are often recorded when the child is older (eg father died for a child aged 9 years). There are occasional adults (eg 1736, a servant approx 16 years; 1751, Temperance Reynolds, a girl of about 12 or 13 years from Bluegate Fields; 1752, Frances Summerset aged 52 years 10 months), with no suggestion of confirmation, or episcopal consent, which is the norm nowadays.

The main exception is for juvenile or adult 'negroes': for example, 2 in 1749, Captain William Cleveland's slave in 1750, and John Providence, a negro about 17 years in the same year; in 1751, Mary Mason, a Negro Servant to Mrs Wates in Princes Square; in 1757 Jane Daphnes, a Negro about 29 years; in 1759 George Middlesex, a Negro Slave belonging to [sic] Mrs Humes, about 14, plus Isaac Wells, a Negro about 24, and William Douse, a Negro of Princes Square about 22. When Herbert Mayo was Rector (1764-1802) he befriended the growing black community in the area.  

Almost all have two named parents, but there are exceptions, particularly for those born in or left at the workhouse, and for other foundlings, as well as for those simply described as a bastard child. Names given to foundlings include George Square; Charity base-born; Thomas Chance – 'dropped at W.H.' [workhouse]; Elizabeth Stone – 'dropped infant'; John Drop-Step – 'laid at W.H. door April 25 1784'; Sophy, Mary or Moses St George (various occurrences, e.g. 1755 Mary, a child dropt in the Back Lane);  others are simply listed as A stranger from the W.H.

The list of fathers' trades and occupations from this period makes interesting reading: it includes Per(r)ukemaker, Periwig maker, Hartshorn-rasper, Cord-wainer, Tripesman, Cauker, Slop-seller, Ginger-bread-baker, Back-maker, Packthread Spr., Mathematician, Tides-man, Pump-maker, Muffin-maker, Letter-Courier, Oyster-meter, Breeches-maker.

Among the comments in the registers of the first century are Civil registration (1837) is mentioned above; but according to William Quekett, even after this was introduced some parents did not stay to register baptisms, which is strange given that some still believed this could avoid civil registration fees. This pattern continued: for example, 27 Nov 1842 the parties left before registering the child born - BK [Bryan King]; 1850 the parties left without giving any further information, and as late as 1894 parents left without giving information.

Private baptisms (when a child was at risk of dying) were either rare or unrecorded until the 1850s. In 1829 an affidavit is included which states
John Anthony Curry of Walworth in the County of Sussex Gentleman and Mary Marr of North Street City Road in the County of Middlesex Daughter of the above married John Anthony Curry severally make oaths and say that they were present at the Ceremony for the Christening of John Woodall Hodgson and Alice Hodgson at the House of Captain John Hodgson of No.52 Great Hermitage Street Saint Georges in the said County of Middlesex on September one thousand eight hundred and two and these deponents further say that the Christening Service was read over and performed by the Reverend John Welchmann Wynn Assistant Curate of the Parish Church of Saint George aforesaid [from 1800-08]. And these deponents further say that they have searched the Books of the Parish Church of Saint George aforesaid and that no Certificate of such Christenings appears in any of such books.
Sworn at the Public Office, Lambeth Street, Whitechapel this 12th day of October 1829 before me, ?? Wyatt
This changed when Bryan King became Rector; he was scrupulous in recording these, and this period also saw some conditional baptisms, when there was doubt about the baptism of those being prepared for confirmation - a sign of the Oxford Movement's concern for sacramental regularity.

Pinned into the baptism register for 1850 is an address from local clergy expressing concern over the Gorham judgement (regarding the doctrine of baptismal regeneration, where a secular court presumed to rule on a matter of doctrine). See here for an example of a local clergyman for whom this was the trigger for leaving the Church of England - though he appears to have returned a few years later.

