The Inland Revenue Board of Stamps Apprentice Books transcript at SOG 25/68 of 1769 gives William Ballantine as apprenticed to Samuel Whiford of St Martin le Grand , Bucklemaker. The date of 1769 may be either the start or the end of the apprenticeship.
William Ballantine was one of the witnesses to the will of Samuel WHITFORD, a silver buckle maker at St Martins Le Grand and mentioned as such in PR1773. Ballantine may have been a senior journeyman at the time .
Samuel's will dated 15th October 1778 was proved at PCC on 13th November 1778 and left virtually all his estate to his wife Mary.
On 6 November 1778 a week before the will was proved, Mary entered a sole bucklemaker mark at 6, St Martins Le Grand . About 9 weeks later , on 12th January a joint bucklemaker mark for Mary Whitford & Willliam Ballantine was entered again at 6, St Martin Le Grand.
Ten years on William entered a sole mark as bucklemaker at 1, St Martin le Grand, although as early as 1780 the Sun Insurance records him alone as Silversmith , Kingshead Court, St Martin Le Grand as insured for £400 (1780 SUN 1 283 15\02\78 Policy Number 428022 )
No evidence of the death of Mary or her marrriage has been found .
On 1st March 1792 William Ballantine of St Martin Le Grand in the liberty of the city of Westminster, Goldsmith , and William Dupeecy of the same place ,Woollen Draper appeared personally in court in connection with the will of Thomas Whiford which was signed and dated 25th January 1792 but not witnessed
They "made oath that they know and were well acquainted with Thomas Whitford late of the parish of Saint Anne and Agnes in the liberty afresaid, deceased and with his manner and character of his handwriting and subscription "
Both swore that the handwriting and signature were that of Thomas Whitford . Thomas was an old silver bucklemaker in his early eighties who had turned optician and spectaclemaker, leaving most of his estate to his widowed daughter , Mary Wall and a bequest to Peter Dolland, one of the founders of the firm of Dolland & Aitcheson. Mary entered an Incuse mark as bucklemaker at 6, Kings Head Court, St Martin Le Grand on 5th March 1792 . One gets an idea of the dynastic arrangements of bucklemakers !
William, like many bucklemakers in the period then went bust .
Lloyds Evening Post of 26 August 1796 reports William Ballantine of Saint Matin le Grand, Goldsmith among the bankrupts to surrender. London Gazette (15132) of 18 November 1800 reports on final dividend of the bankrupcy proceeding of William Ballantine of St Martins le Grand in the Liberty of Westminster, "Goldsmith Dealer and Chapman".
BALLANTINE, William. (Grimwade p.404)
Moderators: buckler, MCB, silverly
Re: BALLANTINE, William. (Grimwade p.404)
On April 30, 1767 Samuel Whiteford of St Mary Le Grand Bucklemaker paid apprentice indenture duty for Wm Ballantine.