WHITFORD, Samuel I (Grimwade p.669)

[buckler]

X WHITFORD ALERT X
Anyone researching the Whitfords should be aware that they normally only seemed to use three forenames, Samuel, Thomas and William. Each generation named their sons with one of those names. Hence in the late 18th century in St Martin Le Grand there were about four Williams, four Thomas' and four Samuel’s . . To further confuse matters they had a penchant for marrying, or having daughters called Mary
There were certainly two if not three Samuel Whitfords in this period . The will given later below indicates that the one who died in 1778, the bucklemaker, had at least five children , but not including the Dorothy mentioned in the will of Thomas Whitford the spectacle maker as his granddaughter. Unusually for a Whitford , he appears to have no sons with the names Thomas , Samuel or William. Perhaps they had become confused themselves !
There may be two Samuel Whitford , Bucklemakers in this account

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Almost certainly not the son of the Thomas Whitford who died in 1792 although he could have been his brother or nephew .
I usually refer to Samuel Whitford I as Samuel the Bucklemaker, to distinguish him from Samuel Whitford the Optician .

Westminster Pollbooks: Votes in Westminster Elections, 1st January 1749 - 31st December 1749
Samuel Whitford ,Bucklemaker of Main Street St Martin Le Grand voted for Vandeput

9th May 1754 - Marriage of a Samuel Whitford to Mary Nairne at St Anne and St Agnes in the presence of Thomas Whitford and George Dallas . (There is another marriage of a Samuel Whitford, batchelor to a Sarah Parry in 1765 at the same church which may relate to a first wife of Samuel the Optician or even a third Samuel )

May well have had marks in the lost Smallworkers Register

27th March 1764
Entered a mark as smallworker at St Martin Le Grand


3rd Oct 1765 - Charles Sowerby son of John Sowerby, St Dunstan in the West, London, lapidary, apprenticed to Samuel Whitford, Blacksmiths' Company (could be Samuel the Optican )

Inland Revenue Board of Stamps transcript 26/201 of 1769 records the apprenticeship of a Robert Hilton ( who registered a mark as a bucklemaker in 1777) to Samuel Whitford of St Martin le Grand Silversmith

The Inland Revenue Board of Stamps Apprentice Books transcript at SOG 25/68 of 1769 gives William Ballantine apprenticed to Samuel Whiford of St Mary [sic} le Grand Mx, Bucklemaker. The date of 1769 may be either the start of end of the apprenticeship

7th November 1771
William Kimber son of William Kimber, Croydon, Surrey, husbandman apprenticed to Samuel Whitford, Blacksmiths' Company. (May be Samuel the Optican )

Westminster Pollbooks: Votes in Westminster Elections, 1st January 1774 - 31st December 1774
Samuel Whitford ,Silversmith given at Main Street St Martin le Grand , voting for Percy ((same address as Thomas Whiford and Samuel for 1747 )

4th Apr 1776 -
Edward Whitford son of Samuel Whitford, St Ann & St Agnes, London, bucklemaker apprenticed [presumed to his father Samuel Whitford], Blacksmiths' Company

13th November 1778 - Will of Samuel Whitford of St Martin le Grand was proved at PCC

“I Samuel Whitford of St Martin Le Grand London do make this my Will after all Debts my Funeral Charges being paid I give to my Daughters Isabella Mary and Elizabeth twenty pounds each my sons Richard and Edward five pounds, each the rest and residue of all my estate being only personal I give to my loving wife Mary and so appoint her with my Brother Tho Whitford Executors of this my Will dated 10th of October 1778.”

Samuel Whitford
Witnesses
William Ballentime, Eliz Smith

“This will was proved in London the thirteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight before .the prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of Mary Whitford Widow the relict ,------ --------- and Thomas Whitford the brother of the deceased to whom administration was granted of all and singular the goods chattels and credits”

Would that all wills were so simple !

[silverly]

2 January 1755 Samuel son of Thomas Whitford of Saint Martin Le Grand in the Liberty of Westminster Spectacle Maker apprenticed to John Lind Blacksmith of London.

[silverly]

(There is another marriage of a Samuel Whitford, batchelor to a Sarah Parry in 1765 at the same church which may relate to a first wife of Samuel the Optician or even a third Samuel )

29 April 1765 Samuel Whitford of the Parish of Saint Ann & Agnes Aldersgate London Batchelor and Silversmith bound in marriage to Sarah Parry spinster. A Thomas Whiford was one the witnesses at the ceremony.

[buckler]

This has opened a new can of Whitford worms.

It seems that the 1765 marriage of a Samuel Whitford , Silversmith , to Sarah Parry is the appropriate marriage for Samuel Whitford the Silver Bucklemaker
The Samuel Whitford 1754 marriage to Mary Nairne is probably that of Samuel the Optician .

2 January 1755 Samuel son of Thomas Whitford of Saint Martin Le Grand in the Liberty of Westminster Spectacle Maker apprenticed to John Lind Blacksmith of London.

This apprenticeship also appears to relate to Samuel Whitford the Optician and the dates match well

Which leaves us with the problem of the 1778 will that names a Mary as the testators wife . The address, one of the witnesses being William Ballantine, a known apprentice of Samuel the Bucklemaker and a Mary Whitford entering a
a sole bucklemaker mark on 6 November 1778 at 6, St Martins Le Grand all indicate we have the right will .

So did Sarah die very shortly after the wedding or what ?

[silverly]

So did Sarah die very shortly after the wedding or what ?

The children listed in the 1778 Samuel Whitford will do not fit the names of the children born to Samuel and Sarah Whitford. Both Samuel Whitfords were batchelors, of the same Parish, and had Thomas Whitfords present when they married. I can't help thinking that this is the same family following the same or similar trades and recycling family names.