 Baptism of those those born out of wedlock continued - e.g. 1855 a bastard from the workhouse, 1877 born out of wedlock, father unknown - and of foundlings: eg Boxing Day 1852 Bryan King baptized a girl simply as 'Catherine', and on New Year's Eve 1856 George Porter, left at the gate of the workhouse Nov 1856 being then apparently six weeks old. In 1846 the churchwardens alleged, in a 'presentment' published in The Times of 8 January 1847, that
we have been informed and I believe, that the rector had refused to perform the offices of the church for parishioners applying to him for that purpose; that, in particular, on the 11th of January last, several mothers of children went to the parish church from the workhouse te be churched and to have their children baptised, and that the rector and one of his curates refused to perform the offices for them, alleging as the fact was that they were unmarried, but not inquiring or ascertaining whether or not they were penitent.
But given Bryan King's sacramental views - and the fact that on many other occasions he baptized workhouse infants - this is unlikely; perhaps they had not gone through thenormal channels via the workhouse chaplain.

Mission chapel baptisms
A total of 1002 baptisms, including family groups with children of various ages, were conducted by the many curates of the mission chapels at St Saviour's, Wellclose Square (1857-68) and the Good Shepherd, Calvert Street (1857-66) before the foundation of the new parish of St Peter London Docks. These were recorded in notebooks, and in due course most, if not all, were entered into the parish registers, and countersigned by Bryan King until he left in 1863, but they are not always in sequence, and the records are somewhat chaotic. These figures are included in the statistics below.

The second font
 In 1877 a second font was installed in the church. A note in the 1877 register says The font in the North Aisle was first used in the Parish Church of St George's in the East on Sunday 17th June 1877  [Sidney Vatcher officiating]. This font formerly stood in the City Church of St Benet Gracechurch Street E.C., which Church was recently pulled down. [Harry Jones added] The font was taken to St Dionis Backchurch, and moved from thence to St George's in the East (H.J.) What was the reason for this? By then, numbers, though still high, were less than half those in early years of the century. As mentioned above, traditionally only (parents and) godparents attended; increasingly the mother was 'churched' on the same day as the baptism. But because baptisms were now being concentrated on Sundays (though not as part of the main service - a development that lay well in the future), and with up to 20 baptisms on each occasion, using the main church was more practical. See here for R.H. Hadden's 1880 comments. Nowadays diocesan Chancellors, following the House of Bishops' guidelines, would look askance on two fonts in a church. Right is a 20th-century baptism card.

Workhouse/Infirmary baptisms
St George-in-the-East workhouse, some of whose chaplains were also licensed as curates of the parish, maintained its own baptismal register, though confusingly some of these entries were also transcribed into the registers of the parish church and/or of St Peter London Docks (in which parish it was situated). From 1891-94 some baptisms, of children and widows, were administered at St Peter's - their address was given as 'St George's East, Stepney'. From 1893-1932, 402 entries were recorded by the chaplains - more details about them here.

Points of interest
Marriages

There were few 'society' weddings in the parish, but here is an example of one: Oct. 7th, 1775. The Right Honourable Elizabeth Countess Dowager Clancarty, of the Kingdom of Ireland, of this parish, widow, and Charles Caliste Anselme Macarty More, of the City of Cambray in French Flanders, and Captain in Barndick's Regiment of Foot: in the French service, now lying in the said city, bachelor, married by licence. R.H. Hadden, writing in 1880, said Now-a-days our marriages are quiet enough affairs. People often come without any parade or fuss, and now and then we have an unfortunate bridegroom who presents himself in his working clothes, and on the conclusion of the ceremony goes back to his work. I remember tying the knot for a young couple one cold snowy morning and half-past nine. When they came into the vestry, I made the remark to the bridegroom that he had got a nasty morning and chosen an early hour for his wedding. He put on a very injured air, and replied, 'I can assure you, sir, that it is at the greatest possible inconvenience that I have managed to get here this morning.

See above for details of how registration was improved in the 18th and early 19th centuries, with the officiant, the couple and two witnesses signing. From 1754 onwards, Samuel Bright, the parish clerk, was usually one of the witnesses, as (less often) were his successors, William Bailey and Thomas Harmer Lacon (including at the marriage of his own son). At this period the normal spelling of the groom's status was 'batchelor' (as in the printed examples at the front of the register books). Until the latter part of the 19th century ages were not routinely recorded - merely 'full' or 'minor' (in the case of those requiring parental consent - generally brides, but some grooms). Many couples and witnesses 'make their mark' rather than signing, but this becomes less common from 1820 (in comparison with our less-grand daughter churches where this continued until the end of the century); by contrast, others have elegant hands. German names appear regularly from the 1830s - see here for comment on this in relation to the other churches in the parish.

It was normal for couples to give the same address. This is not necessarily because they were 'living in sin' (though some undoubtedly were), but to fulfil the requirements of the legal preliminaries by taking up temporary 'residence' in the parish (differently defined for banns and for common licence) and obviating the need for preliminaries elsewhere. In the mid-19th century, Bryan King was a stickler for compliance with the rules: there are several half-completed entries where the marriage did not go ahead, e.g. 16 July 1848 (William Baguilley & Hester Mortimore) neither of the parties having lived in the Parish, they were not married; 25 December 1848 (Thomas Davis & Rosetta Clark Ray) neither of the parties having lived in the parish their marriage was refused. B.K.;  14 January 1846 by the admission of the parties the banns had been erroneously given in and published, and marriage was refused. B. King.

Though Bryan King was by nature scrupulous, the volume of marriages sometimes made compliance difficult. The above entries suggest that he may have become particularly careful after the 1846 'presentment' by the wardens - published in The Times on 8 January 1847  - alleging that he and his curates regularly married couples from other parishes, citing several specific examples, from Shadwell and Stepney, and also mentioning those within the newly-created district of Christ Church Watney Street - who may possibly have been entitled to be married at St George's at that period. They also mentioned a marriage on 5 April of a Stepney couple, where the man had a previous wife living, and who was taken into custody on a charge of bigamy. Their final grievance related to the following entry: it is not clear what action Bryan King took when this was discovered.
1845: George Brittan & Ann Buckley, 21 April - the banns had been published in these names - but at the marriage the woman in question was personated by 'Mary Murray' (or 'Murphy' according to the statement of the Mother). B. King, April 30 1845

When couples were married on feast days, Bryan King included this rather than the calendar date (a practice of doubtful legality), sometime scrubbing out the date inserted by others and substituting 'Xmas Day', 'Innocents Day' or (which may have surprised some couples) 'Feast of the Circumcision'; as noted above, he himself conducted a large number of marriages over the Christmas and New Year period. His curates continued this practice for a time, but added the calendar date as well.

Marrying a deceased wife's sister
This was an issue that excited the Victorian church! Although scripture recognises the practice (see Luke 20.27-44), and it was found at all levels of society, the Book of Common Prayer 'Table of Kindred and Affinity' disapproved of such marriages, and church law had treated them as voidable - in other words, subsisting until chellenged. But the 1835 Marriage Act had hardened the line, with an absolute prohibition, and debate on the issue continued until it was resolved by the 1907 Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act. As a result, there were several occasions, particularly in Bryan King's time, when such marriages, having been booked, and preliminary entires made in the registers, were refused: e.g.
 For more detail on legal issues in relation to marriage past and present, showing that divergence between church and state is nothing new, see Scot Peterson and Iain McLean Legally Married (Edinburgh University Press 2014).

Points of interest
1782 / 1798: By the evidence of John Kidder no.52 Turnmile Street Clerkenwell Isaac Mason Deptford Bridge & Wm Davison no.7 Webber St Blackfriars the said Jane Morgan whom Sam Hands married the 31st Dec 1782 has lived in the habit of criminal intercourse with a Mr Seagrove since the summer of 1794 and eloped with the said Mr Deasgrove to America in the autumn of 1797
Witness James Cooper
Proofs of the above were exhibited to Mr Lacon Parish Clerk at St George's the 10 of Octr 1798 by Sam Hands
Witness James Cooper 20 Haughton St Clare Market
Thos Harmer Lacon Parish Clerk examined the written evidence from the above parties of which the above is a true copy. Oct 10 1798
[added in another hand] qu: why not exhibited to the Rector, in presence of the parish clerk
1799: George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland KING, Defender of the Faith and so forth [sic!]
To the Reverend Herbert Mayo DD Mary Austin Ann Redman and Mary Richardson Greeting.
We Command you and every of you that all other things set aside and ceasing every excuse you and every of you be and appear in your proper persons before our Right Trusty and well beloved Lloyd Lord Kenyon our Chief Justice assigned to hold Pleas in our Court before us at the Guildhall of the City of London on Wednesday the [crossings] day of April instant by nine o'clock in the forenoon of the same day
To testify the truth according to your knowledge in a certain Action now in our court before us depending between John Annis Plaintiff and Francis Wynne Defendant of a Plea of Trespass on the [? Crown] on the part of the Plaintiff and at the aforesaid day by a Jury of the country between the parties aforesaid of the Plea aforesaid to be Tryed, and this you nor any of you shall in nowise omit under the penalty of every one of you of one hundred pounds.
Witness Lloyd Lord Kenyon at Westminster the tenth day of April in the Thirty Ninth year of our Reign. WAY.
[second item]
Kings Bench: I give notice that at the trial of this cause you are required to produce the book of Registers in which is contained the particulars of a Marriage between Wynne and his present wife Elizabeth (13 April 1799)

1 May 1806: Warren Prickett & Mary Downey - 'This woman was educated in Mr Raine's Asylum, and drew, and received the Marriage Portion of £100. At the time of her marriage she was far advanced in Pregnancy, for she was delivered of a male child on the 19th of July following. In the Baptism Register - 19th September 1806, on which day the child was christened. A shameful fraud was artfully practised on the Trustees.' [see here for more details]

24 July 1809: William Brown married Eliza Chitty. He was born in Foxford, County Mayo, in 1777 and at the age of nine travelled with his parents to America, but his father died of yellow fever shortly after arrival, so William joined an American merchant ship as a cabin boy, and in due course became a sailor and gained his Master's ticket. He joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman, and was twice captured and escaped, from Metz and then Verdun. On reaching England, he went to sea again with the Merchant Navy and befriended Walter Chitty, from Deal in Kent, whose family was involved in shipping. Eliza was his daughter. They had nine children, and following the Palatine Pact raised the daughters in their mother's Anglican faith and the sons in the father's Roman Catholic faith. (This system was generally followed in Ireland until the Ne Temere decree of 1908. It forms part of the plot of Trollope's 1867/8 novel Phneas Finn.)

The couple sailed to Buenos Aires in 1810 in a ship belonging to Brown, which was lost to a privateer, but he managed to buy another and begin trading on the River Plate. In the ongoing war of independence, the patriot fleet had become weakened and Brown was invited to take command, which he did with great energy, becoming a Lieutenant Colonel. His flagship,The Hercules, flew a reverse saltire (a blue cross on a white background) from its previous Russian registration. Battles against the Spanish followed, the first on the island of Martin Garcia, a key site, where he boldly forced a royalist surrender (rallying his forces by instructing the band to play St Patrick's Day in the Morning); they withdrew to Montevideo. Admiral Brown set up an effective blockade there, and feocious fighting lasting three days ensued. Brown's leg was injured, but set on deck while he continued to transmit orders through a megaphone. The final destruction of the Spanish fleet was completed on 17 May, ever since known as the 'Day of the Argentine Army'.

Other defensive action of his adopted country followed and for a time he was governor of Buenos Aires. He is revered as the nation's greatest naval hero and one of its founding fathers. Returning to Foxford with his daughter at the height of the potato famine in 1847, when he was 70, he was shocked by what he saw and organised relief funds. He died in 1857, receiving the last rites from an old friend. On the centenary of his death the Argentine nation and navy donated a bronze bust to Foxford, where the anniversary of his death is marked each year on 3 March. There is a small museum there, and a memorial park opened by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD. The Admiral Brown Society runs a small museum in his birthplace of Foxford (where a copy of his marriage certificate is on display).  In recent times the Admiral William Brown Memorial Park was completed on the banks of the River Moy, and officially opened by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D. There is also a statue on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay in Dublin’s revamped docklands. 

We are grateful to Oliver Murphy, Public Relations Officer of the Admiral Brown Society in Foxford, for this picture and these details (condensed from a longer document).

1813: The Marriages are entered from this period in the New Register, provided in pursuance of the Act of Parliament (52 Geo: III, cap.146) passed the 28th of July in the year 1812

1817: entries record with the consent of the parish church of St Paul Shadwell, being taken down in order to be rebuilt, and no marriages solemnized therein
 (another note in 1819 says until fit for public worship).
[By contrast, when St George-in-the-East and other local churches were blitzed in 1941, some marriages were transferred to St Paul Shadwell, until the temporary church ('St George-in-the-Ruins') was licensed for marriages.]

Non-Anglican Marriages
The requirement that everyone (except Jews and Quakers, for whom there were special provisions in marriage law) had to be married in an Anglican church was a matter of grievance for dissenters and Roman Catholics. In 1820 the Unitarian minister William Johnson Fox married ('misguidedly', as it turned out) Eliza Florance at St George's and used his case in promoting a Dissenters' Marriage Bill to end this requirement - which was addressed in the 1836 Marriage Act. He was minister of South Place Chapel, Finsbury (originally, and again in later years, the Universalist 'South Place Ethical Society') from 1817-64, a journalist, campaigner and social reformer and MP for Oldham from 1847-63.

Personal stories
With our history of huge numbers of baptisms, weddings and funerals in past centuries, it's not surprising that we receive many enquiries from family historians from all over the world - which we welcome, expecially when they share something of their families' stories, and arrange to pay a visit! Here are just two examples.
James Carter (1828-1909), born in Whitechapel, married Jane Harrison at St George's in 1825 by Rector Farington. He trained for the 'mission field' at St Augustine's College Canterbury from 1851-52 and went to Australia, where he became prominent in the Sydney Archdiocese, with doctorates in divinity and law.
His great-great-grandson TImothy Carter is writing a biography for the Mitchell Library (the state library of New South Wales), drawing on a number of documents from the 1850s.

Here is is a moving story, provided by Bill Duxbury, about his grandparents. Lithuanians have again settled in the parish in significant numbers - but now as EU citizens.
A young Lithuanian bride
In 1908 Ona Peczkauskute was married here to Gurges (registered as 'Yurgis' - he could not write) Mazonas. They met on the boat: she was 14, he was 24. (At that time, the legal age of marriage was 12 for females and 14 for males, with parental consent required until 21; it was raised to 16 for both sexes in 1926, and the age of consent is now 18.) Between 1909 and 1936 she bore 13 children, the first dying young but most living to a good age -  5 are still living. Yurgis enlisted in the Labour Corps in 1935; Ona had to report regularly, as an 'alien', to the local police station, until Yurgis' death in 1959. She died two years later, aged 67.

Burials


Early arrangements for burial, in churchyard and crypt, are described here. Until printed registers were introduced in 1813, basic details were recorded in unnumbered register books, some of which are virtually illegible. From 1777 to 1800 the totals are recorded at the end of each year, noting the increase or decrease on the previous year, and the Rector Herbert Mayo signs at the foot of each page. His successors left the majority of burials to the curates.

A few entries have additional notes, e.g. 1731 Thomas Gartell - he gave a Master of Arts Hood to Ye Minister; 1735 Richard Leech, Master of the Workhouse; 1758 executed (in Blue Gate Fields), and again in July 1768 26th. Thomas Murray, glazier and coal-heaver, aged 29. 27th. Peter Flaherty, coal-heaver, aged 25. 28th. John Grainger, coal-heaver, aged 31, and David Clarey, coal-heaver, aged 23; executed in Blue Gate Fields. [Two more were hanged at Tyburn for killing a sailor, and seven were hanged at the same time for a riot and besetting Green's house at Shadwell with an intent to kill him - but were probably not buried here.]  Some were buried by Coroner's Warrant, e.g. 1821Visitation of God.

There were very many infant and young deaths, in tragic circumstances. There were two early instances of triplets who died a few days old: Mary, Christian, and Elinor, daughters of John Matthew Geydon, china-man, by Elizabeth his wife, baptized March 21, 1730; and Edward, William, and Mary, children of Henry Watwood, labourer, by Amy his wife, baptized Sept. 12, 1732. But a few lived to old age: Hadden records that between 1764 and 1792 there are forty burials of people over 90, several of 99, seven of over 100, and three of 104 - though this, of course predates accurate birth registration. Their details are here (scroll down to 'Instances of longevity'.)

The closure of the churchyard and vaults for burials is described here, and the register for 1854 notes The Churchyard and vaults were closed for Interment by Order In Council under the Act of 15th & 16th Victoria cap.85. There were five further burials (marked # in the table below), by written consent of the Secretary of State for the Home Department:


Statistics  [gaps to be filled]


 baptisms
 weddings
 burials
baptisms
 weddings
 burials
baptisms
 weddings
 burials
baptisms
 weddings
1729*
 218
 40
 411
 1800
 559
 249
1871
 264
 98
1942
 19
1730
 480
 48
 745
 1801
 597
 220
1872
 244
 82
1943
 19
1731
 518
 61
 594
 1802
 627
 327
1873
 310
 104
1944
 29
1732
 518
 72
 595
 1803
 565
 213
1874
 366
 104
1945
 47
1733
 519
 55
 728
 1804
 726
 223
1875
 447
 113
 1#
 1946
 66
1734
 515
 45
 679
 1805
 734
 198
1876
 546
 102
1948
 44
1735
 488
 58
 379+
 1806
 800
 268
1877
 537
 80
1949
 50
1736
 395
 65
1807
 770
 228
1878
 649
 93
1950
 28
1737
 497
 54
1808
 817
 240
1879
 621
 99
1951
 52
1738
 457
 50
1809
 701
 272
1880
 843
 86
1952
 37
1739
 445
 48
1810
 761
 302
1881
 547
 92
1953
 37
1740
 388
 41
1811
 657
 276
1882
 610
 91
1954
 32
1741
 385
 33
1812
 730
 246
1883
 466
 98
1955
 36
1742
 335
 42
1813
 899
 249
 511
 1884
 474
 62
1956
 44
1743
 387
 40
1814
 812
 272
 595
 1885
 469
 63
1957
 55
1744
 403
 44
1815
 929
 304
 585
 1886
 408
 71
1958
 52
1745
 348
 46
1816
 868
 258
 532
 1887
 428
 52
1960
 38
1746
 381
 45
1817
 890
 234
 582
 1888
 449
 62
1961
 46
1747
 377
 35
1818
 865
 250
 578
 1889
 401
 68
1962
 32
1748
 335
 38
1819
 915
 270
 618
 1890
 374
 73
1963
 31
1749
 399
 50
1820
 914
 240
 539
 1891
 360
 63
1964
 41
1750
 397
 36
1821
 880
 257
 544
 1892
 357
 81
1965
 23
1751
 436
 26
1822
 980
 286
 496
 1893
 305
 61
1966

1752
 374
 34
1823
 908
 253
 594
 1894
 304
 30+
1967

1753
 399
 33
1824
 1004
 186
 586
 1895
 260

1968

1754
 372
 79
1825
 784
 289
 684
 1896
 289

1969

1755
 376
 65
1826
 938
 289
 603
 1897
 277

1970

1756
 357
 91
1827
 927
 276
 593
 1898
 294

1971

1757
 385
 114
1828
 1091
 298
 640
 1899
 293

1972

1758
 425
 68
1829
 907
 258
 676
 1900
 290

1973

1759
 462
 190
1830
 1009
 276
 716
 1901
 227

1974

1760
 407
 187
1831
 1013
 303
 681
 1902
 257

1975

1761
 446
 151
1832
 1003
 280
 806
 1903
 203

1976

1762
 436
 172
1833
 1037
 264
 707
 1904
 196

1977

1763
 453
 314
1834
 1102
 269
 599
 1905
 168

1978

1764
 528
 196
1835
 1012
 287
 514
 1906
 141

1979

1765
 505
 179
1836
 1096
 319
 501
 1907
 132

1980

1766
 458
 186
1837
 1738
 372
 715
 1908
 107

1981

1767
 482
 166
1838
 1076
 266
 655
 1909
 84

1982

1768
 476
 135
1839
 997
 363
 525
 1910
 108

1983

1769
 493
 182
1840
 878
 435
 472
 1911
 68

1984

1770
 504
 157
1841
 898
 301
 543
 1912
 63

1985

1771
 480
 187
1842
 904
 271
 515
 1913
 64

1986

1772
 520
 165
1843
 951
 311
 573
 1914
 62

1987

1773
 476
 163
1844
 851
 312
 569
 1915
 45

1988

1774
 442
 153
1845
 915
 335
 528
 1916
 39

1989

1775
 515
 184
1846
 783
 262
 467
 1917
 28

1990

1776
 536
 172
1847
 728
 247
 686
 1918
 35

1991

1777
 505
 156
 450
 1848
 808
 213
 673
 1919
 35

1992

1778
 434
 148
 474
 1849
 766
 211
 596
 1920
 80

1993

1779
 475
 154
 523
 1850
 830
 204
 453
 1921
 44

1994

1780
 525
 171
 476
 1851
 790
 176
 466
 1922
 49

1995

1781
 504
 178
 570
 1852
 774
 160
 478
 1923
 56

1996

1782
 562
 284
 441
 1853
 807
 194
 632
 1924
 52

1997

1783
 540
 229
 504
 1854
 774
 172
 1007
 1925
 21

1998

1784
 588
 197
 403
 1855
 669
 212
 2#
 1926
 81

1999

1785
 554
 196
 408
 1856
 687
 197
1927
 53

2000

1786
 580
 522
 547
 1857
 750
 167
1928
 58

2001

1787
 560
 185
 488
 1858
 672
 135
1929
 61

2002

1788
 553
 106
 480
 1859
 596
 131
1930
 66

2003

1789
 531
 215
 470
 1860
 394+214
 49
1931
 52

2004

1790
 529
 204
 432
 1861
 430+80
 116
1932
 47

2005

1791
 640
 231
 456
 1862
 619+125
 122
1933
 57

2006

1792
 640
 231
 506
 1863
 566+40
 117
1934
 58

2007

1793
 589
 243
 488
 1864
 495+66
 124
1935
 45

2008

1794
 620
 257
 390
 1865
 493
 134
1936
 54

2009

1795
 540
 228
 504
 1866
 340
 126
1937
 47

2010

1796
 680
 230
 480
 1867
 329
 125
 1#
 1938
 51

2011

1797
 617
 235
 360
 1868
 291
 115
1939
 46

2012

1798
 550
 242
 540
 1869
 293
 83
1940
 34

2013

1799
 350
 243
 626
 1870
 314
 101
 1#
 1941
 16

2014


* from July

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